Like many United Nations interns I am currently a graduate student. I am studying for a Masters in Corporate Communication at the Daystar University in Nairobi. I applied to the Organization because I had enjoyed participating in the Kenya Model United Nations so much at University.

Model United Nations is a national student society, that aims to instill an interest in and understanding of the United Nations. During meetings, students from multiple universities gather at the United Nations complex in Nairobi to discuss how different policies affect young people. I joined Model United Nations not knowing exactly how it would influence my life. Now, thanks to the encouragement and experience I received there, I am an intern at the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, better known as UN-HABITAT. HABITAT’s mandate is to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the ultimate goal of providing adequate shelter to all humankind. My main responsibility is helping to write and edit reports, the most exciting of which so far has been UN-HABITAT’s Peer Review of its Medium-Term Strategic and Institutional Plan which discussed the progress our Programme has made towards its most important goals after 3 years of implementation.

During my six months as an intern, the Organization has impressed me time and again, most of all, because the United Nations is dedicated to improving itself (not just the world). The findings of the Peer Review of the Institutional Plan, for example, will contribute towards making the programme better. It took a lot of time and energy from our team, who checked and counter-checked the report, and held consultations with staff every day to make sure many different points of view were incorporated. I learnt how much the United Nations values not only its staff, but also its interns. I’m not just fetching coffee here; I am given substantial work, and I feel like any other staff member. My opinions are heard and my work is respected.

There is also a great sense of community at the United Nations and I was placed in an incredibly supportive team. Although my supervisors encourage me to work hard and achieve excellence, they are also quick to commend me on a job well done. It’s a great feeling knowing that someone I respect also respects my work. The application process for this internship was long but in the end, well worth it. I strongly encourage talented students wanting to make a difference to apply for an internship at the United Nations. You will need a lot of patience in the application process but the experiences you will have, the people you will meet, and the greater cause you will contribute to make it all worth while.