Divya Rajaraman
BLMNS (Botswana), 1999
MPhil Development Studies
DPhil Social Policy
St Antony's College
Currently studying at Oxford and working as a health researcher in Botswana
I attended primary and secondary school in Botswana and studied for a BA at Amherst College in Massachussetts, USA. I majored in Economics and French, and minored in Anthropology and Political Science. After graduating, I returned to Botswana and explored various different career paths, including teaching and research. During this time my high school principal, who was also a South African Rhodes Scholar, suggested that I apply for the Rhodes Scholarship for the Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia and Swaziland (BLMNS) constituency.
At Oxford, I initially read for an MPhil in Development Studies. I chose this course because I have always been interested in issues of social and economic development, and I wanted to better understand the interactions between theory and practise in this arena. While at Oxford, I rowed for St Antony's College and taught Art of Living courses, which promote healthy and positive living through meditation, yoga and breathing techniques. I am very grateful for the opportunity to have studied at Oxford; I love the intellectual stimulation, the history and culture of the city, and the incredible diversity and talent of the student body.
When I completed my MPhil I returned home to work as a programme coordinator for social research for the Botswana-Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership. I am currently part of a study team that is researching the impact of HIV/AIDS on families in Botswana. For the past two years I have also been enrolled as a doctoral student in the Department of Social Policy and Social Work at Oxford. My dissertation examines knowledge of HIV status in Botswana, its importance for public health and the implications for social policy.