Otiyela Mtema, Malawi

Otiyela Mtema is a Social Scientist for Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit (MEIRU) , and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Culture and Bodies pilot project in Malawi.

His duties include recruitment of community participants, and the steering of a narrative ethnography, and participatory action research, around understanding and intervening on NCD risk factors. Otiyela has an understanding of working with Malawian artists and artisans, from his time with the start-up art collective, Zaluso Arts.

He also has three years’ experience working in research project teams, including the Chancellor College Legal Clinic, and more recently with the NGO, Integrated Health Initiative.

Otiyela completed a Bachelor of Social Science program at the University of Malawi’s main constituent institution, Chancellor College, majoring in Demography, and minoring in Economics.