It is with a heavy heart that we are now wrapping up our various projects at the Gender, Health and Justice Research Unit, while pouring out the last bit of energy we’ve got to attain professional and personal goals. As I find myself running left and right these days, wanting to achieve as much as possible, I found myself impressed by the wide range of roles I have taken during my time in South Africa.
Here is a non-exhaustive list:
Writing ethics protocols
Writing ethics protocols in a very short period of time
Designing screening questionnaires for sexual and other types of sexual and physical violence
Making coffee
Summarizing oral and written submissions for a report on the implementation of the Sexual Offences Act
Collaborating with donors to elaborate a study design
Monitoring the pilot study through communication with the donors
Serving coffee and tea
Writing literature reviews
Scanning documents
Copying documents
Recruiting study participants
Following-up on participants to incite them to take part in the study
Elaborate a training course on Gender, Violence and Research
Delivering a training course on Gender, Violence and Research in a HIV clinic in a township of KwaZulu-Natal
Buying coffee and milk
Designing Survey Monkey questionnaire
Insisting strongly on donors to get feedback from the study process
Insisting strongly on relevant individuals to take part in our study
Answering the door of the office
Setting up databases
Dealing with IT problems
Providing emotional support to colleagues
Eating Indian food
Collaborating on a scientific article
Collaborating on book chapters
Making career plans
Moreover, I worked on many other skills during my free time in Cape Town:
Hiking while utterly unprepared (bad shoes, not enough food/water, without a map)
Bundu Bashing (Hiking off-trails)
Coaching the University of Cape Town swim team
Writing a book chapter on Sport Psychology in Southern Africa
Wine Tasting
Using pepper spray
Cliff Jumping
Napping on the beach at any time of the day
Swimming in ice cold water
Swimming in very strong current
Braaing
The legend says that the South African soil is red because once you have set foot on African soil, a part of your heart will always remain long after you leave. While I know I am leaving a part of me in this city, South Africa stays with me in the perspectives it gave me. This internship provided me with exciting learning opportunities, both in and outside the office. I am grateful for the work that I have been involved in here and more importantly, for the inspiring people that have crossed my path here.
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