#Cohort2Cohort

I absolutely love this paradigm shift. It connects deeply to how we approach capacity building in general: valuing actual contributions over formal titles. To your third point about recognizing intellectual input, the key is institutionalizing co-creation from day one. Interns shouldn’t just collect data or handle logistics; they need a seat at the table when insights are synthesized. One way to ensure this is by establishing strict co-authorship and crediting protocols within organizations, guaranteeing that if an intern’s foundational work leads to a paper or policy brief, their name stays on it long after their contract ends.

Great perspective! I believe internships should be about more than gaining experience, they should also leave behind knowledge, ideas, and contributions that future cohorts can build on. Let's collaborate, document what we learn, and create impact that goes beyond our time at APHRC. 

Youth unemployment is rising, and internships are often the first bridge into the labour market. But internships shouldn’t just be stepping stones; they should be foundations. At APHRC, we can shift from ‘arrive, learn, leave’ to building legacies: documenting skills for the next cohort, applying what we learn within the institution, and ensuring interns’ contributions are recognised as genuine intellectual input. This paradigm shift can turn internships into engines of continuity and impact.

What made my internship experience stick was the opportunity to go beyond the boundaries of my job description.

Coming from an IT background and working within the Capacity Strengthening team, I was fortunate to have a supervisor @Benard Ondiek  who allowed me to explore and contribute across different areas rather than being restricted to my JD. Within Capacity Strengthening, I was able to engage in the IT side of the work through the Virtual Learning Academy (VLA), supporting digital learning, platforms, and other technology-related activities.

But the experience went beyond technology. Through my work at the VLA and interactions across the Centre, I was also introduced to the research field, which opened my perspective to how technology, capacity strengthening, data, and research can intersect to create impact.

I believe this is something that can be strengthened across the Centre. When an intern demonstrates a particular talent or interest, creating opportunities to connect them with someone who can mentor them, challenge them, or provide an environment to sharpen that skill can make a huge difference. Talents are nurtured when they are recognised and when people are given the space and connections to develop them.

For me, that is what makes an internship more than a stepping stone—it becomes a foundation. You don't just leave with what you were hired to do; you leave having discovered what else you can contribute and, sometimes, even a new field you hadn't considered before.

If we can intentionally nurture that culture across cohorts, document institutional knowledge, create cross-cohort projects, and recognise interns' intellectual contributions, then each cohort can build on what the previous one started.

Sometimes, the most valuable thing an internship gives you is not just a specific skill, but the opportunity to discover what you are capable of and where else your skills can take you.

#Cohort2Cohort #BeyondTheInternship #APHRCIntern

@Rhoda Nakhosi  This is a nice discussion. For point number one, i support the documentation of our insights and skills as interns. So the questions here are, do we have the right platform or ground to support this? How does the organisation or rather the knowledge management unit harvest information from the other staff members? As we all know there is no appraisals for interns meaning that recognition is minimal. In addition, to our different spheres as interns, how does our teams view us? Do they take you as a partners, or mere supporting personnel? And if they are taking us as a partners ,how does the overrall organisation employment policy view interns? For me, i think APHRC has tried on this by; one, giving us the chance to participate on strategic issues such as the Strategic planning. But the problem is that, it was more of a group work thing contribution. So before i suggest or we suggest the way forward, i think we should ask ourselves the first two questions.