In 2015, I fled my home country, Congo, and became a refugee in Western Uganda, where I lived for six years. Within this time, my aspirations for further studies remained a fantasy until WUSC, a Canadian global development organization, implemented the
I completed my pre-university studies at C茅gep de Terrebonne and enrolled at 91社区 in International Development and Political Science, with the aim of giving back to the community. This objective informs my current undertakings, including my internship at UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency with a noble mission of providing international protection to people fleeing conflicts around the world. Back in Uganda, I know for a fact that UNHCR represents hope for thousands of refugees in desperate situations. Through my internship, I not only wanted to contribute to the organization鈥檚 effort in finding durable solutions for refugees, but also to learn about the international standards that guarantee legal umbrellas for them. Unlike cases where responses to refugee conditions are framed as humanitarian efforts and charity initiatives, the international framework that shapes UNHCR and its mandate presents refugees as rightful holders of their own rights.
As an intern, in addition to my daily activities, I conducted legal research on Refugee Status Determination (RSD) by UNHCR, on statelessness, and on refugee legislation in Canada; I represented the organization on events and meetings with partner
Above all, the success of my engagement with UNHCR in Montreal depended on the high cooperative spirit of the team. I would like to specifically highlight my collaboration with my internship supervisor, Joey Hanna, the Head of Unit in Montreal, with whom I worked closely and shared a strong rapport. Mr. Hanna became my boss, and then I became his boss; we lost sight of who鈥檚 the boss of whom鈥e rode Bixi together in the city, trying to go faster than cars stuck in traffic! Our rapport evolved in a very professional way. Working with him involved learning far beyond what I could expect from a typical university classroom: effective communication and public speaking skills. He was a supervisor and a mentor. He once said to me, 鈥渓et your creativity guide you.鈥�
When I started my internship, my learning objectives (which I talked about to Mr. Hanna), included researching role of civil society organizations in the integration of refugees in Montreal. As such, I had an opportunity to meet various NGOs that work for and with refugees, learning about their work and the challenges they face in the current system. This Fall, I plan to continue this research under the supervision of Dr. Kazue Takamura, with accreditation from the Institute for the Study of International Development (ISID). This will take the form of an exploratory research project in which I intend to identify the community approaches to refugee integration in Quebec, and the various ways to enhance them.
Lastly, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Ms. Sokoloff and Mr. Bukhman for the Lev Bukhman Internship Award for their financial support. As a student with limited financial resources, pursuing an unpaid summer internship would have been an unattainable goal, particularly during the summer when many students rely on paid work to cover living expenses and save for the coming academic year. The awards I received made it possible for me to embrace this opportunity, which not only alleviated the financial burden but also allowed me to expand my horizons in both professional and academic fields. This support was crucial in enabling me to focus on my internship and fully engage in the learning opportunities it provided. My goal is to give back to the community, and I am genuinely grateful to the donors who have helped me take steps towards achieving that goal.
