Final report- Gina Khalaf- SVCT International Intern

Final report- Gina Khalaf

During my internship with SVCT, I had the chance to participate in many different activities. Through my work, I helped the families of inmates and promoted cancer awareness, while learning about the particular situation of prisoners and patients in India.

1)    Interaction with the inmates’ families

During the 6 weeks spent with the NGO, I had the chance to meet several families of inmates. I asked them questions, with the help of a translator, and took case studies. I also got to visit 3 families in their homes, enabling me not only to interact with them in a familiar setting, but also to see with my own eyes the conditions in which they live. These interactions allowed me to understand the situation of the families left alone to survive, often neglected by their friends and family, and showed the important role SVCT plays in helping the children.

2)    Distribution of school bags, stationary items and clothes to the children of inmates

Almost every day, the family of inmates came to collect items for their children’s education. The NGO offers them school bags, pens and other stationary items, as well as clothes. I participated in the distribution of the given items. 

3)    Participation in an internship summit

During my first week at the NGO, I was invited to an internship summit at SGTB Khalsa, Delhi University. There, I informed and counseled students about the work that SVCT does and encouraged them to join the NGO. I also participated in the interviews of the students wanting to become interns.

4)    Taking part in the making of a documentary about the NGO

I helped make a documentary about the NGO alongside a film director from Bombay. Not only was I helping behind the scenes, but I was also asked to learn a script and was placed in front of the camera to talk about my experience with the NGO.

5)    Making a documentary about cancer awareness

I worked on a documentary about cancer awareness in India with students from the Lingeya Institute of Mass Communication. I helped interview patients and doctors, and brought forward some ideas concerning the film, helping with the script and the concept of the documentary.

6)    Visiting Metro Hospital

I spent 2 days in Metro Hospital, where I interviewed cancer patients as well as doctors in order to help film the documentary about cancer awareness. Dr Puneet Sharma, an oncologist, gave us a lot of advice for the movie and explained the difficulties that patients in India face concerning cancer prevention. Dr Amit Mittal enabled me to better understand the Indian health-care system and explained the way doctors in India attempt to promote cancer prevention.

7)    Participation in another NGO program

I went to the Backward Patron Society, another local NGO, where I participated in several activities:

A)    Breast and cervical cancer awareness

I gave a PPT presentation on breast and cervical cancer to a group of about 35 women. I taught them about the diseases and explained how they could be detected at an early stage and why they should be.

B)    English course

I taught a group of 20 young students how to have a basic conversation in English. They all learnt how to present themselves adequately in English, while I corrected any pronunciation or grammatical errors.

C)     Beauty class

I assisted in a beautician class, learning how to apply a facial mask.

D)    Arts and Crafts

I participated in an arts and crafts class, where women make different objects out of fabric.

E)     Mehendi class

I watched how Indian women make creative mehendi patterns.

Gina Khalaf

University of Montreal, Canada

9^th May 2013