Seema, Political Science and Economics Program
Virtual Internship Country: Lebanon
Canadian NGO: Alternatives
Local NGO: Arab House for Adult Education and Development (AHAED)
After finally being matched with an NGO, the Arab House for Adult Education and Development (AHAED), I have been navigating how to work as an intern for the first time. This organization specifically focuses on working to expand adult education in the Arab world through helping people navigate the field while also bringing resources to promote adult education in the Arab world. They are made up of several organization to help meet the education and literacy needs to help promote adult education. They conduct newsletters as well as conferences to further develop their mission and to help address issues and solutions involving adult education and illiteracy.
I am currently working with AHAED to develop their newest newsletter. As their newsletters are originally drafted in Arabic, I am working on the English versions to assure all is written appropriately and in the correct format. While converting an Arabic newsletter into English, I have discovered that there is much more to it than just simple translation of text. There are graphical designs and tables that need to be reorganized while simultaneously trying to follow the same template as the original. I have learned tricks on how to reorganize the direction of text for tables while also learning how to navigate translation services to assure I am getting the most accurate translation possible.
I was a little reluctant to working on translations, primarily because I do not speak Arabic so I believed that it wouldn’t be done affectively. It was insisted that I try to translate a small document, and after it was reviewed, they told me that I had done a sufficient job in translation and they would be sending me large documents from the newsletter to help translate. I am proud to have learned many tricks on how to help with assuring that my translations are accurate, specifically through referencing off of AHAED’s website and other newsletters to assure everything is accurate.
I am given my tasks every Monday and I use the week to complete what has been assigned to me. Then, on Friday’s, I am scheduled to have a meeting with AHAED to discuss my work from the week while also discussing any concerns or questions. This allows me to have a consistent cycle of communication with the organization to assure that everything is being done correctly, while also being able to address any questions of concerns. The organization also remains extremely supportive and helpful for any doubts or concerns that I’ve had and help me become more confident in the work I am doing as they are often very supportive and positive in response to the work I do.