Megande Ashbelle Hounhouedo, International Economics and Development & Minor in Computer Science, 4th year
Country of fieldwork: Côte d'Ivoire
Canadian NGO: Alternatives
Local NGO: STERNA Africa
When I started my internship with STERNA Africa, I expected to learn on the ground, lead awareness campaigns, and discover the local realities of development. What I didn't expect was to spend three unforgettable weeks with five young girls who would leave a lasting impression on me and redefine my vision of commitment.
The girls' basketball project organized during the school holidays was much more than just a sporting activity. It was a space designed for them, where they could push themselves, learn, express themselves, laugh, and above all, exist fully. It was a place where they had the right to take up space, both literally and figuratively. And I was lucky enough to be a part of it.
Alongside the sport, an academic support program was set up, and I had the honor of mentoring five girls for three weeks. Five different personalities, five stories, five smiles. Every morning, they arrived enthusiastic, sometimes shy, sometimes full of energy, always ready to learn. We worked on writing, reading, and math. We repeated the alphabet, counted from 1 to 100, and corrected mistakes together. What may seem simple or trivial to others took on real meaning here. We were building foundations, brick by brick.
But what these moments revealed was much more than academic learning. It was human connection. In those little moments, during an exercise or a drawing, deeper discussions arose. I talked to them about the importance of education, punctuality, respect for others, solidarity, and honesty. They listened to me seriously, sometimes with surprise. And I listened to their dreams, their doubts, their questions about the world.
At the same time, we also held awareness-raising sessions on crucial topics such as sickle cell disease, drug use, and illegal immigration—issues that concern them and affect them closely. Their reactions and their comments, sometimes hesitant, sometimes powerful, showed me how thirsty they are for knowledge and how much they need spaces where they can express themselves freely.
Before this internship, I thought that NGOs mainly worked to distribute resources. But with STERNA, I understood that real impact cannot be measured solely in material goods. It is measured by constant presence, simple gestures, and trust built over time. Being there every day, listening, supporting, encouraging. Acting with communities, not just for them.
These three weeks have transformed me. They have taught me that change sometimes begins in a makeshift classroom, around a small group of girls who are being helped to write their
first names correctly. And that what matters most often happens in these quiet but deeply human moments.
I sincerely hope that they will remember something about me, even if it's just a word, a moment, or a piece of advice.
“I may have taught them how to write their names, but they have left their mark on mine.”