Story

I am from Kenya. In my BSc., I had fantastic module called Applied Insect Ecology. The class opened my eyes of not just the negative impacts of insects, but many of the positive that are often overlooked. I learnt a lot, not just about insects, but about life from these insects. Of course, hating mosquitos for the terrors they bring had a hand in my choice, and I studied them in both my bachelor and master’s theses. My hope is to end a disease one day. I work on the FoSTA-health project, investigating the effects of food systems transformation in southern Africa will affect human health. Specifically, I work on how does the shift from maize to soyabean affect mosquito populations. In my spare time I like to go birdwatching – aside from improving my identification skills, I hope to hone my senses and keep them sharp, trying to eye out or hear the faintest call to identify birds from afar. I love to keep learning about the natural world around me, and so finding a new bird unbeknownst to me before is also extremely rewarding.