Volunteer and Intern Interviews: Pratiksha Singh

There is a lot I can say about Pratiksha. She is beautiful, intelligent and very loving. When I met her, I instantly recognised her sweet and gentle soul and you cannot help but feel warm when you are around her. She gave me the opportunity to interview her on her experiences here in Tanzania. So, this is the conversation that ensued.

This interview took place on 27th June, 2016.

Dolly: What is your name?

Pratiksha: My name is Pratiksha Singh

D: Where are you from?

P: I am from Nepal but I study in the United States.

D: How long have you been here?

P: Almost a month.

D: How much longer are you staying?

P: One more month. I’m here for two months

D: What project are you handling?

P: Right now, I am a marketing intern. So, just trying to get funds and grant writing is what I’m mainly working on and also, some other girls and I, – some of the interns and volunteers – we started the woman initiative program. So, I’ve been busy with that and it’s going pretty well. So, I’m very excited about that one. We’re just helping them start their business and give them ideas for business, like entrepreneurial skills and such.

D: What made you decide to come to Tanzania?

P: Well, I’m very interested in non-profit since the very beginning and since there was an opening for marketing intern, I just applied and luckily I’m here. It’s really good to see the work that we’re doing directly impact the locals. So, that’s something that I’m really enjoying and getting to learn the African culture especially in Tanzania since there is so much history here. It’s amazing. I’m loving it.

D: Have you done something like this before?

P: No. No, I haven’t. I hope I could do more. Come back or you know, travel more but no, I haven’t done it. I wish I did. I’m loving it.

D: Do you feel like you’re more exposed since coming here? Do you feel like you’re more exposed to the world?

P: Oh yeah! Definitely. It’s very different, like things you take for granted, you start realising it. You know, like little things –like shower, toilet – you know, just how to manage yourself and getting to know the culture definitely exposes you to new things and shows that the way you’ve been living is completely different.

D: How have you found living in the volunteer house?

P: It’s amazing, especially living with so many different people from all over the world. You know, some of the interns and volunteers are from Europe, Asia, like you know, all over. So, it’s amazing because I’m not only learning the African culture, how the locals live but also, the work lifestyle of other countries, of other cultures. It’s amazing. Like, you’re from Nigeria (referring to me), but you study in the UK like, it’s pretty amazing because everyone is from all over so there are not boundaries.

D: How are you finding the whole experience?

P: It’s amazing getting to see what the impact is like, how our work is influencing locals. It’s amazing, especially with the woman program. It’s really inspiring just to see how hard they work for their families and their kids. So, overall, it’s been an amazing experience and these two months is ending too fast, I think.

D: How have things been in terms of organisation?

P: Organisational wise, I think that there is obviously a lot of work to be done. That is what we are all here for. In terms of organisation, I think that’s something we all need to work on like, documenting what we’re doing. That’s very important for I think, all the projects we’re working for.

D: Would you recommend this to anyone?

P: Oh yeah! Definitely. It’s a life changing experience. I have made amazing friends over a short time period. Yeah, definitely, if you get a chance, I’ll definitely encourage you to come as you learn about yourself a lot too because you’re by yourself and with new people and you’re learning about yourself, a new culture, you’re helping the community, so yeah! Definitely! 100%!