Jean Kensle Figaro of Haiti shares his thoughts and hope about his short internship at the World YMCA.
It is important for me to improve myself as I go along because I know it is imperative for me to grow to achieve my dreams. This desire led me to apply to the “Haiti Accelerator” programme initiated by Christine Ntim of Global Startup Ecosystem (GSE). I wanted to learn and open up a little.
During the program, I was trained to be ready for the digital economy of the future. Remote work was not something I had ever experienced before, nor did I have the skills related to it. GSE has exposed me to them and reinforced the soft skills I had. They also helped me improve my personal brand through the social media. Moreover, the speakers were inspiring and provided hope to move forward. I remember how happy and enthusiastic I was when I received this email informing me that I had been selected to do an internship at the World YMCA.
I got to know the World YMCA through my participation as an ambassador at the Haiti Tech Summit and through Christine’s publications on LinkedIn. I know what a great impact it has, and how it is  focused on youth. So, having this opportunity has meant a big step for me because it will have a major impact on my career.
My introductory meeting with DJ Forza, Director of Partnerships, and Carlos Sanvee, Secretary General, was amazing. Not only because I had to learn more about the World YMCA, but also because I could relate to them both. I remember telling Carlos that I get scared when I look at my dreams and ambitions and how things are going nationally and globally. He reassured me with his wise words by saying that he was afraid too, but there are two types of fears: ones that can stop us, and ones that can stimulate us, so he encouraged me to channel my fears towards the second type. Furthermore, feeling trusted by DJ and having the opportunity to meet with Carlos once a week, not to talk about work but for professional development, shows how much he and the World YMCA are invested in and concerned about youth.
During my month of remote internship, I worked on a Covid-19 donor database and an SDG report. I really enjoyed working on this report because SDGs are important to me and I could integrate part of my work on the database in it. I also had the opportunity to visit our local YMCA where I learned of their work and provided advice towards finding local donors to fund their activities, since they were heavily affected by Covid-19. In addition, I really appreciate the bond developed with my fellow Marie Nedgine Ducrepin in a short period of time. She is an exceptional person and an excellent teammate.
I am sincerely grateful for this opportunity and would love to learn more, get involved and contribute to the work of World YMCA. I feel like I only had a taste of what it is like to work with the organisation, and I want so much more. I remain convinced that this experience will bring more success to my career and lead me to development programs that have an impact on the lives of young people.