Conrad Koczorowski has a reputation for getting lost in his own hometown.
But that didn’t stop the 28-year-old Lakehead University political science graduate from trying his hand at a six-month internship in a foreign country.
Koczorowski, along with nine others, will spend the next six-months researching the Ugandan health-care system and addressing its gaps.
The internship is being run by the African Medical and Research Foundation of Canada. It’s the second time that the charitable organization has offered the opportunity.
Koczorowski says he’s looking forward to going, but at the same time admits he’s worried about navigating a foreign city with more that’s home to more a million people.
“It is going to be a big change from living here in Canada, but I welcome all the challenges,” he says.
“I’ve been known to get lost in Port Arthur so to navigate a city with a population over million might be tricky. That’s just going to be a part of the learning and growing process.”
Koczorowski started working on his masters in Toronto, but decided to take a different approach. He says he wanted to do something that had a more direct impact on people and wanted to work with an organization that helped communities.
He discovered AMREF Canada and decided to get involved.
“We’re going to be conducting research and evaluation of some of their current programs that they have in effect,” he says, “We’re going to use this analysis in our findings to potentially help steer potential programs and initiatives that they do.”
To prepare for his journey, Koczorowski has been studying the country’s health-care situation.
He says what he learns in Africa can be applied to any kind of policy and he hopes to take what he’s learns and apply it back home in Canada.
Koczorowski’s mother, Evi, says she’s worried about her only child going overseas just like any parent would but also praised him for showing the courage to go on such a journey.
“I’m happy for him,” she says. “I want him to go because his nature is to help people. I will miss of course. Of course, I’m worried even if he was going to Europe. We will be on Skype if it is possible. I wish him luck and hope he follows his dream after he is done in Uganda.”
Jennifer Foulds, spokeswoman for AMREF Canada, says the organization takes on a variety of tasks in Africa, including training doctors, nurses, midwives and dealing with diseases like HIV and malaria.
She says the internship is part of the federal government’s strategy to find employment for young professionals.
Each student will receive a stipend that covers travel, accommodations and money to live on.
“The benefit for the intern is that they’re able to get on the ground experience and then come back to Canada and pursue their passions for international development,” she said.
“That could be working for international development for an organization here in Canada to help plan and evaluate programs or they could go work in the field in various countries. Some might even go on to manage projects during disasters. For them it is an opportunity to work with an organization and see how things are done.”
