A little background on myself, my name is Lake Liu and I am about to enter my third year at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ majoring in Honours International Development studies with a minor in East asian studies. While International Development studies is by nature very interdisciplinary, I am in particular drawn to the domain of educational policy and women’s literacy. This interest is largely shaped by the life experiences I’ve been fortunate enough to be exposed to. As a part-time assistant educator working at McGill’s Centre de la Petite Enfance (CPE), I realized my love for working with children and the importance of instilling a curiosity to learn early on in life. However, coming from a background in International Development, it was apparent to me the advancements that have yet to be made in improving literacy amongst young women. For me, this passion for education stems from lived experience. As a first-generation Canadian and college student, I am acutely aware of the transformative impact of education in advancing social mobility and empowerment.
Furthermore, last summer I had the opportunity to intern virtually with Come on Out Global English Camp, an English immersion program facilitated by North American University students for Japanese high schoolers new to the English language. The program gave me unique insight on the logistics behind implementing transnational education programs as well as the cultural sensitivity required to ensure its success. Truthfully, prior to discovering the work of CAMFED, I had some reservations on whether culturally relevant education programs can be successfully implemented internationally by development organizations especially given that the field of development has had a history of promoting top-down initiatives that fail to be localized to the needs of the recipient community. However, in learning about CAMFED’s community-centered and gender-based approach to promoting literacy in developing regions, I found a model that strongly aligned with my values. I was attracted to the internship because it would give me the opportunity to observe this model in action and get an insider perspective on the internal logistics behind such an operation. Given that the majority of my courses veer on the side of theoretical, I was very eager to build on practical experience and get a feel for the realities of working in a development organization.
CAMFED is an international NGO aiming to tackle poverty, advance economic development and stimulate climate action through supporting the education of young women in Africa. CAMFED operates in rural regions of Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe where young women are often denied the opportunity to receive an education. Central to CAMFED’s operations is the Learner Guide program, which sees former CAMFED clients-young women once supported by the organization- return to the CAMFED as part of the Association network. As Learner guides, CAMFED clients return to their local schools to mentor and support the next generation of girls. Learner guides undergo training to provide vital education on self-development, life skills, reproductive health and psycho-social support. The work of Learner guides extends outside the classroom setting, following up with vulnerable girls such as those at risk of dropping out of school, early marriage and early pregnancy. In exchange for their volunteer work, Learner guides become eligible for low-risk interest free loans and additional training and support on their entrepreneurship pursuits. Today, the CAMFED Association has over 254,470 members. Through the Learner Guide model, CAMFED delivers a community-focused bottom up strategy that is culturally-sensitive, setting it apart from traditional externalized development models. From their own lived experiences, Learner guides have a personal understanding of the psychology of poverty, equipping them to provide localized and relevant support. As a result, they are better able to speak directly to the experience of marginalized youth and effectively advocate for students.
As a summer intern working virtually at CAMFED’s Canadian office in Toronto, I was responsible for conducting research on potential donors, grants and other sources of funding, drafting and presenting an Indigenous land acknowledgement to the Canadian team; drafting a progress report to meet a grant foundation’s MEL requirements and attending weekly team meetings as well as calls with CAMFED’s international offices. Through fulfilling these responsibilities, I developed practical experience and a better understanding of the behind-the -scenes mechanisms enabling the operations of nonprofits. Prior to my internship, I had a very theoretical understanding of development without any hands-on experience. Given this, my supervisor arranged meetings with staff across different departments at CAMFED including finance, monitoring and evaluations, Development and Operations and fundraising. These meetings were instrumental in providing me with a solid idea of the various mechanisms behind non-profit organizations. Through my exposure to the various roles in the NGO space, I gained a stronger sense of potential job opportunities I can explore in the near future. As well, I now have a better picture of how I want to shape the remainder of my university degree. After working with my supervisor and other colleagues across different departments, I realized the importance of a strong finance background in the ngo setting. In my remaining semesters, I plan to focus on building a better understanding of quantitative methods.
A highlight of my internship was working with my supervisor on a progress report for a partnership pilot program in Ghana. Funded by a grant from the 60 Million Girls foundation, the pilot program involved the implementation of technology to promote ICT learning in all-girls secondary schools in Ghana. Working on this project was very exciting as it was an ongoing project with real-time updates. Through drafting the progress report, I learned about the many accountability measures such as monitoring and evaluation indicators that must be met and reported back to donors. In addition, I also learned about the practical challenges of monitoring the progress of these measures. In many rural regions where CAMFED’s work takes place, access to the internet and electronic devices is limited which makes it difficult to conduct consistent quantitative assessments. Moreover, I had the opportunity to attend progress meetings with the Development & Operations team in Ghana where I received the latest updates on the status of the project and the challenges encountered.
Although I was interning at CAMFED’s Toronto office which operates on Eastern time, I was working remotely in my hometown outside of Vancouver, BC. I found the three hour difference in time zones to be challenging at times to navigate. Although my supervisor gave me the opportunity to work asynchronously to better suit my time zone at the time, all my meetings were conducted before the end of the office hours back in Toronto. Given this, there was a daily three hour window where I worked independently without check-ins. Initially, I struggled a bit with managing my time independently while also allocating time in my schedule to attend meetings. However, I eventually adapted to the demands of remote work by setting actionable tasks for myself.
This internship has given me a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms behind international non-profit organizations. Through my work at CAMFED, I was able to further explore my research interest in the promotion of girls literacy in a development context. I will use the incredible insight I gained through this experience to guide my future pursuits as I approach the final years of my undergraduate degree. Although I came into the internship with concerns of my ability to fruitfully contribute to CAMFED’s work given my lack of practical experience, I gained a new confidence in my abilities and the unique skill set I offer thanks to encouragement from mentors. My supervisor Kayleigh’s unwavering support and incredible trust in my potential were extremely impactful throughout my internship. I’m extremely grateful to Kayleigh for working with me to tailor the internship to my academic, professional and personal interests making this a meaningful and memorable experience. I am not receiving academic credit for this internship, but it has been an amazing learning opportunity which I will use to inform my future academic pursuits at McGill. I am grateful to have received the Lev Bukhman Internship award, which allowed me to participate in this internship while supporting myself financially. With the award’s generous support, I was afforded the chance to pursue my internship at CAMFED with confidence.
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