Wonderful experience in public health emergency response / disaster management

During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, I got matched with EduCARE India NGO for my virtual internship in Public Health Emergency Response program under its Disaster Management (Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Response Preparedness) initiative. I was a bit confused in the first couple of days when a lot of information was passed my way to which I was not used to. However, I was able to appreciate it all by the end of my 1st week engagement.

My cross cultural communication classes had helped me to practice active listening and writing things down to continuously reflect later for better learning and understanding. I stayed positive and did not ask any closed questions that I was sometime tempted in response to some long-winded discussions. I stayed open to new learning experiences.

While embedded in the UNDP supported district Disaster Management Response unit that organized the overall pandemic response control and coordination in the region, the Project Director was a busy man with lots of work at hand, some of which he gave me to do. He was also developing and operating a local Psychosocial Support initiative of the Red Cross.

Working with this authentic NGO in a real work scenario helped me enrich my knowledge and experience beyond my expectations.

It was also the most economical program as the whole internship matching process is undertaken with the organization rather than third-party online internship matching platforms.

All the people that I interacted with in EduCARE India NGO and its partner institutions, it made me feel very safe and comfortable during the internship time. I will surely be visiting India and the wonderful Himalayas for a real experience in the coming years.