VOA Zimbabwe Service Chief Ndimyake Mwakalyelye moderated a recent high-level USAID panel discussion on maternal and child health. The Washington program focused on U.S. government interagency efforts to use evidence-based research to improve the delivery of foreign aid to developing countries.
Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet; Maya Shankar, senior advisor for Social and Behavioral Sciences at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; and Dr. Ariel Pablos-Méndez, USAID assistant administrator for Global Health, and Child and Maternal Survival coordinator took part in the panel.
"As a journalist of African descent, I was honored to be part of such a union of forces -- USAID, the Peace Corps, and the White House -- that aim to enrich people's lives, particularly in developing countries, by ensuring that the intended help meets the needs of the communities being served in the most impactful way. Matching science with behavioral practices and norms is a great step forward," said Mwakalyelye.
Mwakalyelye began her service at the Voice of America 14 years ago as a radio broadcaster. She was a journalist and television broadcaster for several VOA English to Africa programs, before becoming chief of the Zimbabwe Service in 2014. Her interest in women’s issues and health-related matters has fueled her dedication in covering these topics for the Voice of America.
VOA Zimbabwe broadcasts in English, Shona and Ndebele on medium wave and shortwave radio, and offers a daily live webcast of its popular Studio 7 radio program.
