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

 

From China to SVCT

This summer is destined to be different!

Flew from China, I landed in India and started my internship with SVCT, which is a NGO working on human touch, catch the cancer and chance for change programs.

First of all, the introduction of these three programs:

Human touch:

The children of inmates suffer for want of education, books and medical attention as usually their earning parents are in jail and they also become stigmatic. Therefore, we at SVCT feel that it is our moral duty to try, help out and support as many families as possible. These innocent children have done nothing wrong and deserve a chance to build their bright future like all other children. They should not pay for the mistakes of their parents. By helping these children, we will help to build a better society. We help them by paying for their school fee ,  giving them the school stuff such as school bag, books and pens. If there is a need, we will pay more for improving their life standard.

Catch the cancer:

Cancer is the most rapidly growing disease in India and is now reaching epidemic proportions. The largest segment affected by cancer is Breast and Uterus cancer in women and Mouth and Throat cancer in men. These happen to be amongst the most ignored symptoms of illness as there is very little or no awareness about them in people and especially in the urban poor area. We at SVCT feel that if detected in time, these can be easily treated. Our vision at SVCT is to help spread awareness and help detect these problems in as many people as possible. We spread these awareness by going to the poor area and showing the PPT , giving them the cancer booklets and giving speeches. Also, we organize some free cancer camp check from time to time in undeveloped area.

Chance for change

All people who are convicted are not per say criminals. They are more often victims of circumstances. They too were normal citizens who made a mistake and ultimately they too will join mainstream society  and therefore they should be given a chance to change. We at SVCT strongly believe that human beings are not bad but circumstances make them different from other people.

Therefore, SVCT is trying to help these people better life hence providing chance for change. We help them by providing the trainings and help them find suitable jobs. Also lead them to build self-confidence.

To briefly introduce my work at SVCT:

Firstly, I’d like to share my working experience in SVCT about the program of Catch the cancer.  I helped the SVCT spread cancer awareness in less-developed area. We focused on the women’s cancers such as breast cancer (Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that starts in the cells of the breast) and cervical cancer (Cervical cancer is malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri or cervical area.). Through showing the PPTs, we spread the knowledge of what is this kind of cancer, how to do some self-checks, how to prevent from catching these cancer and so on.

Secondly, it is about the job of human catch and the chance for change. These two programs are relevant to the people who are sent into jail and their families. I did some records of the prisoner’s families while they talking about the stories and the families difficulties they faced. Also, I did some visiting to some prisoner’s families, and gave some school stuff to them.

This substantial experience with SVCT gave me a lot of learning, which can be point out as below: I got to know how the NGO works in India, and also the difficulties the face such as the finance. I feel so pleased when I was spreading the awareness of cancers and happy to see that those women got some knowledge of the cancers so that the rate of getting of this cancer will be decreased.  By visiting the prisoner’s families I knew that they need the second chance badly, at the same time, their innocence families especially their children need us help to build a bright future.

I am very thankful for the one-month internship with SVCT and feel very honored working with this team.

I would like to give my greatly thank you to Mr. A. K.Passy for providing me the chance to work with SVCT and lending his great support.

I would even like to thank all the staff in SVCT for helping me and giving me the support.

Christine

10^th May 2013