“Suri-what?”

Nine times out of ten, this was the typical reaction I was met with when I told my peers, friends, and family that I’d spend the first three weeks of my summer studying abroad in Suriname—the smallest country in South America. Despite being one of the most ethnically diverse countries in its region, the only country outside Europe where Dutch is spoken by a majority of the population, and one of the few countries in the entire world that share the Amazon basin (Chin and Menke, 2019), Suriname, for the most part, seemed like an unfamiliar country to almost everyone I spoke to. Granted, when I think back to how I packed my bags and boarded that flight—bound for a country whose name I’d only learned a few months earlier—I can’t really say I was any different.

Suriname was a new place, a new country with a unique blend of cultures that I didn’t know much about until late last year. Yet, this curiosity only made me better appreciate each new fact and discovery I learned about the country while researching it. As I prepped my application for the Gilman Scholarship, a national scholarship offered to Pell-eligible undergraduate students, I stumbled across the “Public Health Threats in Suriname” program, a 2.5 week Maymester opportunity ran by leaders and faculty members in Pitt’s School of Public Health.

I knew going into the application process that I had a strong interest in health communication, and when thinking about how this field relates to our everyday lives, let’s think of a public health crisis most if not all of us are familiar with— climate change. Climate change is a rising problem that requires changemakers to effectively communicate public health information to policymakers, business leaders, community organizations, and the general public. The “Public Health Threats in Suriname” program allows students to explore the unique culture of Suriname while learning about global environmental health threats that pertain to the country, but this opportunity becomes even richer given Suriname’s diversity.

Dutch is the official language of Suriname, but Sranan Tongo, Mandarin, Hindi, Javanese, and many other languages are spoken by Surinamese people (“The Many Languages of Suirname,” 2008). Because of the diverse makeup of this South American nation, cultural sensitivity must be incorporated into public health messages, as different populations may have distinct beliefs and health practices. In addition, linguistic diversity and varying health literacy rates must also be considered, as public health communication aims to reach everyone in Suriname, including those in rural and remote communities.

But how do public health officials tailor risk communication in such an ethnically and linguistically diverse country? What methods are used to explain health risks to populations that live in the country’s interior, surrounded by swaths of tropical rainforest? 

Professionally, as an aspiring health policy analyst who hopes to bridge the communication gap between public health officials, policymakers, and the general public, I knew going into this that seeing leaders communicate environmental threats to a diverse community would be invaluable to my future career. Personally, I hoped to push myself by expanding my worldview, bridging connections with both locals and academics from another country, and being open to all the new experiences I would experience in Suriname from the customs to the cuisine.

I firmly believe that the most meaningful growth often happens in the least expected ways and the most unfamiliar corners of our surroundings. Even though I only discovered Suriname myself not too long ago, I couldn’t be more grateful to be here. I’m eager to share the lessons I learn so that next time I mention this country, the response isn’t “Suri-what?” but a confident,

“Suriname!”

Works Cited

Chin, Henk E., and Jack K. Menke. “Suriname | History, Geography, Facts, & Points of Interest.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019, http://www.britannica.com/place/Suriname.

“Program Overview.” Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, http://www.gilmanscholarship.org/program/program-overview/.

“Public Health Threats in Suriname.” University of Pittsburgh Global Experiences Office, 2020, abroad.pitt.edu/suriname. Accessed 24 June 2025.