I also went to Haiti to participate in the exercise of adapting the UPG to better suit the Haitian culture and to oversee its rollout. What works in one country may not work in another. These international assignments broadened my understanding of applied economic development complexities and deepened my cultural competence.
Through UPG, I also met people like David Hulme and Martin Greely. Their commitment to improving the lives of the poor through their research inspired me deeply. While I was presenting a paper on the program in Kampala, Uganda, with David Hulme, not only did he enrich my understanding of development research but also planted a dream within me. Like Hulme and Greely, I wanted to dedicate my life to researching development solutions that worked. They convinced me to pursue higher studies in economics to become a high-impact researcher.
So I took a break for a few years to first take a Master’s in Public Health degree and then and then to complete my PhD in economics. I was so into UPG that I focused on a cash transfer program for my PhD. Working with UPG has shaped my interest in behavioural and experimental economics, particularly the dynamics of the ultra-poor population’s social networks. I believe my higher studies have helped develop a solid theoretical understanding and equipped me with the necessary tools to undertake advanced, applied development research. I feel my field experience combined with my academic training, would be invaluable in doing research that touches lives.
UPG has deeply impacted both my professional and personal life. Professionally, the compassion for the underserved people I developed through my experience with the program gave me the inspiration to continue working in the development sector. It also gave me the strength to take the long, often strenuous, journey of becoming an economist with a focus on development. At a personal level, my UPG experience taught me patience and teamwork. It also helped in my self-discovery—that I have the resilience to take on new challenges and fight against the odds.
On the road “to be nobody but” myself, I have encountered twists and turns and some detours in my journey from program to researcher; it was unquestionably the hardest battle I have fought. However, the process was also invaluable for me because it has molded me into the person I am today. And I know that dedicating my life to research for good is my destiny.