I am Simone Danielle Poku, the 2024 recipient of a 捆绑SM社区 Arts Internship Award with support from Carol and Lloyd Darlington. I am majoring in International Development Studies with a double minor in Social Entrepreneurship and Communication Studies. I am driven by seeking opportunities to create change, in the realm of education for women and awareness in the global south. My interests stem from experiencing challenges in my education when I lived in Ghana. However, I was fortunate enough to overcome those barriers and am now equipped with the knowledge to develop resources to help those who are facing similar disparities. This has allowed me to remain driven in my education to expand my knowledge on this matter.
I was drawn to the internship position at CAMFED as I recognized that CAMFED had a unique way of operating at a grassroots level; most importantly, enabling communities to make decisions regarding their needs and maintain a voice. CAMFED demonstrates great results across their five nations of operations and consistently seeks new ways to enhance education for girls, such as their learner guides and CAMA program which enables women who have been through the program to guide and support new girls.
My main learning objectives when entering CAMFED were to truly understand what actions it takes to sustain a non-profit organization and understand the role of a development officer. I was very interested in learning about grant proposals and report writing as it is a fundamental base for all non-profit organizations. Additionally, I was eager to learn about the fundraising scope of CAMFED and how relationships are managed with donors at a large scale, as CAMFED works at an international level.聽
CAMFED is classified as the Campaign for Female Education, an international non-profit organization that works to eradicate inequalities through supporting and empowering young girls through their education and leadership initiatives. This organization has been in effect since 1993 and has assisted over 6.4 million girls across Zambia, Ghana, Tanzania, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. Furthermore, the organization also supports over 254,000 young women through the CAMFED Association, which offers peer support, mentoring, and leadership opportunities.
As an Intern, my responsibilities included conducting research to aid in writing reports for the Mastercard Foundation, voicing new perspectives and creating expenditure authorization charts. Additionally, I dedicated a lot of my research time to identifying new donors for the organization and learning how to effectively manage donor relations. Additionally, I was able to join weekly meetings at an international and national level to connect with the team to understand their different roles and tasks, which broadened my scope. Furthermore, I was introduced to the financial aspect of the organization where I gained more knowledge on how auditing is conducted at an international scale and the significance of detail orientation in this organization.
The highlight of my internship would have to be the immense growth in my ability to critically analyze data and identify my findings. Through each task, I was familiar with the resources I was using. However, there was always a challenging aspect that enabled me to critically think, ask questions, and seek help to finalize my work in a polished manner. Another main highlight of my internship would be bringing forth high-prospect donors who were interested in supporting CAMFED. With dedication and extensive research, CAMFED is now in the process of forming relationships with these new prospects and will experience positive growth in the organization.
Challenges I encountered would be road bumps when researching donors that did not align with CAMFED鈥檚 mission or support Canadian organizations that work at an international scale. It demonstrated how competitive it can become when seeking grants, however, this enabled me to continuously research and collaborate with my colleagues on finding the right matches for CAMFED.
My experience at CAMFED positively impacted my university experience as it enabled me to make connections with my lectures through hands-on experience. I have become more passionate about my educational pathway now that I have fortunately received the experience that aligned with my goals. Additionally, I was introduced to various new pathways within the sector of international development and unique methods to make a positive impact whilst still being a student.
I am truly grateful to have been a recipient of the Carol and Lloyd Darlington Award as it financially supported me throughout my internship and allowed me to flourish in a new endeavor. My internship experience has been invaluable, and I am truly appreciative! Thank you to Mr. Lloyd Darlington and Mrs. Carol Darlington.
