School of Business, Public Policy & Social

Entrepreneurship (SBPPSE)

Internship at Aarohan (NGO)

Report

Submitted By:-
Ashish Kumar Dhar
Roll no- s163f0006
Objective:-
 Sensitize myself with the society and open to the communities.
 Learn as well as contribute for the holistic welfare.

 Understand NGO as an organization.

Application of HR Knowledge:-
We sometimes advance and approach something with different approach, but get something
more, we get something more. I tried to build a more efficient team, I started with building
trust and an environment of harmony was the result of the efforts.
The proper idea of tasks and goals is an important aspect for an organization to perform well. I
tried to make an effort so that the accountability increases.
Various team building activities were conducted so that the students get to know that moving
together is the best option.
Description of work undertaken during Internship

It was an interesting time, more so because of the winters. The initial days brought up the task
of communitymobilization. I along with other volunteers at Aarohan, and a coordinator used to
go to nearby communities. A new course was introduced in association with 'Smile Foundation', the
'STEP' course as it is called is designed to provide the students with knowledge that would give them the
opportunity to enter the work arena. It had English speaking, Personality development, Basic computer
and Retail management. I took the opportunity to visit the communities and urge the youth of 18-25
yrs(the age requirement for the program) to come and join the programmes. It was for people who had
completed their Matriculation and were unemployed or not doing so well. I did the task on many
occasionsand successfully convinced many young boys and girls to join the course and take steps
towards a better tomorrow.

The second day also saw me accompanying the kids to the Film festival at Siri Fort Auditorium, organised
by Smile Foundation. It was a fun day with important learnings. Another task that occupied the
maximum portion of my stay at Aarohan was teaching students. I taught students from class 2nd to
11th, it was a wonderful experience for me, broadly I taught the senior classes. It was joyous to
contribute through the medium of sharing the knowledge.

I did several case studies during the course, I got a chance to engage in their Women empowerment
wing through this. They train the women in Garment making and Beautician skills. It led to a deeper
insight into the lives of the women over there.

I also helped in rearranging the data and make thing more systematic so that accountability of the work
could increase.I also held some Team Building activities which helped the students to understand the
value and goods of team work.
NGO as an organization:-

It is said that a non-governmental organization (NGO) is a citizen-based association that operates

independently of government, usually to deliver resources or serve some social or political purpose. My
understanding of NGO got elaborated with the internship. First and foremost it is not easy to take up the
challenge, the bigger problem is availability of money for meeting the targets. I have sheer admiration
for people taking up the challenge, trying the hardest so that they can get some funding, se donations
that would help their cause.

The difference at the first glance one would easily notice when coming to a NGO from a corporate is the
environment and culture. The environment is friendly, it is a closed unit and there is more of harmony
and less of competitiveness among themselves, they rather are more focused towards getting the task
done for the organization together. The culture is very welcoming, it is very easy for an outsider to come
and mingle at the earliest.

An amazing feature of a NGO is that it sees more number of volunteers working for them as compared
to a corporate. After every few weeks, we can see a fresh number of people walking in to make their
share of contribution. A very pleasing sight is when you see people from outside India coming and
agreeing to volunteer their services. A scene can be imagined where there is such diversity, people from
different colleges, states, countries all working together for a same cause or project, it is a happy
scenario.

The functioning though at times depends critically on the volunteers coming in from outside as the
number of staffs are less, again the issue of funding for a small NGO. It though can be said that the
motivation to work for the issues and purposes never lacks behind. A strong vision, direction and
leadership I believe is an important aspect for a NGO to well and keep moving ahead.
Recommendations:-

I had an amazing time during the internship so there are a very few things I would like to recommend for
a brighter future.

 There comes too much dependence and workload on a single person at times, if everyone takes
care of their part it would all flow smoothly.
 Aarohan does less of marketing activities for people to know about the causes and issues they
are standing for, a bit of that can be improved.
 I believe that there is a scope for improvement in the leadership from the top, a little pro-active
will be great.
 A similar skill training can be done for the transgender community such as garment making and
beautician course, so that they can have an alternative option.
 Decision making process should be made a little flexible, ideas incorporated from more number
of people leads to a visionary direction.
 Proper utilization and distribution of resources available. There are certain perishable items that
come kids which if not utilized within the time frame gets wasted.
Key Learnings as Intern and Conclusion:-

The highest purpose for me was to sensitise myself more with the society as working in a corporate
environment gives us a very few opportunities to do so. A day at movies in the very beginning developed
a sense of more responsibility and care as before this period I didn't look out for a big number,
especially kids. The community mobilizations made me more humble and rooted as I engaged with the
people who don't have luxuries and are just able to manage their daily livings; we tend to miss these
things with the engagements we have in our daily lives, barely have we thought about the basic
necessities, and here people have to struggle for it. I definitely learned to respect the fellow beings and
treating everyone kindly is more important. I also got an opportunity to anchor the Christmas event, I
enjoyed it as I could went on with the script writing and being on the stage, brought back the memories
from my days at Sainik School and graduation years.

I also initiated to build trust and friendship among the volunteers that came from various schools and
whom I worked along during my internship. I learned that trust building is a process that starts from
within first. The comment from my project coordinator, " I never experienced such friends and happy
environment among volunteers before this, it is such a happy feeling working with this set of people", it
made me feel more confident about my approach, and that the right process takes care of the result we
don't need to worry too much for it. We had lunch together and often we went to various places in Delhi
like Khan Market, CR Park, and New Friends Colony together after work to hanging out with each other.
It was a sense of joy working here, teaching the students made me realise the importance of education
as it liberates us and makes us observe things with different perspectives, a similar paragraph in a social
science chapter can be loomed form so many schools of thoughts.

I also got a chance to interact to the transgender community Aarohan works for, the centre is in
Mongolpuri, I came to know about the hardships they go through. They earn their living by primarily
engaging in sexual activities. Aarohan along with the support of Delhi government is taking up the issue
of their healthcare, I believe it is a step in the right direction. There is a need to change the point of view
of the society and treat the Transgender people with empathy and kindness. The need for an acceptance
of them is the way society should go about. Most of them I learnt don't have a family or are an outcast,
it was saddening, and hence some thinking about the mind-set of the public should be taken care of. It
would all arise from within us.

I was also invited to a wedding of one my coordinator's friend, first time I did witness a Muslim Nikaah,
and it was kid moment for me as I never had a chance. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at Aarohan and
performed and completed all the tasks given. It was a happy and enriching experience.