My internship experience in science communication with Target Malaria 

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.  

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!