Alumni Focus - Liana (Leyrer) Tyrrell ('08)

Liana (Leyrer) Tyrrell (’08) has always had a heart for people around the world. She lived abroad while growing up, found connections with international students during her high school years, and has been doing incredible work in Africa since 2016. 

How did your experience at SCLA shape your thinking about international communities and serving those in need? 

The international program at St. Croix was significant to me. My family had just moved back to the U.S. when I started at St. Croix as a sophomore, and it was comforting to me to be able to still be part of an international community. I participated in a few different service trips – one to New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and one to Taiwan at the end of my senior year. I always felt that St. Croix put an emphasis on caring for people’s spiritual and physical needs, and following God’s commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. 

What are your favorite memories of your time at SCLA?

I had lots of fun running track at SCLA and fondly remember track meets – the combination of being outside after a long winter, seeing results after weeks of training, cheering on friends, etc. – it was a lot of fun. I also loved discussing literature in Mr. Hanson’s AP English class! 

What path led you to your current work in Malawi?

My husband and I moved to Malawi in 2016. At the time, we were both working for Kingdom Workers – mainly focused on partnering with the Lutheran Church of Central Africa (LCCA) on a home-based care program for people living with disabilities, and later on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) projects. My time working with Kingdom Workers gave me great experience in community development, project & team management, and an understanding of some of the barriers to health and development that many people face in Malawi. Working on WASH projects inspired me to go back to school, and I graduated with a Master’s in Public Health last year. My background in humanitarian work in Malawi and management experience led me to my current role in the international development sector. Now that I have finished my MPH, I am taking on more health focused work. 

Tell us about your work in Malawi!

I am currently working for a consultancy firm in Blantyre, Malawi. We work on various projects within the international development, trade, and health sectors – mostly in Malawi, but also in the wider Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region. I manage a small team of technical experts, data managers, and researchers. Recent projects I have been involved in are a study on using alternative data to assess creditworthiness for the World Bank, and an impact evaluation for SolarAid to understand the social impact and scalability of a project providing home solar systems in rural Malawi. 

Most recently, the bulk of my work has been as part of a research consortium, together with researchers from George Washington University and University of Cape Town, conducting a few different studies to understand the impact of an intervention to facilitate the prevention of gender-based violence in two districts in Malawi.  

What are your favorite things about living in Malawi?  

Although small, Malawi is an incredibly beautiful country, and my husband, kids, and I love taking trips to the national parks to see wildlife, Lake Malawi, and Mt. Mulanje. Malawi is known as the “Warm Heart of Africa,” and we have certainly found that to be true. 

What advice do you have for SCLA students, alumni, or others in our community who wish to serve others in another country?

For students and/or young people who might be interested in going into international development or humanitarian aid sectors – a heart to serve and a belief in God’s calling in your life is important – but also ask yourself what technical and practical skills God is calling you to build to be an effective worker. He created each of us with unique interests and gifts, and you would be surprised how many skills are relevant and needed within international development work. 

For students, alumni, and others interested in international work – right now is a critical moment for the international development and humanitarian aid sectors. The sector is far from perfect, but in my 8 years living in Malawi I can personally attest to the important and valuable work being done. Humanitarian actors and aid organizations work in partnership with the Malawian government and other implementing partners to reduce infectious disease transmission, keep girls in school for longer, improve food security, and much else.