The last couple of months have whizzed by. I left the JOA office for the British Red Cross (BRC) back in May, to embark upon the next step in my 18-month JOA internship. I’ve learnt so much since joining the amazing team at the BRC – particularly navigating the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and I’ve had the opportunity to take on additional learning opportunities, the most interesting to date being a course on international humanitarian law and a conference on the increasing use of innovative financing methods. But before I write more extensively about my current role, I wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on the six months I spent with the team at JOA.
Looking back, it’s hard to summarise just how varied and amazing this internship has been (so far!). From reading reports and writing blogs, to becoming a dairy farm chauffeur and even something of a mouse lemur spotting expert - no two weeks have looked the same. With the incredible support of JOA, I’ve gained experiences and insights that I’ll carry with me throughout my career in the international development and humanitarian sector.
One of the most fascinating parts of this internship was being involved in the selection process for the JOA 2025 international development projects. These are complex, multi-year initiatives that undergo extensive due diligence to ensure they’re not only effective but sustainable long-term. This process gave me an invaluable look at what makes a strong development proposal and introduced me to a range of innovative solutions to systemic challenges.
One of the most incredible opportunities I was given was joining a monitoring visit to Madagascar, where I got to see a Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust project in action. (You can read all about their work in Madagascar here!)
As an intern, this experience was absolutely invaluable. I had the privilege of shadowing Conservation Livelihoods Programme Officer, Merry Richards, who taught me the art of conducting meaningful monitoring assessments - what questions to ask, how to phrase them, and how to interpret responses thoughtfully. Seeing a project up close brought home how dynamic and adaptive fieldwork has to be. From the donor side, you read a lot about project activities, outputs and impact, but seeing the practical realities, what’s going well and what challenges arise, provided a much deeper understanding of what things look like on the ground.
This visit demonstrates just how much JOA have been willing to tailor the internship to my career interests. With a background in environmental science, Conservation Livelihoods was the funding theme that resonated with me the most, this, coupled with my keen interest in the developments of monitoring to study impact and accountability, meant the visit was highly suitable for my career aspirations. I am so thankful for this fantastic experience which has strengthened my understanding of the work in practice.
The experiences I gained on island were equally as valuable. I was lucky enough to support the organisation of one of JOA’s JIDN (Jersey International Development Network) events – events that connect the public with leading voices in the sector. I also had the opportunity to help deliver school talks, and a roundtable exchange between Jersey’s third sector and the NGOs to support this event. These sessions offered an incredible window into how strong partnership and active knowledge exchange can drive progress. Additionally, as an intern, I saw the steps and organisation required to plan such important events, including how to efficiently reach and communicate with people.
These points are just an insight into JOA’s work. One of the benefits of being a part of a small team like JOA (nine-strong) is that you get to gain insights into the different areas of specialism needed in a donor agency; Comms, Operations, Finance, Programmes. One of the benefits of being with JOA specifically, is that they have high standards! To stay up to date with best practice, whether that is abiding by the Global Volunteering Standard or co-chairing the UN OCHA Pooled Fund Working Group Steering Committee, you get to be a part of a team which is dedicated to being a part of the sector in the best way possible, meaning there’s so much to learn and setting you off on the best of paths.
Now I’m embarking on the next adventure, with the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. This marks a big change - moving from the donor side to implementing partner - and it perfectly reflects how the internship is designed to set associates up with the best possible foundation for a career in this sector.
It goes without saying, this is not a stand-by-the-kettle internship. The JOA team are fantastic, and back their interns entirely, if you’re reading this considering applying (keep eyes on the jobs page when the next round of recruitment starts in September, or sign up to the newsletter to be the first to hear about it) and have a real passion for international development - do it. Just apply! You’d be entering in to such a friendly and supportive team, ready to share their endless knowledge and passion with you.
