A Spectacular Launch: The 2023 Summer Internship Programme

Yesterday, the much-anticipated launch of the 2023 AKAYA Summer Internship Programme finally took place. The event, held on Zoom, was enthusiastically attended by the 5 selected summer interns who were eager to witness what was in store for them and get ‘gingered’ up by notable guest speakers.

A keynote speech was given by Ms. Candybell Kensah , the organisational secretary for AKAYA who set the tone by recounting an inspiring tale about the humble and completely unexpected beginnings of the AKAYA amidst effusive congratulations to the selected interns for overcoming the application and interview hurdles. The AKAYA team received over 150 applications from across the country and conducted over 30 interviews and to have these 5 ladies emerge the victors, is nothing short of an achievement that deserves to be celebrated.

Dr Khadija Owusu , the Founder of AKAYA, added a few words to what Ms. Candybell said about the origin of the AKAYA and shed light on how much work and thinking went into the formulation of the name “AKAYA.”

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The Programme Manager for the Summer Internship Programme; Ms. Betty Adjoa Mackay further elaborated the various teams in AKAYA and the expected duties of the assigned interns in each team.

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Mr. Edward Asare , a digital marketer and expert in public speaking, was then given the stage to share a few but powerful nuggets of wisdom to embolden the interns to give their all during the duration of the internship programme. These are excerpts from Mr. Asare’s session; Mentorship is good; be teachable. Soak up knowledge like a sponge; communicate your journey, it is equivalent to communicating your value; practice only quality people. Be intentional about the people you move with; be very positive. Have no room for pessimism; giving somebody the responsibility to determine the outcome of your life can make you fail; be gritty. Persist till something happens; the more you fail, the more likely it is to succeed.

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The AKAYA team did an excellent job of putting together a well-rounded program that catered to the breakdown of what being an AKAYA intern entails and stressed upon how beneficial the internship programme will be to our professional growth and to make the most out of the opportunity. It was a launch filled with learning, networking, and fun, and everyone who attended left with valuable insights and new connections!

Newsletter article written by Benedicta Owusu .