The two participants facilitated by the Van Dam Foundation report as follows:

Ms Elizabeth John Lyimo (Tanzania) 

Project title: Empowerment of mothers/caregivers in the early detection of infants below six months at risk of poor growth and development in the coastal region, Tanzania: Mixed methods study.

Acknowledgement
I would like to extend my acknowledgements to the Van Dam Foundation for financial support, and for availing an enabling environment for me to participate in making this important training successful. Special thanks to Prof. Robin, Prof. Marius, Claudine, Prof. Johann and Dr. Lizelle from North-West University for facilitating the training. In addition, we extend our thanks to Prof. Edith and Dr. Fre from Wageningen University.
Training methods
The training was offered into two phases, the first phase online (1st July to 30th Sept 2024) and second phase Face to face 13rd Oct – 18th Oct 2024. Facilitators utilized a combination of facilitation methods suitable for adult learning to convey the information and impart knowledge and skills. The methods included modified interactive lectures, small and large plenary discussions and presentations, video clips, reading articles as well as individual and group exercises in the classroom. A participatory approach was used throughout the training to build competence and skills and encourage reflections based on individual’s past research experiences. Participants were active and cooperative throughout the training.
Achievement and Lessons Learnt
I work for the protocol on Empowerment of Mothers/caregivers in the early detection in infants below six months at risk of poor growth and development in the coastal region, Tanzania: A mixed methods study. The three months of the online course have helped me to complete the first draft of my proposal. The training was intensive, informative, and educational. It has been a valuable opportunity for my PhD journey and personal growth. It has significantly contributed to improving my thinking and expectations in PhD and my journey to be more realistic.

My self-awareness has increased and I can evaluate myself through reflection. I have been doing my reflection daily to improve my communication, writing, presentation, and behaviour. Also, my attitude towards others has changed, and void of judging people and always positive vibe. As a PhD student, this has helped to manage my emotions and understand correctly how other colleagues perceive me and how I can live with them. Moreover, I could also be able to prioritize things and have good time management. Another benefit I got is being able to balance the demands of the program with my PhD work has taught me the importance of resilience and adaptability. The ability to stay focused despite challenges in my progress. It was an opportunity to learn and adopt having a healthy mind and time management, which have greatly improved my productivity and reduced stress levels. The mentorship I got from the competent facilitators has helped to advance my research skills, particularly in study design, sampling, data analysis, and protocol development. My protocol has a new face now compared to before I started this training with a lot of constructive inputs. I am now confident to proceed with my study. Engaging with peers and mentors was an opportunity for discussions and exchange of ideas, enhancing my study and resource mobilization for my PhD journey which is partly not complete. Also, the Face-to-face interactions facilitated building connections with experts in my field, who have provided guidance and support beyond my PhD for my career development. I have gained communication skills through the presentation of my work during in-person seminars. I gained confidence in research ideas which has been useful in networking and presenting findings. Upon completion of the course, I noticed that it had impacted my personal growth. The experience encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone, embrace new ideas, and broaden my understanding of global issues.

Lessons learnt

– Testimonies from last year’s participants have been an encouragement that PhD journey has many ways to make it be done.
– I have to be on top of my study and drive the show.

Way forward

– Continue reading more about my area of study to understand it more.
– Consult with other experts and countries who have done related studies.
– Looking for funding for my study.

Mr Tamimu Yakubu (Ghana)

Project title: Evaluation of hospital-prepared ready-to-use therapeutic food versus standard formula for severe acute malnutrition management among children (6-59 months): an equivalence randomized controlled trial.

MY JOURNEY THROUGH THE PHD SUPPORT PROGRAMME

There is always a time in one’s life, where you are convinced that, you have to go higher in terms of your academic pursuit and professional relevance to achieve more. Thus, achieving more skills, knowledge and relevant techniques to be able to impart relevant and evidence-base knowledge, whiles remaining significant in your professional journey. Accordingly, because of this inner drive, I applied and was subsequently enrolled to pursue PhD in Human Nutrition and Dietetics at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)-Ghana, West Africa. Since, my enrolment in KNUST to offer nutrition and dietetics, it was obvious I needed more knowledge and coaching in academic research to be able to pursue my PhD course seamlessly. At the universities, even though a PhD candidate has supervisors to assist in showing the way, their supervision is not exhaustive, and that many equally important skills are not brought to bear, and this indirectly make the PhD journey more cumbersome and sometimes stress for the candidate. Therefore, it was on this backdrop I applied for the PhD support programme at North-West University (NWU) in South Africa. The support programme enlightened me immensely in the salient areas of academic research writing and publications. The program’s online or virtual sessions were very detailed, yet interesting to manoeuvrer.

The virtual session involved among others the various stages in the research process i.e. from title conception, protocol development and to thesis writing. The components of the modules were very relevant, especially it did not only centre on the research writing, but also delve deeply into self-awareness, self-worth and emotional intelligence, which are very integral to the mental state and overall wellbeing of the PhD candidate. Thus, these aspects of the support programme made me view my academic PhD journey with positive mind-set and was confident in myself ever than before to be able to propel through the seemingly difficult and arduous journey. Through the virtual platform, I have been able to produce my protocol for ethics approval; thanks to the knowledge acquired from the support programme. Also, the virtual arm of the support programme was immediately followed by the face-to-face session for one week at the North West University (NWU) in South Africa. It is very important to emphasize that the physical encounter was very educative, practical and simply an eye-opener for me. Thus, the experiences shared by world accomplished researchers in the field of nutrition and dietetics was very valuable towards my academic research trajectory. My participation, in the PhD research programme made me more prepared to pursue my PhD, and that I am now better empowered than before to pursue this all-important academic journey of my life.

Upon completion of my PhD, I hope to continue to impart the knowledge and skills to my students, while researching on topical issues relating to public health, nutrition and dietetics so as to contribute to the scientific knowledge advancement for a better tomorrow.

October 2024