The Jeroen Ensink Memorial Fund commemorates the life and work of Dr Jeroen Ensink.
Jeroen was an internationally-renowned water engineer and dedicated humanitarian who was a popular much-loved member of the LSHTM community. He was passionately committed to improving access to water and sanitation worldwide, including in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where children continue to die due to the lack of essential services.
The fund was established following his tragic death in December 2015 to support MSc scholarships for talented students from sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia to undertake an MSc in Public Health for Development.
Meet Grace Muguro, the 2022 Ensink Scholar
“When I began my application journey to graduate school, LSHTM was my dream. I came across the Jeroen Ensink Memorial Fund. Reading through the requirements, I felt I was reading my own profile. I was very excited about the scholarship but was also concerned about how unlikely it would be to be chosen among thousands of other applicants. I submitted my application and hoped for the best. When I received an email confirming I had been awarded the scholarship, I was over the moon with excitement. I shared the joyous news with my family to help me comprehend. My life was about to change for the better, and I will forever be indebted for the opportunity!
Growing up, I was passionate about healthcare, mainly preventive. I attended Kenyatta University in Kenya to pursue a BSc in Environmental Health. Upon graduating, I volunteered with local organisations implementing HIV prevention and Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) projects in the community. I worked in the health promotion and advocacy department, where I taught the community the importance of water sanitation and hygiene. I worked to achieve an Open Defaecation Free (ODF) zone to minimise the outbreak of waterborne diseases that had increased drastically in the community. I gained the necessary experience and soft skills in ethical research, which propelled me to join the Kenya Medical Research Institute as a field coordinator. I coordinated field activities for different studies aimed at improving the lives of the community, especially vulnerable groups such as Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in marginalised communities.
My interest in joining LSHTM stems from the School being a world-class university in public health research. The MSc in Public Health for Development will nurture my health research competencies and improve my appreciation of evidence-based research, preparing me to learn from relevant professionals and stakeholders in global health, specifically WASH.
My goal is to share my knowledge as a public health professional in WASH. l aspire to establish my clinical research site and work as a Principal Investigator. It will propel me to actualise my dream of empowering vulnerable AGYW on menstrual hygiene with an amplified voice in society. My focus will address intrinsic barriers and strengthen WASH systems in marginalised communities in Africa. For example, I want to ensure that adolescent girls feel empowered to attend their classes when on their period. Consequently, I want to see AGYW offered equal chances in society, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals such as reducing inequalities, eliminating poverty and hunger, good health and well-being.
My goals were destined to remain dreams until I was awarded the Jeroen Ensink Scholarship. Now I feel hopeful that I will realise them. I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Jeroen Enskin Fund. I will forever be grateful.”