- August 21, 2023
Learn about Anna's internship at NIC Nepal!
This summer, Anna Haddad (Mechanical Engineering '23) is interning at the National Innovation Centre (NIC) Nepal in Kathmandu, Nepal!
Read the interview below with Anna to learn more!
How do you get to work? How do you get around in general?
We are lucky that our workplace sends a driver to pick us up and drop us off every day. The drive is typically around 20 minutes depending on traffic. On the weekends, we walk around a lot or use the equivalent of Uber to go to further places.
What is your work/internship like day-to-day?
I work at the National Innovation Centre on Nyano Nani, an affordable infant radiant warmer aimed for use in low-resource settings. I am optimizing design and manufacturing processes for the product, so I have been working on injection molding and 3D printing parts with the team of mechanical engineers here. I have also been working with one of my supervisors on strategizing commercialization plans and pitching to potential advisors and investors. We usually work from around 10 am to 5 pm with lunch at noon. In the afternoons, we go on a short walk to get tea and tasty snacks with some of our co-workers. It's a really nice time to take a break and get to know everyone outside of the work setting.
What is an aspect of your work that you're excited about?
Nyano Nani was just a budding idea five years ago. To date, sixty-eight warmers have been installed across thirty-nine districts in Nepal, treating well over one thousand babies. I am excited to contribute to a project that is having such a profound impact in improving healthcare for communities in need.
Have you visited any new/exciting places?
We have visited a lot of interesting places! Within the valley, we have been to all three Durbar Squares (Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur). We have also visited many of the famous temples and stupas, including Boudhanath, Swayambhunath, and Pashupatinath. A few weeks ago, we went on a trip to Pokhara, and we hiked to Mohare, Poon Hill, and Ghorepani.
Have you tried any new foods you enjoyed or seen anything new?
I have eaten a lot of dal bhat (Dal Bhat Power 24 Hour!), momos, and noodles. I also enjoy sel roti, samosas, dosas, jeri, and other local sweets!
