Katherine, International Development and Globalization
Internship Country: Lesotho
Canadian NGO: Alternatives
Local NGO: Lesotho Association of Teachers
As for many students in Social Science programs, the field is vast with expansive options of engagement. The discourse around programs like mine often involves students seeking government work and opportunities. Especially for students trying to find a sense of stable footing during and after their education, government work is very desirable for this. Like an unwritten step to being successful, almost all my peers during co-op semesters or summers were employed in student government roles. During my second and third years of university, while I listened to my peer’s experiences in their new jobs and how well they were doing, I felt that I had missed out on success. That they had a head start and I was left to the sidelines. It wasn’t until I was accepted for the International Internship program at the University of Ottawa, that my mindset changed.
Within international development, it is often the NGO, civil society, grass-root and union organizations that are crucial and integral to building resilience in under-developed nations. Organizations like the Lesotho Association of Teachers, whose soul purpose is the uphold and protect the rights to free and quality education for all, are the ones on the ground protecting teachers and students. It is organizations like these that work and fight against the damaging symptoms of capitalism and corruption. It is organizations like these that are run by local people, who know and advocate properly for what their communities need and hold the key to their development and happiness. Since the start of my internship ship, every day I see more and more of how important this organization is in protecting the social and human rights of the teachers and students in Lesotho.
Not only has this internship exposed the plethora of paths to the future in front of me, but it has also given me tangible international work experience. I believe it is true, that working within the NGO field gives you a deeper level of engagement with world issues. It can be easy to forget your purpose and passion when you are stuck in an office and have no contact with the people you are trying to help. NGO work breathes life into practice and represents the heart of what development is. I hope future students and people looking to get involved in the field of international development consider the value of NGO work and do not subscribe to other's paths of success. But instead, to know that when you stay true to your goals, everything will work itself out.