U of T students interning in Namibia

Kate Bruce-Lockhart had completed her studies at the University of Toronto. But there was one more U of T experience she wanted before heading to Oxford University to pursue her master’s degree in African Studies: the Namibia Internship Program. 

“International internships benefit students by providing them with a valuable work experience in a cross-cultural setting,” says program coordinator Aaron Yarmoshuk. “International interns must overcome not simply the challenge of performing at a new job, but they must do so in an unfamiliar culture.”

Sponsored by New College, the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and the Global Health Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, the 10-week Namibia Internship Program runs from June to mid-August. The highly competitive program accepts only 10 students each year; those interested apply in early January and go through extensive screening and interview procedures.

“There is so much that I have gained from going to the grassroots – stories, friendships, and lessons,” says Bruce-Lockhart, who worked with Namibia Women’s Health Network. 

Launched in 1999, the program now has working partnerships with several organizations in Namibia. Students participate in service placements aimed at supporting Namibia’s efforts to deal with the HIV/AIDS epidemic and promote health.

“Our goal is to produce informed global citizens equipped with the skills to apply their academic knowledge to real-life situations for social justice ends,” says Professor June Larkin, who coordinates the interns from New College.

In a paper she wrote about the experience, Bruce-Lockhart says the internship has been crucial for her academic development.

“Though my experience was undoubtedly framed and informed by academic discourse, the greatest moments of clarity and understanding arose from my interaction with people,” writes Bruce-Lockhart. “So much of my time, and my learning, were spent sitting, talking, and listening.”

The students who participate have academic backgrounds in areas such as African Studies, Pharmacy, Anthropology, Gender and Equity Rights, Human Biology, and Kinesiology and Physical Education.

“One of the most exciting aspects of the Namibia Program is that it brings students from varied disciplines together to learn,” says Yarmoshuk.

And the experience can lead to further internship opportunities. Alumna Niamh Fitzgerald is joining the Clinton Foundation and alumna Robyn Walter has joined the Government of Ontario. Both took part in the Namibia Internship Program in 2011.

Walter, an African Studies alumnus, worked with the Disability Economic Empowerment Project, a bicycle shop run by six persons with disabilities.

“I learned how to work with people who are very different from me,” Walter says. “I was able to experience a new part of the world and immerse myself in an amazing community.”

“The combination of both being abroad and working was invaluable,” says Walter.