SHIRE: An Intern's Perspective

I was perfectly content to live within my own bubble.

I crafted a circle for myself that would reject any problems that were not directly my own or directly affected those I loved, and my reasonings revolved around ‘protecting my peace’. Real-world issues bounced off the impenetrable surface of my own ignorance, and I turned a blind eye to the hardships of other people. And yet, The Ayin Project (TAP) had honed a special blade that split through my defenses and to my heart, where a small seed of passion was planted. This little seed flourished into bounding colors of ambition and determination, thus shedding away my abrasive shadow. 

Case study that Kailee and her group decided to research and create an innovative solution for.

My internship with The Ayin Project taught me to take a real-world problem and think critically to try and solve it. When I first heard about the different case studies involving the lack of clean water in Uganda, I was shocked.

Clean water is an essential part of daily life and I never considered that something so easily accessible to me was something other people struggled to receive - especially something as necessary as water. I was introduced to the world and the issues it holds - issues potentially solvable if a group of like-minded people came together and tried. That’s exactly the opportunity that TAP provided.

Kailee researching papers on the impact of microplastics in water.

Granted an outlet for the desire to help, I threw myself into my assigned case study.

I very quickly became enraptured by the process of identifying a problem and sifting through the stages of trying to solve it. All the nuances and particulars, all of the in-depths and detail, it consumed me. And I wanted - very badly - to come up with a solution. Yet I had to remind myself of the restraints. Availability. Sustainability. Time.

That was when a new lesson, a theme for the summer, if you will, was introduced. Sometimes things don’t go according to plan. When working towards a solution to a complex problem, the concepts may derail, new issues may be faced - and sometimes what you really, really wanted to work… doesn’t. But it is important to accept failure, because not doing so will steal away the momentum to try again. You shouldn’t be pushed down by the lack of success, but driven forward to continue chasing it. It is failure that sets the guidelines, and the act of giving up that throws it all to waste. So even if the journey becomes more difficult or if the distance to the finish line is pushed farther - keep chasing success, because it is never completely out of reach. 

What was - and is - truly profound about The Ayin Project is the amount of collaboration that goes in hand with every action made.

Never was I ever alone throughout the course of my internship. I was surrounded by people with whom I could speak to and work with - mentors and teammates to guide me. No burden was mine alone, and I found myself constantly falling back into the steady support of those around me. Rarely was a question I had unanswered, for if no one could provide satisfaction to my curiosity, then I was provided the means to supply that answer for myself. I was taught to use my resources. That it’s okay to rely on others and seek assistance, even if my pride told me otherwise. I was taught to seek guidance from others, when I had before so heavily relied upon myself. 

Kailee and her teammates, Jaden and Evan, having an international call with Patrick (Makarere University) and Sule (TAP). Patrick is a leading researcher looking at water microplastics in Uganda.

My short summer internship with The Ayin Project has come to its bittersweet end,

and from this perspective I am left not only with memories, but with skills that may aid me in the years to come. While I learned to be professional and how to tackle problems whilst simultaneously being level-headed, I also learned a couple of things about myself. How to not only visualize who I want to be, but to appreciate who I already am. What I was shown was my own potential. I was presented with the skills I already have, laid before me to shape and hone individually; one day at a time.

Skills I would have never known I had were thrust into my hands, and my uncertainty slowly turned to confidence with each step I took towards the finish line. 

Taking with me the skills and life lessons introduced by The Ayin Project, I hope to leave one thing behind. My gratitude. 

Thank-you, Kailee.

Kailee, Jaden, and Evan posing with Joshua Kurtz (CEO/Founder of TAP) after their Microplastics project presentation at the end of the Internship Showcase. They were so proud of the work they did.