Staff Interview with Marleen Lammers

What inspired you to found Roots Interns?

We founded Roots Interns because we saw an opportunity to match skilled interns with grassroots organisations; a mission that provides both unique internships for students around the world, and hugely valuable support to small nonprofits doing important work. Roots Interns grew organically within Greenpop, an environmental organisation based in Cape Town that I was part of for many years. International interns were a vital part of Greenpop from the start, and undoubtedly helped make the projects what they are today. Seeing how much Greenpop benefited from having interns on board, and how valuable the learning experience was for the interns drove us to launch Roots Interns; so that we could host a larger amount of interns and support more important causes.

Describe a typical day at work.

My work is hugely varied. I go from talking to universities in the US and partner organisations on the ground in Africa, to writing online content and reports. I travel between bigger picture thinking and dotting the i's and crossing the t's - and anything in between.

What is your favorite part of your job?

Easily the best part is getting good feedback. Feedback from our interns who've had life-changing experiences, and feedback from our partner organisations who have seen tangible impact on the ground through the work their interns have done. This never gets old; it's endlessly gratifying and drives us to work harder.

How do you use your education and international background in your current role?

I understand what it's like to venture to a completely foreign place, and to throw yourself into an exciting but daunting unknown. It helps me to understand what our interns are going through; how valuable the experience is, and also what kind of support people need. Moreover, I know how nonprofits work on a grassroots level, and I've seen first-hand how much value interns can add. Seeing both sides of this match helps me put the right type of experiences together for the right students.

What makes Roots Interns special?

A majority of internships are either career-driven or focused on doing good. Students often have to choose between doing an internship that will enhance their CV, or one that they feel passionate about. At Roots, we’re marrying the two elements. We believe that internships can do both at the same time; provide a valuable learning experience that will be a huge asset in the student’s future career (whether or not they will pursue nonprofit work), and make a tangible contribution to impactful projects. 

We ensure that our interns are a large part of a small team that’s doing important work. They get to contribute on a strategic level, see their work translate into impact in the field, and, in many cases, help drive a project forwards with their own skills and knowledge. Interns get to work on a relevant level, gaining the type of experience that they wouldn’t get in a corporate environment.

Why should someone choose Roots Interns over competitors?

Apart from the fact that we support good causes through our internships programs, we differentiate ourselves from other organisations in the following ways:

• We work on a grassroots level. Our interns are part of a small organisation that will allow them to be an integral part of its work. While an intern’s tasks are always based on their skills and experience, we make sure that all placements offer exciting, in-depth work experiences that will broaden students’ knowledge, develop their skills, and enhance their CV.
• We take pride in match-making. We know how important it is to place the right person with the right organisation. We make sure to take our time to find the right internship for each participant; one where they can use and develop their skill-set in the most valuable way, and find the right amount of challenge. We do several rounds of interviews to ensure we make the right match.
• We offer on-the-ground support to our interns. We provide orientation programs, logistical support, and troubleshooting services. We also check in regularly with both our interns and their supervisors to ensure a valuable experience for everyone involved. To help students reach their desired learning outcomes and frame their work experience in the context of their academic program, we also provide optional guidance from a local lecturer.
• We support local skill development in South Africa. While we love bringing international talent to Africa, we also feel it’s essential to nurture local talent. That’s why we offer our services for free to a number of talented individuals from underprivileged communities in South Africa.

What is Roots Interns’ mission and how do you continue to work toward it?

Our mission is to create the perfect balance between meaningful work and valuable learning. That’s why we offer nonprofit internships in Africa for people around the world; internships that support important social and conservation initiatives happening at a grassroots level, and that offer unique and hugely valuable work experience to students.

We partner with nonprofits and small startup companies with ethical and sustainable practices; all organisations that are adding valuable contributions towards community programs, conservation efforts, or local and green economies. All internships at these nonprofits are designed to add substantial value to the work that’s being done.

What do you hope participants take away from your programs?

Our aim is to provide interns with a unique type of work experience; one that gives them responsibility and a variety of tasks that you wouldn't normally get during an internship (particularly a corporate one), and one that is life changing on a personal level, too.

How do you help support participants?

We carefully match make, we customise, internship programs where needed, we provide accommodation and logistical support, we fully prepare people for their experience, and we provide on-the-ground support and check-ins.

Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?

It's a cliché, but it really does broaden your perspective to travel. Particularly when you're not just passing through, but you're actually living and working in a different culture.

What advice do you have for individuals thinking about going abroad?

Do it! You won't regret it. But do your research. Shop around and go with an organisation you can trust, and that will give you the right amount of support.

What does meaningful travel mean to you?

It means two things; travel that leaves a positive imprint on the host community or program, and travel that adds value to the life of the traveler. It's possible for both to happen at the same time, and it's in that happy intersection where we aim to work.

What issues do you see in the world of international education that don’t line up with your values and expectations for mutually beneficial and educational relationships between providers/programs and the communities in which they are located within?

There's often an impersonal character to intern placements abroad. We believe that successful internships - ones that benefit both the intern and the host organisation - require careful matchmaking, as well as support once interns are on the ground.