Charles Opondo, a doctoral candidate in the epidemiology program at the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, is driven by a desire to understand and combat two of the most pressing public health issues affecting low-income households in Western Kenya: under-nutrition and mental health. Aiming to tackle both in one study, his research focuses on a microfinance community farming program in his home country of Kenya.
“I wanted to evaluate an untapped area in an existing intervention that can alleviate poverty and improve population health outcomes,” he said.
Opondo’s research focuses on social epidemiology, a field of science that analyzes how societal structures can impact individual and population-level health. Specifically, his work examines a local microfinance program in Western Kenya. Participants pool savings and access loans to fund kitchen garden farming and purchase supplies that extend farm yields throughout the year. This allows local communities to address their own food insecurity and under-nutrition while improving the mental well-being of the most vulnerable members of society. Such an initiative could alleviate similar problems in rural Indiana as well.
Initially, Opondo hoped to analyze secondary data such as government reports or census results, but he quickly discovered that there were few existing records suited to answer his research questions. That meant building his study from the ground up, by identifying participants and gathering data himself.
With so much primary data-gathering needed, IU Global’s Pre-Dissertation Grant proved critical in laying the groundwork to collect high-quality, relevant data that will inform the rest of his doctoral work. The grant provides funding for doctoral students to conduct preliminary research abroad.
“I was able to expand my network and access the resources I needed to identify the research questions I wanted to answer through primary data collection for my upcoming dissertation proposal,” he said.
This meant traveling to Kenya to connect with his research team, conduct preliminary field visits and engage directly with the community that will be at the center of his dissertation proposal.
This investigation is tied closely to Opondo’s broader academic interest in poverty alleviation programs, especially those grounded in agriculture. Low-income countries are experiencing disproportionately high mental health challenges because of poverty, food insecurity and the inability to access health care. Opondo hopes that interventions like the microfinance program can serve as models for how to address these issues in a low-cost but high-impact format.
The success of his pre-dissertation grant and foundational research led him to return to Kenya and Moi University under an IU Primary Partner Grant this summer to further his thesis. While this specific microfinancing program has been running for the past eight years, it has not been evaluated on health outcomes yet. As a part of his thesis, he will assess any changes in dietary diversity and rates of depression among participants. He expects the findings to inform health and economic policies in low-income regions worldwide, potentially including those in Indiana.
On a personal and academic level, both grants have been transformative. Opondo now has a collaborative team on the ground in Kenya that he can rely on and build a strong foundation for long-term engagement in the field of social epidemiology. He said his existing network and strong advisor support helped make the grant application process smooth. Opondo’s well-written research questions and a clear vision made all the difference, and now that vision is being realized in the communities that matter most to him.
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