From conducting surveys to bonding with children, Driti in this summer holidays, learned public speaking, perseverance, and the skill of socializing along with gaining more confidence in herself. In this blog read the experience and learning of Driti at WEP 2019.
“This summer, I interned at an NGO known as Child Rights and You (CRY). When I first decided to intern during the summer, I wanted to do so at a place where I would gain a lot of exposure to the real, working world, and CRY gave me that exposure.
On my first day, I was introduced to my mentor, Ms. Soumya, to whom I would be reporting for the next two weeks. She was a very welcoming person, who was ready to guide me when I needed her help.
When I first applied for this internship, I was expecting a lot of data compilation work and blogging. But in reality, I did not do much of it but rather did a lot of field work. My fieldwork started two weeks into my internship. I was asked to report to another mentor, Ms. Monisha. I, along with three other interns, was asked to survey the number of school-going children in Siddharatha Nagar Colony, a community in Madiwala. This was in accordance with the Right To Education Act. During my two weeks of field work, I interacted with a lot of enthusiastic children and parents, who were fascinated with our task. The children took us all around the area and became our guides and translators. They introduced us to all their friends and helped us to collect our data. These children are the most memorable part of my internship. I would never forget their enthusiasm and joy in seeing us and helping us.
Through this internship, I learned many things. I learned how to interact and interview new people, for I was the one who interacted the most with the children and families as most of them could speak Tamil. I also learned how to compile and analyze the data that we collected. I learned that there are many children there with big dreams, but no way to execute them. I learned that these children try to make the best out of their situations and do their best to reach the top, and they don’t seem to give up without a fight. They’ve taught me perseverance and confidence, and for that I am thankful.
This experience was a life-changing one and I am thankful that I was able to do this during my summer holidays of 2019. This has been an unforgettable summer. If I could sum up this experience in one word, it would be “remarkable.” I would like to thank all those who gave me this opportunity- my school, the WEP teachers and CRY. Thank you for this wonderful experience!
Me, along with a few children from Siddharatha Nagar Colony
– A. M. Driti
