The past two weeks have been busy, eventful, and honestly, really rewarding. We’ve settled into a daily routine that I’ve come to enjoy, but now that I’m fully adjusted to life in Dar, I’ve started to make a few tweaks here and there. My host project, as I briefly mentioned in my last post, is primarily computational. So rather than climbing the seven flights of stairs to the DIT Design Studio every day, I’ve started working from local coffee shops on some mornings. It’s been a fun way to explore the city, enjoy a good breakfast, and take advantage of strong WiFi while still getting my work done. It’s also helped me stay motivated, which can sometimes be tricky with screen-heavy, data-intensive work.
As for the project itself, these last two weeks have been full of learning. I’ve deepened my understanding of hypothermia trends in newborns across four countries: Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, and Nigeria. I’ve been working closely with my mentors, Dr. Bohne and John, and even got to collaborate with a NEST360 team member affectionately nicknamed Hypothermia Hannah, who has helped me translate findings into clear, impactful visualizations. The goal is to give facility partners meaningful context around their progress and needs.
One visualization I created tracks transitions in newborn thermal states—for example, showing how many babies are admitted normothermic and become hypothermic, or the reverse. While I’ve removed the facility name for data safety reasons, I hope to share more formally with Rice360 later on since this work is part of a larger publication!
Another big focus has been analyzing ambient temperature data collected via the HADLI monitor—a NEST360-qualified technology used to track ward temperatures (among other environmental conditions) in low-resource settings. I’ve been visualizing temperature trends across facilities in all four countries, and one big question we’re exploring is: What counts as an ideal ward temperature? WHO recommends temperatures between 25–28°C, but some literature suggests slightly higher temps may be even better, depending on the circumstances of birth. I’ve been experimenting with a broader range, like 25–35°C, to help facilities understand when they’re falling outside of safe parameters, especially when it comes to preventing newborn hypothermia.
Next, I’ll be diving into research to explore the relationship between ward temperature and newborn thermal states. Now that I know both datasets well, I’m excited (and slightly intimidated) to dig into past literature and methodology. This is where the advanced statistics come in: testing approaches, refining models, and going through cycles of trial, error, and revision. It’s a challenge I’m genuinely looking forward to, and one that will push me to think critically about how to best capture and communicate these associations, but I know I am greatly supported. John, my mentor and a data analyst for NEST, is so, so brilliant, and I’m confident he’ll have some valuable direction for me.
Outside of work, we’ve had some amazing moments too. A few weekends ago, we visited Bongoyo Island, just off the coast of Dar. It was serene and absolutely magical. Last weekend, we spent time in the south of Dar at a beach in Kigamboni near our DIT mentor Joel’s home, alongside many DIT students and staff we see every day. It was refreshing to see everyone outside of the workshop, playing beach games and swimming.
We also celebrated Shreya’s birthday this week! Andy and I worked with a few DIT students to surprise her with a cake at dinner. I didn’t expect so many of them to come, but it was genuinely heartwarming to see them all show up. We celebrated at one of our favorite restaurants (yes, we have favorites now!), an Indian spot called Chowpatty. I still can’t believe we’ve been here long enough to say that! Living in the city center and working closely with local mentors has taught me so much about Dar and Tanzania’s history. One fascinating piece has been learning about the large Indian immigrant population here, especially concentrated in parts of the city like Kisutu.
On the language front, I’m trying to keep learning Swahili, though I’ll admit my memory isn’t the best. I’ve mastered basic greetings and food terms (priorities!), and my mentor recommended a book that I plan to pick up next week to deepen my learning.
But first… Zanzibar!!! We’re heading there this weekend for a little escape, and it just so happens that the trip begins tomorrow… on my 22nd birthday! I can’t wait to write all about it in the next blog post.
Asante kwa kusoma!