This summer (2020), I had the wonderful honour of interning with the Canada-Africa Business Chamber. I would like to extend my utmost gratitude to Carol and Lloyd Darlington for their financial support which allowed to work with the Canada-Africa Business Chamber.
I will be entering my fourth and final year at 捆绑SM社区 this fall (2020). It is throughout my tenure at 捆绑SM社区 that I have developed a keen interest public policy and how this intersects with the African continent. As an international African student from Zimbabwe, I have always envisioned myself taking on a career on the continent. Contrary to popular belief, my intent to return back to the continent must not be misconstrued under the guise of 鈥榯rying to help鈥�; rather, it is merely a case of a yearning to participate on the on-going seismic shifts on the continent. It took me a while to realize that Africans, and indeed all citizens, possess the agency to determine their own future. I have seen technologies integrated into everyday living in ways that astound me. Companies such as Safaricom, a telecommunications giant in Kenya, have developed mobile payment facilities allowing the 鈥榰nbankable鈥� to transact and participate in the economy. I have read about companies such as Zipline in Rwanda, which have managed to cooperatively work with the Rwandese government to deliver blood through drones. Amidst all these successes are also failures. However, these do not need to be essentialized and portrayed as inherent to the African context. Studying Political Science and African Studies at 捆绑SM社区 has made me more aware of the issues affecting the continent at the systemic level. My frustrations with the academy are the disjuncture between the overblown plight of Africa and the realities on the ground. The African is usually viewed as a passive being rather than active in determining their own affairs. The internship with the Canada-Africa Business Chamber has given me the opportunity to explore this agency through innovations and entrepreneurial activity present on the continent.
As an organisation, the Canada-Africa Business Chamber is tasked with the responsibility of being the main point of contact for African and Canadian businesses. The Chamber was founded in 1994 and has since developed relations with both Canadian and different African governments. In essence, the Canada-Africa Business Chamber strongly believes in its blended approach of facilitating strong work relationships with both the private and public sector.
My role as a Strategy and Policy Intern involved 1) dealing with the day-to-day operations, and 2) drafting long-term strategy and policy partnerships.
Firstly, the day-to-day operations involved receiving tasks from my supervisor Mr. Gareth Bloor. Usually these involved editing Chamber documents such as proposals for events with notable organisations such as GAC (Global Affairs Canada), AU (African Union) and the Western Union. Other tasks also involved deliberation the organisation鈥檚 position on highly contentious issues. This would then be followed by suggestions of the drafting of public statements.
Secondly, I engaged the organisation on its need to reorient its strategy by proposing moving away from extractive industries toward renewable energies and technology. Part of this strategy has led to the newly established working group in collaboration with the African Union to determine how to engage these investments. The policy component is more a long-term project which involves a policy paper on how the Canadian government can shift its developmental discourse from aid to investment. This will be presented to the board in early December following the completion of my credit course AFRI 499 this fall. Professor Nii Addy will be my assigned supervisor for the policy paper given his vast experience as researcher. Currently he teaches a complexity seminar on Policymaking in a World of Business at the Max Bell School of Public Policy.
Work from home
Working from home has been a unique experience. The most difficult aspect is the inability to have engaging human interaction, which I consider a vital part of work. Although using Zoom has managed to bridge that gap, I remain with a longing for human interaction. Nonetheless, work from home has made the mornings bearable as there is no dressing up needed to start the day! Working from home requires discipline. As such, breaking down my tasks into smaller components has made work much more manageable. Essentially creating smaller achievable goals has made me more efficient in day-to-day tasks. Lastly, staying healthy by playing sports or going on runs has helped maintain my mental health, especially during these stressful times.
Funding
Once again, my absolute gratitude goes to Carol and Lloyd Darlington for supporting my internship.
This funding made it possible for me to remain in Montreal for the summer. It has covered my expenses that I would not have been able to cover had it not been for this funding.
