As a third-year student in the Honours International Development Studies program, minoring in Management, I am fascinated by how international organizations can help promote development outcomes on a global scale. Over the course of the past year at 捆绑SM社区, I have begun to explore, through courses such as INTD 356: Quantitative Methods in Development, the field of impact evaluation. This is where development organizations assess the real-world outcomes of their development programs, with an emphasis on quantitative data and analysis. My interest in this area, coupled with my desire to gain further real-world experience in the field of international development, was one of the reasons I chose to undertake an internship with the Elimu Impact Evaluation Unit this summer.
Elimu is a non-governmental organization (NGO) founded by 捆绑SM社区 professor Matthieu Chemin in 2006, based in Kirinyaga, Kenya. Using rigorous evaluation methods such as randomized experiments, it aims to determine the most effective ways to reduce poverty. Elimu is currently engaged in several development projects, including a multinational tutoring project in which 捆绑SM社区 students tutor schoolchildren in rural Kenya over Zoom, a remote legal aid project, and a micro-hydroelectrification project which aims to conduct research into profitable uses of electricity provided by Elimu鈥檚 hydroelectric dam in Kianyaga, Kenya.
As an Intern, my duties were extremely varied. Principally, I was tasked with overseeing the Pamoja (鈥榯ogether鈥�) tutoring program, which involved recruiting and training tutors, and making sure tutoring sessions went smoothly by communicating with Elimu鈥檚 field officers in Kenya in case of any technical problems. At the start of the internship, I was also responsible for conducting oral proficiency surveys; the aim of this was to collect data on how the tutoring program was helping schoolchildren develop their English language skills. Later in the internship, myself and my fellow intern, Jung Min Kim, were tasked with redesigning the Elimu social media pages and website, using programming languages such as HTML and CSS. Further, we were also responsible for researching and applying for grants for Elimu to fund its various projects.
One of the main highlights of the internship was overseeing the Pamoja tutoring program. This allowed me to develop project management skills such as adhering to deadlines, strong (and often cross-cultural) communication skills, as well as attention to detail. Having the opportunity to tutor grade five and six students myself was also a fantastic opportunity 鈥� being involved in an activity which had clear value to the students was extremely enriching.
One of the challenges of the internship was that given the situation surrounding COVID-19, I was unable to physically be in Kenya for the duration of the internship. This presented some difficulties, especially during tutoring sessions, where it was important to ensure that all of the schoolchildren were connected to their online tutoring sessions, and remained focused on their tutoring sessions throughout. As a result, it was vital that Jung Min and I communicated with the field officers based in Kenya (Denis and Kennedy) to ensure that the sessions went smoothly. Although this took some getting used to at first, we soon found a rhythm whereby the schoolchildren were able to connect promptly with their tutors over Zoom, and the library in which the students were during their tutoring sessions was quiet and conducive to studying.
Although I am not receiving academic credit for this internship, this experience has had a marked impact on my university experience. Through the internship, I have been able to see first-hand how the process of impact evaluation is conducted in the real world, and how data is collected for the purposes of rigorous analysis to assess development outcomes. Another incredibly valuable aspect of the internship was the opportunity it presented to work on tasks such as project management in a non-profit context. This allowed me to explore the nexus between management and non-profits - a field I am passionate about pursuing further in my professional career.
