By Doris Maduka with Hussainatu Bah, Memusi Mollel, and Raini Sydney

From July to September of this year, I was a communications intern with Maliasili. This was my final internship as an undergraduate student at the African Leadership University, so I wanted to be very intentional about my learning, which led me to apply for the communications intern role at Maliasili Africa. 

After my application got accepted, I was happy to find out that there were three other interns that I would be working alongside also from the African Leadership University. Knowing that there were fellow interns one Zoom call away made me appreciate the importance of community a lot more - it made me look forward to my internship journey. 

We all worked in different conservation organizations that are Maliasili partners. Hussainatu Baah from Sierra Leone and Memusi Mollel from Tanzania worked with SORALO, Raini Sydney from Kenya worked with Grevy's Zebra Trust, and I, Doris Maduka from Nigeria, was with Maliasili. One of the best things in our internship journey was our weekly check-in calls with our Maliasili supervisor, Richard; sharing our plans and concerns at least once weekly created a safe space where we could all grow together.

Besides improving our professional skills through this internship, particularly in research, content management, and data analytics, we also grew as individuals who are still learning how to navigate the career space. Here are a few lessons/ tips that we would take with us to any professional area we find ourselves in the future, and we hope that they would be helpful to you too! 

1. Be intentional about what you want to achieve:

This is very important because it helps you create clearly defined goals on what you want to learn during the internship and focus on it.

2. Always create a work plan:

Work plans are one of the best tools to ensure a successful internship because it helps you stay organized and also helps your manager/supervisor know what progress you’re making. You can always suggest making one at the beginning of the internship if it isn’t brought up; that shows a sense of responsibility and makes you look like you have it together even if you don’t.  

3. Accept feedback with an open mind:

Let’s be honest, feedback isn't the easiest thing to take in, especially when it “grows” and not “glows.” However, we must realize that feedback isn’t a direct attack on us; instead, it is a medium for growth. 

4. It’s okay not to know:

Starting a new internship can be overwhelming, and we get it. Getting used to a new environment and being given tasks that you probably haven’t done before or just practiced in class can be daunting. However, we have learned that it’s okay not to know, and it’s okay to ask questions, a lot of them. Asking your manager/supervisor questions saves you a lot of time and keeps you on the right track of what you are meant to do.

Our nine weeks working with Maliasili and its partners, SORALO and Grevy Zebra Trust, has been a great learning experience that has allowed us to grow as individuals and gain new professional skills. It has also widened our knowledge and understanding of the conservation field and its current opportunities, and we are grateful for this fantastic opportunity.

”Because of my internship at SORALO, I now have a completely different understanding of what gender involves, and I’m encouraged to incorporate gender inclusiveness in my own organization of pads project, which I hope to start soon. I was exposed to a wide range of resources and individuals, which broadened my understanding of the workplace’s possibilities. The internship taught me not only professional skills, but also a way of life. My one-on-one time with Richard changed the way I looked at the world.” –Memusi

“Starting my internship with clearly defined goals of what I wanted to achieve was one of the most helpful tips in my journey. It kept me focused on what I wanted to learn and also kept me motivated during the tough days. Overall this was a learning experience for me and I’m grateful to have had this opportunity.” –Doris

“What I enjoyed most about this internship is the support given to interns and the intentionality about their growth. It was a journey of constant learning and professional development.” –Hussinatu

“It was easy to get lost when working remotely, especially with the pandemic, however, the chaos brought out a clearer view of what it means to be in a professional world now and in the future.” –Raini Sydney

Maliasili’s internship program is helping to nurture the next generation of conservation talent. We want to provide exciting conservation opportunities to young people while supporting the development of their professional and personal skills, knowledge and confidence. To learn more about this program, please email rndiga@maliasili.org