Lomarshini Anand_Kenya_GoGlobal Impact Report

My name is Lomarshini Anand.

I am 19 years old.

I am from Manipal.

I study/studied at Manipal College for Allied Health Sciences.

I went to Kenya for an AIESEC internship.

African Health and Community Program (AHCP) About AHCP– To facilitate and promote the use of local networks to implement positive changes in the areas of leadership and development whilst engaging in equitable international relationships towards a better future.

Job Description –Visiting schools and teaching children about health, sanitation and how to protect them from STD/HIV- AIDS.

Impact Generated -I had the opportunity to not just stick to the description of my job role, but do whatever else I thought would help the children of Kibera. So as part of my internship, I visited schools in and around Kibera to talk to the adolescents about the problems they face, made proposals to fundraise for the sanitary napkins project and marketing for the Women Empowerment project.

The schools we visited were mainly in the slums so the children from the schools got an opportunity to interact with us and discuss the problems they face in schools. One of the major problems they faced were lack of funds to buy sanitary napkins It also led to unhygienic practices like reusing sanitary napkins that could prove to be detrimental to their health. Our program involved fundraising for the girls and talking to them about hygiene and health. I believe we impacted the girls greatly as most of them were not aware of the grim consequences of their actions. We also spoke to them about STD’s and how they should protect themselves from it. These findings were considered to be of extreme importance and were reported to the higher authorities. By the end of the program the sessions we conducted were successful as the girls learnt so many things about what to do, and what not to and also how they should protect themselves.

My contribution was that I along with a few other interns conducted sessions that were meant to educate and help adolescent girls. I also had a part in making a proposal that was used to fundraise for the sanitary napkin project. I also helped out in the Women Empowerment project where I helped find materials from which Women from the slums

My Internship Experience My internship experience helped me grow so much as a person. It led me to introspect and my future plans have taken a whole new turn. I also met some AMAZING people who really inspire me and changed the way I used to think. And best thing of all, it led to self-actualization.

I can say that my time in Kenya was a mind blowing experience also because of the culture shock I had apart from the other reasons! I had so many misconceptions and I realized how wrong I was about the country. I lived with 10 different nationalities in an intern house and the amount I’ve learnt from all of them is just incredible. All the interns worked for different NGO’s and through them I met more amazing people who redefined how I think. I got to hear about how things work all around the world, their ideas and what was amazing was how everyone had such great minds, and mostly the same reasons to be in Kenya.

I also got to experience so much of the Kenyan culture, their food, their night life and how they generally live through the AIESECers from Nairobi who were again an amazing bunch of people. I travelled and saw almost all of Kenya and each place was better than the next. I had no idea that the country was that beautiful. The wildlife was just gorgeous and the travelling along with the Kenyans as well as the other interns helped me make friends for life and now, seven months after my internship, they still influence so many things I do.

Skills Developed Planning and execution skills Effective Communication skills Adaptive skills Decision making skills Thinking critically and creatively Ability to manage finances

I would like to thank AIESEC for giving me this amazing opportunity to make an impact however small it was, in people’s lives, and for helping me develop as a person and changing my life by giving me so much to learn.

You too can have an international internship experience.

Logo onto www.aiesec.in to know more or register at www.aiesec.in/join-aiesec.