Australia Awards - Selma Amwaama

Selma Amwaama

Selma Amwaama, from Namibia, is currently studying her Masters in Public Health (nursing) at the University of Western Australia. When she completes her degree next year she hopes to return to Namibia and help her country achieve the Millennium Development Goals, by reducing child mortality and improving maternal health.

'I've been working as a nurse and midwife in my home country of Namibia since 2003. Most recently I've worked at Swakopmund District Hospital where my job was to run various wards from maternity to emergency. Before that I ran the Henties Bay Clinic where we provided all sorts of care such as family planning, HIV counselling and testing, antenatal and postnatal care plus emergency delivery.

'I have been lucky to start my Masters in Public Health (nursing) at the University of Western Australia this year. This is helping to give me a broader understanding of public health.

'When I return to my job at the hospital in Namibia, I would like to focus on improving maternal health. It's not only important in its own right, but is essential to improving the health of children, families and communities. I also would really love to see Namibia make positive progress towards the health-related Millennium Development Goals and I believe this is possible because the Namibian Government has made health a high priority.

'The knowledge I gain from this course will be useful for not only my career but also for my country, and I must thank AusAID for helping developing countries. It's not been easy for me—when I first came here my computer skills were very limited—but I've received the support I need and the people are very friendly.'

Last Reviewed: 19 November, 2010