Inge Wessels has jetted off to Geneva, Switzerland to fulfil an eight-week internship with the Department of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability at the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The WHO's Department of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability (VIP) was established to research and prevent the incidence of injuries and violence. It is also concerned with improving the quality of life for people living with disabilities.

Prior to her departure, Wessels had the following to say about this exciting learning opportunity: "My assignment is to assist in the development of an 'evaluation primer' on outcome evaluation for parenting programmes in low and middle-income countries. This project is particularly necessary as very few programmes in low and middle-income countries have been evaluated to determine whether they are effective or not. The project aligns with my Master's thesis which investigates the design and evaluation practices of parenting programmes in South Africa". In addition, Wessels will be assisting with implementing a global status report on violence prevention. She will be part of a globally diverse group of interns who work in the various UN agencies around the world.

Supervisor Cathy Ward says she is excited to see how Wessels' thesis has fed so directly into work that is both locally and globally relevant - and she can't wait to see the draft primer! Wessels had spent a year as a research assistant with UCT's Safety and Violence Initiative, and this gave her the initial contact with the WHO. For more information on this initiative, visit the: WHO website