Charelle Gribling (MA INTS 2017; BA INTS/POLS 2011)

After completing my MA in Global Studies, I moved to Toronto to embark on a career in International Development. To get my foot in the door, I began working at Plan International Canada as a fundraiser and then moved to their Donor Care Department in 2017. Later that year, I began to work with the Programs team. After gaining some experience, I made a transition and now work for Children Believe – a smaller organization, but one that still does amazing work.

I currently work alongside the CEO, and one of the things I love about my job is that I am not limited to working with one team; rather, I am afforded the ability to work with the entire organization including our country offices in Nicaragua, Paraguay, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, and India.

Most recently, I worked with a cross-functional team to plan and execute a virtual panel for International Development Week, called “Overcoming Barriers to Education for Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa in a COVID-19 World.” The panel was moderated by CBC’s Susan Ormiston, and included addresses from Graça Machel (former first lady of South Africa), Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka (former Deputy President of South Africa and current Executive Director of UN Women), Leslie MacLean (Deputy Minister of International Development, Global Affairs Canada), Antoine Chevrier (Director-General of Pan-African Affairs, Global Affairs Canada), and two incredible young women from sub-Saharan Africa. The panel was a resounding success with over 300 attendees from over 40 countries, including journalists from CTV, CBC, and TVOntario as well as representatives from UNICEF, the United Nations, Canadian embassies, Oxfam, World Vision, Plan International, and many others. The aim of this event was not only to spotlight what the sector can do to help adolescent girls in Sub-Saharan Africa gain access to inclusive and quality education, but also to really help raise young women’s voices – and it did just that.

It is because of my time at UNBC that I was able to break into this sector and succeed. While completing my undergrad (joint INTS/POLS) I could never decide whether I enjoyed INTS or POLS better. The great thing about my current role is that I get to experience the best of both worlds! I help facilitate and foster high-level relationships between the Government of Canada and Children Believe by calling upon my knowledge of our government as well as the field of international development. Throughout my years at UNBC, I often found myself feeling fatigued and even jaded, while reading and learning about the great needs of the many less fortunate people in the world. While witnessing these hardships in real life is no less disheartening, my theoretical education helped prepare me for my firsthand education.