Experience: Tipo Chaudry, Bolivia

This past summer I have been on an internship with AIESEC to Cochabamba, Bolivia. I was in Bolivia for about 7 weeks, from 3-7-2012 till 18-8-2012. In this period I worked for an NGO called Centro Integral Warmi (Warmi), which supports underprivileged children with a safe and healthy environment to become fully-fledged citizens. This story will elaborate on my experiences in Bolivia and will include the culture, job, AIESEC, and the impact it had on me.

Bolivia is a beautiful country with many sites to see. A first thing, I noticed when I was in Bolivia was that the culture is really warm. Whenever you tell anyone that you are from outside of Bolivia, everyone is immediately interested and eager to talk to you. Furthermore, everyone is extremely helpful, which enabled me to get used to the culture, country, and city relatively quickly. I was quite surprised by this, since I did not speak too much Spanish and could only understand about 80% per cent of it. Initially, I thought that I would be able to manage with English, but the majority of the country does not speak English. Secondly, Bolivians have a really small personal space. Initially, I was really uncomfortable with the way everyone greeted you, with a kiss on the cheek. Even worse were the trufis (a taxi with a fixed route), which I had to take a work on a daily basis, since these taxis would be filled until no space was left. Sometimes people almost sat on your lap for like 15 minutes, really uncomfortable.

Working in Bolivia seems almost unreal. The mentality and way of working is completely different than in the Netherlands. At Warmi I was supposed to responsible for fundraising. However, from the first day onwards I already noticed that the backbone in order to be able to fundraise was missing and that number of essential documents and mechanisms were just missing. After convincing, the organization of the fact that no organization would ever donate money if these elements were not in place; I could focus on these essentials.  In my period at Warmi, I together with other AIESEC-trainees updated the website, organized their activities on social media, and created some essentials documents, like a standardized letter.

                  Interestingly, Bolivian organizations hardly care about administrative work. In many of my conversations with other volunteers from different organizations, I heard that organizational-wise the organizations they worked at were a mess, like mine. Nevertheless, their organizations were all running as they were supposed to do, which is really incredible, especially if you realize that an organization in the Netherlands can only function if it has a decent organizational backbone.

                  Even though, I had some struggles with AIESEC both in Bolivia and Tilburg before my departure, I really loved my AIESEC internship. Due to the fact that I did have some special arrangements with AIESEC Tilburg, I was more dependent on my coach, who was not great. Luckily, I could change coach and was able to apply successfully for an internship in Bolivia. The Bolivian mentality and responsiveness was terrible though, so it took quite some time to get everything complete arranged. However, once I arrived in Bolivia everything was great. I was picked up at the airport by several people from AIESEC Cochabamba, who took me to my “house” and immediately invited me to a party in the evening. AIESEC Cochabamba was really active and arranged many activities for the interns, which was great since in this way it was easy to meet Bolivians.

                  As in my opinion every experience abroad my internship in Bolivia opened my eyes. I was extremely surprised by the fact that an organization could be running without the organizational backbone. It proved once again that there are more ways to Rome, and that the Western way is not the only way. Nevertheless, I still believe that our way is still more practical. Furthermore, I experienced how it is to work full-time for the first time in my life, and it is exhausting. The attitude towards work is also different in Bolivia, and made me more aware of my own attitude. Also, I have improved my Spanish and realized that I want to learn Spanish. In addition, I believe that I have grown as a person. Working in a completely different environment pushes you to edge in some situations, sometimes you just have to put your foot down in order to get things done, even when you are communicating with the management.

                  In sum, I would say that my AIESEC internship has been amazing. I have made friends for life and had an experience of a lifetime. The internship has showed me aspects of the job that I would not have experienced in any other setting and has made me a more open-minded person. 

Experience: Irene van Vught, India

In short: From the 20^th of june 2012 till the 20^th of August 2012 I have been living in India. In these 8 weeks I did a 6-week-GCDP at the Doon Global School in Dehradun, known as the schooling capital of India. Together with another EP, a girl from China, I have been living and teaching in a residential and day-school in the humid & hilly area 6 hours North West of New Delhi.

LC Dehradun: The LC Dehradun completely lived up to their promises which has definitely enriched my experience. AIESEC Dehradun used to be an entity of AIESEC Chandigarh, but since June 2012 they have become independent. I think because of the fact that it is still a relatively small LC with a small number of internships to manage, they have been able to maintain high quality (As opposed to some other LCs in India). Besides that, a big plus was that they managed to show empathy for the EP’s ‘standard of living’, which is significantly different of the average Indian standard, in order to make your stay comfortable. Despite the fact that there were only a few AEISEC interns in Dehradun, the active LC did its ultimate best to let the interns meet each other and to integrate them in the Indian culture by organizing events in which many local AIESECers participated.  And since the culture is very different it is very important to deal with these people as they fulfill the role of the bridge, gradually connecting you with the local culture.

GCDP Project worldview: As educational trainee I have been teaching to kids between the age of 6 and 17. I did several powerpoint presentations for the kids between 12-17; introduction of myself and AIESEC, presentations about the Netherlands, cultural differences India VS Holland, Core qualities HRM concept.
And we played fun but educational games with the younger kids; poster making, chair-dancing, sports. The internship setup was very flexible, I had a lot of freedom in determining what I wanted to do, so I could make the most out of it myself. (Of course within school & cultural boundaries!).

The Doon Global School was a very interesting environment because the school culture is –whether you want it or not- pulling you out of your comfort zone completely!! Getting used to a completely different organization with different structures, procedures, norms & values, climate, food, etc is not easy at all, but a great manner to stretch your comfort zone and develop yourself further both professionally and personally! JUST DO IT!! For more information visit my blog: www.ireneintoronto.waarbenjij.nu 

Experience: Gabriela Gutierrez, Tunisia

This summer I had the chance to go on an global development internship with AIESEC Tilburg to Tunisia. It would take too much time for me to narrate my complete experience as a EP, all I want to say is that it was a great experience not only in a academic, social and cultural way, but it was also a journey to meet myself as an individual. I arrived to Tunisia knowing about this country what I had read before from books, news paper and magazines, hence I had a westernized and very idealized view about this country’s culture an conflicts. In no sense was I completely ignorant about the situation of the country, however experience it myself gave me a complete different perspective. 

More than focusing on everything I lived there: as an incredible ASIESEC staff, EPs, coworkers and children, a welcoming culture, the chance to live with a Muslim family, experience Ramadan, exploring the country, etc, I will like to emphasize on everything I gained from my internship. After being back in the NL more than a month I have realized that this experience made of me a much more sociable being, interested not only in my self-interests but in the community’s interests. This internship made me realize that working hard and being always ready to contribute for a change, does make a difference, maybe this doesn’t bring an immediate and positive reward however it is always possible to make a change when you try hard enough. 

Of course it would be unfair to say that everything for my internship was easy, I had to face different challenges like cultural clashes with the others EP, moral dilemmas, language barriers, etc. I have to accept that sometimes I had to fight against my own rationality or morality to get to understand others people’s view, however, it was this process of suppressing my immediate reactions or prejudices, that gave me the ability to fully emerge in the Tunisian culture, and to create really strong bonds with the people I got to work with.

Before leaving to Tunisia, I had a conference planed by AIESEC the Netherlands, in which all the EPs where supposed to write their expectations about their internship. In that letter, I wrote I had to leave my prejudices a side to enjoy what the Tunisian culture has to offer me. Now that Im back, I am glad I took the time before going to set this as my main motto throughout my experience, since it was this mentality that gave me the strength to enjoy my experience to the maximum.

After going to Tunisia, I can only say that I can’t wait to go on a second internship with AIESEC. Once you start opening yourself to new experiences is hard to stop, I can wait to explore the world, while working for a greater good (social development internship). 

Experience: Ibrahim Toprakci, China, Tianjin

During mid July until the beginning of August 2012 I did an internship via AIESEC Tilburg in Tianjin, China as a foreign English teacher. The actual acquisition and preparation took up quite some time but things went pretty fast afterwards. The communication with the LC in China prior to the internship generally went smoothly: whenever I had a question they responded quickly. The pickup was pretty well organized and the introduction to the other interns was very nice: they were playing an introduction game when I arrived. Not everyone arrived at the same date: some had already arrived and a couple still needed to arrive.

Before actually teaching English we had a training week. This was conducted by Mr. Pelland, a Canadian principle turned trainer in teaching and training teachers in China. The methods, knowledge and perspectives he gave us were very helpful during our teaching, and he inspired and motivated me to do my best. Unfortunately a lot was still unclear about our daily schedule after the training week and we had a lot of meetings with the Chinese principle and staff about them. Things changed regularly during the training week which sometimes frustrated people. Fortunately, the intense meetings and the efforts done by Mr. Pelland paid dividend and the schedule was made concrete before the students came and the actual teaching started.  It was clear that our main objective was to hold a mini United Nations conference at the end during which different topics would be discussed amongst the students in front of the teachers and the parents. It was a pretty busy schedule in which the students would be picked up by us at 7:15 AM for breakfast and sent back to their dorm at 9:30 PM. Between these two moments, the students would be taught grammar and the likes by the Chinese English teachers and had classes with us. There were of course breaks for the students between the teaching and in the afternoon we had an hour of sports with the students.

The interns were divided into eight groups, in which there were two foreign teachers, assisted by a Chinese volunteer.   The 80 odd students were divided into these eight groups and each group represented a different country such as the United States of America, Saudi Arabia and China.

Each day we started with a warm-up game such as Hangman which the students liked very much and we discussed a topic such as poverty, women’s rights and environmental protection: we showed them video clips, gave presentations and discussed the matters from the perspective of the country we represented. We also made large posters in which they wrote what they learned and wanted to learn. The materials for the classes we searched online and prepared ourselves in our teacher’s room. The students were very eager to learn, modest and respectful to one another and to the staff, albeit shy, especially during the first few days. But as we got to know each other better they started to open up more and more which gave us possibilities to bond with them. They made teaching a very positive experience for themselves and for us.

Besides the students, the informal talks and formal meetings we had with the Chinese English teachers and the principle gave me a sense of genuine appreciation for the work we do and the ideas we have. They were critical but respectful against our ideas and asked for our opinion about different matters and subjects. Any workable feedback we gave them was generally implemented by the staff.

The day of the conference was a tense one since the students had to perform on stage, in front of their parents and the teachers. I really felt for my students and tried to give them advice and tips so they would feel less tense. It went splendidly and we felt real pride in our students, and they felt a sense of accomplishment. It truly was a memorable moment.

The final day was a day of mixed feelings and the moment of saying goodbye came ever closer. It was a bittersweet moment since we had spent so many hours together. Some of the students and teachers got emotional. E-mail addresses were exchanged and hugs were given. We started as students and teachers and departed as friends.

After the main part of the summer camp the principle had organized daytrips to the Great Wall and the Summer Palace in Beijing. These places are definitely must see places in China, for me especially the Summer Palace, since I hadn’t seen such lavishly decorated buildings and stunning sceneries before.  The expenses were graciously covered by the school, making the experience all the better.

Afterwards we had a second party of students with which we spend approximately a week. This was somewhat less structured and less goal orientated in comparison to the first class. However, we still had a lot of fun with the students and practiced and taught English quite intensively.

As the project drew to a close I started to reflect on the experience and on my actions and behaviours during it. For a person who had never worked with so many foreigners in a foreign setting I felt more mature than before the project. I felt as if I could work well in a multinational team without the comforts of home. It also made me widen and adjust my perspective on matters such as the Chinese people and general attitude against Western countries. Finally, I made new friends from all across the globe whom I hope to see in the nearby future again. One thing I have learned is that even with all of our differences in cultural background, race and orientation, we are all human beings living on the same planet. If we really want to, we can accomplish many great things together and give a better future for the next generation.

My thanks goes out to my fellow teachers Anna and Linda, without whom teaching wouldn’t have been this fun and interesting, our wonderful students, Mr. Pelland, my fellow internees and the Chinese staff which made the project possible in the first place. 

Experience: Jacob Jansen, Florianopolis, Brazil

After first travelling around South America for 1.5 month with two friends I finally reached my destination for the next 3.5 months, Florianopolis in Brazil. After meeting with my buddy I went to meet some of his friends with whom I stayed for a couple of days. Next to that I was placed in my Brazilian host family who were lovely along the whole way. Very welcoming, we went out for dinners, they spoke decent English and I had a room with a view on the ocean. I stayed there for the whole period that I was doing my internship. After first taking one week of Portuguese classes, very important to feel at home in a country, I had my first day of work. Unfortunately I would not work in HR with the director, which was agreed upon, but in the field. I worked in a favela with children that were offered activities to stay out of the hands of drug traffickers. Basically I helped out with different kinds of activities, I could do whatever I wanted as Brazilians were very relaxed and just loved the fact that I was present at all, but most of the time I played soccer with young children who terribly good at this sport. At the same time I started to get to know more and more people and actually met my girlfriend in Brazil. I was also hanging out with other people from AIESEC that I met during one of the first dinners there, of which there were plenty in Florianopolis. Again, if you’re going on an internship, get out and get going rather than waiting and expecting that people will be interested to meet up with you. With them and with many others, Brazilians love to show you their country, I experienced many things for the first time. I went hang-gliding, sand boarding, swimming with penguins, surfing, and many things more. Aside to doing things for the first time I really tried to integrate with Brazilians. As a result I joined dancing classes (samba), was the only foreigner during the Saturday morning soccer game, became an English teacher through which I met many Brazilians, and of course repeatedly met the family of my Brazilian girlfriend. This gave me lots of insight into how Brazilians stand in life, and basically I would like to see that they see (almost) everything with short-term goggles on. Friendships, meeting on time, risks in life and traffic, and lots more. At first I loved it but then I started to see that this can also have downsides and could see how nice and organized our lives in the Western world are. Eventually I prolonged my stay up to 5 months because I liked it so much over there, and now I am bound to Brazil of course. This stay has really learned me how to have a healthier work-life balance, different views on cultures, that I can trust on myself, and that good preparation with explicitly conscious decisions (why do I want to go to Brazil? Why would it suit me? What can I learn here? Questions of that sort) are extremely important. Rather than making it an experience, make it your best experience.
Please feel free to contact me, I would love to make you enthusiastic about such a stay in Brazil, it has given me a lot and hopefully it can do the same to you! 

Experience: Kamran van Roosmalen, Nanzan, Japan

I joined the AIESEC program because of my desire to go to Japan for an internship and learn about the Japanese office life and working environment. In Japan I spent two months with the international trade and manufacturing company Tsuchiya.co.ltd. Tsuchiya is situated all over the world with offices all over Japan and the rest of Asia as well as in the USA and one in the Czech republic. The company is located in the city of Nagoya, which is known for its history with Toyota and the Japanese automotive industry in general. As with most companies in this region, Tsuchiya’s is mostly involved in working with the automotive industry, Toyota being their biggest client. Companies hire Tsuchiya to provide them with the components or parts that they need. If Tsuchiya does not have the capabilities to create this they search for companies that can. For the AIESEC program this company provides a two month traineeship. Alongside me there was another AIESEC member whom joined me from the Czech republic.

Tsuchiya has brought us to various companies’ manufacturing facilities as well as their own. Additionally, due to their high involvement with working with Toyota they took me along to visit museums about the history of Toyota as well as the Japanese automotive industry. However, outside of company visits with the sales team there was no real work for us at the office. As with a lot of (traditional) Japanese companies Tsuchiya is hierarchically organized with a lot of seniority still present. This was apparent in the office as the desks were ordered on seniority with the head of the office sitting in the, where he has view over all the employees. Working in a Japanese company involves a lot of routine and etiquettes. I had to be at the office every morning at 8.30. being late, is generally not tolerated and should be noted beforehand, even if it’s only for a few minutes. In the morning every employee should be greeted by saying ‘Ohayou gozaimasu’! which means the same as good morning. During the day when encountering other employees (for example during lunch) you should say ‘Otsukure sama desu’ which loosely translates to “I am tired” but is meant to be polite to each other. My day at the office would end at 17.30 and upon exiting you should say to the boss (and your coworkers) ‘osakini  shitsure shimasu otsukere sama deshita’ which translates to “excuse me for leaving before you I have become tired”. This is the most polite way to say it but can be shortned to just “otsukure same deshita”. The company has been very kind and caring to us and we have been very well received by the coworkers.

AIESEC Japan showed great excitement for having us. I have noticed however that my AIESEC members in Japan have very little experience with being abroad and talking with foreigners. This is represented by the majority of the Japanese that generally rather stick to their own country and their lack of proficiency in English.  At times this was quite troublesome as Japanese are often afraid of making mistakes so they rather avoid conversation. After our arrival AIESEC Nanzan picked us up and showed us to our residents. However, after our arrival date, with the exception of our first day at the office, we would not have contact with the AIESEC members until our kick off presentation day a week later. This meant we had to explore the city on our own initially. I have told them to not wait before the kick-off day to introduce the members but doing it earlier. I have no problem figuring stuff out on my own but other AIESEC members might have more difficulty with this. After this we had a lot of fun with the members by going on various trips and they were helpful with anything we had problems with. Most trips involved going to see historical samurai castles that are in the area as Nagoya was an important city during the Tokugawa period of Japan.

Japan is a very different culture compared to the Netherlands and involves a lot more etiquettes and habits in society. This is mostly due to the collective nature where the people are more concerned about the society and how others view them. The Japanese are generally very respectful to each other and also behave honorably. For instance, giving tips is not accepted Japan and can actually offend. Additionally, it was quite surprising to see such clean streets in such a big city and there was no garbage bins in sight. A big and well known difference is the way the Japanese great each other. Instead of shaking hands they bow to each other, the bigger the bow the bigger the sign of respect to the other person. So if the person you are greeting is at a higher social status you should make a deeper bow. Within the office life giving business cards is also very important. The way of giving cards is by holding the card with both hands with your name facing the direction of the other person and introducing yourself. The other person will do the same before the cards are exchanged. 

All in all I highly recommend Japan and the company of Tsuchiya for an internship. The people are incredibly kind and the Japanese culture is very unique and interesting. However, there are challenges such as the language barrier. It is highly recommended to study some basic Japanese before going. Additionally, as interesting as the traineeship was at Tsuchiya it was not very challenging for there was not “actual” work. But for a two month traineeship it was very interesting and the good payment was also a bonus. I came to Japan with the goal to learn about the culture and the business environment which I think was a success. Unfortunately the two months felt really short and I hope to go back there as soon as possible.