During my internship at Nourish All, I led initiatives directly aligned with the organization’s mission to support food security and climate resilience among vulnerable communities, particularly the wives of Kings Mushroom growers in Kenya and at the Hadari model smart farm in Uganda. One main project involved co-creating and implementing a kitchen garden pilot program with a new partner, the Dongriin Foundation, a refugee-led organization in Uganda. This pilot enabled twenty-two refugee beneficiaries to receive hands-on agricultural training and establish home-based kitchen gardens. I also developed a Climate-Smart Agriculture Practical Guide and a Kitchen Garden Training Manual, which have become reference materials for Nourish All and its partners. These contributions built local agricultural capacity and promoted sustainable food systems. Being entrusted with developing new partnerships and educational content allowed me to contribute meaningfully to the organization’s long-term strategy. It was especially rewarding to see how my efforts empowered local communities while advancing climate resilience.

My academic background in Climate and Society at Columbia University was directly applicable throughout my internship. I applied core principles of climate adaptation, agricultural development, and community-based resilience-building in designing the kitchen garden pilot. Coursework on food system–climate interactions and universal food security informed the structure of training sessions and helped me design context-specific materials. I also drew on skills in policy communication and climate education while leading two customized climate-smart agriculture training sessions for regional teams and partners in Kenya and Uganda. Through this hands-on experience, I translated academic theory into practice, tailoring climate education to grassroots organizations and refugee communities. This internship strengthened my capacity to design and deliver climate-focused programming across cultural and institutional contexts.

One significant challenge was maintaining consistent communication and timely updates with my supervisor and team while balancing multiple deliverables. Although I met deadlines, some materials were submitted later than anticipated or required revisions due to avoidable errors. I realized that improved time management and proactive check-ins could have streamlined processes and built greater trust, especially given our twelve-hour time difference. Additionally, during the agriculture training sessions I led, I shared dense material without engaging the audience frequently enough for feedback or clarification. This experience highlighted the importance of making virtual sessions more interactive, such as integrating check-in points during presentations. I also had to adjust to working in a cross-cultural, remote team environment, which required patience, clarity, and adaptability. These challenges ultimately taught me to be more deliberate in communication, plan my time more effectively, and prioritize audience engagement.

This internship has been one of the most impactful professional experiences of my life. It helped me grow not only as a climate practitioner but also as a leader and communicator. I gained practical experience in program development, partnership building, and climate-smart agriculture within the context of supporting refugee communities through Nourish All’s partners. I learned to design training tools that are accessible and relevant to diverse audiences and to create scalable solutions for local food systems such as zai pits and bottle irrigation. Just as importantly, I recognized the value of effective communication and teamwork—how being proactive and responsive enhances trust, collaboration, and outcomes. My biggest takeaway is that impactful change occurs when technical knowledge meets community-centered action. I leave this experience more confident in my ability to serve vulnerable populations through climate-informed solutions, and I am deeply grateful to the Tamer Fellowship for making this opportunity possible.