There are many ways to prepare for an Ausbildung (dual vocational training) in Germany: practicing your German language skills, conducting research on available Ausbildung opportunities, or boosting your CV through practical training and workplace experience.
Our Namibia2Germany participant Amden decided to pursue his interest in sustainability and community work and is currently completing an internship with Gondwana Collection Namibia. This allows him to gain practical work experience and make an impact through some of Gondwana’s many social initiatives across Namibia.
We caught up with him to learn more about his experience as a Gondwana intern, and how this will help him prepare for his Ausbildung in Germany.
‘I knew this internship would bring me closer to the career and people I wanted to connect with, and the sustainability work I aspired to pursue’, Amden says when we asked him about his decision to apply for an internship. ‘Gondwana was a no brainer decision for me’, he continues, explaining that the company celebrates sustainability, social impact, development and inclusivity, which are areas he strongly feels about.
Amden’s first day kicked off what has been an overwhelmingly positive experience for him – so positive, in fact, that he decided to extend his internship until the end of this year. ‘My colleagues warmly welcomed me. We were an instant match and they constantly supported and encouraged me. Plus we had pizza in my induction training session!’ he shares.
One of the aspects Amden enjoys most about his internship is that every day is different: ‘Because I’m in the environmental and social impact department, it requires a bunch of traveling from one region to the next, assessing environmental sustainability at Gondwana properties and also visiting the conservancies, schools and communities that receive support and aid from Gondwana’ Amden tells us.
Some of the projects he works on are the Meal4Two project and the BackToSchool project, both of which are implemented by the Gondwana Care Trust. When Amden is not traveling, he is usually in the office in Windhoek with his team capturing waste management data, doing administrative work, or visiting senior care homes, orphanages or schools in Windhoek that are supported by Gondwana.
As much as Amden found his feet quite quickly, he also had to overcome a number of challenges when adapting to his new work environment: ‘My main challenge was grasping all the information about Gondwana in the beginning. I felt like I needed to know everything all at once and it is such a diverse and complex organization. However, I learned to take my time and to learn as I go which has worked out well.’
He adds that working with a dynamic team makes the hard parts of the job much easier and that he enjoys the traveling and social engagements (and even the Excel work) simply because his colleagues are wonderful to work with.
In addition to expanding his professional skills and experience, Amden’s internship with Gondwana has also been instrumental in preparing him for further training and studies in Germany. He is planning to apply for his ‘Ausbildung’ (dual vocational training) in Germany next year and feels that the privilege of doing both environmental and social impact work has given him an advantage in making an informed decision on the Ausbildung he would like to pursue.
Three of his key learnings or ‘takeaways’ from his internship include: ‘Time management is crucial, always be ready to learn, and take notes of absolutely everything!’
Amden concludes by encouraging other Namibian high school graduates and young professionals to pursue similar opportunities in order to build their professional portfolio, acquire new skills, and prepare for future work and study opportunities: ‘I would highly recommend an internship with Gondwana because of how healthy and encouraging the work environment is for interns. There is always room for growth across the different departments, and you never stop learning!’
