My internship experience in science communication with Target Malaria
Posted 28
Internships are a useful way to learn the ropes of a profession and, in my case, it is delving into the world of science communication.
I am excited to be joining the Global Communications team at Target Malaria as a Communications Intern, in partnership with the 10,000 Interns Foundation.
As a development communications professional, I’ve spent the last four years working on diverse social impact projects across Sub-Saharan Africa and the United Kingdom. Yet, I had never worked on a science project. As a child, I was confronted with malaria and endured the effects of the disease for years. Nigeria is the country with the largest share of global malaria cases and deaths. Today, I am proud to be working with a team dedicated to developing innovative approaches to stop malaria transmission.
In my role, I am supporting the communications team in designing and implementing effective campaign and communication strategies in the build-up to this year’s World Mosquito Day. This internship has been a crash course in all things creative communication, and in my time here I hope to gain valuable knowledge on malaria and its vectors, and research on genetically modified mosquitoes through a technology called gene drive. I am inspired by how Target Malaria is using creative tools like card games, visuals, sound and music to convey scientific concepts and ultimately engage people in the fight to end malaria.
![Social Media campaign for World Mosquito Day 2023](https://targetmalaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/WMosquitoDay_Twitter_AnnouncementPost-1024x576.png)
As I progress through my internship with Target Malaria, I leave with optimism for the future and a reignited passion for research and communications. Meeting and working with dedicated scientists and communications professionals from the global community has reminded me of why I chose this field in the first place, and why we must look forward to a malaria free world.
I am grateful to the 10,000 Interns Foundation and their 10,000 Black interns programme for providing opportunities for underserved young graduates and professionals and for organising pre-internship trainings to help me maximise my internship experience. It is indeed a profound opportunity!