Telpi Application Essay: Leadership, Career, and Networking

This essay is a student's response to Telpi's application requirements, focusing on leadership, career plans, and networking skills. The student provides detailed examples of leadership in community development, including fundraising for water wells and revitalizing a university society. The essay ...Read More

1. Telpi is looking for individual who will be future leaders or influencers in their
home countries. Explain how you meet this requirement, using clear examples of
your own leadership and influencing skills to support your answer. (minimum word
count: 300 words, maximum word count: 500 words)
I believe, leadership is all about making other individual work accordingly, it has the
positive impact on people around. My first leadership experience was in 2008, when there was a
shortage of water in my community (Malama) for a very long time. There were different
techniques to dig well and extract water but all were expensive such as pipe borne water was an
expensive activity. In order, to overcome this issue I decided to to meet with some stakeholders
in the community to see how best we could solve the crisis. I decided to establish a fund raising
strategy by writing series of letter to stakeholders and also to the people who are not a part of
community. As a result all the member community like my idea and stakeholder applauded my
scheme. Then I decided to gather some youths, after two months under my leadership we
completed water well and constructed two wells in the community to resolve the issue and serve
water and is environment. This move motivated other stakeholders and the community members
to make some donations to construct more water wells in the community.
My second experience help me to be more capable and able enough to handle situation in
an effective manner. As when I, get admission in the university, I observed that most department
have societies that help its members to overcome their academic pursuit. However, this was not
so in my department and mismanagement led to delay in project and work. I lead a team that
rejuvenated the society. One of my projects was to create a computer lab which was required by
many students to develop understanding about computer. I talk to one of my friend about the
ideas and he decided to gave me two computers for a start my lab. In surveillance my leadership
skills, I was head of finance committee and able to coordinate with other member to raise fund to
develop fully furnish and equipped computer laboratory in the society’s within less than 4
months.
During the Ebola outbreak, I lead a team of youths from my community at Lumley, to
make people aware about the infection prevent and control measures related to disease. I later
worked as surveillance monitor under the ministry of health and sanitation. I trained surveillance
officers on how to identify EVD suspected and confirmed cases within that was defined by the
framework of World Health Organization.
Presently, I work as study clinical field supervisor and supervise a team of 10 staff. I train
new staff and identify and develop skills within existing staff through mentor ship. It is a big
achievement for my team as in last three years, we were was able to enroll 1020 participants with
a retention rate of 75% of enrolled participants in an Ebola vaccine trial. Each enrolled
participant participates for at least a year.
1. 2. Telpi is looking for individuals who have a clear post study career plan. Please
outline your immediate plans upon returning home and your long term career goals.

You may wish to consider how these relate to what the UK government is doing in
your country. (minimum word count: 300 words, maximum word count: 500 words)
Health problem in Sierra Leone are escalating every day and the country was ranked,
with the highest levels of maternal mortality positive cases by the United Nation human
development index. When I start getting involved,with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and
in Ebola response, I realized that it is very necessary to make a research that is essential for
improving access to health care. In order to resolve these issue government has already adopted
number of program and steps like, Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and
program to provide CDC training. But as a result, the efforts and resources invested to improve
health are not producing any substantial result and are not reflecting on health outcomes for the
population. Therefore, I decided to increase my present knowledge and skills by pursuing a
postgraduate degree in public health which will enable me to understand public health
holistically.
I am eager to undertake this next phase of study in order to progress to my long-term
professional plans: Mainly, I want to supervise low-income regions as people in this community
have very low knowledge about any thing, they do not have sufficient price for proper
procurement etc. In order to provide them proper training and knowledge firstly I have gained
accurate knowledge during my postgraduate degree. I have attended various training program
which was organized by UK government that help me to develop understanding about different
vaccine to be provided in case of positive result of Ebola. Different seminar help me to make
strategies through which low income region people could be provided proper procurement. I am
eager to research the forces impacting delivery of health services: power and hierarchy,
economics, conflict, globalization, as well as the practical barriers to implementing public health
strategies and policies in Sierra Leone and perhaps other developing countries. Public health
education is essential to preventing communicable disease or minimizing their span of contagion.
I have arranged different medical camp services for the people. And provide vaccine and
medicine to overcome these communicable disease without any cost. I and my team have
organized various medical treatment services to poor people who do not have enough amount
buy the medicines . I decided to make effective strategy and organize different medical training
for people living in community so, that they might identify symptoms in future and make
suitable procurement so that any health challenges can be sorted. For example, service-user
involvement, which is being encouraged in research in the UK, has been shown to have exciting
results on the quality and effectiveness of health and social care research and interventions. I
hope to explore how service-users could be involved in research and intervention efforts in low-
income countries to benefit the work of clinical and social researchers there. Such a strategy
would also bring health education to at-risk populations.

After finishing my studies, I hope to directly get involved with both local and
international institutions working in underdeveloped countries facing public health challenges.
In the future, I intend to build on my skills to pursue a doctorate in public health
2. Telpi is looking for individuals with strong networking skills, who will engage with the Telpi
community and influence and lead others in their chosen profession. Explain how you meet
this requirement, using clear examples of your networking skills, and outline how you hope
to use these skills in the future. (minimum word count: 300 words, maximum word count:
500 words)3
Effective networking is about building relationships. Networking skills Is related to exchange of
information and services among community, institution that have a common interest so, that long term
relationship are maintained for the benefit of both buyer and seller. For me creating network is normally
taking out of business because lasting relationship does not always relate with business although the
relationship can be used to do effective business.
When I gain admission in the university in, I had little knowledge of how to works. During
orientation, I met with different students both fresh and existing ones. I met Alpha, who was in third year
of his studies and asked him several questions about the university and career advice. He became so
interested in the conversation with me that he started to share experience and job opportunities.. Alpha
became so much instrumental in my life such as sharing with me his experience and holiday job
opportunities. He also introduced me to several people through whom I was able raise fund for my
departmental laboratory.
In 2014, while working as surveillance monitor, I came across several international health
workers from the UK, CDC in the US, China etc. I came across Luisa in a conference who is an
anthropologist working in Freetown to contain the virus. Later, we ran into each other in an Ebola vaccine
trial in northwest of Sierra Leone. By then, Luisa was undertaking research in Freetown and she needed to
see some community stakeholders in Freetown in different communities but it has been a challenge
because she has little knowledge of the communities. When Luisa explained to me about this, I
introduced her to some community leaders who were able to provide the assistance she needed to
complete her project.
In my current role as a clinical researcher field supervisor in a project that is an infusion of
different cultures from different continents including Africa, Europe, America and Asia I had good
relationship with many of the local and international staff. I met with Elizabeth Smouth, the
communications coordinator in the Ebola vaccine trial project. Outside work, we spend most of the
weekends in Freetown sharing cultural and profession experiences. We have learnt from each other and
have helped me in my career development. Beth left the project two years ago but we are still in contact.
Networking skills will help me in order to build relationships with various individuals of different
communities which can further lead me to gain ample of information about my future work and
researches.