As is expected when starting any new position--intern or otherwise--it takes a while to get used to the new environment and culture. My fellowship with LINKAGES is my second international internship experience, the first being a self-arrangement with a non-profit in South Africa. Settling into an international internship (at least in my experience) involves a much steeper learning curve. In addition to adjusting to the workplace culture, it is essential to cultivate an understanding of the larger cultural context and expected norms. An additional degree of difficulty is added when considering how little time there is to not only adjust but to make a valuable contribution to the organization.
The LINKAGES project supports advocacy and capacity-building on multiple different levels--for civil society organizations, for local governments throughout the country and at the Parliament level. This has the staff running in many directions and working on a wide variety of initiatives. I arrived without a clear mandate but a general idea of the work I would be doing--assisting in research on Uganda's developing oil and gas sector.
My "office" aka the conference room
In general, I was aware that there is a call for information from LINKAGES constituents on the role that they can play in development of good regulations and governance in the developing oil and gas sector. This has been formulated into my current assignment: to gather information to help inform Ugandans on their role as stakeholders in creation of an industry that has the potential to transform the country--for better, worse, or some mixture of both.
I'll use the next post to give you some background on oil in Uganda.
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Posted by: Kate, Kololo, Kampala, Uganda
