The 2019 Provost’s Award for Faculty Excellence in Education Abroad goes to Dr. Stacy Moak, Professor in the Department of Social Work.
Dr. Moak led a group of 12 students on the faculty-led program “Women's Rights, Health, and HIV Awareness” in the Maasai Mara area of Kenya during spring 2018. During the experience, students participated in several service learning opportunities that were created in partnership with Kenyan agencies.
In the Maasai Mara, students delivered lessons on adolescent health and menstrual health management to 200 girls at the Sekani Girl's High School. Students also sewed reusable sanitary products, and collected donations of over 2,000 pieces of underwear that were distributed at the site. Students also participated in touring a Health Clinic in the Maasai Mara that serves the community and is responsible for childhood vaccinations, child births, maternal health care, family planning and HIV screening and intervention.
Finally, students engaged in service learning around girls' empowerment, and trauma-informed-care discussions with local social workers and service providers at CARA Rescue Center for Girls in Ngong Kenya. Students developed materials that were used in discussions, role plays, and lessons.
These service learning opportunities were made possible through a partnership with Nashulai Conservancy and our partners Maggie and Nelson Reiyia in the Maasai Mara and Edwina Kwallah and the CARA Rescue Center for Girls in Ngong. Each of these service learning sites are partnerships between UAB students and local agencies that provide mutual benefits to all involved and are vetted through local community representatives. Students are strongly encouraged to spend time with locals and try to get to know their strengths.
Students consistently provide feedback that they return from this program having learned much more than they originally expected.
Dr. Moak has been recognized with the Provost Award for Faculty Excellence in Education Abroad programming for exemplifying intentional and sustainable service-learning Education Abroad programs with these ongoing relationship with Nashulai Conservancy and CARA Rescue Center for Girls.
“I truly believe that students should not travel to destinations in the global south to just observe the needs of the community, but should engage in problem solving that is guided by the local community. This requires students to develop some cultural awareness and recognize that western ideas are not always the best ideas for interventions. We do not have all of the answers just because we come from the US.” – Dr. Moak
For more information about the Kenya study abroad program, contact Dr. Stacy Moak at