World Bank/ Washington DC Tour

 As an intern with African Hope I was able to have the opportunity to go to Washington DC where I saw different monuments and toured a city that was different than anywhere I had ever been. I was able to learn more about the World Bank, learn more about its role in the world, what they do and how they help fund projects. On the first day we walked around Washington DC and the White House and drove by the capitol hill. To me, both buildings represent everything that is the US government and it was interesting to walk around and see how many different types of activism went on in Washington DC.  

On the second day we took a tour of the World Bank and learned more about the organization. The tour gave us a brief overview of the World Bank’s history and how they have changed since the first time they started. Our tour guide answered various questions related to the World Bank. Some questions included the country membership in the World Bank, how the World Bank retains employees, and how the organization supports people and organization financial. It was very interesting to see where the World Bank is currently and what they did in the past. The World Bank has added many different units into its organization to maintain their focus of helping developing countries evolve. One unit that was added was the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) after the World Bank approved debts that started to crush developing country governments. The ICSID helps them to make a plan of action for them to pay back the money they owe. When I hear about this unit I see an organization that recognizes their faults and changes and improves as they go as fast as they can to make sure they stay in line with helping the world better themselves in any way they can.

As a senior in college pursuing finance, I was very interested in specific sections of the World Bank. Two units of the World Bank that stood out to me were the Operations Evaluation Unit and the International Finance Corporation. Both units spoke to my major and my second major, supply chain management. When I got home I continued to research into these two units and was able to learn more about what they do which just increased my interest to one day pursue a career in these units. Some information I found was that the Operations Evaluation Unit is now called Independent Evaluation Group. I was also able to get a look at the World Bank which increased my passion to one day open up an organization that would bring education and support to women around the world starting in Africa. This trip to the World Bank and Washington DC granted me the opportunity to educate myself more in area of the world I was unfamiliar with and I am always happy to learn more about businesses.