I thought it might be interesting to start my
blog with some information on what I am doing while in Malawi, and the purpose
of this internship.
I have been selected as the 2012-2013 Urban/Rural Planning Intern with
the University of New Brunswick and Mzuzu University in Northern Malawi. This position is 1 of 4 internships selected
for Mzuzu University as part of the International Youth Internship Program
(IYIP) supported by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and is
designed to provide Canadian graduates with the tools and experience they need
to launch successful careers.
Development Challenges:
Many parts of Africa are facing greater development challenges
in 2012 than ever before. According to
the 2010 Human Development Report, Malawi is one of the world’s poorest countries
with more than 2/3 of the population living on less than $1.25/day. Malawi faces many challenges including high
rates of maternal and child mortality, malnutrition / starvation, environmental
degradation, inequality among men and women and limited access to basic
education.
Each year, the University of New Brunswick sends a
team of 9 CIDA IYIP and 6 AUCC Students for Development to help build local capacity
to address these issues. The Mzuzu
University team will spend 9 months focused on building environmental
sustainability though contributing to post-secondary education. Working side-by-side with faculty, staff and
students at the Department of Land Management, Mzuzu University we will teach,
research and work in the areas of rural / urban planning, natural resource
management, and sustainable land and water management. We will have an opportunity to examine
informal settlements, housing issues, water & sanitation, forest
degradation and much more.
Urban/Rural
Planning Internship:
As
the Urban / Rural Planning Intern, I will join the Department of Land
Management at Mzuzu University. Working directly with the Chair and Faculty, I
will be responsible to:
·
Develop curriculum with a special focus on open
and distance learning.
·
Assist in the delivery of lectures,
·
Provide one-on-one mentoring to Mzuzu University
Students in Urban/Rural Planning,
·
Assist in urban/ rural planning related research
and development projects.
·
Participate in professional develop
opportunities for related Government of Malawi Ministries and local
communities.
