I am a part of the team investigating the socioeconomic factors that contribute to Ebola. Cultural issues comprise some of the greatest challenges of constructing and implementing our survey and the project in general. Making a survey that inquires about the socio-economic background of respondents has been done many times before, but creating questions that can be answered accurately and reliably by respondents the unique cultural dynamic of Sierra Leone is much more challenging.

For example, before constructing our survey we must determine whether we should write the survey in English, Krio, or Mende because different languages are spoken throughout different regions of the country and varying levels of English are understood as well. In addition, I learned in the workshop that most girls stop attending school after Primary School despite having free education through high school. This significantly impacts how we will craft our survey as the data we collect may be inaccurate if certain groups do not fully understand questions being asked. Our team will have to determine whether we can deliver the survey in only English or if we need to create separate versions in Krio or Mende. In addition, once we are on the ground in Sierra Leone we must be very mindful of the tasks we need to complete because concept of time is different in the country. Something that may take a day in the States could take five or more in Sierra Leone. Being focused and precise with what we should accomplish will make the trip the most worthwhile.

Personally, I have some experience with language barriers and misinterpretation within my family because my Grandmother is Greek and speaks very basic English. We usually speak in a combination of Greek and English while talking to each other so we both can understand. Even within my family I have a unique dialect with my Grandmother, so I can imagine how complex the mix of languages in-country may be. My Greek side of the family is also chronically late to everything and spends over two hours eating dinner each night which, from stories from past students who travelled, is similar to the culture in Sierra Leone.

Although cultural differences can sometimes pose difficulties while working in the field of social impact, they can also be used to our team’s advantage. For example, the healthcare system in Sierra Leone is very complex and unclear until it is fully explained. In my project, the format of the system is actually easier for my team to work with than if we were administering our survey in somewhere like America with lots of boundaries and diverse stakeholders in the healthcare system. The Sierra Leonian system makes it easier to find a point within the chain of clinics, hospitals, nurses, community health workers, etc.. to find a target who can administer the survey effectively.  In addition, the members of communities who will be respondents of our surveys and leaders in the healthcare system have all been personally affected by the Ebola epidemic and have significant motivation to help our effort to better predict and prepare for future outbreaks. This means that they will likely provide us with resources to aid our research in-country.

The African context presents a unique set of challenges that differ from the American context. As I mentioned, the Sierra Leonian healthcare system can also be very complex so understanding roles of key players in the system that differ from positions in the States is essential. The lack of uniform internet connection throughout the country, especially in rural areas, presents a challenge because if my team decides to administer the survey via website or app, internet connection, as well as the necessary technology, must be available. In the US there is internet connection in virtually every corner.

The African context also provides resources that are different than those in America. Contacting people in Sierra Leone can be all about who knows who and connections that our in-country contacts have. World Hope, for example, has staff who know the ins and outs of the healthcare system and know community health workers and other workers in the industry that could be valuable to our team. In addition, Ebola mobilizers are unique resources who are experts in the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone as they lived and struggled through it. No resource is as valuable as first-hand experience, especially in a different context than in America. In addition, the tight-knit rural communities in the country make it so that we can collect data about patients with Ebola, most of whom have not survived, as those close to victims likely know more intimate information than what would be shared with friends and family in America.