2023 Hilton Humanitarian Prize Cohort, Malawi

Atupere is an active alumnus that is currently serving as a Peer Coach for Cohort 17! He worked at Partners In Health Malawi and, after graduating from the VLI, was accepted for a Master of Medical Science in Global Health Delivery at Harvard Medical School. His Leadership Project, “Assessing the Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety in Palliative Care in Neno, Malawi,” resulted in a manuscript under review for publication. 

“The Virtual Leadership Institute and the support from the Atlas Corps Community played a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory and success of my Leadership Project. The training enhanced my skills in project design, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement—skills that were crucial in implementing a cross-sectional study assessing depression and anxiety among palliative care patients in Neno, Malawi. The peer support and mentorship from Atlas Corps provided valuable insights and motivation, especially during the design and community engagement phase. Additionally, the Community Impact Fund enabled me to mobilize resources, train data collectors, and complete the data collection phases on time. This experience has not only strengthened my leadership capabilities but also deepened my commitment to evidence-based approaches in global health delivery… I sincerely thank Atlas Corps for your generous contribution, which was key in facilitating this research. Your support has helped us better understand the mental health challenges faced by palliative care patients in rural settings. I also want to let you know that we plan to mention Atlas Corps in the acknowledgment section of the manuscript to formally recognize your support.”