Young Professional Program At The World Bank: Essay Of My Intention

The World Bank is an international financial group whose main mission statement is to reduce poverty by 3% and increase the incomes of the poorest 40% individuals in developing countries. Having grown up in the Western part of Africa (Nigeria) and witnessed the various forms of poverty from the slums of Lagos to the internally displaced peoples (IDP) camps in Kaduna, I hold strong empathy for improvement of socio-economic conditions which can reduce acute poverty. Schooling in the Northern part of Nigeria and observing the increased death rate for preventable diseases which is mostly associated with poverty such as diarrhoea and malaria inspired me to combat these diseases in my own way. To do that, I volunteered with my local community to help bring awareness to various health prevention strategies such as promoting good personal hygiene. Carrying out this activity made me realise that to tackle the downstream effects, upstream stream contributions need to be taken into consideration.

According to (Building the foundations), Africa offers human and natural resources with the potential to yield inclusive growth and eradicate poverty in the region but with gaps in health care and education, alongside food insecurity and conflict, the outcome/expected result is hindered. These gaps can be seen in the lack of proper infrastructure and low socio-economic status present in the population….. Therefore as a Public Health Officer, I strongly desire to contribute towards the development of feasible smart policies and programs which can alleviate the socio-economic conditions of the individuals in the region such as equity grants or program developments and aid to bridge the present gaps, all in conjunction with the mission statement the organisation aims to achieve.

Having undergone a master’s degree in public health, it sheds a light on the global perspective of health determinants with major determinants being social economic status, poverty, and education. The factors that influence it, challenges associated with it and the cost implications. Bringing this learned knowledge coupled with skillset acquired wherein I collaborated with other researchers to deliver quality research findings and presentations within deadlines, I believe I am a good fit for the organisation.

Njuguna (2008) explains that Africa needs to undertake a long-term view on macroeconomic policies as it was found that stability of various factors that secured monetary policies and sustainable fiscal environment have contributed to economic growth in Africa. In my opinion, investment in feasible macroeconomic policies that will focus more on improving the agricultural and manufacturing sectors especially among major oil exporters in Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) regions is important. Strengthening of these sectors will provide alternate source of revenue for these regions as oil is on the decline. Also, investment in human capital is essential as they are the workforce that will drive the needed improvement of the socio-economic environment. Therefore, more African countries should be advised to engage in the Human capital plan led by the World Bank as it is stated that only 22 African countries are involved.

This young professional program offers me the opportunity to extend my horizon on a tangible scale towards the fulfilment of World Bank goals such as creating jobs and transforming economies and gender equality as they impact an individuals’ ability to earn a living and eventually rise above the poverty line. If given the opportunity, I plan not only to meet the work expectations allocated to me but also bring about meaningful changes to the world.