Community Voices and Lasting Impact: Reflections from PHAST in Grenada
Zoe Gurney
2nd Year MPH Global Health Epidemiology Student
Firstly, I would like to start by expressing my sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Social & Community Development, Housing and Gender Affairs, the Child Protection Authority, and the Grenada Red Cross Society for inviting and welcoming us to their country and offering an in-depth insight into frontline public health and community work. I also deeply appreciate all the community members who shared their invaluable insights.
In March 2025, I joined the University of Michigan (U-M)’s Public Health Action Support Team (PHAST) to travel to Saint George's, Grenada, to collaborate with Grenada’s Child Protection Authority. The Child Protection Authority is currently developing four national manuals to standardized frameworks for child protection in Grenada, and our work during U-M’s spring break was to conduct key informant interviews and focus group sessions to gain key stakeholder insight that can inform the manuals.
Considering that we were only in Grenada for a week, I am truly amazed at how much I learned from this experience and how much progress we made. From speaking with community members, visiting various organizations and institutions tied to child protection, and conducting meaningful qualitative public health research, all of these experiences will be so valuable to me as I embark on my post-MPH journey.
One memorable quote from a community member particularly stood out to me: “And so many times we do the consultation, we hear that a document is developed with promise, validation, opportunities, but we never see it again… And there's a very strong idea next year, another group of listeners will come and ask us to participate… So I want to participate in processes that are going to reach a logical conclusion and hopefully make a difference. It's my frustration, it's my hope, it's my expectation. It's also my call to action for you.” This quote beautifully underscores the importance of sustained, long-term public health efforts and action that are guided directly by the community. In addition to finalizing deliverables promised to the Child Protection Authority and other stakeholders, I look forward to hearing stories from the three interns returning to Grenada this summer as they continue the work through these partnerships. As for me, the memories and lessons will stay with me forever as I start the next phase of my career after graduating from my MPH program.
Once again, I’d like to express my gratitude to the Child Protection Authority, the Ministry of Social & Community Development, Housing and Gender Affairs, the Grenada Red Cross Society, and the community of Grenada for inviting and supporting our involvement in this work.
