Swahili and Yogurt Make for an Extraordinary Internship Experience

Jonathan Birinyi and friend

Jonathan Birinyi and friend

 

By Science Flashpoint Staff

The Science Internship program adds real-world experience to a university education. Sometimes that experience can be in another continent altogether as in the case of Jonathan Birinyi. Science Flashpoint asked him a few questions about his internship in Africa.

What was your internship placement?

From June 2005-April 2006, I participated in a community development program called Western Heads East in Mwanza , Tanzania, Africa. During this time, I was responsible for the microbiology and social-development of a local health program involving probiotic yogurt. This yogurt contains a specific bacterium that is being researched to understand its positive effects on the human body. Some areas of research include nutritional benefits, HIV prevention, and instances of diarrhea, which alone kills over 1.5 infants per year. So far probiotics have shown good results in the western-world and are now being applied to the aforementioned third world contexts.

My internship placement was held in conjunction with Kivulini Women's Rights Organization and the Tanzanian National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR). Between these two groups, I helped coordinate the governance of the project by assisting with the production of the probiotic bacteria in NIMR's microbiology lab and developing capacity building with women in Mwanza on how to make yogurt in a local community kitchen.

How did the internship go?

Looking back I think the internship went very well. Being responsible for a project such as this was challenging and exciting at the same time. Throughout the 10 months, our team was able to distinguish many of the needs required for the short and long-term sustainability of the program, which included options on how the probiotic bacteria could effectively be cultured in sterile conditions. We were also able to train the women making yogurt (the "yogurt mamas") effectively, allowing them greater social and economic empowerment.

Besides my work experience, being able to live in Tanzania allowed me to personally connect with another culture, see other similar development programs and travel in and around East Africa .

What was challenging about your internship? If and when you found your situation difficult, was anyone there to assist you?

Jonathan sits in a yogurt meetingDeveloping this project in Tanzania was difficult at times. Some immediate concerns for me included language barriers, culture shock, and having to understand the working relationship in another country. However, I had a training program arranged prior to departure, and many of the contacts I was provided with helped me with this transition. For example, every day for an hour I attended Swahili lessons at a local school. As I learned more about the language I was able to communicate more effectively with the Mwanza community, which also helped me learn more about their values and society as a whole.

As time progressed in my internship, more in-depth situations arose. It was very challenging to grasp the concept of having to deal with the organization and feasibility of medical research programs in a third-world context. However, working with staff and faculty at UWO in conjunction with the participants in Mwanza, helped me come to a consensus when working in these circumstances.

Lastly, I also found it necessary to keep constant communication with my friends on campus and my family back home; I felt that their words of encouragement helped me perform much better in times of homesickness!

What challenges were involved in the transition between industry and academia?

The major transition between the two parts was being able to effectively perform applications in daily activities while still having to know the theoretical components learned in school. Early on, I had to rely heavily on others to make this transition successful, however as time went on I noticed that I developed a methodology on how to achieve my objectives. This internship has made me realize what my strengths are and weaknesses are in the working world, which was probably one of the most useful pieces of information I learned about myself during the internship.

Would you change anything about the internship you did? Or, from a participant's view would you suggest anything to future employers of participants?

It's important to realize that an internship is much like taking a course – it's all a learning process. It can be difficult at first working in a new environment with people, values and surroundings you may not be familiar with. Hence, in retrospect I think there were times I could have done things differently. However, one of the great things about the program is the freedom of communication between intern and employer. As an intern, I was able to learn so much about the development of aid/research programs just by seeing first hand what goes on and talking to those involved and affected. It's a simple concept, but it's very effective!

How was your internship position helpful in shaping your career?

My internship allowed me to understand and explore other career paths in international development within a science context. After seeing the devastating effects of diseases such as AIDS and the extreme poverty of some regions in Tanzania , the need of skilled development & aid workers in these regions are high; therefore, it will probably affect my future career decision.

Have you developed a career focus since your internship?

Although I still have a couple more years to go here at Western, I'm starting to formulate some possible career plans that highlight my work during my internship. I'm currently looking towards the field of public health administration with the possibility of entering grad school in a related program. I strongly believe that without the past experience with the internship program I would have not thought of these career paths otherwise. Should I go into a non-related field as a career, I would still value this internship program as being one of the cornerstones of shaping my life.

Would you participate in an internship again?

Participating in the science internship program has been the most enriching experience during my time at university. It has enabled me to participate in a different learning medium that has given me insight for developing a career. Also, being in a place like Tanzania , I was able to experience a different culture that I would not be able to understand otherwise. For reasons like this, should another internship opportunity come in the future, I would highly consider it.

What advice would you give to students who are considering passing up the opportunity to do an internship?

Students considering doing an internship have to acknowledge that it is a big commitment taking a period of time off traditional school work. However, whatever factors you give up are gained ten-fold in the real-life experience and new perspectives achieved in participating in the Science Internship Program. Not only do you get to participate in an area you have an interest in, the work experience will also give you a big upper hand when applying for jobs or graduate programs after graduation.

If you are considering an internship, try and talk to others who are working in a field you are interested in or have participated in the Science Internship Program before. Some good places to start include the "backpack-to-briefcases" sessions held by the SDC and campus career fairs.

 

Read Jonathan's journal entries at the Western Heads East website.

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