Initially, I had intended to stay in South Africa for just a year, but life had different plans. I ended up staying an additional seven years. I had gone alone, leaving my mom and the kids in London, but they joined me later. My time in South Africa was a truly remarkable experience. I had the privilege of working with my exceptional boss, Helen Rees, a white South African with British roots, who was married to a South African of Indian ancestry. Helen had connections with the British Ambassador in South Africa and the head of DFID, and she had just established a Research Unit to assist previously disadvantaged black South Africans. Helen’s vision was to make research more practical for policymaking and program implementation, rather than purely academic. At that time, I had recently completed my Master’s degree, and to my surprise, Helen appointed me as the Clinical Director of the Unit at the age of thirty-three. This role provided an incredible opportunity for personal and professional growth and allowed me to explore territories I had never ventured into before. When I joined the research unit, there were only twelve of us. We operated a Reproductive Health Clinic and conducted research. My contributions were significant, and the unit experienced substantial growth during my tenure, eventually employing over one hundred and fifty people. We extended our support not only to South Africa but also to countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, and Zambia. One of our notable achievements was the establishment of a Reproductive Health ResearchMethods Course, which I had initiated. We even had participants fromGhana and Nigeria. This period of my life was deeply enriching, a 19 The Birthday Journal
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