Internship Programs in India | Start your career in Social Impact

I was in my gap year and was looking to travel & volunteer. I’d known from my circles that choosing a volunteer program is tricky as I need to ensure that my impact reaches to communities.

After a meticulous research for a week I came across TribesforGOOD’s Summer Internship program. It was a 3 week program operating out of a co-working space in Mumbai. This struck cords with me as it not only provided a chance to volunteer but also work with 3 different enterprises one in travel, second in education and third in women empowerment.

After reaching in Mumbai, I took an accommodation in a hostel near to our office and met my mentor for an Induction about social enterprises in India & Health & Safety briefing that proved to be a boon in the weeks to come.

Over the course of 3-weeks, I got an opportunity to work on multiple projects such as research projects, online fundraising, social media marketing, etc. Each with a different enterprises & focus on various sectors viz.
-Women empowerment & livelihood
-Education
-Climate
-Clean Energy
-Urban poverty

The best part about the program was the on-field visits where I met the actual beneficiaries of the program I was working on & could see how I’d be making a difference. During the off-days we went on to explore the hidden treasures of the city of Mumbai: city-walks, cafe’s a couple of touristy locations as well.

Reflecting back on what I gained through this program I’d say the philosophy of learning by doing stuck with me and helped me develop a global outlook when it comes to innovations and bring about lasting change.

Working with Mandeep at Tribes for GOOD and learning about various other social enterprises and organizations in India has been nothing short of amazing. I did this internship remotely yet I always felt guided by Mandeep. She was always available for me ask questions and for her to thoroughly answer them. I had the opportunity to learn more about different social enterprise business models and to understand how different organizations function. I was able to sharpen my writing and content skills and understand what customers are looking for on a website. I can only imagine what more I would have learnt if I was actually in India! This is truly a wonderful opportunity to gain new skills, assist awesome organizations doing amazing work and to be exposed to a new and different culture!

I had a 2 month internship in Business Development at TribesForGOOD. It was a meticulously planned internship where my mentor sat down with me to identify my skillset, understand the goals for this job and prepare an execution model based on the market trends and culture.

All in all it was a great experience with Mandeep always being there to help you out and almost always ready to hear out your ideas and suggestions.
Moreover, it helped me understand how Social Impact Journeys are need of the our as they really help build a bridge between the tourists and the locals thereby, increasing tourism, economy for the locals, a sense of responsibility towards the culture and heritage of country/place you're traveling to, etc.

I'd recommend TribesForGOOD to anyone whose looking to either understand Ecological Tourism or wanting a chance to be a part of an industry which is more than mere profits and is always on a lookout for ways to GIVE BACK to the society .

It's a social enterprise that encourages it's team to get involved in the very sector they are working for. We used to research on the current scene in the industry, future trends and have discussions about topics ranging for Workplace to Deep Sea diving .
An organization that believes in the Power of Ideas and Individuals.

After stumbling upon the TribesforGood website during a google search about what to do during my gap year that would improve my CV and help me make a difference in the world, or at least teach me about how to, I didn't know what exactly to expect. Sure, the website is very descriptive and breaks down the journey piece by piece, by as an Australian, India belongs to the large group of countries that seem worlds away. The team was very patient with me and guided me throughout it all, from the first day after my registration, until after I had arrived back home in Sydney. Was it intimidating? yes! Where there moments I felt overwhelmed by the new foreign environment packed with different traditions, cultures, and beliefs? Initially, yes!
It is only on my second day here, where with the guidance of the TribesforGood team that I was able to begin relaxing and truly feel comfortable. The team was well organized and ensured that I never felt stranded, lost or out of place. They answered all of my questions to the best of their ability and occasionally, through their workshops and answers, pushed me, too, to consider various new aspects and solutions to the problems I was introduced to in the Indian Social Space. I recommend this journey to anyone who wants to learn more about India, but in a new sustainable way! I know for sure that I won't begin working in the Indian Social Space as I would miss home too much, but I've been introduced to new ways of giving back including remote volunteering… something I've taken up in my free time and find, not only enjoyable but very rewarding. All in all, I couldn't be happy that my, what once began as, a relatively aimless google search resulted in a life-changing and enlightening week in India's amazing city Mumbai, where I learned, was challenged and grew.

The planning that went into the journey was what impressed me the most apart from the great experience I had . Every day was scheduled precisely starting with a session of Meditation and Yoga to prep us for the day ahead, the day would have a lot of activities, meet ups, field trips planned keeping in mind minimum time consumption in travel so we could have more time interacting with schools,entrepreneurs and people rather than sitting in a bus with my headphones on.

TribesforGOOD enforces the idea of learn by doing. On second day of our journey we visited a co-shared space to meet the pioneers of microfinance revolution and had an informative discussion about they try and bring affordable loans to the impoverished people to uplift them as a community. The fact that the whole journey was more of a discovery of Personal self rather than a tour is what makes it unique.

I have always been curious to understand the social enterprise landscape in India. Through TribesforGOOD's program I got a chance to meet changemakers and their organisations.

The best thing about the program is the team who tries to understand the participant's requirement and tweak the program. For example I was really interested in understanding Gender Interventions in India. TribesforGOOD not only made me meet organisations, they also went out of their way to ensure that all my questions were answered.

Overall a well thought of program for someone looking to increase their knowledge about social impact.

I vividly recall the time I landed in Mumbai. I covered a distance of 15,000 kilometres to be in the city of dreams , a city that never sleeps. I had a burning passion to witness and hopefully be a part of the social impact Industry, as I had read a lot about them . Finally, I was here in this City, a dream had finally come true.
After the initial culture shock , I got acclimatized to the city, which welcomed me with open arms. Through the next couple of days , I learnt about microfinance, clean tech, gender, women’s empowerment and livelihood. I learnt so much and it was truly a defining moment for me. The conclusion I reached was unequivocal, How do I give back ? How can I use my abilities for the upliftment of society ?
But I had a lot to learn still and so with that objective in mind, I participated in local initiatives like marketing, fundraising, finance etc. I was particularly impressed with hackathons.
For the traveler and the curious, this opportunity is golden . These social impact journeys are week long expeditions of discovery and insights in the land of India, which is truly majestic. It gave me a tremendous sense of fulfillment and purpose to use my talents and skills for the betterment of the society.