I heard of the African School on Internet Governance (AfriSIG) when I started participating in internet governance, as the ultimate school on internet governance, so naturally, I wanted to enroll. I kept tabs on the call for applications, only to find out that the 2020 one was open only for AfriSIG alumni. I was hopeful this year, so I jumped on this year’s call, amidst self-limiting beliefs on whether I would make the cut. The application process was smooth until the section that asked for referrals. My anxiety heightened. Not because I didn’t have any, but because of the self-limiting belief, getting louder…
“Maybe I should try next year when I have more internet-related work experience.”
I caved in. Paused my application, and for a few weeks, didn’t revisit that window. However, I passed on word about the call to a friend, and highly encouraged her to apply. *hard eye-roll to self.
I managed to get around the detrimental noise, a few days before the deadline, and reached out to my referees who gladly, and hastily, recommended me. I got in!
From the first day elation of introductions, and orientation through the learning wiki, the rest of the days went by in a blur; a perfect amalgamation of inquisitiveness, new information drench, subtle nudge to quit, Zoom fatigue, back to excitement, relief, and self-pride on the last day.
Read the full blog post on the AfriSIG website.
Image: Screenshot of Maathai’s Story of Humming Bird.