A unique experience abroad : An Internship in Kathmandu

By Jasmine

Documentation, outreach and communication interns, Alternatives Canada

A child wearing a pink top and jeans opening the front door
Faculty of Social Sciences
From the Field
Nepal
Tree small trees in the foreground with the city of Kathmandu seen from far in the background
"I discovered how strong I really was and how adventurous I could be."

Jasmine, 3rd year, Honours Bachelors in Social Sciences in International Studies and Modern Languages
Internship Country: Nepal
Canadian NGO: Alternatives Canada
Local NGO: NGO Federation of Nepal

It all started last September, when I got an email from the Faculty of Social Sciences informing me of the opportunity to go abroad as part of an international internship. Slowly, I started to look into the possibility of spending an entire semester in a different country. Having never lived outside my parent’s house, I was excited at the idea of having so much autonomy. I knew this opportunity would be a great life experience as well as good work experience. I had travelled on my own before, but never for this long. In January, after a long process and multiple training sessions, I left for Kathmandu, Nepal. Having had such thorough preparation, I felt ready for anything. My experience had a rocky start, but has been positive overall. This has been an amazing opportunity for self-growth. This entire experience has taught me to take everything one day at a time and to be flexible. Here, there are a lot of things that are different from Canada: the lack of heating, the food, the smog, the friendliness of the locals (yes, more friendly than Canadians, especially towards foreigners), the driving habits…. At the beginning, I suffered from culture shock - everything was different! But slowly, I started to appreciate all the new things with which I was coming in contact. I discovered new foods, like momos, and a different way of life. I got to ride on a motorcycle daily to get to work. I discovered how strong I really was and how adventurous I could be. Overall, I discovered quite a few things about myself and gained new skills, such as flexibility, adaptability, cultural awareness, and problem solving