As my 3-month internship as an Education Associate Intern with Sudu comes to an end, I have been reflecting on how much I have learned from this experience. I completed this internship alongside my graduate studies at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where I am pursuing a master’s in Education Policy Analysis. My previous experience teaching and living in East Africa sparked a strong interest in supporting displaced and vulnerable children, which initially drew me to Sudu and its mission.

Although my internship was fully remote, the Sudu team was incredibly welcoming and supportive. One of my biggest takeaways was the opportunity to work closely with various staff members, including social workers and the country lead. Collaborating with them on curriculum design allowed me to learn directly from their experiences and gain deeper insight into the realities faced by the families and children Sudu serves. Working remotely across teams also strengthened my communication, collaboration, and adaptability skills, which I know will be valuable as I transition into new professional spaces.

Throughout my internship, I applied my background as an educator to support Sudu’s curriculum and educational programming. My work included designing a training for community members on activities to promote learning and relationship-building, revising existing curriculum to incorporate more participatory activities, and drafting new content to reflect the changing needs of families as children grow.

I also contributed to Sudu’s monitoring and evaluation (M&E) efforts by helping to expand on their current survey to better understand how Sudu staff and programming are potentially contributing to positive growth in learning and social development. While I entered this internship with limited hands-on experience in M&E, I have a strong interest in this area, and this opportunity allowed me to build foundational skills and deepen my understanding of how data can inform program improvement.

As my internship comes to a close, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to contribute and learn from Sudu. This experience allowed me to see firsthand how thoughtfully the organization develops programming and their commitment to creating meaningful, impactful support for families. I will leave Sudu with valuable skills and an appreciation for the work they do.  

Examples of the Idea she brought: