From a policy perspective, I realized that goodwill is crucial to ensuring evidence translates into policy. The evidence could be there, well put forward in very detailed reports, but ensuring that this evidence is taken up in policy is where we…

Whether it’s an unexpected insight about public health research, how regional policy advocacy really works, or just navigating work-life rhythm:

In one or two sentences, what is one realization you\'ve had since joining APHRC that you didn’t anticipate before day one?

@Moses Gitonga Mbuba, welcome so much! Reviewing participant lists before meetings is a tip I hadn\'t heard before, and it\'s a clever one: it turns a passive meeting into a targeted opportunity, and it means you arrive already knowing whose work…

One approach that works for me is being intentional about learning more about APHRC beyond my immediate project. As I research the organization, I often come across colleagues whose work interests me. Before meetings, I also like to review the…

@Shamim Kowa Talla This is such a great perspective! I love your point about using casual spaces like tea and lunch chats it really takes the pressure off networking, especially as an introvert. Having a supervisor who pushes you into stakeholder…

@Rhoda Nakhosi Thanks for sharing these, Rhoda I completely agree that leading with curiosity and offering a specific, low-friction entry point like 15 minutes for virtual coffee makes outreach feel much more natural and actionable.Building on your points about cross-unit learning,…

@Shamim Kowa Talla, great addition and refreshingly honest about the introvert part. The tea/lunch chats tip is underrated: sitting with random colleagues and asking what they\'re working on removes the pressure of a formal ask, and it\'s often where you…

One thing I’ve appreciated about Government Relations  is that we are not anchored in one unit; we cut across the whole institution. So you get to work with almost everyone. As an introvert, reaching out beyond my immediate team was…

Great icebreaker topic, Nonvicks! A few things that have worked for me when reaching across teams and units:1. Lead with curiosity, not a request. A short, specific message such as \"I\'m an intern on X project and I\'d love to…

APHRC has so many specialized units, projects, and regional offices. How do you approach reaching out to colleagues outside your immediate project team? Drop your tips or share who/which unit you’d love to learn more from before your internship ends.

@Rhoda Nakhosi Most of the time the objectives are the ones from the job description. However, some activities are not explicitly captured in the JD. They are the one indicated as any other duties. All in all, both of them are…

@Shamim Kowa Talla, What strikes me in your story is that it wasn\'t the session alone that shifted things. It was the conversation afterward. The session sparked it, but the one-on-one questions with Eric are what made it land. That\'s…

I once struggled with career clarity, feeling scattered and unsure of the direction I wanted to take. When I reached out to Eric, he referred me to a meeting that became a turning point. Attending that session sparked a shift…

@Michelle Shiroya Thank you so much for sharing this insight.  The three prompts to use (what I learned, what challenged me, what I could have done differently) are simple but powerful, because they turn an ordinary task into a deliberate learning…

@Michelle Wanguku Shiroya This is such a thoughtful answer, and I really appreciate how honest you are about the tension. The media interview pitch example is a great one. It\'s telling that what fulfilled you wasn\'t just the writing, but…