Legal Support for Human Rights Advocacy

I have always had a curiosity about human rights in African countries but I haven’t had the chance to hear about the reality of those countries directly from the people living there. Thus, this remote internship has allowed me to gain a new perspective on human rights, has empowered me and provided a significant and impactful learning point.

This experience has not only deepened my passion for social justice, but also inspired me to pursue further studies and a career in advocacy and community education. During my internship I conducted research and analyzed information, developed educational materials, identified key legal issues and response gaps, and provided input and suggestions for developing strategies. My internship has provided a solid foundation in legal principles, human rights law, and an understanding of legal systems. Overall, my favorite outcome was the realization that I can make a meaningful impact through my work, and that knowledge will become a driving force in shaping my future endeavors and aspirations.

The internship role helped me to understand the Tanzanian legal system, the correlation between legal practice and human rights, and also provided me with the opportunity to interact with the local community. I learned how to communicate effectively in different cultural contexts and how to adapt to different legal practices. I collaborated with a diverse cross-cultural team to provide legal aid, promote human rights services, and solve the legal problems of the local community. In addition to this, I also assisted in organizing online training and resource sharing to improve the community's accessibility and understanding of legal knowledge. My internship experience has deepened my understanding of human rights and social justice, given me practical skills and laid a solid foundation for my future career path in the field of human rights.

It was eye-opening to take part in a remote legal internship for Tanzania. Despite being geographically far from the nation, having the chance to contribute to such a vital cause from afar gave me significant insights into the legal difficulties encountered by women and children in Tanzania. I had a lot of preparation from my Program Manager at Intern Abroad HQ before starting my internship. My experience was great and more structured than I had initially thought, given that I participated in a remote internship.

My Legal Support internship has cemented my passion for human rights and given me even more enthusiasm for my career path. The internship provided me with a platform to practice what I want to become: a voice of the voiceless in the context of human rights in societies. When I initially spoke with my supervisor before commencing, she provided me with background on the organization and I was immediately eager to begin. When I actually started, I was not disappointed at all - everything went so smoothly. Everyone in the organization was very relatable in terms of culture and clearly communicated to me my role and responsibilities. As a Law & Human Rights intern, I was responsible for administrative support of the organization. I analyzed legal documents, made reviews with the guidance of my supervisor and contributed to the design of educational materials involving human rights and children’s rights. My tasks supported the organization and its goal of promoting human rights and making justice accessible to everyone.

My internship experience was everything that I hoped it would be! Everyone I was in contact with was extremely accommodating, helpful and efficient. The staff were keen to know about my background, education and any relevant experience I'd had in Ireland and appreciated any comments I could offer. They similarly encouraged questions and asked for my feedback on ways in which they could improve my learning experience and the internship programme for future interns. I had expected my role to be less interactive and imagined myself shadowing staff or carrying out minor assignments. In reality the staff at my organisation really took the time to teach me - whether this be about their work, the Tanzanian legal system, various laws and procedures or women's rights. Being able to virtually attend a teacher training day hosted by my organisation was an amazing and authentic experience - the training was conducted through Swahili, but staff were kind enough to translate for me and explain the different exercises. I definitely feel more empowered to be successful in the field of human rights. As well as being an excellent addition to my CV, this internship, and the additional skills (communication, active listening, networking, emotional intelligence) I acquired during my time will be beneficial to any future roles I have. Furthermore, receiving positive feedback from my supervisors and being commended on my efforts massively boosted my confidence.