InteRDom partners with over 300 companies and organizations in the Dominican Republic to bring students a wide variety of projects and opportunities to match each student’s study area, skills and talents! As the needs and interests of companies, organizations and communities are constantly changing with the times, so are their internships! Here is just a sampling of 3 of the TOP internships of the Summer 2009:
The first is in one of the region’s foremost NGOs: the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF). PADF is an international NGO that does work in disadvantaged communities all throughout Latin America and the Caribbean; specifically in the Dominican Republic, the Fwontyè Nou—Nuestra Frontera (Our Border) program implements projects intending to create economic opportunities and mitigate conflict along the poverty-ridden Dominican Republic-Haitian border region. This summer’s intern will be developing a business plan to unify the farming organizations along the border in order to help them work together to give their products a more competitive edge on the world market.
The second TOP internship is in another important NGO, but this one is in a local grassroots organization called Sur Futuro. Sur Futuro is an organization focused on bringing about social and economic transformation in the Southern region of the country using business development plans that focus on local capacity-building, protection of the environment and sustainable use of natural resources. Sur Futuro uses interns to help develop any and all of their projects, and this summer one student will be the Business Development and Fundraising Assistant for the new Sabana Yegua Upper Watershed Management Project. This project aims to restore and protect the natural resources of the river basins of the Sabana Yegua region. The InteRDom intern assigned to this project will create a business proposal for local entrepreneurs that promotes the sustainable management and development of the land. He will also assist in developing a fund-raising plan to support all of the organization’s environmental compensation projects.
Lastly, this summer one intern will be working in conjunction with Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (InteRDom’s sponsoring institution) and the Ministry of Labor of the Dominican Republic to research and develop a proposal for legislation that will regulate and promote internships in the country. This is very important work as the current laws of the Dominican Republic do not include internships at all, but their insertion into regular Dominican business practices would help alleviate many problems currently on the rise in the business sector, including the lack of preparedness of college graduates to enter the workplace. The work of this intern will be included in the final proposal that will go before Congress petitioning for an addition to the labor laws and regulations of the Dominican Republic.
As you can see, InteRDom interns in the Dominican Republic have exciting work opportunities that make an impact on both smaller communities and the nation as a whole. This is just a sampling of the wide variety of opportunities that students from all field of study have to put their skills into practice and aid in the development of a nation. That’s why InteRDom interns are the cream of the crop!
The blog also provides useful information for students and inspires lively debate and increased interest in exchange and the development of Hispaniola.