During the 2nd annual MELA workshop of Africa Health Collaborative, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, participants discussed the Collaborative’s ideals through photos.
On the second day of the 2nd annual Convening and the final day of the Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Adaptation (MELA) workshop, Katherine Beaumont, Senior Director of Global Learning Opportunities and International Student Success, thought of a photovoice activity to begin the day’s sessions.
A4-sized pictures of an elephant, a cheetah, a whale, a porcupine, a tortoise, a goat, and a buffalo were placed on the auditorium walls for participants to discuss their essence.
After about 5 minutes of deliberation, themes of resilience, diversity, positive impact and collaboration dominated the participants’ observations.
“The size of the whale conveys the impact of the Mastercard Foundation,” a participant said.
“Buffalos are solid and resilient animals. If we want to succeed, we must be solid and resilient. You can see birds perched on buffalos, which means we must be very accommodating of others. I also admire the unity of buffalos; they graze together and fight together,” another commented.
“We’re like cheetahs. We represent agility, speed, and undivided focus,” another said.
Ms. Beaumont emphasized the importance of diverse perspectives in strengthening the Collaborative’s mission.
“The thing that makes the system work is the people. It’s a reminder that different people in different institutions have ideas that contribute to the system’s success. We’ll be relying on these institutions for data,” she said.
About MELA
The MELA workstream engages all ten members of the Health Collaborative, including the Mastercard Foundation, to ensure alignment with the Foundation’s Impact Strategy. The first Co-creation workshop was held in Cape Town, South Africa, on October 11-12, 2023, alongside the first annual convening.
The workshop included representatives selected from across all members of the Health Collaborative and the three pillars (HEMP, HENT, and HECO). The MELA workshop was designed to be interactive and used a co-creation and consultative approach.
The two-day workshop, which marks the official opening of the 2nd Africa Health Collaborative Convening on October 23, will focus on tracking progress and fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
About the Convening
Annually, the Africa Health Collaborative brings together key stakeholders from Africa and beyond to collectively address shared health-sector challenges through a network approach. The annual convening also seeks to engage relevant health ecosystem partners and youth in knowledge exchange and to deepen the collaborations among partner institutions within the Higher Education Health Collaborative.
The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana is hosting the 2024 Annual Convening of the Africa Health Collaborative from the October 21 to 25.