Gaëlle Metz

Master’s student in public health, specializing in environmental health. 

With my background as a nurse, I have long been attracted to the humanitarian field. With time and training under my belt, I wanted to move more towards the world of NGOs, focused on development projects that are more long-term than emergency-based. My end-of-year master’s internship was therefore an opportunity to discover this world. 

During my internship, I was able to set up a tool to assess the humidity and mold levels in various health centers in the North Kivu region. I was able to work on various tasks (developing a handbook for emergency room staff, highlighting the health aspect in the defense of a One Health project, conducting an interview to capitalize on a person-centered care assessment grid project, participating in the PADISS 2 project report by reformulating and highlighting questions) and I also participated in various other tasks (presenting the projects of students in the specialized master’s program as an observer, giving a lecture on women’s rights in Congo at the Senate). 

Overall, I enjoyed all the assignments, particularly the autonomy each person had on the projects, combined with collaboration between all the participants from different fields and geographical locations. This internship was a wonderful experience for me. The team was rich in personality and showed a kindness that you don’t find everywhere! It taught me that laughter doesn’t prevent you from taking your work seriously. 

This internship has reinforced my desire to pursue a career in this sector after completing my master’s degree. I hope that this experience will open doors for me in this field… Who knows! 

The projects