Our names are Tigest Ajeme and Eiman Saad, and we are PhD students registered at University of Brighton. Our PhD research focuses on the integration of physical, as well as mental health and psychosocial interventions to holistic care for the management of chronic wounds in persons with skin-NTDs and other conditions. Our PhD is part of the ENDPoINT-2 project based at Ethiopia.
In January 2025, we undertook a course at the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp, which was was our first time doing an international trip together. Well, we were excited in so many ways as the experience allowed time discussing ideas, research, what we wanted in our lives and what we want to make out of this course.
Antwerp is a beautiful city, except for the very cold weather that we never had experienced in our countries. We are from countries where we feel the sun throughout the year, so getting used to the cold weather wasn’t an easy thing to handle. Though we had the expectation that it could be cold, we didn’t imagine that we would be wearing a jacket to bed!
Yet, the old cathedrals, the architectural design of the city buildings, the narrow roads and the beautiful flower shops were breathtaking places of the city.
From January until February, our stay in Antwerp was occupied with a tough class schedules and field work that was part of the course. The course helped us capture theoretical as well as practical knowledge in qualitative and mixed methods research. What’s more, the field work practice was a whole new experience for both of us as it gave us the chance to practice in a real-life scenario where we are new for the culture and the society as well. Our stay at ITM Antwerp also helped us connect with students from different countries. During our stay, we shared cultural experiences, engaged in group activities, visited places and planned future networks.
Even though the very tight schedule of the course didn’t allow for much time to explore the city, our stay in Antwerp was wonderful for learning new knowledge as well as networking with international students from different parts of the world. Part of our fond memories include our visit to Rotterdam, a nearby city to Antwerp, where we get to visit Dr Sahar, who is our supervisor.
The tutorial with supervisors which we had almost every day was interesting in comprehending ideas and getting real time feedback on our field work activities. In our free time, we walk on the Nationale and Meir streets of Antwerp to relax our mind. The Meir Street is known for its beautiful shopping malls, the Belgian Waffle and the biggest Cathedral churches. Watching people walking their dogs is an everyday experience we get to enjoy. The time also gave us a chance to cook meals together. Unforgettable memories we had in Antwerp also include our visit to the National Museum in Antwerp and the little Ethiopian restaurant.
