21/22 Eira Francis Scholarship Awardee
Originally from Nigeria, Lovelyn is the recipient of the Eira Francis Davies Scholarship for the academic year 21/22. Studying Public Health and Health Promotion MSc, Lovelyn is particularly interested in Professor Joy Merrell's work into women's health with particular interest in strengthening maternal and child pharmaceutical care, building on her training as a Pharmacist.
Find out more about Lovelyn, her motivations and what she wants to gain from studies, and how the Eira Francis Davies Scholarship has changed her life.
In Conversation with Lovelyn
How do you feel about being awarded this scholarship?
This scholarship is the opportunity of a lifetime, I look forward to delivering on long-term, strategic projects and initiatives in Nigeria which promote inclusive and quality healthcare and education, contributing to the goal and objectives of Eira Francis Davies Scholarship scheme.
What did you do prior to studying at Swansea University?
I grew up in a community where seeing young children die from high fever and women die during labour were the most traumatising experiences of my childhood. I felt I had to do something about it, no matter what it took. In my community girls were not generally sent to school, I had to challenge the status quo to believe I could study pharmacy and one day help mine and other remote communities.
This felt like a farfetched dream to brave the odds and change the sad experiences. My childhood has been my motivation which led me to receiving a scholarship to study pharmacy. I hope to be an inspiration not only to girls in my community but also to parents who don't believe in sending their daughters to school.
Why did you choose to study at Swansea University?
I chose Swansea University because it is one of the few schools in UK that merges both Public Health and Health Promotion in one master’s degree program making a more robust course and one of the best public health programs. Swansea University is also known for cultivating a supportive and inclusive learning environment, with excellent tuition and expert faculty staff.
Why will studying your course make a difference?
The Nigerian healthcare system is weak with inadequate healthcare promotion and poor access to quality, affordable healthcare. According to UNICEF, Nigeria has the highest number of unimmunised children with vaccine-preventable diseases accounting for up to 40% of all childhood deaths. There are also gross inadequacies in research and statistics needed to inform health policies and plans.
Strengthening the health system and its capacity is imperative for building a healthy country that can work towards developing other sectors and the economy. The master’s course offers a multidisciplinary and research approach to examining the determinants and helping to find solutions to global health challenges.
Public Health and Health Promotion will equip me to be able to challenge the status quo in my community.
