Maseno University Phd in Public Health Student Wins NIH Grant Award
Jackline Odhiambo, a fulltime PhD Fellow under the Sustainable Development for improving HIV Health Training Program (SD4H) at Maseno University has won her first grant worth $100,000 from the National Institute of Health (NIH), 2023. The Award is a supplementary grant under the thematic area of HIV and Aging. Her research project titled Intersectional stigma and quality of life among widowed and married women aging with HIV/AIDS in Siaya, Kenya is aimed at informing interventions needed to address stigma and improve mental health and quality of life for older women living with HIV. SD4H is a collaboration between Maseno University, KEMRI and UCSF. Join us in congratulating Miss Jackline Odhiambo in this great achievement at her first attempt in applying for an NIH grant, which is the first of many to come.
Miss Jackline Odhiambo, MSc. is a Public Health and Health Systems Researcher. She is currently in her third year of doctoral study conducting field research aimed at characterizing and measuring widowhood stigma and its influence on HIV-related risk behaviours in Siaya, Kenya. Miss Odhiambo is also the Founder and Executive Director of Nyanam Widows Rising. Nyanam which means “Daughter of the Lake” provides widows in the Lake Victoria region with leadership education, personal and professional development skills. Founded in 2017, Nyanam helps widows begin micro-enterprises and small businesses and educates widows about property rights, helping them reclaim what’s theirs. They have built homes for widows whose safety was threatened, and nearly 1,000 children have benefitted from Nyanam youth camps and mentorship programs. Hundreds of widows gather for monthly meetings, providing them with a sense of community