The World YWCA Welcomes the New Interns for 2011
In January 2011, the World YWCA once again welcomed two young women to the Geneva Office. Meet Alemtsehay Zergaw (YWCA of Ethiopia) and Jenta Tau (YWCA of Solomon Islands) as they share their excitement in taking part in the one-year internship programme and what it means to them. Alemtsehay will be working with the Communications Department and Jenta has joined the Programmes Team.
Alemtsehay
Why did you apply for the internship?
I was a graduate student at Addis Ababa University when I first visited the YWCA of Ethiopia. When I learnt about the things that they were doing I felt compelled to volunteer and be part of this noble mission. I began to explore how I could contribute, and I volunteered to work for the public relations committee in 2007. Later in 2009, I joined the YWCA of Ethiopia as a communications and public relations officer. My experience at the YWCA taught me the challenges we face with advocacy and communication. While working at the office I learnt about the internship, and I saw the opportunity this programme can bring. I believe the internship will provide me with more insight, knowledge and exposure, which will certainly be of great use for the work I do in Ethiopia. With my background in history, international relations, women’s issues and communications, I believe that an internship at such a historic and global women’s movement will provide me with the tools I need to improve the activities of the YWCA in Ethiopia and Africa.
What are the challenges faced by young women in your country?
It is very difficult to generalise life for young women in Ethiopia as it varies with economic status and urban and rural divide as well. But it is clear that there are many challenges. The young woman in a high school in Addis Ababa faces a different challenge from the woman living in a remote rural town. However, they have one thing in common - they both face challenges because they are women. Generally most young women face challenges due to poverty, society’s outlook on women, and the absence of civil society that empowers and encourages women in remote places to get educated and be independent. However, efforts are being made to help women in Ethiopia.
In general the hurdles young women in Ethiopia face are: poverty, illiteracy, violence lack of access to medical care during pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, unemployment, low representation in the government, poor access to clean water, taking the burden of the family duty, and economic dependency on men, among others.
What do you hope to learn at the World YWCA?
I expect to learn effective communication and advocacy skills. I also hope to learn about women from other countries and their different experiences and paradigms. I am sure that my experience here will be an asset for my future personal career and organisational development. I want to learn how the communications department works and how to manage communication with many stakeholders.
How different is your life in Geneva from Ethiopia?
Geneva is completely different from Addis Ababa in many respects. The weather is different, the city scape is different, and the people are different. I am excited about the opportunity to meet new people and learn about new cultures, perhaps even a new language.
What does gaining a World YWCA internship mean to you?
It means a lot! It means I will meet leading academics and professionals working in women’s empowerment at the global level and learn from them. I will get a global perspective of the challenges women face across the world. I will also meet women from all over the world who work on these issues. I will also better understand the challenges women face in Ethiopia and Africa as compared to the rest of the world, and I will understand the reasons behind them. All in all, it means a better understanding of the world, especially on issues related to women.
What do you hope to do at the end of your internship?
When I go back I hope to take with me all the experience and skills gained at the World YWCA and use them for a greater good. Just like Geneva, Addis Ababa hosts many international organisations and I think the YWCA of Ethiopia has to use this opportunity to do more work on reaching out to different stakeholders. As a member, volunteer and staff, I have big aspirations for the YWCA of Ethiopia. My hope is to widen the activities of the YWCA, thus creating a safe environment for the women of Ethiopia through effective engagement. I also hope to solve the YWCA of Ethiopia’s communication impediments so that it blends with other programme areas. I will also transfer the knowledge I gain from this internship.
Jenta
Why did you apply for the internship?
This is a great opportunity for me to develop my leadership skills at the international level and to build my capacity, which will enable me to work effectively with young women in my association, my country and region as a whole. I want to build my knowledge on issues at the global level and strategies for change, and to get a fair idea and effective network with YWCAs around the globe on programmes and actives for young women that initiate social change in our communities.
What are the challenges faced by young women in your country?
The voices of young indigenous women in the Solomon Islands are not heard and our rights, such as freedom of speech and expression, are not exercised. Our culture plays a vital role in the life of women and young women in that we are to be seen but not heard. Some of the major issues faced by young women in the Solomon Islands is the lack of access to quality education. As a result most young women are not able to reach their full potential and are unable to decide or make the best choices for themselves. This leads to dependency and not being able to support oneself and to live independently, unwanted pregnancy, gender inequality, violence and abuse.
What do you hope to learn at the World YWCA?
I hope to develop new skills in designing effective programmes for young women, methods of delivering effective advocacy and campaigns and strengthening my communication skills. I want to learn to be a proactive activist in voicing concerns on issues affecting young women in my country and to develop my skills on how to interpret international conventions that influence policies in my country. I also want to develop effective partnership skills with local and international organisations. Most of all, I want to develop a leadership style that will influence young women to realise their potential and be able to take responsibility for social change in their communities
How different is your life in Geneva from the Solomon Islands?
Geneva is completely different in terms of culture, standards of living, environment and all sorts of things. But this is not a problem, on the contrary it is a learning and development process for me. I hope my stay in Geneva will be very productive.
What does gaining a World YWCA internship mean to you?
The World YWCA internship is really a stepping stone in my life and a great opportunity for me to open a gate way for young women in the Pacific YWCAs.
What do you hope to do at the end of your internship?
I would like to return to my local association and identify, develop, implement and share relevant programmes that will truly meet the needs of young women in the Solomon Islands. Likewise, to strengthen our networks within the sisterhood movement in our region and the World YWCA movement as a whole, and also with other local NGOs and donor partners.
