Community Possibilities

The Village is the Heart: Meet Kachina Chawla

Ann Price Season 1 Episode 35

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Kachina Chawla from USAID joins Ann to discuss her work in India. Kachina and her colleagues work to prevent and treat Tuberculosis, HIV, and other diseases that otherwise might not be provided for in many communities. Communities are the "epicenter" of this work.  Working within communities helps her team reach out to the most marginalized. Kachina offers specific examples as to why drugs alone will not improve health. 

Kachina educates us on what USAID is, who funds it, and explains her role in the organization as well as her personal outlook on working in communities. Her specific examples will help you think about how you can be more effective in your community work.

Items discussed :

  • Why communities are the critical branch of the health system
  • How communities provide the feedback needed to bridge the demand and supply gap
  • Why she chose the Empowerment Methodology and the power of community dialogue
  • The role of the government in health promotion
  • We need to let go of our own baggage when working in and with communities
  • Why the power of the collective is the community possibility she sees

Bio
Kachina Chawla, MPH, is the Senior Advisor for the Health Office at USAID/India where she works on digital technology, inclusive development and other emerging priorities such as COVID-19, air pollution and urban resilience. She is a public health professional who has spent the last 20 years working extensively in areas of maternal and child health, family planning and infectious diseases across three continents. Prior to joining USAID, Kachina was a founding partner at Lighthouse Health Solutions LLC, an international consulting firm that serviced clients like BMGF, the Packard Foundation and the Public Health Institute. At Lighthouse, she led their investment on using social movements to ignite changes that impact health.  

Kachina received her bachelor’s degree in History and Science from Bennington College, Vermont, and a master’s degree in Public Health, specializing in Monitoring and Evaluation from the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane University, New Orleans.

Community Possibilities is produced by Zach Price
Music by Zach Price

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Music by Zach Price: Zachpricet@gmail.com