Tuesday, 18 August 2020

Great Experience at End Homelessness Winnipeg Despite COVID-19 Pandemic

By Babatunde Alabi, 1st year MDP student

Finally, my 3-month domestic field placement with End Homelessness Winnipeg came to successful completion. During this placement, I worked on the 2018 Winnipeg Street Health Survey project, where I acquired new technical skills, improved on my research skills, and became more informed and better grounded in the subject of homelessness in Canada, particularly in Winnipeg. I also used both my previously and newly acquired skills and knowledge to contribute my little quota to the understanding of the various pathways to homelessness for people marginalized along multiple social identities and how these identities interact to form complex experiences for them.
My work involved supporting the analysis of the Indigenous and gender-based quantitative data, which I used in developing a draft in-depth report of the research. Other activities that I engaged in included searching and creating a database for funding opportunities for the proposed follow up qualitative study aimed at determining housing needs and preferences of Indigenous people experiencing homelessness. Also, I took minutes of meeting at research team meetings, as well as project advisory committee meetings.
My time with End Homelessness Winnipeg, working on the 2018 Winnipeg Street Health Survey, was indeed an exciting and rewarding one. I am particularly glad because I would be listed as a co-author in the final report, a recognition and gesture of reciprocity from my host organization, which I do not take for granted. I hope that this report would help to enrich the understanding of relevant organizations, community groups, and government, and inform policy and program development capable of addressing systemic issues facilitating homelessness in Winnipeg in a sustainable manner.

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