My field semester in East Africa in winter of 2020 came to an abrupt close at the beginning of March as the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic set in. I was bitterly disappointed to be unable to continue my studies of International Development in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. When I came home to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in mid-March I began searching for a remote internship with organizations based in East Africa. I felt and continue to feel very attached to this region of the world and its people. When I came across RefuSHE, I knew almost immediately that it was the right fit for me.
To understand and analyze many issues in International Development, one must use a gendered lens. For example, female refugees in East Africa face many specific obstacles that their male counterparts have little or no exposure to - gender-based and sexual violence in particular. RefuSHE acknowledges this truth and has made it their mission to address and eliminate the specific obstacles faced by female refugees in East Africa. RefuSHE specializes in identifying and protecting unaccompanied and separated refugee children and youth, especially girls, young women, and their children living in Kenya.
Through their holistic model, RefuSHE provides a diverse array of services and resources to refugee children and youth, including a shelter in Nairobi with educational and community outreach services. RefuSHE operates on the belief that by providing resources for long-term support, refugee girls and young women can become catalysts for strengthening networks and creating sustainable change within the local and global communities. In summary, RefuSHE aims to empower this population to live healthy lives.
My three-month internship at RefuSHE has been a meaningful transition from my U2 field semester in East Africa towards my post-Âé¶čAV goals. I was able to dive deeper into the human geography of East Africa and to understand better the background and experiences of a specific population in East Africa: unaccompanied and separated refugee children and youth. The individual experiences of each refugee shape her/his individual needs. It has been particularly powerful to bear testament to the personal transformation a refugee woman or girl experiences when her basic needs are met and she is then able to focus on her goals, dreams and aspirations. I believe that this transformation touches on the concept of empowerment: with support and resources, each human being is able to reclaim their own power and then use it to empower others.
The first month of my internship was mainly consumed by the task of adapting RefuSHEâs annual fashion challenge to a virtual format. The task was difficult but ultimately very rewarding and proved to be almost like an ice breaker to get to know my coworkers. I quickly came to admire and respect the leadership style of my supervisors, Ariana and Adele, and just generally to feel very comfortable with them. The mutual respect in our relationship was a baseline from which to launch our collaboration through the months of July and August. My fellow intern, Sophie, and I, together with Ariana and Adele, collaborated on an outline for a Monthly Giving Program for RefuSHE. Sophie and I conducted a lot of research on other nonprofits and their monthly giving programs and presented our findings and ideas to Ariana and Adele at the end of July. RefusHEROs is set to launch in October.
One of my favorite lines from the musical Hamilton is that âa legacy is planting seeds in a garden youâll never see.â That is sometimes how I feel about my contributions to RefuSHE. Although my time at the organization has been relatively short, I hope that my contributions will last far longer than the summer. Collaborative work during my internship has been particularly rewarding because I can rely on my coworkers to continue to strengthen the efforts we began this summer in the seasons to come. I know for sure that the influence that RefuSHE has had on me will last far longer than this summer.
Without the funding from Armando and Ann Manfredi Award, I do not think I would have been able to complete my internship at RefuSHE. This funding gave me the gift of financial stability over the course of the summer, as my rent and most of my cost of living was covered by their scholarship. I am grateful for their generosity and for the resources and support of the Arts Internship Office.
In addition to my internship this summer, I also have studied rigorously for the LSAT which I will take this August. I hope to pursue a law degree in order to work in International Human Rights Law. Legal defense is a powerful tool for the protection of unaccompanied refugee girls and young women: I want to obtain this tool and to use it on their behalf.
My best tip for completing a remote internship is to actively cultivate a community, and to know that is possible even when working virtually. Zoom happy hours after work are a great way to start.
