Advancing Inclusive Development: USAID Malawi’s DEIA Internship Program Promotes Skills Development and Career Growth

In September 2024, the U.S. Embassy’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) council launched its first-ever DEIA internship program, marking a significant step in advancing career and professional development opportunities for university graduates in Malawi.

Funded by USAID’s Worldwide Innovative Solutions for Equity (WISE) grant, this groundbreaking initiative offers students from marginalized and vulnerable backgrounds an opportunity to gain valuable skills and experience across all agencies within the U.S. Mission in Malawi. The 12-week paid internship program offers recent university graduates substantive, technical, and administrative work assignments, with on-site duties tailored to the host office's needs. The interns, carefully selected from Malawian public universities, are contributing to key development outcomes while advancing their careers.

Praise Masebo, an intern at the Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and USAID’s Education Office, expressed her excitement about interning with both agencies.

“As a young female engineer, I am excited to be part of the DEIA internship program at MCC and USAID, where I am working on meaningful projects, acquiring skills, and broadening my knowledge while contributing to the overall goals of the U.S. Government in Malawi.”

“Working at the Department of State has proven to be highly rewarding for my career. My role involves preparing weekly economic updates, which, as an economist, has significantly expanded my understanding of economic issues and enhanced my ability to report economic information. Additionally, I have developed blogs for recent and upcoming grants related to human rights issues”, says Innocent Luka, an intern in the Political and Economic Section at the U.S. Embassy.

In a country where the majority of the population is young and unemployed, this internship program reflects USAID’s commitment to building a diverse, inclusive workforce to address Malawi’s development challenges. As these graduates grow professionally, so does their potential to lead healthy, informed, and productive lives. Together with Malawians, the U.S. Mission in Malawi is building a more self-reliant, gender equitable, and democratically accountable Malawi.