Summer Internship Experience in NGO MAMCS15

With the People Reflections on the Summer Internship in NGOs MAMCS 2015 MA in Media and Communication Studies Department of Media Studies

Voice for the VoicelessEveryone has a purpose in Life…a unique gift or special talent to give to Add a picture taken in NGOothers. And when we blend this unique talent with service to others, weexperience the ecstasy and exultation of our own spirit, which is theultimate goal of all goals. – Deepak ChopraYes, Jan Vikas NGO is a great help for the people of all kind. It is like atraveler taking rest for a while under a tree in the hot sun and againcontinuing his /her journey. They are doing a lot of good work forunderprivileged. They share the joy that they experience in giving andreceiving. What I experience here is they don’t account the hours of workthey do but they feel more satisfied if a larger number of people havebenefited from their service. Janvikas NGO become a vice for thevoiceless in the society. It does not support any religion or cast butfocuses only on the service to humanity. I feel it is true worship andservice to God and His people. Here comes true saying of Deepak Chopra.He says, everyone has a purpose in life and a gift or a talent to share withothers. This becomes a reality when I give it to others myself generouslyand selflessly. I am so glad to reach out to many more people through thisNGO Jan Vikas. I feel so happy and satisfied at the end of the day.Ganga Rawat_ 1537140 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Reliving one’s ChildhoodIn the one month I have worked with the NGO “Headstreams” I hadexperienced a lot of changes with myself and felt a change as aphotographer. In the past one month I attended 3 summer camps and Ihad a great time interacting with children and also I had felt the troubleswhich many families in rural areas go through to meet their daily needs,the other major change which I felt was being with little kids and thechange that “Play” can bring upon those kids. As a photographer who wasearlier involved in fashion, sports and news being in this field has broughtabout a change way I look at my job and the way I look at kids thisinternship not only evolved me as a photographer but also evolved me as ahuman being.Nikhil Viswanathan B 1537116 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Aashray - A Place of Refuge, A Home to the HomelessThe internship at Aashray was indeed a great exposure to the NGO industry. Being thefirst NGO internship the ways of working and dealing with situations was entirely newand was a challenging one. In a fast moving city like Noida Aashray has establisheditself by its own unique methods of approaching and serving the people of the society invarious aspects over the past years. By serving people right from providing education tochildren, homes for the homeless, comfort for victims, it has been well known in Noidaand Agra being the main center of the organization. At the internship I was allocated towork with the designing department and the project management department. Theexperience was entirely new since they required designs in the perspective of an NGO,which had made it the best choice to do my internship. Managing projects and initiatingideas for the NGO was quiet a challenging and enjoyable task. During my second weekof internship I was allocated to work with the project manager of Aashray by supportingthem with their new project called “Dayadaan” (“Mercy Giving” project). I was givenseveral tasks on how to raise funds for the project and how to create the awarenessamong people both the privileged and the under privileged. For the successful run ofthe project I was expected to designing pamphlets, brochures and banners which wereone of the most challenging tasks. I also contributed by writing and maintaining thesocial media web page for the organization. The NGO was pleased and hence has askedme to continue working with them on freelance bases.Akansha Rachel Anand_1537128 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

BOSCO - That they may have life in all its fullnessBOSCO for the past thirty six years has been working diligently towards the rescue and rehabilitation as well as thegrowth and development of the street children. The organisation has also engaged with several other institutionsworking towards child rights protection. BOSCO has successfully over the years identified school drops as well as out ofschool children and provided them with formal education as well as vocational training. I got to experience first handthe living conditions of the street children and their everyday struggles. I understood the ethos and ethics of theorganization’s functioning and got to learn new things. As an organisation it has even joined hands with numerousgovernment departments working towards the betterment of the lives of the street children and has been awarded withmuch recognition for the same at the state and national level. It was truly a pleasure and a wonderful experienceinterning at BOSCO and I hope the efficient efforts of BOSCO shall bring light into the lives of thousands of childrenwho are encumbered by the precarious conditions of the street.Prerona Dey_ 1537149 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Feeding the hungryModern age is the era where everyone encounters some social problems, as people havebecome so busy in their lives. Moreover, the business minded nature of people has madethem competitive in terms of money. With the increase in effort to earn more money thereis an increase in social efforts being conducted by different institutes, organizations andindividuals. Normally organizations arrange funds that are aimed to help those who deservemonetary help. These organizations have increased their various activities due to thenumber of people needing help. ASVAS give mid-meal to the poor people. It was initiated inthe year 2009 by Dharmaram by Father Marius. Just because someone is poor doesn’tmean they should not be treated with dignity. And just because someone is hungry doesn’tmean that food aid is the best thing to give them. Food aid can save lives – but too often it’spatronising, ineffective and doesn’t respect the people it’s intended to support. Providingcash for people to spend however they want can be much more effective than handing outfood aid year after year. I am always learning new things from the people I work with. I havefound that people know their situations better than anyone because they are living it. I meetthem where they are at mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually and offer myassistance in managing complex issues or finding solutions. People are in pain, they areplacing their trust in you in their most vulnerable moments.I am so happy to contactnumerous more individuals through the NGO ASWAS. I feel so cheerful and fulfilled by theday's end.Vishnu Achutha Menon_1537126 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

U & I - Changemakers of TomorrowU & I is volunteer driven charitable organisation based in Bangalore. For me one month was very informative and funfilled with U&I family were I have learnt many things in short span of time. They showed me what patience is, made meunderstand how to mingle with people and reach the message that wanted to convey and also made me know thatnormal people like us can make huge difference with the amount of knowledge that we have. U&I manages Mentallychallenged Boys and also provide tutions to underprivileged children. We have lot of freedom, exposure andopportunity to do whatever we need in our life. Indeed it is our duty to give some capabilities and talent that we have tothe people who are incapable of. From instructing English to ghetto youngsters to helping government schoolunderstudies with educational costs, to drilling youngsters from underprivileged groups in essential computer skills , torestoring exceptional requirements kids, the organization focused on making a super heroes tomorrow from a largenumber of underprivileged women and children. Overall, it was an amazing learning experience which I would love tocome back to the organization and give something within my capabilities.Swathy Divakar_1537158 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

To Rescue one’s innocenceWe live in a world where everyone is busy fulfilling their own greedy needs and desires, we live in a world where wedon’t see anything beyond luxury brands and pocket full of money. But in this huge world with all these endeavorsthere is a place where few unprivileged and disturbed children have the doors open to fulfill what they don’t get soeasily. BOSCO is one such organization where, for the past 36 years have been involved in rescuing the children whoare under the age of 18 years.It was a place where I got to see in a hole as to how the real world is and the struggles of the street children, therunaway children and the orphans fight for a living. Most of my work was related in doing Case Studies of these kids,and while I was talking to them and finding out about their past, it was really sad to know from where they came andwhat all they faced before they found a secure place. This organization taught me how to live life without cribbing aboutpetit issues, because the lives these kids live is something to look upon to. This organization taught me to respect whatis there and also to be careful henceforth about the children who loiter around the streets and to get them to a safeplace. I am sure about the fact that even though I am not directly a part of BOSO, my conscious will make sure that I dothe best to the underprivileged children and make sure their innocence is restored.Deepthi Naidu_ 1537139 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Love can change the world - U&IU&I is a volunteer-driven charitable organisation based in Bangalore. The vision for U&I was inspired by a few friends’outreach visit to the State Home for Mentally Challenged Boys and realising the huge difference that ordinary peoplecoming together can make. Every child deserves an opportunity to be educated and reach his/her potential and ourLearning Centres across the country aim at doing just that. From teaching English to slum children to helpinggovernment school students with tuition, to coaching young people from underprivileged communities in basiccomputer skills, to helping rehabilitate special needs children, U&I is committed to creating a better tomorrow forthousands of underprivileged women and children. Working with the NGO for one month enlightened me with theknowledge and experience which is imparted over thousands of years. For the first time i learned about the selflessnessbehind some lives and their actions. One month at U&I was a great learning experience for the professional in me andfor my mind. The internship taught me the need of having kindness in ourselves, disregarding whatever work we do andwherever we go. This one month made a huge difference in my life.Anaida Davis - 1537131 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Transcending the Boundaries of LIFE.Truth spoken, an internship here was not just meant to be as a purpose of learning work and/ormanagement, it felt like a contrast, a way of different lives-between us, and the people by whomwe were surrounded. Working here showed me and made me learn various things-esp. How to behappy with what we have and also mentioned about the difficulties of others. In a way, we aspillars of the society could help them with our learnings and outcomes-something that they couldbe benefitted by. A 1-month stint here, at the Sanchetana Trust helped me as a person in terms ofmany factors. Speaking about a bit of its history, Sanchetana began its journey in 1982 fromMillatnagar, a slum of Ahmedabad, where Dr. Hanif Lakdawala started a clinic for the poor in awooden partitioned cabin. In a situation where public health service was rife with corruption andgrossly inefficient, quacks and private medical practitioners flourished. The poor, who are thevictims of civilization, are left to perish. Survival of the fittest is the logic the civilization has cometo follow. Poverty, exploitation, lack of education, ignorance of their rights, tradition-bounddogmas and divisive loyalties to castes and communities chained the urban poor to a life ofenslavement and prevented them from challenging the status quo. Dr. Lakdawala wanted tochange this brutal, inhuman, exploitative and unjust system where only the rich and powerful liveand thrive. Realizing that only informed and aware people can bring about this change, Dr.Lakdawala founded Sanchetana- which means raising awareness which goes beyond one’sconsciousness that one is born with. As a documentation specialist here, I got a chance tolearn/improve my camera skills and also as a content writer, I am glad I could help them get theirarticles better; and in terms of a global language. I would like to work more, and serve more in thisarea. Plus, an extra week here shall also make me learn the programme and the office-levelfunctioning.Kartik Nair_1537114 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR)It has always been easy to criticize policy makers for the work they do without being aware of the various nuancesbehind the effort. In CPPR, I was put to work in their Media and Communication Department . I learnt through editingof various articles the effort that is put while bringing out a policy. I learnt to edit contents better and prepare a newsrelease for various events. Another factor that I did learn was how to interact with the media persons while informingthem of an event and how to create an awareness about it. Working with Pradipti helped me to gain a betterunderstanding of how an in-house PR department worked and how the most minor details helps in branding of anorganisation. CPPR also made me realise how even an article could possibly influence something as big as a policychange. At CPPR, all had to work together to host events and also to do a lot of other work that does not fall under one'sdescription but most importantly they allowed me to make mistakes that helped me to learn.Athira Radhakrishnan_1537135 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

BOSCO- Building DreamsBOSCO is an NGO which offers its service to the young at risk like -children living on the streets, child laborers, abandoned / orphanedchildren, victims of drug abuse, victims of child abuse, beggingchildren, rag pickers etc. It offers free education, counseling, trains thechildren in welding, carpentry, two-wheeler mechanism, computertraining, tailoring etc.During my internship, I got an insight about how this NGO functions-the process of how a child is rescued and given the basic counseling tohow they are transferred to various centers and imparted training.Many events were conducted during my internship especially summercamps where I tried to capture a different innocent side of the childrenthrough my camera. Since all events were conducted in Kannada,language did act as a barrier for me to communicate with the childrenyet, there were moments when nonverbal communication was enoughto understand the thoughts and feelings of these young children. Tosum up, I was glad that I could be a part of this NGO and bring a smileon the faces of those young children.Pratibha Dixit_1537148 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

U&I- Be the ChangeU&I is a volunteer driven charity organisation that provides education to underprivileged children. I had previouslyvolunteered with them but this internship gave me an opportunity to get involved in the whole process ofchangemaking. I got to learn the many challenges that NGOs face but I also got to experience and appreciate the littlethings in life. Something as trivial as getting a volunteer recruited for a learning centre made me immensely proud. Ialso got to experience that work life is not always the strict professional way but it can be very enriching. The staff wasvery friendly and supportive and more than that, they appreciated every task that I accomplished.Another great thing about this internship was how everybody is treated equally, regardless of their position. Everybodyhas their lunch together, shares their good things, new ideas, interests which makes it a wholesome environment towork under. This was truly my best internship so far.Srilaxmi Madhu Sudhan_1537155 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Women’s Organisation for Rural Development (WORD)- Empowering RuralIndiaWORD (Women’s Organisation for Rural Development) a Society Registered under the Societies Registration Act XXIof 1860 in Koraput district, exists to enhance the effectiveness in the grass-root level as policy makers by making themaware of their rights and responsible towards their duties. The time that I’ve spent at the organisation has been a oncein a lifetime opportunity and helped me understand how tribal people from deprived communities are beingempowered through various interventions, striving for a Just and an equitable society.The raw exposure during the field visits seemed to be a real eye-opener to the state of living in one of the mostbackward and poor regions in the country. Villages like Bhitar Dusra and Sundhi Dusra have been electrified until veryrecently, spending 69 years in darkness post-independence. I happened to witness deplorable living conditions onecould ever witness, that being even after the intervention of WORD. The arousal of human compassion and empathyfor the fellow beings being underprivileged beyond imagination was an open revelation and I felt proud in being part ofthe organisation by being a help in some way or the other.S Lekshmi Priya_1537150 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

The Hope Foundation - Addressing the UnaddressedThe Hope Foundation has a varied range of projects that ensure basic rights of the underprivileged population focusingmainly on the female and adolescent. The mission of Hope Foundation is to improve the quality life for theunderprivileged section of the society by providing their basic human rights. I got to experience first hand the livingconditions of the street and slum children and their families as I worked in the Project Unit in the first two weeks of myinternship where we had to conduct surveys on an ongoing project. The main purpose of the project is to provide aunique (postal) address to people who live in dwellings of unplanned settlements such as slums, shanties, semipermanent campsites etc. In the next two weeks I got to work with the Video Unit where I did editing and subtitling forthe documentaries and also got a chance to work on one of the documentary which was based on a volunteer fromIreland, Jacinta Sutton who was a physiotherapist in the Hope Hospital. Working with Hope Foundation has been agreat part of my journey. The NGO taught me many things but the most was empathy. We go as interns but theiracceptance makes us a part of their family. I learnt even though the underprivileged face so many hardships in theirlives, they still smile, fight and aim to make this place a better world to live.Meghna Majumdar_1537145 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

All the Right Moves - A day in the life of a ChildChild Rights has always been an issue discussed rather discretely. Sure, the systems are there inplace but are they implemented? My one month at an NGO working towards the rights andwelfare of children in the country was all about that and much more. I had the wonderfulopportunity of not only providing children with something to look forward to (Summer Camp)but also got to work first-hand in a research and implementation oriented project that theorganization believed to be of utmost importance (The Enrolment Drive). While the SummerCamp was a recreation based event, it gave me the opportunity to interact with children andunderstand a lot about their circumstances. It also provided us the base for the Enrolment Drive.The Enrolment Drive was an experience that will stay with me for a long time. Walking down theslums, or what the government prefers calling “Housing Board” for the Fishermen living by theMarina Beach in Chennai, has indeed left me with a lot of perspective. I’ve had the opportunity tolearn about the functioning of an Anganwadi, I’ve been able to interact with teachers teaching atgovernment schools and see how passionate they are about their profession and how affected theyare with the rising ratio of children dropping out of schools. I’ve interacted with countlesschildren about their school experiences, their reasons for refusing schools and schooling, theirreasons for being denied admissions and their reasons for choosing to let their family threadsdecide who they become. Indeed, it’s been a month full of perspective.CRY has given me this benefit. I genuinely believe I’m more aware today than I was before, andmore willing to work for something as necessary as Child Rights than I ever was. All we ever needis perspective.Nikita Shroff_1537147 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

EFI- Make every day Earth dayEFI (Environmentalist Foundation of India) is an organization comprising of passionate people who are focusing on real time, resultoriented conservation efforts. They work in many cities around the country like Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore etc.Animals are such a large and integral part of our ecology and they need a lot of sensitivity and care from our end. It is their sincereendeavor to protect this group – domestic and wild, in the best possible way. Not only do they wish to provide food and shelter for asmany animals as they possibly can, they also work tirelessly towards inculcating greater compassion in the minds of people towardsanimals.At EFI they believe that the effectiveness and impact of a project is not measured by money, but by the level of commitment that thevolunteers have towards the cause. They are proud to say they are a large group of people who truly believe India has given us somuch in terms of flora and fauna, that it is now our turn to give back. Their projects range from cleaning lakes to setting up sparrowand stray animal care centres; from setting up gardens in schools, to conducting turtle walks to ensure poaching is reduced.EFI is here to prove to the world that change is POSSIBLE, and change is HAPPENING. They are not just a group of people whocare, but a group of people who care enough to do something for our country and its environment. GO GREEN – is not just a slogan,but a way of life for them.It was a great experience to work with such passionate and dedicated people towards such a cause. Being around such motivatedpeople makes us work twice as hard and achieve ten times as much. They help us realize our full potentials and discover ourselves.Suhani Gupta_1537157 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Maraa: a media and arts collectiveMaraa, a media and arts collective organization is based in the city of Bengaluru. As a non-profit organization with corecompetencies in media, arts and culture, Maraa is able to offer services across capacity building, research, curation and mediaproduction. The objective of the NGO is to challenge the notion that community radio can only be used in a strictly developmentalsense, and that too only in a rural part. two main programs of Maraa focus on \"Media\" and \"Art and Public Space\". The Mediaprogram attempts to posit the centrality of media practice, distribution and consumption in politics and in everyday life. The workfocuses mainly on alternative media practice, research and advocacy around media policy as well as capacity building around accessto media. The Art and Public Space program attempts to open up possibilities of a new aesthetics which are premised on communityand dialogues, on process and collaboration. The program also recognizes urban studies as an important area of focus, and attemptsto convey the politics within the production of urban space through creative practice.At Maraa, I got an opportunity to work on various tasks ranging from interviewing and understanding the daily hardships faced bythe powrakarmikas and manual scavengers to being a part of the olfactory walk. The walk had a huge impact on me personally, itmade me think a lot to various unanswered questions. Clogged drains, the streets filled with garbage, the concrete infrastructuralgrowth all seems to have overshadowed the common sense of human beings. We seem to have lost the true attachment towardsmother nature and the environment.Aditya Mittal_1537103 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

PVR Nest: A caring nest for nurturing underprivileged relationship.I did not have an experience with an NGO earlier, and felt that it was great to explore this field. I got the opportunity to work withthe CSR of PVR.So my first week at PVR was all about Organizing a event for PVR Nest for sponsorship, make sure different schools in Delhi arepresent at the event and also Coordinate the guests at the event. This gave me experience of organising an event and also how tohave fundraisers.From the second week, I got into field work. I had to work with in of the most toughest areas in delhi- Lajpat Nagar. I had to work atthe childscape project where I had to work with kids who had been doing substance abuse and also street children in the area.I was given the responsibility of teaching kids english and also other subjects. Teaching them made me realize the importance andvalue of our education. It made me realize how lucky i was to have got quality education.From the third week onwards I had to undergo the outreach programs for the center. I had to visit the community convince parentswho work as labourers and rickshaw pullers to send their kids to the center for studies. I also had to go around schools to admit thekids who were already joining the center to school. I had to talk to principals and the school staff to take underprivileged streetchildren into their schools. It was a daunting task but it made me surely a stronger person , a better communicator and definitelydoing good deeds it made me a better human being.Amritha Menon 1537129 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Child Rights & You: Ensuring Lasting Change For ChildrenFive weeks it was, probably one of the best work experiences I got out of these five weeks. I got enough liberty to do myjob in my way and all my ideas and suggestions were warmly welcomed and appreciated. Every endeavours that I tookin these five weeks will surely help in building my career in future and it had helped me to understand my qualities andskills better. We all hear about child rights and its violations every now and then but we don't give much attention to itrather we just consider those like child marriage, school drop outs, child labour, etc as other social evils in our society.This time I felt more deeply about these issues which are prevalent in all the states of India. I got a clear picture of thesituations these underprivileged children go through and like every normal child they too have many dreams that theywant to fulfil. I learnt a lot out of this internship in CRY, Kolkata.Indrasish Guha, 1537110 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Urban ServicesOn the first day, I was introduced to the organization. I was also shown around the office and made topersonally meet everyone at the office. We discussed what tasks I could possibly do. The first day wasonly the beginning of a beautiful internship experience. The main task given to me was to come up withan effective communication model which would help the organization to communicate with the peopleliving in slum area, community centers and to encourage employee volunteerism in the organization. Iwas also given a task to make flyers and brochure which encourage and aware people about employeevolunteerism and the work done one in Urban Services.The work environment was very professional, however at the same time very homely. I was free toapproach anyone at any point for what-so-ever help you require. We all had lunch together. Everyonekeeps checking up on you and the work that you are doing, even if they are not your supervisors. It isextremely encouraging that the seniors constantly review your work and give you suggestions andinsights on how to make your work better.The best things about this internship was meeting and interacting with the people in the communitycenters and finding the area of concern. At the end of my internship period we enhanced and increasedthe scope of activities conducted by urban services to cover almost every facet of communitydevelopment, ranging from primary education for children from the underprivileged section, to joboriented training, community health and community sports programs, education and rehabilitation ofdifferently abled people and programs for women empowerment by having an extensive networkingwith other organizations. The whole idea was to bridge the gap between the \"haves\" and the \"havenot's\". The biggest lesson learnt was you don’t live unless you live for the change you want to see in thesociety, unless you give back to the society. Through this internship I felt that we all should keep doingour bit as much as possible to help each other.Ankita Singh_1537132 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Internship in MHCDP, Maharashtra. An initiative by CSA, Christ University.For my work experience in the NGO in the field of documentation fromthe period 17th of April till the 17th of May in the region of Jiwati,Chandrapur, Maharashtra.The experience was different and new, learning and unlearning, culturalexchange and beautiful country side, extreme hot temperature and offseasonal rains and thunder storms.Expecting a drought in the place where I was to be working but insteadreceiving this beautiful place with water and people.Learning the difference that CSA has made in the lives of people of 24different villages which is a massive improvement that is done here, forthe period of 7 years and now the project has been extended by 2 moreyears.Being able to manage in a place with absolutely no knowledge of thelanguage that is spoken here and communicating only in Hindi for allthe modes of expression of emotionsSamuel Roshan. S, 1537123 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Child Rights and You (CRY): Ensuring lasting change for childrenAn eye opening experience in the five weeks (from 18th April to 27th May, 2016) of internship at CRY Kolkata was whatwas experienced by me after having worked in the various assignments under communication and development field.Ensuring the rights to an underprivileged child is what the organization aims at and through us (interns) a voice isestablished to bring out advocacy in the midst of hopelessness and solitude among these communities. An independentworking culture along with meeting deadlines of the media related work was what was expected and fulfilled by me in thedepartment in which I have been assigned. The field visit on the 17th of May, 2016; as a part of my internship assignment,became an eye opening experience for me after having interacted with the underprivileged people (children of age group 12to 16 in particular) of the slums near Chakra rail station area of Nimtala Burning Ghat. Getting the opportunity to meetthese children, a handful of those whose responsibility are taken by the Calcutta Samaritans (NGO partner of CRY), was aprivilege for me to understand the difficulties and issues faced by them. Sitting alongside a sixteen year old child who wasdropped out from his education two years back and understanding his experience and taste of studying in school is so verydifferent from what normal school going children would have generally experienced. In spite of such difficult conditionsfaced by him, the child mastered up courage to face the world and re enrolled himself to schooling after being aided by theCalcutta Samaritans.CRY ensures such partner NGOs like Calcutta Samaritans to create awareness among the slum dwellers of the railway trackside and ensure drop out school going children to be re-enrolled or to initiate a new enrollment of children between agegroup 12 to 16 years of age. Coordinated by Mr. Abhijit Bhattacharjee and his team, I was taken to the community regionnear the railway tracks to analyze the living conditions and hardships faced by the community. Faced by a lot of challengeslike child labor, school dropout and addiction these children find it extremely difficult to cope up with their lives. CRY’sinitiative along with Calcutta Samaritans ensure their better approach towards mainstreaming of drug addict children,school dropouts, prevention of child labor and maintain a sustainability to create a change and light the lamp of hope in theminds of these children.Getting to mix with these homeless children really opened my eyes to come forward and help themin terms of sustainability and advocacy so that these young minds get an opportunity to utilize their growing minds inhealthy habits and well being. It was also a great challenge on the staffs who are appointed to monitor these children’sretention in the schools and improve the working condition so that they find interest in schooling. The community facesinnumerable challenges starting from protection issues to child labor and demands a little help that could bring about theirchange. It is a great privilege to be a part of this field visit where I could see the grass root level problems and how CRYensures and helps in creating awareness among many to bring about a ray of hope among the many homeless dwelling bythe railway tracks of Nimtala Ghat area.Diponmesh Paul, 1537108 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

NASSCOM Foundation- A social innovation forumThe internship experience of 1 month from the 24th of April to 23rd of May 2016 taught me to respect the work ofthose who love a quiet and peaceful life.NSIF(Nasscom social innovation forum) is a platform that provides financial aid and recognition to technologicalinnovations in the field of social issues by various NGOs, Social enterprises and Youth innovators. I had to sort out theapplications that the organization gets every year. My job was to go through each and every application and file it in themanner provided. This job opened my eyes to the number of innovations that India sees in an year. The creative mindsof people stunned me as the innovations would make the life of people who are underprivileged, physically challengedetc much more easier and self dependent. The sheer amount of work that goes into studying a challenge of the societyand working to solve it is tremendous.The job taught me to be patient and be diligent as all of us cannot have an exciting time at a job, but every job had itsown significance as well as importance.Sneha James_1537154 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Young leaders of Future Generation-Kaarmic Education ServiceAt Kaarmic House the main focus is on imparting education and support to underprivileged students in rural areas.Ihave been part of Young leaders for future Generation camp. This are the camps started off by the initiative of DSPPraveen Kumar of Hyderabad, Telangana.Through this organisation 18000 students are trained to be leaders for futuregeneration, also being exposed options to choose their career in future.Being part of this organisation i have done mypart of contribution to redefine their talents in teaching Journalism, Personality development and Problem solvingclasses.Our contribution went out through camps defined to stay at rural areas and access to as much as students intothe house to be leaders.In camps which i have worked i would like to tell successfully that 500 girls are trained to beleaders for future.I have also documented various training happened in the the camp.Sai Susmitha-1537152 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Be the Change - helping hand’ - Bahrain CSR SocietyBCSRS aimed to provide a quality and professional environment foryoungsters from various background. With workshops and trainings,they help mould individuals to perfect their communication andleadership skills. The organisation primarily focused on youngsters whowere facing financial issues hence could not receive education.Moreover, CSR activities are very minimal in Bahrain, therefore theNGO works to initiate such community activities and collaborate to helpgive back to the society. The NGO helped to cultivate suchcommunication skills where I was expected to work on variousstrategies and pitch it to various organisations. Not only was trained inmedia and communications department but I had the opportunity toget a chance to work in other fields as well.Organizing workshops, conferences, getting involved in communityservice was a wonderful experience all together. I was given the freedomto come up with new ideas on how to reach out to the community and atthe same time work with experts to bring out certain policies that wouldbring about a major change. There is much that I learned and I wouldreally like to go back and continue to contribute to the change and theimpact that they are making in the lives of many.Sharon Joseph - 1537153 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

A Tune for the Troubled: Empowering the visually impairedRotary Helen Keller Talking Book Library is a special library for the visually impaired which sources audiobooks.Popular for its extensive collection of textbooks, reference books, guides, and other such records (in CD/DVD/Cassetteformat) - the library is utilized by visually challenged lot for academic, motivational and spiritual purposes. Inbuilt withits own recording studio, the NGO is not only providing a platform for the visually challenged to educate themselves,but is also encouraging them to be independent and on par with the many on-going processes of the fast paced world.During the internship, the intern had learnt about blindness, its impacts and types, cure etc. She was made aware of thevarious softwares (such as JAWS) that are available to aid the visually challenged. She was entitled to the duty of socialmedia promotion of the organization. The intern had created various posters, posts, video and audio bytes in order tofulfil her responsibility of promoting the cause.Nikitha Garapati_ 1537141 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

ATMA Foundation: Living In HarmonyAtma Foundation is an NGO established in 2006 by C.K Suresh, a social worker and also a leading psychologist. Thefoundation was initially started in order to protect destitute girls by providing them quality education and shelter. Lateron ATMA Foundation worked towards building a better society through counselling, personality development andempowerment classes etc. The four months internship helped me to learn patience since I dealt with teaching thestudents in ATMA Gurukulam, a home for destitute girls. But I was surprised with the togetherness among thembecause in today’s world it seems very difficult for people to adjust. Also when I worked there I did not feel that I wasjust a volunteer. The staffs and my mentor treated me in a very casual way and were very friendly. The staffs wereready to accept my suggestions. Overall it was a wonderful experience working as a volunteer there.Amrutha Nair_1537130 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Quest Alliance: Enabling Self LeaQuest is a unique platform to share knowledge and opportunities to deserving students, entrepreneurs and employeesby giving them a chance to be proper functioning members of the society. This internship not only opened my eyes tothe amazing work they do, but they also taught me the very aspect of teamwork and dedication that the team put intheir work. Their lifelong dedication is what that drives the organization to address vital issues in the Indianeducational and job system. I wish to be surrounded by such a calm atmosphere that cherish each other’s presence andwork and also believe in the work they do themselves. That is something that cannot be easily found anywhere and forthis, I truly respect the work culture that Quest Alliance experiences.Jaicy V._1537142 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Tarumitra: Protecting Nature“Taru-mitra” meaning Friends of Trees aims in spreading information about ecological sensitivity all over the country.My assumption is that the idea for what they believe in, is the most important part since, an organization which isnon-profit and works for the welfare of society and human being has much to do with qualities of the field rather thanpursuing economic growth for the self. I learned many a things about our ecology and also how deeply we all areconnected with it. Few of the works for which i will always have some pride was to create oxygen belt around the city.The idea of planting and promoting the same is where i felt a noble cause to do for society.Ashish Kr. _1537106 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

L’Arche Asha Niketan: Relationship-Transformation-signL’Arche Asha Niketan has shown me a different perspective of life that Ihad never known or rather I had ever imagined. This NGO is for thementally challenged people of the society. Their mission is to Makeknown the gifts of people with intellectual disabilities through mutuallytransforming relationships. Foster and environment in community thatresponds to the changing needs of our members whilst being faithful tothe core values their founding story. Engage in their diverse cultures,working together towards a more human society. After I met Mr paul todiscuss about my internship, he told me, “here, you will not work forthem, but you will work with them”. This is like a small communitywhere all are dependent on each other and live a better and happy lifethan us. I learned to respect each and every person here, on the first dayI wasn’t sure how I will be able to work with them, I thought I wouldfeel uncomfortable, but within two days I had no issues of that sort. Tobe honest, this was one place where I really wanted to get up in themorning and go, I was enjoying and was happy with what I did here. Iwish I could’ve served for some more time.Nikhil Jose_1537115 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

A view to a better childhood: BOSCO BangaloreChildren are entitled to a good future, no matter what their personalmatters are or what they have done in their life earlier. The future mustbe a beautiful journey for them, period. Bosco Bangalore, the NGOprovided me with this beautiful experience of witnessing as to thebehind the scenes of what exactly comprises of this worse past and thebetter future. The case studies which I did as a part of the internshipwere eye opening and led me to believe that there was much more tothese children than just loss of innocence. But that did not deter themfrom aiming and dreaming for a life they wished they had. Also it gaveme an insight in to how an ngo functions regarding the runawaychildren and how these things are dealt with. I had some of mypersonal problems with the people there, but apart from that theexperience was one of a kind.Kodlekere Siddhanth Nagraj_1537112 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

YUVATHA- Awakening the SocietyWorking for the society has always been something close to my heart, when I say society, I include myself also.Working with Yuvatha have been one of the greatest privileges of my life, joining a small scale CSO has given me morenumber of opportunities to prove my abilities and capacities in all the dynamics possible. It was more like exploringself rather than anything in the initial days. Yuvatha has always trusted me and encouraged my initiatives and idea.WOrking in various wings at Yuvatha did help me understand the way a CSO works fully.I was privileged to attend WFUNA International Model United Nations Conference through MUN Cafe which iscollaborated with Yuvatha for a few events. WFUNA International MUN was organized and Collaborated with UnitedNations itself and gave me a global understanding of social problem and creative, innovative solutions to suchproblems. Though I was an International Correspondent at the conference I largely explored every dynamics and madeInternational Friends.Moving into the core work at the CSO, I was into counselling for a week, where we understand the background of thecandidate and counsel them about life and education. Week was more of Collaborations and working for WFUNAInternational Model UN Conference. Week three was a bit tough one due to my health, and so was on a leave for 4 daysas I was hospitalized. Week four was totally in media wing where content writing and handling the media was the task.A total of 45 days Internship is completed on 31st May, 2016 with a certificate and a paid job offer.Raygalla Kalyan Srinivas_1537120 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

WWF...A unique experience!My experience at WWF has been more than rewarding. It has helped to recognise myself as somebody who is everwilling to learn new things. I learnt of the issues that our society faces and the potential we have in order to make greatchanges. It is only that we do not put enough effort to play a small part in helping humanity and nature stay together inharmony.Working at WWF has taught me the importance of working under pressure as well as deadlines. I was expected tofinish my quota of work for a particular day after which the office would be shut down. Thus it really had me going at afixed pace and thishas only helped me in the process. I also got to meet new people and interact with them. I also learntto make better my social skills as the first two weeks of has me calling up the Corporate Social Responsibility heads ofvarious major firms, companies and organisations. I spoke to many important people with high designations and thishelped boost my confidence.I also completed my internship making new friends in the process. It helped me improve my social skills as well ascircle.Interning at WWF has been a great experience and i am glad to have been a part of the NGO as well as offer my servicesto them.Sheldon D’costa, 11123967 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

IT for ChangeIT for change has been one of the places from where I have learnt a lot atmany junctures. Every week was a new learning curve in its own. In thisgrowing era of gadgets and internet, bringing in technology for teachingstudents is what the future will be all about. Use of technology ingovernment school classrooms itself serve as an incentive for students tolearn more and in addition to this, technology offers the same piece oflearning in many different ways.The internship has taught me a lot of things. These are in the form ofcreating innovative teaching resources in terms of what teachers seek,learning about multilinguality in classroom and outside atmospheres,bringing in multilinguality as a tool to learn and communicate in a lot oflanguages at once and multilinguality as a tool to teach between thestudents and teachers. It taught me that how technology can be used as atwo-way tool between teachers and students in a classroom. Contributingtowards social sector where my work is appreciated as well as useful is aspecial feeling.Aditya Krishnan_1537102 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

U&I, bringing the change bit by bit.I worked with an NGO called U&I which aims to educate the underprivileged kids and make their lives better. In orderto recruit volunteers, it recruits thousands of volunteers in across 7 cities, plus three more cities this year.My experience in the NGO was really good as it was great working with such inspiring people, all from differentbackgrounds, contributing their bits to make lives better. I understood how much efforts it takes to brainstorm an ideato promote a product, and further more challenging is what it takes to execute it. The past one month went in a wink ofan eye. This internship was something that I looked up to every morning, especially because of the positive people andtheir positive energies that restored my faith in the existence of humanity. This particular experience will be cherishedforever.Chetna Sethia - 1537138 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Meeting the challenge of LifeFor the purpose of internship, I worked with Prerona Pratibandhi Sishu Bikash Kendra Spastic Society of Jorhat inJorhat Assam. The internship proved to be a great learning experience in the sense that I not only got an opportunity tocontribute to the welfare of the differently abled children under the organisation’s care but also was provided with achance to gain an insight into how an NGO works at various levels. Though the experience was not devoid of obstaclesbe it the language barrier or the challenges faced in terms of the tasks assigned, it was one where I emerged moreknowledgeable and experienced than what I was before the period of internship. The internship helped me grow on aprofessional level as it provided me with exposure to the industry. Finally, I learnt how imperative it is to work as ateam if the organisation is to achieve its aim.Sahiba Cuccria_1537151 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

CHILDLINE Se DostiMeeting Childline India Foundation and being with them gave me an understanding about the condition of Children inIndia which is a developing nation. The children who are the future of the country how are they exploited and what arethe measures taken and how many other NGO’s with the help of this foundation works for the betterment andupliftment of children. The initiative with the government by this foundation is good but it has a way to go toaccomplish the goals. This internship made me understand how and what we youth can do. It gave me an inner feelingto understand the condition and to decide on along with your own betterment you have the duty to take care of thesociety because you create the society.Jini K Jose_1537143 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

BHUMI - “ Nurture, Nourish, Negotiate”The people we meet in our day to day lives are rarely inspirational, their problems often seem futile to us as they sufferthinking they are suffering even though they have all resources at their disposal. The challenge in living lies in the livesof those who lack basic amenities like food, education, who often live through the nights without a roof over theirheads. A month with Bhumi taught me to nourish talent and enthusiasm in the young minds of children. Once aninterest or idea takes roots in the mind of a child, it should be nurtured so as to motivate the child to take up herinterest. Change should be negotiated as the parents may not always be willing to give their children into education,thus taking away one earning hand from the family. Apart from these learnings I also experienced how humbling aconversation with a daily wage labourer can be when learning about their day to day challenges.Ankita Dutta_1537162 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

ActionAid- fighting for those who can’tMy experience at ActionAid India was a thorough learning andun-learning experience. Learning in terms of the knowledge gained inareas I was never exposed to, such as environmental issues, slumevictions, etc. Un-learning in terms of how certain perceptions I hadwere changed at the protest fighting for democracy. My mentor is anextremely well read man and was always willing to share his knowledgeeven when he was pressed for time. The public hearing report on theslum evictions in Karnataka was an eye opener in terms of the strugglesthat so many people, especially women undergo. The fight that theorganisation is constantly a part of is to bring many like them to justice.Though the organisation has pre-set goals or agendas that ought to beachieved, anything that affects the common man, they step in to fight it.It changed my perception; small actions do make a difference,especially for those who neither have a voice, nor the knowledge of theirrights. Mass communication plays a huge role, but as it is not used totheir benefit, the extensive work done by them get no recognition. Theexperience and learning from the internship was an overall learning ofmind and soul.Natasha George_1537146 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Drean a DreanMy one month internship at Dream a Dream was wonderful. The internship taught me so many things. First of all itgave me a first- hand experience as to how the communications team of an NGO functions. The kind of content that hasto be generated by the communications department that will portray the organisation and its goals for what it is. I hadto think differently and in a unique way, be it content generation, videography or social media promotions. I also gotthe opportunity to volunteer at one of Dream a Dream’s outdoor experiential camps. I enjoyed my volunteeringexperience, interacting with the children and listening to the different tales they had to tell. I learnt from the childrenas much as they learnt from me. Each day of the internship had something new to teach me, be it outdoor work orindoor work. I was glad to have interned at Dream a Dream and will always cherish this learning experience.Varsha Raja_1537160 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

MAYAHealth- A Pioneer in Preventive HealthcareMaintaining proper health is the primary goal of every human being. Ahealthy living can be further bolstered by preventing the onset of diseases.This is the goal MAYAHealth is striving to achieve, especially in ruralcommunities where the awareness on preventive health is low. The campis currently in Channapatna and plan to expand its reach tillChamrajnagar. I learnt a lot after joining this organization. Firstly, itimmensely helped my communication skills when i got a chance to interactwith the community members and the Health Navigators. Secondly, in theprocess of making videos that suit the needs of the community, it helpedme develop script writing, video making as well as editing. Lastly, it wasteamwork that was responsible in the making of the video. The mentorswere a constant source of support throughout in the making of the video.Tejas N K_1537125 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Greenpeace India, BangaloreGreenpeace Environment Trust is a voluntary organisation works for conserving and preserving the environment andthe society as a whole. I consider it as a privilege working in this well reputed organisation for a period of one month.During my tenure, I worked in the Greenpeace Media department capturing the experiences of fundraiser for theaccomplishment of Learning and development project. For the project, I was asked to take both videos and photos offundraisers. For the same I was supposed to travel with fund raiser to different places and got the opportunity tointeract and engage with them.Apart from that my head asked me to make a video on Bangalore for which I visited many landmarks of the city andcovered the same. During my time in the office as well in the field I had face many challenges and obstacles towardscompleting my project. The one month in the organisation aided me to gain my knowledge on the working of cameraand softwares like Adobe Premiere Pro.Abey James_1537101 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

RangzenIn the Tibetan, Rangzen means independence. The NGO I was working for was called “Students for a free Tibet”and as the name suggests, works towards the cause of Tibetan Independence from the Chinese authority. Tibetwas invaded by the forces of the Chinese army in the year 1949 and the head of the nation and their spiritualleader, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has been in exile in Dharamsala, India, ever since. Tibetans are strippedoff of their freedoms of Speech and expression in Tibet, and the very Tibetan way of life is at the brink ofextinction presently.The Chinese “Cultural revolution” has left over 6000 monasteries in ruins, their language suppressed in usageand even holding the picture of their spiritual leader, illegal. The NGO works on grassroot level activities whereinthey aim at increasing the cost of occupation in Tibet so high for the Chinese government that they will have tofree Tibet one day. The works involved helping the NGO with activities, campaigns, compilation of updatedinformation, research, and working with softwares like Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe Photoshop for the same.Philip Yeldhos, 1537117 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Lhakar - Celebrating CultureInterning with Students for a Free Tibet – India was an experience mixed with intensive research, cultural tours andthe quest for truth. With the headquarters at Dharamsala, the SFT office is located facing the magnificent Dhauladharranges which present a different view every single day. What is better than the view outside are the beautiful mindsand faces inside the office who do not practice hierarchy of any form.I appreciate SFT’s attempt to provide a holistic understanding of the entire Tibet conflict when dealing with studentgroups, without bias. While research and field work are integral parts of almost all internships, I realized I was livinga cause for the Tibetan freedom movement in such high spirit and energy driven with a sense of purpose I have neverreally felt before.China has been exploiting Tibet’s resources, sending mass numbers to the region and doing away with traditionalpractices and cultures through industrialization. Moreover, there has been an increased record of human rightsviolation and wide scale prosecutions over the years in Tibet Autonomous Region. There is no freedom to speech andexpression and strict regulations are placed as to how they practise their faith. Lhakar is a people’s resistancemovement that has emerged in Tibet in recent years in spite of China’s crackdown. What began as a campaign to takesimple and practical actions to assert Tibetan cultural identity is evolving into a widespread non-cooperation andself-reliance movement inside Tibet. When Tibet does become free one day, it will not be because of the struggle of afew Tibetans, but the united movement from people all over the world. It is imperative that people around aresensitized towards the situation and drive away the Chinese oppression together.Vishnu Suresh, 1537127 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Make A Wish Foundation : Making the sweet wishes come true and sharing the power of a wishMake A Wish Foundation was founded in the United States in the year 1980. 7 year old Christopher James, suffering ofLeukaemia wished to be a police officer as he grows up, stands as the inspiration behind Make A Wish. Chrisexperienced to be a police officer for a day, he rode the helicopter and got his police uniform sewed from the customs.Interning with the Non-profit organisation was a different feeling and experience altogether. Firstly I got to realise theimportance of ‘wishes’ and got a handful experience arranging those wishes for the children suffering of the lifethreatening diseases. The Ngo internship made me realise that the sorrows are so less in front of the children’shappiness on receiving their gifts. I got to know about a lot of life threatening diseases in the process and got thechance to visit world renowned hospitals and learnt on the procedure to know the children wishes. Participting as theanchor and hosting on the World Wish Day ceebration, in the R.N Tagore hospital was a total different feeling and willbe remembered always. Every child met on the journey stands very close to my heart and their joy was my satisfactionbeyond any internship or marks but something very personal and close.Koyel Saha, 1537144 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Drishti- Helping the needyDrishti Ngo is the organization which is highly concerned about the health of the people and which cares a lot about theenvironment as well. It is located in the south district of sikkim in a place called “Namchi” once it was also the capital ofSikkim. It was started to help the needy.It was an amazing experience for me working with the non-profit organisation. I could realise so many things and ilearned a lot with them which helped me grow. I could see so many things that touched me emotionally, how thechildren are deprived of education and so many opportunities. It was such a lovely time knowing the kids personally. Itis said “SAD SORROWS ARE BIGGER THAN A SMILE” this Ngo internship helped me know the deepest pain of thechildren, how the girl child are abused brutally and how the boy child have to escape from a child labour. I too got achance of staffing the kids which was a great experience for me. The most beautiful thing which i happened to discoverwith the Drishti Ngo is i could feel them.Trija Subba 1537159 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Tarumitra - Friends of TreesTarumitra, meaning “Friends of Trees” in Hindi and Sanskrit, is astudent movement to protect and promote a healthy environment andecological sensitivity. The Bio-reserve has a rare collection of over 400vanishing trees and plants of North India. The Centre has a largegenetic nursery, a Tissue Culture lab and provides nature relatedcamps. Started by students in Patna, India in 1988, the movement hasspread into hundreds of high schools and colleges all over India. It hasover 2,50,000 members in over 1000 high schools and colleges.Tarumitra has also had several full time volunteers from India andabroad. U.N has conferred a Special Consultative Status to Tarumitrafrom 2005.The Bio-reserve mainly aims to equip its members with skills inhandling local environmental problems, to organize campaigns for thepreservation of bio-diversity and to promote a spirituality and aworldview that is earth friendly.Ashish Kumar, 1537106 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

YUVATHA- Awakening the YouthYUVATHA is a new age civil society organization working for the benefitof the poor in various dynamics of the society. Yuvatha majorly focuses onEmpowering the privileged and underprivileged youth in the society withdiverse focus on environment, education and much more.Working at Yuvatha was a privilege in-deed. After the internship period Igot on-board as the esteemed member of the Advisory Panel at Yuvatha.During the internship, my work was to generate content, design strategiesand also to maintain the internal quality of the organization. Though thesize of the organization then was small, now it is pretty big with avolunteer base of over 800 young enthusiasts and over 500 permanentmembers who are always open to help.The recently started Blood Brigade wing is also working towards thesociety by enhancing and creating a chain of network all over the city andstate in-terms of blood donation.Raygalla Kalyan Srinivas, 1537120 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17

Dream a DreamMy one month internship at Dream a Dream was wonderful. Theinternship taught me so many things. First of all it gave me a first- handexperience as to how the communications team of an NGO functions.The kind of content that has to be generated by the communicationsdepartment that will portray the organisation and its goals for what itis. I had to think differently and in a unique way, be it contentgeneration, videography or social media promotions. I also got theopportunity to volunteer at one of Dream a Dream’s outdoorexperiential camps. I enjoyed my volunteering experience, interactingwith the children and listening to the different tales they had to tell. Ilearnt from the children as much as they learnt from me. Each day ofthe internship had something new to teach me, be it outdoor work orindoor work. I was glad to have interned at Dream a Dream and willalways cherish this learning experience.Varsha Raja 1537160 My internship experience | MAMCS 2015-17