Social Work & NGO Support

This remote internship will help me with my college applications and the role contributed toward the achievement of my long-term goals of becoming a psychologist or sociologist. I had hands-on experience in the area of social work, as I worked with people, and learned how to create statistical analysis pages, how to be an effective communicator, time management skills, as well as become a listener and advocate. I had the opportunity to make a real difference in a community - which is my biggest goal.

I truly enjoyed the experience of this internship. It helped to improve my creative writing skills and I also understood more about the various social issues faced by India. Furthermore, seeing how such initiatives can benefit those in need and support them toward a better future felt rewarding. I received excellent guidance and support from the Internship Coordinator and my supervisors during my internship. My supervisors provided me with clear direction related to the content I had to create, enabling me to develop creative materials that effectively conveyed our organization's mission and values. Moreover, each time I felt uncertain or confused about a task, they understood and were friendly in addressing my queries, creating an enjoyable working experience.

I truly enjoyed this internship experience. It helped to improve my creative writing skills and I also understood more about the various social issues faced by India. Furthermore, seeing how such initiatives can benefit those in need and support them toward a better future felt rewarding. I received excellent guidance and support from the Internship Coordinator and my supervisors during my internship. My supervisors provided me with clear direction related to the content I had to create, enabling me to develop creative materials that effectively conveyed our organization's mission and values. Moreover, each time I felt uncertain or confused about a task, they understood and were friendly in addressing my queries, creating an enjoyable working experience.

My biggest take-away from the internship was realizing the power we hold to make a change in many people’s lives, whether that is through raising awareness or directly intervening to provide hands-on help. For this Social Work & NGO Support internship, I was matched with an NGO that works to support children and girls who have received an HIV diagnosis. They are supported through care homes that provide shelter, protection and access to education. The tasks I was involved with included creating weekly social media posts, designed to raise awareness about the urgency of the issues regarding HIV and AIDS in India (especially with regard to children). I also contributed to the design of weekly lesson plans, aimed at providing professional and personal development for young girls. This internship provided an opportunity for growth. Through the guidance I obtained from those who are more experienced, I learned a lot more and was able to apply new information to the future career opportunities I will consider.

My internship experience has been very exciting. My supervisors were very understanding and open-minded about my culture and they encouraged me to corporate my views and perspectives into our work. Because I was starting as an intern, I did not expect to build a module for counseling on my own. However, my supervisors gave me a chance to work independently and be creative which challenged me to be more proactive and independent. I was in charge of creating new modules for adolescent counseling. I helped with coming up with new activities for adolescents and also for teacher training. A piece of advice I would give to myself (or to others) is to be open minded. We always have certain expectations, positive or negative, when it comes to new challenges. However, we can be surprised by the different processes and outcomes. Therefore, the best way to adapt is to be open minded and be respectful toward different values and perspectives.

My internship experience has been exciting, and I have learnt so much about South Asian culture and ideals while simultaneously trying to help with some of their national problems. I have been involved in researching the HIV impact in India and creating resources for those who are unable to read complex pieces of text. These included brochures, online resources, videos, and projects depicting reassurance, support, and information for HIV infected and affected people. My favourite memory from the internship has been learning the importance of understanding the diversity of different backgrounds and perspectives. I want to study culture, peace, and art in college, and this internship was a very good introduction to that field. I was able to research India's culture, information on its relationship with HIV/AIDS, and be creative when completing my assignments. I feel more empowered in my field as this internship has shown me what exactly it is I enjoy about my chosen field. I especially liked that I had control over the extent of my creativity during the internship itself.