Internship Location: The Gambia, Africa
Organization Type: Federal Government
Policy Areas: Economic and Community Development/Research/Government Budgeting
From June 7th, 2021, to July 30th, 2021, I had the privilege and pleasure of joining a team of dedicated leaders and civil servants at the Office of the President (OP), State House, Banjul, The Gambia. The Gambia is the smallest country within mainland Africa and is surrounded by Senegal, except for its narrow Atlantic coastline. The Office of the President provides consultative, research, fact finding and advisory service to the President of The Gambia. Under the leadership of the Director of Policy Analysis Unit (PAU) at the OP, myself (Policy Intern) and a team of two staff (Policy Analysts) worked within the PAU on the Office of the President’s Annual Budget Proposal (2022), reviewed cabinet papers, organized an international policy forum (The Gambia government’s first), and developed policy briefs on a range of public policy issues. The eight weeks I spent in The Gambia government were immensely eye-opening in terms of exposure to leadership, governance, providing public services, and economic security. The pace was incredible, and I was surrounded by greatness. I have gotten the chance to work in multiple units and gain a better perspective of the public policy, leadership, and government sector as a whole. I am very fortunate for the highest level of professional relationships and connections I have gained in The Gambia government. My experience in The Gambia has been nothing but positive, and I am very optimistic about my future returning home to help the country move forward. To sum these up, I could not have asked for a better internship experience to build a foundation for my career.