An internship scholarship and a longing for 'kohukesed' brought me to Estonia

Johanna Rivers writes how she became an intern at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ESTDEV), arriving in Estonia from Australia and interning at globalestonian.com to later use her experience in developing communication in the Estonian community in Australia.

A couple of weeks ago, I travelled over 30 hours across the globe from my birthplace in Australia to the homeland I had not seen in five years — Estonia.

During those five years, I was increasingly missing the Estonian metsad (forests), the sound of our language, and of course kohukesed (a small curd snack). To counter my longing, I got involved in the Australian Estonian Media Project in 2023. With a small, dedicated team, we’ve been working to revitalise our media platform Welcome | Tere tulemast - Estonians in Australia (eesti.org.au), aiming to enhance communication and strengthen connections among Estonian diaspora in Australia.

This involvement led me to discover a scholarship offered by the Estonian Foreign Ministry / ESTDEV, funding internships in Estonia. Despite initial uncertainties, I reached out to the advisor for the Estonian diaspora (editor: Liina Viies) for more information. The opportunity to reconnect with Estonia and gain professional experience was too valuable to pass up.

Inspired by the Global Estonian portal, I inquired about interning with the people behind it at the Integration Foundation (INSA). My advisor swiftly made the connections; discussions began, and they encouraged me to apply for the scholarship. The thought of walking through the streets of Tallinn and contributing to a team that bridges continents motivated me to take the plunge. Soon, my contracts were signed, and I was buying tickets for a four-month stay in Estonia.

Landing in Tallinn, the cosy airport welcomed me home — and I promptly bought a kohuke. In my first weeks, I spent warm days rediscovering old town, white nights walking the sands of Stroomi beach, and celebrated Jaanipäev (midsummer) with a family grill, sauna, and cold plunge. Then it was time to start my internship.

At the INSA office, I met my teammates and discussed the internship’s scope. Soon after, I joined other scholarship recipients and Stanford students for an outing organised by the Estonian Foreign Ministry. We toured the Vabamu Museum, where exhibits like a wooden cattle car we climbed into gave us a visceral sense of the hardships our ancestors endured during the deportations. Vabamu is also developing a major new exhibition called “Global Estonians” for 2025, currently seeking photos from our diaspora (read more here:  https://nova.vabamu.ee/en/study-bites/global-estonians/)

Next, we visited the Estonian Foreign Ministry. From the 10th level, we admired a breathtaking view of Tallinn while learning about the ministry’s activities and history. We ended the day with a pizza picnic in a park, joined by more foreign students from the Council on International Educational Exchange.

This wonderful day was hosted by the very advisor who encouraged my application and put me in touch with INSA. When I expressed my gratitude for her instrumental role in my fate, she chuckled and explained that she just takes things into her own hands as they come. Her response resonated with me. If you don’t take action, who will? This principle underpins our media project in Australia — without volunteers, it wouldn’t exist. It underpins Global Estonian with its contributors from around the world, and it underpins scholarships like my own. Without the effort of countless people, I wouldn’t be in Estonia right now.

Reflecting on my journey so far, I am filled with gratitude for the Estonian Foreign Ministry / ESTDEV, INSA, and everyone who made this opportunity possible. Over the next two months, I look forward to contributing to Globalestonian.com and learning from INSA, and I hope to bring back valuable insights to the Australian Estonian Media Project. Estonia is not just a place on the map, or an article to read about; it’s a part of who I am — who we are. And through initiatives like these, we can stay connected to our roots, no matter where in the world we are.

Johanna Rivers
Australia-born Estonian 
Intern at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (INSA)