Internship experience at Aaweg charitable trust, New Delhi

INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE

Name, University, Year

Anonymous, 1st year, Institute of Law, Nirma University

Name of Organization, City 

Aaweg Charitable Trust NGO, Delhi

Application Process with Contact details 

For applying in Aaweg Charitable Trust NGO one has to fill a google form and upload their updated resume. I got my confirmation via email letter within 5 days. After that I had to pay a fee of Rs. 450/-for all the certificates and documents I will receive at the end of the internship period.

Duration of Internship and Timings 

1 July – 31 July 2021

There are no specific timings. We received daily tasks every day at 10:30 am in the morning on WhatsApp. No specific events or classes were conducted however Sir was available for clearance of doubts regarding assignments.

Mode of Internship 

Due to the pandemic, our internship was conducted online (work from home). This is a the easiest way to work as we can work at our convenience and submit the task before deadline.

First day impression & formalities

Formalities were all cleared a day before the internship began. We were informed about what the organization expects from us as interns. We were contacted through emails and introduced to other interns via Google Classroom.

On the first day I was asked to work on 4 legal research topics, and it was a very intriguing task. As budding lawyers, we were fascinated by the research we conducted on the topics. The topics were chosen voluntarily. Submission deadlines had been quite flexible.

Main tasks 

Working from home was very independent feeling as there is no pressure of any high authority and you are allowed to work as per your comfort. Every day we worked on new topics so for each day there was a main task. We worked on research papers, case briefs, posters, content writing which was a fruitful and knowledgeable experience.

Work environment and people 

Environment was friendly. My co-interns were active and belong to different universities. It was a good experience to interact with them and working with different people help you in learning and improve the communication skills.

Basically, there was no such work to be done and if there was any then that had to be done from home, so could not say anything on the work environment. Dinesh sir was very helpful and really very keen to help at any point of time.

We were constantly in touch with the staff of the organization and in case of queries, they were just a text or email away. Communicating with them at every stage of need was easier.

Best things 

For me the best thing was online internship system however, it tends to make you lazy. Another thing was that we were never pressurized. If we could not complete our work and were way past our deadline, Sir would give us little more time to work on our task, considering the pandemic situation. He had been helpful and sympathetic since the very beginning. Working with him has made me a person I am today, and I am grateful for all his teachings.

 

Bad things 

There was no particular bad thing about my internship experience with the organization. I am a law student and I understand that NGOs have a different way to work. However, what was a little surprising for me was that we were expected to write a research paper on the 2^nd day of our work. This was unexpected as we were 1^st year law students and did not have any experience in writing a research paper. It is disappointing for me that even after writing 2 research papers I could not clearly understand the core of research paper writing.  

What did you do to chill? Co-interns, colleagues 

To get some time off work I would interact with my co-interns and spend some time watching my favorite TV shows/movies and spending time with my family. I never let my work hinder my personal family relationships. Co-interns very really very helpful. We all would assist each other on daily tasks, and if some interns were hesitant in taking help from Sir, they would approach us. We developed a special bond in just a few days, and I hope to keep in touch with them for long.

Stipend 

No stipend was provided. I personally feel that in the initial years of study, internships with or without stipend doesn’t really matter. What holds greater significance is gaining experience and I am glad that Aaweg Charitable Trust NGO has been able to provide me with lot of insights. I would urge others to be a part of this NGO as along with social work, you gain some fascinating experience.

Biggest Lessons 

 I learnt to compromise, communicate, face the world, and manage time. I gained a lot of information on various legal topics. It was a fantastic experience!