Six alumni of the Young Political Leadership School were allowed to work as interns in the Liberian legislature through the Legislative Internship Program, which was established by Naymote Partners for Democratic Development. They engaged in the legislative process and obtained full-time internship experience for five months, acquiring firsthand knowledge of how the legislature operates and how public policy is produced.
The curriculum was a holistic experience that fostered a great understanding of the legislative and democratic processes while fusing academic knowledge with practical exposure. It additionally contributed to the interns’ career and personal development. Interns played a significant role in creating the Legislative Engagement Guide for Advocacy in Liberia, (LEGAL), utilizing the guide to inform young people about the functions of the Legislature and enhance their comprehension of our legislative system. Tetee Alexandra Bonar, Shiphrah Kenemassa Saydee, Abu B.W, Kamara, Sandra Jumah Dorbor, Paul Paulimo P. Paukpa, Alphonso P. Johnson are our exceptional first interns and first time in Liberia.
Interns’ Success Story, by Alphonso P. Johnson, Intern
William Butler Yeats, in one of his conversations, said, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” This quote is so true for the internship experience of Sandra, Shiphrah, Alexandra, Abu, Paul, and Alphonso. Our five-month internship at the Legislature did not fill the pail. Instead, it lit the fire inside of us for monitoring and advocating for legislative openness, accountability, and transparency. The five months have ended, but our responsibilities as patriotic citizens of the red, white, and blue nation will never end.
During our internship at the Legislature, we had the extraordinary privilege to immerse ourselves in the heart of legislative processes, where we observed and meaningfully contributed indirectly, to important national issues while gaining invaluable experience in public policy and governance.
Our most significant contribution came when we identified a gap in the effective tracking of lawmakers’ attendance during the different settings. By highlighting this gap, we were able to develop a digital attendance tracking form that will effectively and efficiently track the dates, times, sittings, and names of lawmakers who attend sittings. Though this was done for the effectiveness of our work, and it was tried in the Liberian Senate only, the House of Representatives has asked that we develop a similar form for the effectiveness of their Secretariat. This is a success that we are proud of, and we have realized that our little help will make a big difference.
One of the key projects we worked on was constituency engagement for all lawmakers. This project aimed to address the lack of conversation/dialogue between lawmakers and the citizens following the elections. This project was fruitful when one of the lawmakers of Bong County planned and decided to engage his constituents. This he did not secretly organize, but officially invited us. We were entrusted with detailing every promise made and analyzing the potential impact of the promises on diverse communities. During this experience, we did not write report from the comfort of our office. We were in the county. We felt the life of the people. Most importantly, the people felt valued. They felt like employers who the employee was reporting to, something that is abnormal in our political space.
Another highlight of our internship was the opportunity to attend the Regular Sittings on Tuesdays and Thursdays. During one of our sittings, we witnessed the enactment of the “Act to Establish the War and Economic Crimes Court”. This Act which aims to end the culture of impunity that has long divided our country was overwhelmingly vote for by majority of the lawmakers.
We consider this as a success of our internship because past administrations only talk about it, but never work on it. It was during our time in the Legislature that it was worked on and enacted. We are not just excited about its enactment, but we have rolled our sleeves to ensure that its implementation becomes a reality.
During our internship, we had many observations. One of the major ones was the challenge that members of the disabled community experienced while accessing the Legislature. For the disabled community, the paths to the polls during elections are more accessible than the paths to the lawmakers after elections. The elevators in the entire building are not functional. We brought this to the attention of the Chairman on Rules and Order at the House of Representatives but we didn’t see it come to pass when we ended the internship.
In conclusion, our internship at the Legislature was a transformative experience that equipped us with a deep understanding of the legislative process, improved our research, interpersonal, time management, and analytical skills, as well as affirmed some of us (Shiphrah) commitment to pursuing a career in the House of Legislature. The mentorship we received, the relationships we built, the partnership established and the impact we made have left an indelible mark on our professional journey, individually and collectively.
We are cognizant of the fact that there are numerous smart, innovative, and intelligent young people who are out there and crave to have a similar or a better experience like this. It’s our hope and prayer that they will. Thanks to Eddie D. Jarwolo for recognizing the miniature dim in us and using the internship to turn it into an extravagant light. Thanks to Joshua Dennis Cleon for the peep talks, revision of our reports, and for the provision of lunch at the canteen beside the Joint Chamber.
Again, the five months have ended, but our responsibilities as patriotic citizens of the red, white, and blue nation will never end.
