Why I joined GSIF!

I am proudly Zimbabwean and I also identify myself as a citizen of the world. I first came to Lehigh in search of credibility, resources, and networks that I can utilize to bring change to my nation and Africa at large. I didn’t just come about all this about myself just to be good. I have lived my whole life in Africa and I got fed up with seeing everything happen around me and yet feel powerless to do anything about it all. I have lost a considerable number of individuals to otherwise very simple treatable conditions due to the medical costs around the country. The word that Prof. Mehta uses, Impact, spoke to me directly and I just realized this was my chance to start breaking the cycle of meaningless in Africa. Me being at Lehigh is a privilege that I have been afforded and by my own terms, I have the responsibility to make a change when I can to where I come from. I joined GSIF because the system that it’s trying to influence and change, I have lived it, I have survived it and I need to change it so that more can survive. I joined GSIF because it aligns perfectly with my personal vision, and that is to improve the health system everywhere starting with Africa.

I am currently undecided about which exact major I will be doing, but this project will definitely play a major role in which major I will end up studying (BioE and ChemE). Working with different aspects of the sickle cell project will motivate me to know more of how both the two major can be put into play and from that, I will be able to make a first-hand decision as well as an informed one. As I am still a freshman, embarking and taking in these research credits now will give me a slight edge on my course schedule later one and definitely it will give me an upper hand when I apply for the Iacocca Internships and any other when I am a sophomore. Being a part of GSIF will improve my research skills and make me a more knowledgeable, expanding how I think in general, and by that, I will definitely stop thinking major orientated and start thinking of all the aspects that come into play when with regards to my major as well.

Looking at the developing countries aspect of this situation, Kenya in this case, I have a couple of solutions that I would want to implement this eyesight issue. Firstly, before taking any action, I would need all the information I can get about eyesight issues besides just a survey carried out by WHO. A field trip is necessary to get as much information about the possible origins of the vast increasing eye problems. Within my own survey, I will have questions that would investigate tow major branches. One would be those who were born with eyesight problems and the second would be asking of specific age groups when eyesight became a problem for those that were born with good vision. Following the second aspect, it ould be a good idea to look at Kenya’s history to find out whether there were any major changes in the environment that could have somehow impaired the eyes of many. As of such, if anything is found, my team would try to bring to light this issue to the government officials who can see to it that these changes are somehow limited to stop the further worsening of bad eyesight in the future.

The second part of the course to improve eyesight for those already in bad shape would simply be to provide affordable eyeglasses. Again, having enough information is key to this. That being said, my team and I will set up a meeting with eyeglasses manufacturing firms and hope to find out just how much it costs to make a pair of glasses. From there on, we will have a better goal. The next stage will be making appointments with plastic recycling firms. The agenda of this meeting would be to get the information on which kind of plastic among those that get recycled will be better suited to making eyeglass frames. This is because using plastic will be cheap for both making and selling. And as for the glass, a team will be assigned to be able to carry out experiments of different glasses that are very possible. After we find the right glass to use, the next step will be to figure out different glasses lenses at different visions for different frames. Once we have samples for all of these, We will try to test them out and see how they are accepted by general consensus, taking into account that these will be very relatively cheap; say $20 for these eyeglasses as opposed to paying $500. The key to solving this issue will be to implement reverse innovation and get into the eyeglass making business to cut down these costs drastically. After this, if the field tests are successful, we will scale this project up and have everyone have better access to good eyesight by the end of the following year.

Something to consider just looking at  ~ (https://www.pr.com/press-release/69271 )

One thought on “Why I joined GSIF!

  1. Hi Roy,
    Great work! Your thinking on the eyeglasses question is very clear – starting out with gathering information and then developing potential solutions. One thing to consider while coming to really understand the issue is who you would want to partner with when traveling in country. Are there government, NGO, or community players who would be critical to include?

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