The first week of my development sector internship in animal welfare was majorly getting oriented with the different departments of the organisation. The second week though was much more dynamic with a lot of tasks at hand. Having been given the responsibility of the annual newsletter project, along with the annual calendar, my work profile expanded colossally.
I travelled from one end of the city to another everyday observing and assisting in the various programmes of the organisation, ideating content and ideas for the newsletter. Collating information and data about various programmes of the organisation and interviewing the staff and volunteers was immensely insightful. The experiences and stories they had to tell inspired me to the core.
Afternoons were mostly spent chasing animals to get them clicked for the newsletter and calendar or getting the nth draft of the newsletter layout design approved while dodging the umpteenth cat at my workplace. They would sit on my lap and purr all day long and not let me work. My favorite part of the internship was bathing and taking dogs at the kennel for walks. I was growing fond of the daily hustle with every passing day.
Apart from these two major projects, I was often delegated minor tasks. One of which remains deeply etched in my memory still. While on field, I was very randomly once asked if I liked crows and was swiftly handed with a small brown cardboard box. I peeped inside to find a crow, flapping his wing trying to come out. He had recovered from an injury and needed to be taken to where he was picked up from for the treatment. Keeping all my reservations aside, I sat behind my colleague on her scooter with the box in my hand and we drove off hoping he would not come out. That 40 minute ride really triggered me to think how we, as human beings owe so much to our society but we hardly ever take any time to contribute towards it.
It was by the second week when I started grasping how volunteer work entails as much dedication, interest and hard work as much as paid work does, if not more. I believe volunteers not being accountable to anyone unlike employees in itself brings a sense of responsibility on the shoulders. My time here offered me a lot to learn and ponder upon. I will always be grateful of this internship for making me realize my responsibility towards the society and especially animals. I have already come to realize how observant and sensitive I have become about animals around me and my surroundings within two weeks of this internship and I cannot be more thankful.
Anushka Ghadigaonkar
(Batch 2021)
