By Shama Saleh

I worked as a Youth Leadership team member in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania under EQWIP Hubs. My experience working abroad for the first time, was nothing short of amazing and truly transformative. This experience gave me the ability to apply what I learn in classroom settings to the public sphere-on a broader level. The team that I worked and lived with quickly became family in a way that I never would have expected. The work we were engaged in was mainly youth mapping and institutional mapping that required us to carry out primary research. This not only gave us the ability to talk and engage with Tanzanian youth but also converse with different service providers that potentially could partner up with EQWIP HUBs.

EQWIP HUBs allowed me to get one of my first research experiences in a foreign country while strengthening my communication skills, presentation skills, critical thinking skills and teamwork skills. By working under EQWIP HUBs young students, like myself, come to understand the need to be culturally sensitive and allows us to expand the comfort zones we’ve grown to be accustomed too. The 3-month placement was more than encompassing where I learned a lot about myself, the work world and how international organizations operate – with all of it being very affordable. This was definitely a life-changing experience and I thank EQWIP HUBs for that.