Summer Centered: Chrislove Lamour '27 Supports Health and Education Programs for Philadelphia’s African and Caribbean Communities

Chrislove Lamour ’27 knows exactly what it’s like to relocate to the Philadelphia area from the Caribbean. So when she was browsing the Center for Peace and Global Citizenship’s summer internship opportunities, the prospective chemistry major found the perfect spot at Philadelphia’s African Family Health Organization (AFAHO). 

Marrying her science studies and a potential medical career with her Haitian identity, Lamour spent the summer supporting the city’s rapidly growing population of African and Caribbean immigrants and refugees, AFAHO’s primary clients. Operating in Southwest Philadelphia, a region often nicknamed “little Africa,” the organization offers health and education services informed by the complex socioeconomic, religious, and cultural needs of the people it serves. According to AFAHO, language barriers, misinformation, and other factors can often push them to the edges of society, leaving them underserved and vulnerable. 

Lamour’s primary work this summer included developing STEM-focused projects for AFAHO’s summer camp for young people and working on culturally sensitive presentations on the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM), sexual health, and hygiene geared toward the same audience. The FGM presentation, which she extensively researched and assembled alongside Rachitha Kumar ’25, will be used to educate both practicing nurses and nursing students, Lamour says, in an effort to understand the practice and provide better care for their patients. 

“We were tasked to find as much information about it as possible, but to also remain unbiased and in the middle,” says Lamour. “I learned that even though we know it’s a very harmful practice, many people who have gone through it don’t see it that way. In many countries where it’s performed, not everybody views it as a bad thing.” 

From Lamour’s perspective, public health, something she is keenly interested in pursuing, is a broad term. But at its core, she says, it’s just about serving her community in any way possible. Her experience at AFAHO, she says, helped her understand just how frequently the work can transcend the traditional roles of medical providers.

Lamour recalls that a man came to AFAHO late one Friday with several documents from his employer. He was unable to read them, she says, and had they not been corrected it was highly likely the man would lose his work permit and his job. Luckily, they both spoke French and Lamour was able to direct him to the right office for assistance. She has also translated documents for other French and Haitian Creole and French. 

“Just helping someone in that way feels very rewarding,” she says. 

As she returns to Haverford, Lamour says she will carry the experience with her as she continues envisioning her future. Her internship, which not only taught her how to operate in a professional setting but also the true meaning of public health, will continue to inform her career plans, she says. 

“I would say that my mindset about what I want to do in the future is changing because of my experience at AFAHO,” Lamour says. “What does it take to really help a community? That’s what I want to do.”