We are excited to, once again, partner with the Atlantic Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health as we welcome the two interns, Fiona Guerra and Meredith Evans, to the 2012 International Youth Internship Program (IYIP), funded by CIDA.  The IYIP program is for recent Canadian graduates between the ages of 19 and 30 and is part of the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy.  This strategy aims to empower Canadian youth with valuable career related experiences.

According to the CIDA website the objectives of the International Youth Internship Program are to:

• Provide eligible youth with international experience, skills and knowledge that will prepare them for future employment
• Increase employment opportunities by promoting awareness among Canadian organizations of the advantages of integrating young Canadian professionals into their structures and programs
• Provide opportunities for Canadians to increase their awareness, deepen their understanding and engage in international development
• Contribute to the advancement of CIDA’s mandate to reduce poverty, promote human rights and increase sustainable development and to meet CIDA’s priorities for official development assistance.

On July 12 we provided a pre-departure training session for Fiona and Meredith that focused on: Safety and Logistics; Ethics of Global Health; and Ethical Images (including social media; photography and blogging).  Fiona has a PhD in Immunology from University of Toronto and Meredith has an MA in Gender Studies from the Central European University.  Both women will be spending 6 months with the Human Sciences Research Council in Cape Town, South Africa. We are thrilled to be working with such great women and look forward to following their research.  Please watch our blog for future updates.

Meredith Evans, Fiona Guerra and Angela Day (GHO)