Summer Internship with Amitabha, Malaysia – Hitisha Dadlani from Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University
Hitisha Dadlani interned with Amitabha, Malaysia, and shares her wonderful learning experience with us. Hitisha is a student at Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University. Read more to explore her experience.
AIESEC INDIA gave me a golden chance to explore the world and enhance my qualities. My internship was in Johor Baharu, Malaysia. The motto beside this 42 dream days of Global Community Development Programme was to develop my skills as an engineer. Being an engineer never means just working with machines, it has lot to do with personality, adaptability and a successful attitude towards living. This internship was my first step to make myself globally in demand.
In Malaysia, I was living and working for a Chinese orphanage (NGO) popularly known as ‘Amitabha Malaysia’. 23 kids, 7 co-workers (called mumma), 8 interns and one head (the principal) was a new family for me. I worked with that NGO in 6 different activities in 6 weeks of my internship. Hereby, I am describing my internship on the basis of my learning in each of the activity arranged there.
My first activity arranged there was ‘T-shirt designing competition with students’. We had arranged the task of handling and helping students in designing their T-shirts. In this activity, we were supposed to encourage students to present their creativity but it actually helped us to get connected to their life. They were not able to even understand our language, so teaching them was something beyond understanding. The activity helped us to understand students, mentally, and even allowed us to adapt their environment. Yes, this activity gave me the quality of ‘adaptability; my first step to adapt their language, food, culture and their customs.
My second activity was teaching kids and helping them in their homework. This was actually my daily schedule there. Through this activity, I couldn’t have changed the life of 23 kids, but I was able to encourage 5 of them to make their own life successful. I helped them in studies, narrated inspiring stories of Mahatma Gandhi and A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. I loved them so much and thus became a part of their life. Teaching had attached me so much to them that on my last day we all were crying, and these words of a kid, “Sister, don’t go! Who will teach us English now?” It was really difficult to depart yet I know I occupied a special place as their sister in their heart.
My third activity was working with Amitabha’s Office. This activity helped us to become aware of professional atmosphere in a charity institute. Packing 35000 envelops for donation was a tedious job. At the end, it seemed impossible for us to complete it on time. Our project manager encouraged us. All this, somehow, made me understand the true importance of setting targets in the professional life.
My fourth activity was to picnic with those kids. This event, in true senses, gave me a confidence to organize any event management in future with a great team-work. And, further more, on picnic we were given the responsibility of taking care of kids.
My fifth activity was promoting their event ‘Dharma’; that is the birthday of the Lord Buddha. Promoting an event in streets of Johor without even knowing their language i.e. Malay and Chinese, was tough. Compelling them to attend the event was the best task to gain the skills of marketing.
My last activity was with a food donation camp by TESCO. We used to distribute leaflets to the costumers of TESCO and request them to give us food donation. And to my surprise we got donations in abundance. Whatever heights we reach, kindness is yet the base of everything. It gave me a new attitude towards living.
I learnt a lot from each different activity. There was a lot to learn even from the interns. Every moment there made me a better person. It gave me a platform to share my joy with other people, to manage my work, and stay advanced, and not to forget, how to pack the luggage. I can proudly say–I have my besties in Hong Kong, Vietnam, France, Egypt and many more countries. It’s like getting in demand, globally.
Lots of difficulties came along. New Language–Malay, Chinese, Telugu; but English nowhere, Food–the major problem for me as a vegan, Immigration–clearing four immigrations and then visa renewal stuff, and also, being alone with this problems was itself a challenge, New Culture–Chinese culture have their own rules and they are strict and stubborn, Travelling Alone–Singapore to Malaysia, all alone with 40 kg luggage anyone can imagine how damn tough it is; and I was the youngest amongst interns, and they called me workaholic.
When I landed in Singapore an immigration officer stopped me and asked, “You are just 18 years! How can you travel alone so long (3500 kms), that too, just for an internship?” I smiled, and went away. When I was returning back, I met the same officer, and the thought that arrived was–”Life is what we make it”. My 42 days taught me to find happiness in every aspect of my life, and may one day, I will find that I am the most successful person in life, just because I’m happy. So I am not just 18 years old, I am global teenager who has a great life ahead. I loved this experience, and I look forward to work with AIESEC, again. A life changing experience….My thanks and love to Malaysia.
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