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Summer internship in India

Welcome to my blog! This is my first entry ever, and I am glad it is about something meaningful to me.

My name is Melanie Jiménez, and I am a graduate student in the Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) program at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS). From May to July 2025, I will join the team at The Antara Foundation (TAF) in India as a Graduate Research Fellow. 

This amazing opportunity is made possible by the generous support of the Cultural Bridge program at the Women and Public Policy Program at HKS.

The India Gate, New Delhi

The Antara Foundation is a nonprofit organization working to improve maternal and child health outcomes in India by strengthening public health systems. TAF partners with government agencies and local communities to ensure better healthcare delivery, particularly in underserved regions. Operating across 8 districts in central India, TAF supports 20,000 frontline health workers and reaches 379,000 women and 650,000 children.

I will contribute to TAF’s mission through structured projects that enhance program effectiveness, assess impact, and inform policy recommendations. My role will involve:

  1. Impact Assessment: Evaluating the outcomes of TAF’s flagship programs.
  2. Policy and Data Analysis: Examining government healthcare schemes and identifying trends in key health indicators.
  3. Research: Engaging in research to understand challenges in maternal mortality.

Data is at the heart of what TAF does, and I am glad to be involved in this team. The internship will include desk research in Delhi and field visits to Madhya Pradesh. This hands-on experience will deepen my understanding of public health policy, program implementation, and grassroots healthcare challenges.

I will keep updating on my professional growth and the work TAF does, as well as personal adventures this summer!

The Antara Foundation logo






Location: Cambridge, MA, USA

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Week 1: The POSHAN clinic innovation

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