Southwark Internships: Shape future paths to success

Muna Ibrahim

My name is Muna Ibrahim, I’m 22 years old and I’m an intern working in the SEND team (Special Educational Needs and Disability team).

If my best friend were to describe me in three words she would describe me as caring, spontaneous and trustworthy.

Fun fact: When I was younger I was a fanatic story writer. I had a massive passion for reading and writing fictional stories. I was especially obsessed with the Harry Potter trilogy and this inspired me to do some story writing of my own. In my 6th year at Rotherhithe Primary School, my friends and I joined a writing competition and won. The prize for the winners of the writing competition was having their story acted out by professional actors and actresses. This was my biggest achievement at primary school.

The biggest risk I’ve ever taken was deciding to spend 2 weeks alone in a little town in called Moyale, which is one of the poorest towns in Kenya. Here, I actively engaged in volunteering and charity work I attempted to make a difference in the lives of Kenyans who lived in this small town. I helped provide food to the homeless during my stay, volunteered in helping them fetch water, and helped contribute to the effort put into the development of a new local school and local mosque. This was the biggest risk I’ve ever taken because I travelled by myself to this rural town where I knew nobody and didn’t speak the language. This was very nerve-wrecking as travelling alone as a young girl can be very nerve-wrecking and frankly, quite dangerous. However, the experience was well worth the risk.

My biggest achievement to date is graduating university last year. The three years I spent at university completing my degree were the most difficult 3 years of my life. So, graduating with a 2:1 and getting to be a part of the beautiful graduation ceremony was truly heart-warming. It wasn’t until I was in my gown and cap walking across the stage to collect my diploma scroll, that the achievement was really solidified for me

Having always lived in Southwark myself, I thought it’d be a great opportunity to work for the local authority that has essentially always governed my life and has proven time and time again their dedication in trying to make a difference in the lives of young people and providing them with opportunities just like this one!

Also being a law graduate, I have recently decided to change my career journey to one more directed in social work. Hopefully, I plan to embark on a masters in social work next year and so having some experience working in a local authority would be very useful and what better LA to gain this experience with than Southwark!

By the end of my internship with Southwark, I would like to have built upon my interpersonal and transferable skills and have established a network with the Southwark employees who have made this amazing opportunity a possibility for us.

Page last updated: 07 March 2024