Meet the NYCHA Health Corps Member Serving Communities in Five Languages

On any given week, Ousmane Diallo, a Community Engagement Officer at an NYC Health Department public health clinic, will often slip in and out of a variety of languages to assist the residents of Harlem and the Bronx who visit clinics for services and counselling on sexual and reproductive health. 

Ms. Diallo is one of 51 NYCHA Health Corps program members stationed in one of the program’s host sites this year. Ms. Diallo speaks five languages: her native languages of Fulani and French, as well as English, Mandingo, and Susu. Fulani, which originated in West and Central Africa, is spoken by over 35 million people worldwide, including many immigrants here in New York City. 

Ms. Diallo noted that, considering New York City’s diverse migrant community, speaking multiple languages allows her to help the clinic reach even more people who may have otherwise been discouraged from coming to the clinics for help.

The program, which is administered by NYC Service in partnership with NYCHA, was launched in 2022 to foster leadership in NYCHA residents through public service, emphasizing public health and health equity. The program is part of the national Public Health AmeriCorps initiative. NYCHA residents serve full-time at community-based nonprofits and public agencies supporting health and community partners working to advance equitable health outcomes across public housing developments.

Ms. Diallo, currently in the program’s second cohort, was also a part of the program’s inaugural cohort when it launched in 2022. She had immediately applied after finding out about the program while completing a certification in social work at Bronx Community College. 

For her first year, Ms. Diallo served in Community Initiative Improvement at Northern Manhattan Perinatal Partnership (NMPP) in Harlem, where she assisted pregnant women and hosted maternity parenting classes for new mothers. After completing training to become a doula, she began doing outreach for the organization, hosting pre-natal and post-partum visits with women and connecting them with the services and resources they needed. Now, she is an experienced doula with over 15 assisted births since 2022 through the Citywide Doula Initiative, which is also managed by the NYC Health Department.  

“The communities we serve have diverse needs that we are committed to addressing,” Ms. Diallo said. “We’re here to assure individuals that they are not alone.”

For Ms. Diallo, it is crucial that the NYCHA community is well informed about the services and resources provided by the clinics.

“The resources are readily available, but the challenge lies in [clients] locating them,” she added.

In her current host site at the public health clinics, Ms. Diallo also focuses on community engagement, with an emphasis on reproductive and sexual health.

These clinics test for sexually transmitted infections and offer services related to sexual and reproductive health, providing resources as well as virtual and in-person consultations.

Karen Ortiz, Ms. Diallo’s supervisor, noted that Ms. Diallo is able to enter certain cultural spaces to talk with and give care to populations that other colleagues – with different cultural backgrounds – cannot. 

Ms. Ortiz also pointed out that Ms. Diallo’s success within these communities has prompted the team to reassess their approach to providing care to certain communities. She said multilingualism, cultural context, and sensitivity contribute to Ms. Diallo’s ability to ensure certain populations feel comfortable seeking care.

“In the time that she’s been with us,” Ms. Ortiz said, “we’ve been able to tap into communities we wouldn’t otherwise have been able to…I find her totally brilliant and such an incredibly hard worker; I feel like she’s really going to go places.”

Ms. Diallo said she feels naturally drawn to working in community health positions. She’s currently studying community health at Hostos Community College to become even more prepared for employment once she graduates from NYCHA Health Corps.

Ms. Diallo appreciates the support and mentorship from her supervisors throughout her two years in the program; the weekly one-on-one sessions with supervisors enabled her to get answers to any questions and discuss her progress in the program, while helping her to begin thinking about her career after the program.

“They provide comprehensive training programs for free, offering access to a wide range of resources to support your career growth,” she noted.

To NYCHA residents who are considering applying to NYCHA Health Corps, Ms. Diallo has this to say: “Go for it.”

To learn more about the NYCHA Health Corps, register for an upcoming info session at the NYCHA Health Corps Information Session page.

You can learn more about the NYC Health Department’s Sexual Health Clinics at Sexual Health Clinics – NYC Health.