End of Internship: My experience with the Target Malaria Communications Team 

This year I’ve had so many amazing highlights including graduating from University, turning 21 and getting the opportunity to learn and grow under the guidance of the Target Malaria Global Communications team. Over the last 10 weeks, I’ve gained invaluable skills, developed my confidence in professional environments, and had countless meaningful experiences to reflect on. From my very first week, I was made to feel truly welcome, and I am deeply grateful to the Communications team for their support, encouragement and patient guidance even when I made mistakes.

One of my responsibilities was media monitoring, which included compiling press coverage seeing how Target Malaria’s work is received. I also supported content creation across social media platforms, including creating visual materials and drafting posts, including for the upcoming World Mosquito Day campaign. This gave me hands on experience crafting targeted messaging and understanding how to engage with audiences through clear and accessible communication. 

Beyond technical skills this internship has significant strengthened my time management, collaboration and adaptability. Working to tight deadlines and switching between tasks helped me become more organised and confident in a fast-paced professional environment. 

This internship has not only deepened my interest in Communications, but it has also expanded my understanding of malaria. Before joining Target Malaria I didn’t know much about malaria nor the efforts to suppress it, but this internship has informed me of innovations such as gene drive technology and given me the opportunity to meet with inspirational scientists at the forefront of this research.  

I’m proud to have contributed to Target Malaria’s mission. I look forward to following their journey as they work towards creating a world free of malaria.