An Intern’s Diary: The Energy Data Journey in Suriname

Tamaira Rowe

Published on September 29, 2023

From wherever you are reading this blog – good evening, good afternoon or good morning. My name is Gyany Jalimsing, and I am one of the interns at the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE) working on the energy report card data collection 2023. I grew up in a small country on the northern coast of South America named Suriname and decided to study electrical engineering at the Anton de Kom University of Suriname. As I near the end of my studies, something has hit me, and thankfully, it isn’t electricity. I’m on the cusp of becoming an electrical engineer, but I don’t have much work experience in the energy sector. So, when the opportunity to intern for a regional energy institution presented itself, I was beyond excited to give it a go. Here is a glimpse into my experience.

Week 1: Interns Assemble
I met the other interns online, which was nice, and we even started a group chat on WhatsApp where we could discuss the internship and other topics. I have never met any of my fellow interns in person, but the interactions gave me a glimpse into a nice work environment.

Week 2: Online Detective
I began researching online and found a decent amount of information I could use. After that, I mailed some contacts from the previous intern’s contact list and waited for responses. Then came the first of many weekly country update meetings via Microsoft Teams. I heard how the other interns were handling the internship and the steps they were taking to get the information they needed, which was useful. During that meeting, I remembered something important – Suriname’s state oil company’s annual Energy Oil & Gas Summit was happening the following week. It was time for a more direct approach.

Week 3: Investigative Reporter
There was a cost to attend the first day of the summit; thankfully, the other three days were free of charge, but you had to register online. I made sure, therefore, to attend the summit on those days. There, I met some employees who worked at companies in the electricity sector, and we exchanged contact details. This was also the week we had to send in our first report, so efficient time management (between the summit visits) was key to timely submission.

Week 4: Radio Silence
At the start of this week, I had not received any emails back from the people I met at the summit. Thus, I sent more emails reminding them of the data I wanted to request from them. In the meantime, I perused an energy data folder shared with me by Suriname’s electricity regulator in preparation for the second report we had to send in Week 5.

Weeks 5–7: Contact
During this period, I felt like I became the guy who knows a guy who knows another guy. I would receive emails and calls back, redirecting me to another employee from their company, who would then redirect me to another employee, and so on. Finally, I reached those who could provide me the information I needed.

Week 8: July 21
By this week, I had established as many contacts as possible for the CCREEE’s future data collection while also showing prospective employers that I would actively pursue anyone who can provide me with needed information. I may not have received all my desired results, but I have proven to myself that I am capable of more than I initially thought.