Jessica Silva #WonderWomenWednesday

Jessica Silva is currently completing her first year in Master of Science in Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa.

Jessica has worked as a research assistant for Dr. Angel Foster for the past two years and contributed to Dr. Fosters’ Backline project, which explored the need for pregnancy options, counseling and the effects of secondary transmittance on social change. Backline is a talkline originating out of Portland, Oregon and the funding is at risk of being cut. Currently, Jessica is conducting her thesis on refugee women’s experience with sexual violence and their post-migration needs in Canada.

Jessica has also been an active member of many University of Ottawa organizations. She works as an exam proctor with access services, was a team leader with Alternative Sudent Break and worked as a project officer with the Center for Global and Community Engagement. Jessica supervised an alternative spring break trip to Nicaragua with 12 participants from May 3rd to May 18, 2013. During the trip she acted a liaison between the NGO and her team members in the country.

However, her travels don’t stop there! Jessica was selected amongst 10 others for the International Health Field course placement in Zambia in conjunction with Shared World Initiative NGO in 2011. While in Zambia Jessica conducted needs assessments of several villages surrounding Chazenga compound in Lusaka, Zambia. She worked as a member of a 3-person team to help develop a social enterprise project in collaboration with Lupwa Lwabumi Trust (LLT), a local NGO. This social enterprise involves working with rural female gardeners and their tomato sales. LLT purchases their tomatoes and sells them to another market at the higher price. The project that she and her two teammates worked on resulted in a steady income for the female gardeners as well as  less donor dependency for the NGO.

Jessica was also VP communications of UOHS during her undergrad degree, volunteers with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award Holder’s Association and presented at Women’s Health Research Day. She looks forward to continuing her research with women’s health and increasing the opportunities available to women on campus as a member of the Committee on Student Experience at the University of Ottawa.