Zyon Kavuma Kironde, Honors International development and globalization
Internship Country: Ghana
Canadian NGO: AFS Interculture Canada
Local NGO: Mckingtorch Africa
It rained the other day, and it dawned on me that seasons do change come and go. The first few weeks of my internship in Ghana were hot and sticky, quiet and slow. Temperatures averaging near 35 degrees Celsius but now days seem to fly by. If I had informed myself that I would have an opportunity like this 12, 6 months ago I would never have believed you. But that defeats the purpose of uncertainty, the courage it takes to travel to a foreign country, live with foreign people outside your comfort zone. Ghana has become somewhat of a second, third, fourth home……, I’ve honestly lost count. I have immersed myself in the culture, language, food, art and music, taking each opportunity as it is, being present and grateful.
The main principle of this internship was to gain valuable experience in my field of study that would be applicable in the professional field. And although I like theory, I have always been balanced and like to see theory translated into practice. It is one thing to learn about neo-institutionalism, good governance, community based natural resource management or feminist political ecology, yet it is another to see how this applies to everyday life in a developing nation such as Ghana. My internship at Mckingtorch Africa highlights the importance of social entrepreneurship that focuses on sustainable communities by incorporating environmental and climate change frameworks to their business model. Mckingtorch Africa prioritizes the importance of attaining the some of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). SDG 13 (climate change) and 11 ( sustainable cities and communities) while some of their projects commit to achieving SDG 4( quality education) ,6 ( clean water and sanitation) and 8 ( decent work and economic change) . Of course, these are all things I have had the opportunity to learn in my large lecture halls at the university of Ottawa but seeing how it can be applicable in business models is quite inspiring. For example, with their next project titled ECOFEM, Mckingtorch aims to train and create job opportunities for women in the workshops that oversee the upcycling of plastic waste. This project tackles a variety of problems such as lack of sustainable jobs for women and girls, plastic waste pollution, and poorly operated waste value chain.
Throughout the internship I have developed skills that are valuable in the professional field.Improving my active listening, self -awareness & management, understanding organizational culture and communication. I have read documents and researched Ghanaian national policies, position statements of some of the Mckingtorch partners and development partners initiatives for the implementation of SDGs in Ghana. Of course, there have been days where my workload as an intern has been minimum, but I have taken it upon myself to find work or ask for any extra involvement. Every opportunity has been a learning experience and I think the international internship experience is paramount for any international development students. Applying learned theories and seeing how they work in the ‘real’ world.
All I wait for is the heavens to open, watering the seeds I have planted now to blossom into something for tomorrow. This is the premise of an unpaid internship, one that has taught me to have patience, give without expecting anything in return, enjoy every moment and look for inspiration even in the most unlikely places.