2011 Grant Recipient 
Bangladesh
MSPH Program, Department of Health, Behavior & Society, JHSPH
The Intern will work with the IGTC's local counterpart organization [Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs - BCCP] to support Government in the implementation of the Banglaesh Strategic Communications Plan for Tobacco Control, 2011-2015. This Plan aims to coordinate the communications-related efforts of Government agencies, non-governmental organizations and external support agencies to reduce tobacco use in Bangladesh. Among other things, the Plan focuses on educating people about the health hazards of tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke; advocating the adoption and implementation of legislation to create smoke-free public places; branding positive behavior among youth; and, countering tobacco industry marketing strategies.
As part of my MSPH degree program, I am required to do a field placement. After some thought, I decided I wanted to do my placement abroad. During college, I had studied and interned abroad in China, but I was already familiar with the culture and language beforehand. This time I wanted to experience being in a country I had never been before while doing work I was interested in.
Looking at the listings of global health field placements back in February 2011, I was instantly drawn to the one in Dhaka, Bangladesh for Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (BCCP). I had read a lot about BCCP and their past campaigns in my health communication classes. Specifically, BCCP was looking for someone to help with their tobacco control mass media campaign and to work on their strategic communications plan for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare – two elements of health communication I was interested in exploring further. Before arriving in Dhaka, I had no idea what to expect. I tried reading up on Bangladesh and even listening to Bangla lessons over YouTube. However, I knew no matter how much reading and preparation I did, I was never going to understand what being in Bangladesh would be like until I arrived. When I landed in Dhaka, I was immediately hit with the humidity and experienced an integral part of living in Bangladesh – a long traffic jam along the highway from the airport to my guest house. My first day at BCCP was a bit of a whirlwind. I was given a tour of the organization, met everyone, and was astonished by the number of projects they were working on. I instantly felt like I had landed the jackpot of internships. The staff at BCCP was so friendly, kind, and open to share both professional and personal insights about working and living in Bangladesh. I formed an instant bond to the people there, especially the women (a couple who probably used me as an excuse to go shopping). I was fascinated how despite being in a culture and environment that is still primarily male-dominated, the women at BCCP were able to carve a fulfilling professional life while keeping with the traditional roles of being a mother in the household. Through several conversations with them and through meeting their families, I realized that although we are from different parts of the world and have completely different life experiences, we still hold same values in life. Adapting to living in Dhaka was challenging. When I first walked out by myself to explore my neighborhood, people instantly stared at me. Rickshaw drivers flocked me asking if I wanted a ride, to which I shook my head. I realized two things – not only did I look different, but I was not wearing what was customary of women in Dhaka, which was a salwar kameez, which consists of a tunic, long pants, and a scarf. I did my best to pick up the language, which I did primarily through a friend who had been self-taught. A few weeks in, I would come into work using some of the new words I learned. In reaction to this, many of the people I worked with seemed impressed. The fact that I tried to make an effort to learn the language signaled to them that I was serious about being there and working with them. In terms of professional goals, I came into the placement thinking I would prefer to be working on implementation of programs, producing a mass media campaign, and even working with the government. However, that perception shifted while I was at BCCP. I was tasked to help review a household survey which was to be disseminated to all parts of Bangladesh asking if people had seen any parts of the tobacco control mass media campaign that had aired the previous month, as well as smoking status of members of the household, and perceptions of risks of smoking. I had many conversations with the research manager at BCCP about the survey, conversations that shifted into long talks about research in general. In addition, I monitored two surveying sessions to ensure the interviewers were following correct procedure. Through this whole process, I realized how much I liked the research side, and currently am hoping to delve more deeply into that realm. Over all, my experience at BCCP helped to further define my interests and goals for my future career. Being in a complete foreign environment was instrumental in helping me become more self-aware and reflective about not only what I wanted professionally, but also personally. I want to thank the Global Health Field Placement program for offering such a great placement, BCCP for being such a welcoming place to work in, and the Institute for Global Tobacco Control for pulling the placement together. Because of the great relationships I formed during the summer, I still keep in contact with those I met in Dhaka, and will hopefully see them again someday soon.
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