Elizabeth Lightfoot, Ph.D.
Associate Professor in the School of Social Work
When Liz Lightfoot and her family made an 11-month move to Namibia in 2008, she had little connection to the country. But they were drawn by the southern African nation’s safety, warmth, and possibilities for adventure, along with an environment where she could apply her social work experience and conduct research as a Fulbright scholar.
To hear her speak today, it’s clear that Lightfoot, her three daughters, and her husband Bill developed a deep, abiding relationship with Namibia. She says she would be hard pressed to find another place as full of excitement and joy. This summer, Lightfoot is returning with a group of graduate students who will study social development in Africa and present at the Namibian Social Workers Association annual conference.
Lightfoot spent much of her Fulbright year providing technical research assistance to non-governmental organizations and to her colleagues at the University of Namibia, where she also taught. She was particularly fond of the Mount Sinai Centre, where she helped train women in microenterprise, conducted a small program evaluation, and wrote grants so they could fund a microenterprise project and a new building.
Lightfoot also pursued her own research into Namibian approaches to HIV/AIDS prevention among people with disabilities. Through interviews with more than 30 HIV-treatment providers, she discovered that people with disabilities do not have equitable access to HIV prevention information, protection, and treatment in the country.
“I wasn’t surprised, but that doesn’t make it any less disheartening,” she says.
In addition to her research discoveries, Lightfoot and her family soaked in new experiences during their year abroad. Among the hundreds of highlights: watching the Namibians’ excited reaction to President Obama’s election, visiting tribal Himba women who loved to have their photos taken (and to see photos of themselves), camping in the Namib desert (where they saw a farmer feed his zebra cups of black coffee from a mug), and a visit to Etosha—which Lightfoot calls the most magical place in the world.
The effect of the year abroad on the entire Lightfoot family was profound. Her daughter Maxine, 11, says she’s going to study abroad in several countries when she’s older; her middle daughter, Alice, 9, says she’s going to be a doctor in Africa. The youngest, Ruby, 6, cuts out paper “passports” and plays interpreter with her dolls.
As for Lightfoot, she’s found herself bringing different conceptions of social work, different worldviews, and different political, economic, and social contexts to her courses back in Minnesota.
“It made a huge impact on all of us,” says Lightfoot. “I think we all needed it.”
Follow Lightfoot and her students as they study and travel in Namibia on the Minnesota social work study tour blog.
Story by Alyssa Ford | Photo by Justin Evidon | May 2010
