Marin Strong’s Fellowship & Time in addis ababa

SCOPE Fellow, Marin Strong, also working in Addis Ababa, partnered with Healing Hands of Joy (HHOJ) to strengthen evaluation and research efforts focused on obstetric fistula in Ethiopia. Working with HHOJ’s monitoring and evaluation team, Marin is developing an evaluation framework for the Safe Motherhood Ambassador (SMA) program, reviewing data collection tools, and conducting a literature review of more than 400 articles. Site visits to maternal health organizations and HHOJ’s Jimma rehabilitation center have provided valuable insights into local health systems, program implementation, and opportunities for future research.

Marin shared that the fellowship “offered a meaningful opportunity to apply public health research skills in a real-world setting while learning directly from local staff, healthcare providers, and women recovering from obstetric fistula.” Through this experience, Marin said she gained a deeper understanding of community-based maternal health programs and the importance of collaborative, locally informed evaluation in strengthening services and improving women’s health outcomes.