MiDA Africa's Promise Initiative Recruits Interns

The Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), has released information to the effect that it has commenced the process to recruit 2nd batch of interns for the Ghana Power Compact Internship programme, under the Africa's Promise Initiative has started.

According to the CEO of MiDA, Mr Martin Eson-Benjamin, the new interns are expected to join MiDA from early next year.

They would form the second cohort of interns under the Power Compact internship programme being rolled out as part of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) programme aimed at building the technical and leadership skills of African Youth and to expand their horizon.

MiDA, as the main implementing body of Ghana's MCC, is providing periodic six-month internships for Ghanaian youth who are expected to support the implementation of the various projects under the Power Compact.

The MCC is under the Africa's Promise Initiative, which is targeted at young Africans with ages below 35, who make up nearly 60 per cent of the continent's population, offering them internship programmes and the opportunity to work on Compact Programmes being implemented by their home countries.

MiDA, in May this year, rolled out the Initiative that was announced in 2016 by the US Government, which made Ghana the first country, out of the seven, MCC Africa implementing countries, to implement the initiative that is expected to end in 2021.

Speaking at a short close out ceremony held by MiDA to mark the end of the six-month internship opportunity for the first batch of the four interns, Mr Eson-Benjamin said 'as anticipated, there were many applications, over 100 applications were received, much more than what was received in our first call.

'Certainly a few bright ones who meet the desired qualifications and have the potential to achieve the purpose for which the Africa's Promise Internship opportunity has been set up by the US Government, will be selected.

He said it is being anticipated that by the end of the year, the second batch of interns, who would be assigned to Communications and Outreach, Internal Audit, Information Technology (IT) and the Distribution Project Teams, would have been selected to begin the programme in January.

The CEO said MiDA has made few modifications to the recruitment of the interns, which was being informed by learning from the maiden programme, among which is the assignment of mentors from any MiDA staff to each of the Interns.

'Let me use this opportunity to pass out our gratitude to our American friends through Kenneth James Miller, the MCC Resident Country Director, for the opportunity given to these pilot interns exiting the programme today and to those yet to come in.

'I also congratulate MiDA's staff for embracing this initiative, welcoming the first cohort of interns and for working tirelessly to make this pilot programme successful,' Mr Eson-Benjamin said.

He said the US Government, working through the MCC, believes in Africa's future and through the Programme had laid the foundation for a better Africa, by investing in the Continent's youth and giving them unique opportunities for their career growth.

Seven countries, namely Ghana, Benin, Liberia, Malawi, Morocco, Niger and Zambia have been selected to implement the MCC that is being sponsored by the US Government of which the African countries have their share of financial commitments.

---Ghana News Agency