Gaining Independence and Purpose

Brown Student Complements Public Policy studies through Project Hope Internship

September 5, 2019

Sarah Perumattam (Public Policy'20) spent her summer interning at Project Hope, a global health and humanitarian relief organization based in Washington, D.C. Sarah completed her internship through a program established by the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies (formerly the Humanitarian Innovation Initiative) at Brown, which provides the opportunity for Brown undergraduate students to learn about and engage in the work being done at Project Hope. We checked in with Sarah to hear how her internship experience went, and to learn more about she worked on. 

Tell us a little bit about your internship. What kind of work were you involved with?

I served as a Monitoring and Evaluation Intern at Project HOPE's Global Health Department. I worked under Dr. Esther Kaggwa, and began preparing a manuscript for publication on sexual and reproductive health in Namibia. My research focused on adolescent girls and young women participating in the DREAMS initiative. 

What was the most rewarding aspect of your internship with Project Hope?

The most rewarding aspect of my time with Project Hope was having ownership over my own project. I was able to direct my own research while receiving valuable feedback and advice, ensuring that I was growing and improving throughout the internship. 

How have your studies at Brown prepared you for the work you were engaged with at Project HOPE?

The Public Policy department prepared me well for the research I conducted this summer, particularly the junior requirement, Program Evaluation. I also found myself drawing from an elective I took my sophomore year in the Anthropology department on International Health.

How do you envision your experience with Project HOPE will inform your studies at Brown this upcoming year?

My experience with Project HOPE has strengthened my interest in international development and global health. I would like to continue conducting research at Brown my senior year, and expanding on the work I did with Project HOPE. I focused on the literature side of research this summer, so I have decided to take another statistics class at Brown this upcoming year to expand my data and analysis skills.