When I began my internship at AKF USA, there was a lot to take in. I had just graduated from college and didn’t know what was expected of me, although I quickly learned with on-the-job training that will leave me with life-long work skills and memorable experiences.

During the first part of my internship, my day-to-day work in the Finance Department involved accounting and grants management. In accounting, I helped with administrative and event expenses and payments—mainly Partnership Walk, transaction recording-keeping and other related accounting tasks. On the grants management side, I worked on budgeting for several grant proposals like the Foundation’s Head Start! for Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment program in Egypt. I also worked with the Donor Services Department, where I have been working on recording and updating donor information which is key during the fundraising season.

One of my most memorable internship experiences is visiting the Atlanta Partnership Walk. I was very impressed by the organization of the event, which attracted 6,500 people from the Atlanta area. AKF USA staff worked closely with the local volunteers to make this event run smoothly and a success. After attending the event, I remember saying to myself, “Hard work really pays off!” It was a great example of team work and team effort, and I felt honored to be part of the event.

My days were always busy and filled with learning new things about how nonprofits must meticulously manage donations and program budgets. The staff in both the Finance and Donor Services Departments has been so generous and always ready to help. Whenever I did not feel certain about something, I would ask. Thanks to their support, I have realized that there is always room to learn, and it is important to understand a task if you want to do it effectively. These lessons have helped me feel much more confident and willing to take responsibility for various new tasks.

After completing my internship at AKF USA, I plan to return to Rwanda. I want to work with organizations and public institutions in my home country that work closely with communities in order to improve their social and economic conditions, especially focusing on education.

My internship at AKF USA has given me a new understanding of the work the Foundation does to help alleviate global poverty. I am eager to apply lessons learned here to my future endeavors to help lift communities out of poverty.