Interview with Cape Town Program Alumna Ségolène

Former Cape Town human rights intern Ségolène de Puineuf has long had a passion for human rights and a desire to live in Africa. In this interview, she talks to us about about the role her internship in South Africa has played in her life, as well as her current position in Madagascar.

You were an intern on our Cape Town program a few years ago. Why did you choose Cape Town?
It was not my first time in South Africa. In 2001 I visited Southern Africa with my family. It is during that trip that I was bitten by the Africa love bug. Ten years later, after graduating I was looking for a placement in the human rights field. My choice soon became obvious as I knew South Africa would be the perfect country to gain some valuable experience in that field.

Tell us a bit about what your Connect-123 internship was like.
I was an intern at a National Human Rights Institution constitutionally mandated to promote respect for, observance of and protection of human rights in South Africa. I worked on different reports, attended Parliament meetings and conducted a survey with refugees and people from the townships. These different tasks confirmed my interest for the human rights field. Three years later I am still in touch with my former colleagues and the other interns I met there.

Tell us about your current job.
I am now working for the French ministry of foreign affairs at the French Embassy of Antananarivo in Madagascar where I am a ‘Children Protection and Adoption officer’. It is a two-year graduate contract. I have three main missions:

– I follow the French families in their adoption procedures.

– I also have the duty to control and report potential abuses of procedure.

– I set up cooperation projects to help Malagasy institutions improve the protection of vulnerable children (orphans, street children, teenage mothers, juvenile prisoners).

Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world where fifty per cent of the population is under 18. A large number of Malagasy children live on the streets and work instead of attending school. I know my work here is making a difference. It is very fulfilling.

Do you think your Connect-123 internship helped prepare you for where you are today?
Yes without a doubt. I arrived in Cape Town as a young graduate with a fair amount of knowledge in the human rights field but with no idea of what I really wanted to do with my life. Human rights law is a vast field where competition is strenuous. My time in Cape Town helped me define my goals and aspirations. It is the time where I developed an interest for children protection and my passion and enthusiasm for Africa. When I applied for my current position in June 2013 the ad specified that they were looking for someone with an interest in children rights and a prior experience in Africa. I can definitely say that I would not have been short-listed for this position if it was not for my experience in Cape Town.

What are some of the personal skills and/or professional lessons you learned from your internship?
The primary purpose of my internship was to better understand the theories of my discipline. I wanted to compare what I had learnt at university and real life in order to decide whether I wanted to engage in a career in human rights. It was a time of inquiry. Besides, I also expanded my oral and written communication in English which is not my native language. It is one thing to study abroad but being able to work in a different language is challenging.

South Africa is such a multicultural nation that my experience also gave me the opportunity to meet people from different cultures and backgrounds (members of parliament, refugees, ordinary citizens), which improved my ability to work effectively within diverse environments.

Any advice for our readers?
In a society where more and more people with advanced degrees struggle to get a permanent position an experience abroad is your best added value. Your experience will be what differentiates you from other candidates. It will show your future employee that you are independent and flexible. I would add that the command of one or two foreign languages is also a very good asset.

On the personal level you can never regret such an experience. ‘The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page’.

As a matter of fact, I just spent Christmas in South Africa. It was my first time there since I left Cape Town in May 2011. It was quite a trip down memory lane. South Africa and especially Cape Town will always hold a special place in my heart. When my contract ends in September 2015 I hope I can get a job in South Africa.