I volunteered at the United Way of Baroda, wherein my work was mainly focused on the health segment and the education segment. Involvement in the NGO’s health related programs helped me realize that majority of the times, lack of equal and quality health care throughout the society is what leads to a lot of problems and complications in medical cases. This is completely unacceptable especially since it means that humans are being denied their basic right to proper health care because of lack of money. When it came to the education project I worked on, I witnessed firsthand the poor condition of educational institutions and setups when it came to the underprivileged section of the society. Though I was already aware of the existence of these issues in the health and education sector, I had never witnessed them firsthand. DAP helped me truly acknowledge these and instilled in me a sense of gratitude for the privileges I have had my entire life and a sense of sympathy for those who have lived a life of deprivation.

Overall, this internship contributed to the development of me as a person in a holistic manner. Right from communication and collaboration skills to sympathy, I learned a lot. Not only did I improve at soft skills, but I also improved upon my research and writing skills. Since I was to plan, execute, and report a project by myself, extensive research had to be conducted in order to identify the potential areas of work and what kind of work had already been done in that area. I also had some or the other reading to do in order to prepare for daily activities. When it came to reporting, I not only had to report the project that I planned and executed, but also my daily activities. Furthermore, I also assisted in editing the annual report of the NGO. Hence, I was writing quite a bit every day. As a result of this, I sharpened my skills of research, reporting, reading, and writing skills.

There is no better way to put it than to say that this internship was a goldmine for me.