I’m a sophomore Computer Science and Business student passionate about how technology and business come together to solve meaningful, real-world problems. Through Creative Inquiry’s Global Social Impact Fellowship, I joined AISHA (Artificial Intelligence Strengthening Healthcare Access), a team exploring how conversational AI can support healthcare workers and students in Sierra Leone.
Leading up to fieldwork, we focused on collecting Krio speech data to support AISHA’s language capabilities. During May and June 2026, 289 contributors produced approximately 70 hours of Krio audio paired with English translations through WhatsApp and a web platform. We combined automated quality checks with human review to prepare data for adapting a speech model for Krio. This process taught me how contributor experience, compensation, and data quality all influence technical development.
From August 2–21, our team traveled to Sierra Leone, visiting more than ten healthcare facilities and educational institutions to demonstrate AISHA’s battery-powered, offline learning device and gather feedback from healthcare workers, students, and administrators. We made changes during fieldwork, retrofitting the old pilot devices, adding content through a new USB update system, and building a repeat-back feature to confirm users’ questions. We also met with the Ministry of Health and NGOs to explore partnerships and introduced AISHA to the International College of Makeni and the University of Lunsar, both of which expressed interest in hosting research.
My biggest takeaway was the importance of listening and being willing to revise an idea. From designing the data collection process to improving the device, the people participating in our project helped shape our decisions. As a CSB student, I saw how technical development, understanding users’ needs, and building sustainable partnerships depend on one another. Our next steps include pursuing ethical approvals for a formal study of learning outcomes, expanding AISHA’s content based on fieldwork feedback, and developing a sustainable path to reach more classrooms and clinics. I’m excited to continue contributing to this work and bring these lessons back to my studies at Lehigh.