Undergraduate Researcher Assists With International Activity in Zambia

Katie Roman assists with clearing dishes after a ComFA+Fish Instant Porridge Sensory Panel conducted among mothers and their infants at Zambia’s Lake Kariba. (Photo by Kathleen Ragsdale)
Katie Roman assists with clearing dishes after a ComFA+Fish Instant Porridge Sensory Panel conducted among mothers and their infants at Zambia’s Lake Kariba. (Photo by Kathleen Ragsdale)

Blog post by Katie Roman

BACKGROUND: TO ZAMBIA

While most undergraduates at Mississippi State University were attending their first classes of the Fall semester on August 21st, I was halfway across the globe conducting trainings and sensory panels with 20 fishers, processors, community leaders, local health workers, and 33 mothers and their babies at Zambia’s Lake Kariba. This research involved 11 days of travel, participating in meetings in Zambia’s capital of Lusaka, implementing nutrition and food safety trainings, and assisting with sensory panels in Siavonga—a rural town on the shores of Lake Kariba—to evaluate the acceptability of four varieties of  Complementary Food for Africa+Dried Fish Powder (ComFA+Fish) Instant Porridge.

This research opportunity was afforded to me as a Social Science Research Center intern, mentored by Kathleen Ragsdale through the support of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)/Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES) Undergraduate Research Scholar Program. Ragsdale leads the activity, Scaling-Up Fish Powder for Adoption in Rural Zambia (Scaling Fish Powder in Zambia), in collaboration with Terezie Tolar-Peterson (California State University, San Bernardino), Sylvia Banda (CEO/Founder, Sylva Food Solutions, Zambia), and Netsayi Mudege (WorldFish, Zambia). We conducted sensory panels of four ComFA+Fish instant porridges the researchers developed in partnership with Sylva Food Solutions to improve access to nutrient-dense, fish-fortified foods for babies during the complementary feeding stage, which begins at age 6 months and ends when an infant reacheings the age of 2 years. Also known as the weaning stage, this period can place vulnerable infants at risk of malnutrition as they transition from exclusive breastfeeding to eating solid foods. The four varieties of instant porridges we tested included plain, vanilla, vanilla with extra fish powder, and strawberry flavors.

During Sensory Panel IV, we tested the four instant porridges among mothers and other end-consumers (i.e., fishers, processors, community leaders, and local health workers) to gauge the acceptability of each flavor. The mothers and other adults evaluated the four instant porridges on the same seven attributes the research team used in Sensory Panel I for caregivers (i.e., aroma, appearance, mouthfeel/texture, flavour/taste, sweetness, convenience, and overall acceptability). During Sensory Panel V, mothers evaluated how much their babies liked each of the four porridges, using the Sensory Panel II criteria. Sensory Panels I-II results are available in Public Health Nutrition at doi.org/10.1017/S1368980023002586 and a technical brief on the results of Sensory Panel III is available at https://tinyurl.com/2sejjudx. A technical brief on the instant porridges’ macronutrient composition for infants and young children at ages 6–8 months, 9–11 months, and 12–23 months is available at https://tinyurl.com/mr3h59zu.

Sylvia Banda (left) and Terezie Tolar-Peterson (right) prepare ComFA+Fish Instant Porridge for a sensory panel in Lake Kariba among mothers and their infants. (Photo by Kathleen Ragsdale)
Sylvia Banda (left) and Terezie Tolar-Peterson (right) prepare ComFA+Fish Instant Porridge for a sensory panel in Lake Kariba among mothers and their infants. (Photo by Kathleen Ragsdale)

USAID AND THE FEED THE FUTURE INNOVATION LAB FOR FISH

Our research was supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish. Led by Mississippi State University’s Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security, the Fish Innovation Lab is one of 16 Feed the Future Innovation Labs led by top U.S. universities in partnership with host-country universities and organizations to address agricultural productivity and global food security. The Scaling Fish Powder in Zambia activity is the third of three activities led by Ragsdale and her team since 2019 that focus on food security and capacity building among small-scale fishing communities in Zambia, allowing us to make a visible impact in resource-limited rural communities. Our work is specifically oriented around addressing nutrient deficiencies among infants whose families struggle with poverty and lack adequate food, which can put infants at risk for stunting and delays in their development. The research team collaborates with local fishers, fish processors, nutritionists, community health workers, and families to learn firsthand what challenges they face.

Our research trip was composed of multiple parts: meetings with in-country partners and Ministry of Health officials in Lusaka, conducting multiple sensory panels, implementing a 3-hour training among local fishing community members on how locally sourced fish can enhance nutrition for infants and family members, and implementing a 3-hour training among these same fishing community members on how applying and integrating water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) best practices into traditional fish processing methods can increase the quality and quantity of fish to support local livelihoods. We also collected pre-tests and post-tests for each training to help us evaluate training effectiveness and where we can improve.

Some of our most important meetings included a 17-person meeting with Ministry of Health officials led by the Lusaka District Health Office’s Assistant Director that included medical doctors, specialists in pediatric nutrition, pharmacology, etc. This large meeting was followed by a one-on-one principal investigator meeting with the Ministry of Health’s Director of Health Services, Lusaka District Health Office, and the Acting Dean of the School of Public Health and Environmental Sciences at Levy Mwanawasa Medical University. These conversations were incredibly insightful, helping us understand the frameworks in place for addressing health and nutrition issues impacting resource-limited families across Zambia.

ENGAGING IN HEALTH-RELATED RESEARCH IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Having the responsibility of assisting with and facilitating data collection was an intimidating but rewarding experience for me. While I have participated in research projects in Guatemala that included delivering nutrition training to rural community members, working on the Scaling Fish Powder in Zambia activity gave me a unique opportunity to directly work with research participants on a larger and more complex level than I’d ever experienced. The stakes felt higher, as I understood that the data we gathered would directly impact the community. Over two action-packed days of gathering research in Siavonga, I had the amazing opportunity to connect with over 53 community members, each with their own unique perspective. This allowed me to humanize the research process, connecting data points to real lives. When I was not preparing and handing out dishes of ComFA+Fish instant porridges during sensory panels or collecting data sheets for our two training courses, I was engaging with mothers and their children. I listened as mothers shared their hopes for their families and the challenges they faced in accessing nutritious meals. I learned to appreciate the balance between accurate data collection and trust-building, recognizing the importance of empathy at the same level as any statistical analysis.

The community we worked in welcomed us with open arms. While many people may find it intimidating to allow strangers into their community, the hospitality extended to our team by the local community overwhelmed me with gratitude. Connections were formed over just a few short days as we shared experiences that surpassed cultural boundaries. The chance to learn from our in-country partners, including Netsayi Mudege, Sylvia Banda, Lizzy Muzungaire, and Agness Chileya, was one of my favorite parts of this trip. They generously shared every part of their culture with us, like explaining Zambian history, laughing over traditional meals, and introducing me to the customs and values that make them who they are—including sampling Zambia’s national dish of Nshima.

Sunset at Lake Kariba, which is the world's largest artificial lake by volume, is located in Zambia’s Southern Province approximately 3.5 hours from the capital city of Lusaka. (Photo by Katie Roman)
Sunset at Lake Kariba, which is the world's largest artificial lake by volume, is located in Zambia’s Southern Province approximately 3.5 hours from the capital city of Lusaka. (Photo by Katie Roman)

PASSION FOR RURAL COMMUNITY HEALTH

Through my participation in this activity, other research projects, and study abroad trips to Guatemala and Canada during my undergraduate experience, I have developed a passion for serving disadvantaged communities through capacity development. Each interaction in Siavonga reinforced my commitment to ensuring marginalized groups are empowered with the knowledge and resources they require to prosper.

Since I had never traveled outside of North and South America, this research trip required a large leap of faith. Embracing the unfamiliar was daunting, but as I engaged with those I met and worked with during this travel, I became more comfortable with expanding my boundaries and beliefs.

The opportunity to engage in health-related research in sub-Saharan Africa not only broadened my academic horizons but deepened my appreciation for the connections formed in our global community. This has, in turn, inspired me to combine my passion for animal and dairy sciences with community health as I pursue a masters in public health focused on rural community health and food security.

Published January 21, 2025