Partners In Health is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1987 that helps build and sustain public health systems in underprivileged and underserved communities in ten countries around the world. At the invitation of the government, Partners In Health/Inshuti Mu Buzima (PIH/IMB) began operating in Rwanda in 2005. IMB’s mission is to support Rwanda in strengthening the health system to provide high quality care to all. IMB envisions thriving communities of healthy, happy, and productive people, where social justice and universal quality health services are available.
IMB works to strengthen the Rwandan health system through designing innovative health care delivery, building health care workforce capacity, and leading global health research. In order to improve health outcomes and bring care to more people the organization implements, evaluates, and scales innovative approaches to care across a wide range of clinical and social support programs. By training practicing health care professionals in Rwanda and educating the next generation of global health delivery experts IMB is building Rwanda’s capacity to provide high quality, equitable and innovative health care closer to patients. The organization’s impact reaches beyond Rwanda as they conduct and disseminate research to improve health care delivery and advocate for evidence-based policy change.
Marcienne Umubyeyi (Lead Instructor)
Marcienne Umubyeyi is a Rwandan consultant with 18 years of experience in Social Economic Development. Marcienne has extensive experience in project management, community work, and advisory services to private sector, development partners and policymakers. Most recently, she has served as country program manager for several projects using the diaries methodology in West- and East-Africa. Additionally, she has been responsible for various researches, program evaluations, fact findings and baseline studies, which delivered reports to help product development, program design and policy decisions in the socio-economic sector. In her role as coordinator of the Livelihood Diaries in Ghana and Uganda, she employed diaries research, which involves tracking and documenting detailed aspects of people’s lives that exhibit fluctuations. This approach enables L-IFT to design development interventions based on action research. Marcienne has 14 years experience in financial inclusion and entrepreneurship, youth training, project formulation and implementation.
Jessica Massie (Co-Instructor)
Jessica is a digital financial literacy specialist with the United Nations Capital Development Fund. Previously, she was a senior technical advisor for Reach Global in Kigali, Rwanda. She is an education specialist with over 15 years of experience in financial literacy, nonformal education and programming for adolescent girls in Guinea, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Malawi. In her previous role at Microfinance Opportunities, she trained over 200 trainers, and wrote and adapted education for clients of commercial banks, microfinance institutions and village savings and loan (VS&L) groups across Africa. Jessica has also held positions at the Microcredit Summit Campaign, Mesilla Valley Habitat for Humanity, and the National University of Rwanda. Originally from Michigan, she is fluent in French and holds a graduate degree from The Middlebury Institute of International Studies.
Dr. Vincent K. Cubaka (Local Partner Instructor)
Vincent K. Cubaka is a medical doctor, health systems researcher, and educator with a wealth of experience in various healthcare capacities. Beginning his career as a rural clinician, he transitioned seamlessly into academia, where he served as both a lecturer and researcher. Eventually, Vincent assumed the leadership role of Head of the Department of Primary Health Care at the University of Rwanda (UR). In 2019, Vincent embarked on a new phase of his career by joining Partners in Health (PIH/IMB) as Director of Research and Training. Recently, he has taken on the important role of Head of the Knowledge and Social Medicine Division within the organization. Vincent’s academic qualifications include a Master of Medicine in Family and Community Medicine from UR, as well as a Doctorate in Medicine from Aarhus University in Denmark. Dr. Cubaka will co-lead sessions during Week 2 of the course at PIH/IMB in Rwinkwavu, Rwanda.
Dimitrie Sissi (PreDeparture Preparation)
Meet Dimitrie Sissi; Author of “Do Not Accept To Die”, a motivational speaker, an gender activist. She’s a Rwandan woman, wife, mother, and genocide survivor. With an MBA in Project Management and a Master of Science in Gender and Development,she’s been with the World Bank since 2005. Dimitrie’s memoir details her survival of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi when she was 22. As a member of Rotary Club and local President of Graduate Women International, she’s passionate about empowering youth, particularly girls, through education. In her free time, she enjoys music, dancing, sports, and coaching sessions, and sings in a church choir.
Carolyn Taylor Meyer, PhD (Course Design and Delivery)
Carolyn (Taylor) Meyer is Director of Experiential Learning at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. She works with faculty, students, and partners on experiential learning programs including semester-long practica, international onsite courses, and community-engaged research projects. She has co-lead global courses in Rwanda, Kenya, Egypt, Colombia, Ecuador, Bhutan and many other countries. She will support experiential learning design, intercultural competence training, travel logistics, and overall course delivery.