I was awarded a prestigious Visiting Scholar appointment at the University of California, Berkeley, through the Visiting Scholar and Postdoc Affairs (VSPA) Program. I am hosted by the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA), one of the world’s leading research centers focused on global development and poverty alleviation. My academic host is Professor Edward Miguel, a renowned development economist and Faculty Director of CEGA.

This opportunity supports my research project:

“Pathways to Prosperity: Transforming Early Childhood Development through Responsive Caregiving Interventions – A Randomized Control Trial in Tanzania.”

My study investigates how responsive caregiving interventions impact early childhood cognitive, emotional, and social development, while also evaluating the economic benefits in terms of increased parental productivity and household income. I designed a randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 2,400 households across 40 clusters to rigorously measure the intervention’s outcomes.

As a Visiting Scholar, I gain access to UC Berkeley’s exceptional academic and professional resources, including:

• Personalized mentorship and collaboration with CEGA faculty

• Access to UC Berkeley libraries, institutional tools, and campus facilities

• Participation in workshops and events designed to enhance scholarly productivity

• Networking with a global community of researchers and development practitioners
  
  

This fellowship marks a significant milestone in my research journey and offers a platform to generate actionable evidence for shaping early childhood development policy in Tanzania and similar low-resource settings.