Rebecca, Conflict and Human Rights,
CECI, Nepal,
Trans-Himalayan Envrionment and Livelihood Program (T-HELP).
Trying to catch my breath a little after this tough 2020-2021 year, I decided to sign up for the international internships. I was fed up with exams, looking for fieldwork experience, but trying to make my last academic year less busy than the one just ended.
Accepted as a communications officer with the Centre d'étude et de coopération internationale (CECI), I was then affiliated with an organization in Nepal, the Trans-Himalayan Envrionment and Livelihood Program (T-HELP). I'm responsible for updating the organization's official documents, making contact with potential donors and partners, and above all, managing the organization's social networks. In this fifth week of my internship, I have to admit that the honeymoon is coming to an end, but I'm trying to meet the needs of my organization first.
To this day, I'm completely satisfied that I chose an internship instead of taking 2 summer courses. Even though summer courses are usually six weeks long and this internship is twelve, avoiding exams, assignments and intensive courses gives me some breathing space.
Another beauty of this internship is that it allows me to work on something entirely different from my field of study. Some might see this as a disadvantage, but on the contrary, I personally believe that I'm acquiring some very useful knowledge, even if it's not directly related to my field of study. Considering that theory is more or less the same as practice, I see this opportunity as a way of enriching my knowledge.
It's true that the time difference could be a major obstacle for many people. However, I decided to approach this obstacle differently. By starting my day early, it also ends earlier. So I have more time to enjoy this beautiful weather. What's more, meetings are infrequent - once every 14 days. So I very rarely have to wake up at 5am.
Another advantage of a long-distance internship is the possibility of continuing one's occupations here. By being carefully prepared and dedicated to the tasks of the internship, it's totally possible to mix personal and professional responsibilities.
On the other hand, the biggest disadvantage of an international internship is that it's harder to understand and adopt the culture of a host country. Fortunately, by being creative, it's very possible to have a remote internship experience very similar to a face-to-face one. For example, I try to incorporate at least one recipe a week from the Kathmandu Post.
In fact, when we put things in perspective, it really was the best choice to make!