The Foreign Service Journal, December 2018

48 DECEMBER 2018 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL About 10 years ago, as a young nutrition professional straight out of university, my first exposure to leadership and program management was through a one-year internship at a local industrial and research institution. At the time (and even more so today), formal employment requires work experience and quali- fications that are often not taught at the university. As a young professional at this institution, I was mentored and my profes- sional capacity was built. The impact this opportunity had in shaping my professional career has enabled me to play a role shaping the Ugandan nutritional agenda. I understand how other graduates given similar opportunities stand to benefit and contribute to Uganda’s response to malnutrition. Each year more than 80 students gradu- ate fromUgandan universities with degrees related to nutrition. But to create a contingent of future leaders in nutrition, there is a need to strengthen professional capacity. With the memory of what this internship gave me, I was so pleased to be asked to work with a similar USAID project. For two years I managed the USAID-supported Food and Nutrition Tech- nical Assistance project. I served on the project’s advisory com- mittee and provided guidance that shaped the program, which provided a combination of training, experience and professional development to recent university graduates. Through a competi- tive process, successful nutrition professionals were attached to various organizations, health facilities and government ministries. For 12 months, the host organizations mentored and built these young professionals’ skills. The hands-on experience would empower them and help them develop the skills necessary to implement quality programs in the future. Through these close supervision and mentorship provided by host organizations, the graduates gained job experience and built leadership, communi- cation, technical and managerial skills. In addition, the graduates provided support to the ongoing work at host organizations. The programwas beneficial to all participants, in both the short and long term. Most importantly, this is a program that can be scaled up and expanded. I am giving back what I was fortunate to have been given. The impact of this activity in addressing the human resource gap for nutrition cannot be ignored. During the course of this program and in the engagement with stakeholders and imple- menting partners that hosted the young professionals, it was clear how the graduates used their skills in spreading good nutrition to more people. Where are these young people today, and how did the 12-month experience contribute to their personnel and profes- sional goals? To date, of the 19 that have completed the two program cycles, all but three are employed and some have gone back to pursue further studies. At the institutions (e.g., universi- ties, health facilities and organizations) where they are employed, the engagement for some will hopefully mirror mine and help continuously change the nutrition landscape in Uganda for the better. Sheila Nyakwezi is the nutrition specialist at USAID/Uganda, where she has worked since 2012 covering nutrition activities across Global Health, PEPFAR and Feed the Future programs. She continues to serve in that role and is excited about being part of the team that will be implementing the country development cooperation strategy. w Improving the Quality of Education in Kosovo n BY ANTIGONA MUSTAFA One of the greatest joys in life is seeing happy faces on children, and that is what I have experienced implementing the USAID Basic Education Program in Kosovo. Like all parents, I want what is best for my children. I know they are smart, strong and will make good decisions. I do not know what opportunities they will have, especially the opportunities my daughter will have compared to my son. USAID’s BEP is giving all kids, and especially girls, the skills they need to make the most of any opportunity and to create their own. Participants in a “Girls and Technology” after-school club in Kosovo, where girls can learn coding, design and science experiments, pose for a photo. ANTIGONAMUSTAFA