Diyaa, Honors in Psychology (BA)
Internship Country: Vietnam
Canadian NGO: Mines Action Canada
Local NGO: Association for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (AEPD)
During the past couple of weeks working with the Association for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (AEPD), I have found that I have a new respect for the things they do in order to create a better environment for those around them. The ways that they include my own learning into projects that they would like me to do allowed me to stay interested in the planning and postings of work assignments.
I personally chose to work with AEPD because I have worked with people who have disabilities before,and I disliked the idea that there are places all over the world that choose to not give people jobs due to their physical or mental well-being. To be able to help provide those minorities with a new view of the world allowed me to stay interested and be more open to ideas that others told me. Prior to starting my internship, I found that the trainings that we were given allowed for me to broaden my viewpoint on how I should interact with my host NGO. It also allowed me to create relationships with those around me and escape from my shell. When I first met both my host NGO and my local NGO, I was terrified, the idea of having a strictly work relationship with no way to have fun was a thought that stuck in my mind.
After meeting my Canadian NGO, I realized that it was not like that, they also wanted me to be comfortable and honestly created a situation where I was happy to ask for help. The kindness and welcoming atmosphere allowed me to be comfortable in a job that I would be at for a while. Starting off, It was hard to get adjusted to the new working environment and implement ideas I had. I was tasked with social media and brochures, and that was kind of up my alley. It allowed me to play off my strengths and create new media that will be eye catching for them to look at. I personally love this aspect of my internship and can’t wait to experience new things as the time moves on. Recently, as I started to get more familiar with my work, the ability to learn and grow allowed me to keep my ambitions up. I can’t wait to learn more as I continue to work with these NGOs.