Internship Report
Student Name: Bilgesu Madenli
NOHA Home University: University of Groningen
NOHA Host University: University of Deusto
Internship Coordinator at the University: Talita Cetinoglu
Receiving Organization: Solidarity Now
Organization’s Address: Domokou 2, Athens, Greece
Supervisor Name(s): Eleni Niaoynaki, Nikos Zervas
Introduction
I did my internship at an organization called as “Solidarity Now”, in Athens, 5 months and full time (40 hours per week), nonpaid. This report will give a brief information about the organization, the path going to get the internship, my expectations from it before start, my tasks and experiences as well as professional and personal challenges I faced with during the internship. Then it will make a SWOT analysis of the organization, touch upon the living conditions in Greece, and conclude with suggestions to upcoming NOHA students who will do their 3rd semester.
About the Organization
Solidarity Now is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that has 1 center in Athens (called as Athens Solidarity Center) and 2 centers in Thessaloniki (called as Thessaloniki Solidarity Center and Blue Refugee Center). It names their centers as Solidarity Center based on the idea of being an open space for everyone including vulnerable local people besides migrants by showing solidarity without discrimination. It provides a comprehensive assistance with legal, psychological, social, employability, and child friendly space(CFS) services. One of its biggest project funded by UNHCR is an accommodation project
implemented all over Greece for the people who need a place to stay. UNHCR vulnerability criteria is taken into consideration in the process of deciding who can get benefit from this project. Under the scope of the project, the organization provides shelter to the people who meet with the criteria of vulnerability. Also, it provides psychological support through psychologists and psychiatrists to the people stay in those shelters. The organization also delivers some vocational trainings such as language courses, photography, journalism and computer. The employability service helps people to create CV, to get prepared for job interviews and to develop a network.
The organization is in cooperation with many other NGOs such as Network of Children’s Right, Praksis, Arsis, Together for Children, with the support of European Economic Area Grants. Network of Children’s Right (herein after “Network”) is the organization I did a part of my internship.
Process of obtaining the internship
I found and contacted the organization myself, not through NOHA. First, I sent my CV to of the academician working in my previous university. She put me in contact with the country director of MSF in Greece. MSF provided me the information that they do not accept interns anymore within MSF based on their policy, but he suggested me that I could contact Solidarity Now. I checked their website and after I saw that they do meaningful work I sent my CV to the e-mail address written in their website. 2-3 days later, I got a mail from them asking for an interview 1 week later. I accepted the interview offer and I got prepared for the interview. What I did in terms of preparation for the interview is: first of all, I collected information about the NGO in general; what kind of works they do in Greece, what kind of project they do implement, who their donors are. Then I checked the country profile
information such as how many refugees are in Greece, what their nationalities are, why they migrate to Greece and how the situations are on islands. Then I focused on how I can
contribute to their work based on my past experiences and current master education. Finally, I prepared some questions that the interviewer might possibly ask during the interview and I wrote down how I would answer those questions.
When the interview time came, I went through all information I learnt related to country profile and the organization and I checked the foreseen questions I prepared myself. I controlled skype connection with one of my friend to see if there is any technical problem with my skype or the internet connection, and finally I was ready for the interview around 30 mins before the arranged time. However, I wrote the interviewer exactly on the time to show that I am punctual; neither late nor early.
The interviewer exactly asked the same questions I was prepared for. She asked about the organization, the scope of the assistance that the organization does, why I would like to work at this organization and how I can support their work based on my CV and past experiences. The interview took around 50 mins.
My expectations before the internship (Why I chose this organization and the country to work?)
Before I decided the internship place, I decided first if I would like to work in an office environment or in a field. Since my preference of working was a field work, I searched about many countries I could do field work. However, visa and documentation were quite
problematic for me because of my nationality and Turkish passport. Therefore, I decided to stay in Europe since I have already temporary residency coming from my university. When I was sure that I would like to work in field and stay in Greece, no where was better than Greece considering the humanitarian context.
Being referred to Solidarity Now by the country director of MSF was a good indicator about the quality of the organization for me. That time I have never heard about the
organization before but when I searched about the organization I saw that they produce many meaningful works in field (e.g. CFS, youth center and shelter, refugee camps). Their work made me to decide applying for the internship.
Task and Activities of the Internship
I was assumed to work in 2 different work place under the same organization. I worked 3 days in CFS and 2 days in youth shelter where unaccompanied minors (17-22 years old) are hosted. I can tell that as an intern, my tasks and title were not clear, resulting in me to contribute in many various tasks. This situation created a bit complication in my mind at the beginning, but within time I noticed that I was producing work where and when they needed me most.
In child friendly space my tasks were to do translation from English to Turkish and Turkish to English, related to documentation and other stuffs of Turkish refugees. Moreover, helped to the psychologist working in the CFS with organizing thematic workshops for children. I also did translation for Turkish children who attended to those workshops.
I functioned as a caseworker from some time to time. I had to accompany to one Turkish lady and her children to a hospital many times. This experience taught me a lot about the health system for refugees in Greece. One thing I learnt from this is, health can be free for refugees as long as they have their documentation and a number called as AMKA
(kind of a tax number), however this does not necessarily mean that it works well for them. For example, one time when I accompanied them to the hospital was an emergency case and we only could have an appointment for 2 months later, which might cause even the death of the child. Therefore, I had to arrange an appointment for him by exerting another doctor’s influence. This experience made me to feel how we define humanitarian action basically: saving lives.
In the youth shelter, my tasks were more organized. I was working as psychological counselor which is my bachelor and my primary profession. I was expected to prepare individual psychological plan for each young beneficiary stay in the shelter, and follow up their psychological and well-being process. I was in collaboration with the psychiatrist and the clinical psychologist of the organization. My tasks were relatively easy compared to the one in the CFS since the age of the beneficiaries are older and they all know English, enabling us to have a good communication.
Challenges of the internship
The biggest challenges for me was to separate my emotions from my professional life. Turkish families that I helped with their documentation have escaped the dictatorship in Turkey and they are opposite side of the current government. I am, personally, opposite to the current government as well, but my political view is way different than those people I mentioned. This is not a problem in essence, because I am good at not including my political and personal standing into my job. However, the thing I was having difficulties is that
members of the political group I also define myself in was literally tortured and killed for the last half century by the political groups that those people are supporting. We, as two
different sides who are both opposite to the government, have a long conflict history. What is more is, I have a personal memory and history related to them. Therefore, it was very difficult for me to remain professional when those people were complaining about the unfair treatment by the government. Every time this happened, I just wanted to ask if they now could understand how the same they have been treating to the minorities in Turkey, but this would not be professional so I just kept my silence and did my work without any comment.
Another challenge for me was to carry the emotional burden of what the beneficiaries were going through and sharing with me. Based on my tasks in the youth
shelter, I was listening to refugee teenagers’ stories, but that has never been a great
challenge for me because I was prepared for listening during the sessions, also I was able to intervene to trauma since it is in the limit of my job description and hands because of my primary profession, psychology. Things were creating emotional burden on me happened when I was not prepared for hearing stories, when it happened all of a sudden, and when any intervening was not in the limits of my duties. That was the case when I was functioning as a social worker in the CFS. For example, when I was preparing some documents of one of the beneficiaries in the asylum center, suddenly she showed a picture of some group of people in a boat trying to cross a border through a sea, and she told me that no one can really understand that situation by not experiencing it once. She added “People that I do not know before in the boat was holding my 4 children and I was just hearing their voice and crying during the trip. And someone else’s child was in my arms, because everything happened suddenly and I was not able to sit next to my children.” This story and many others like this one had potential to break me down since they happened when I was not expecting to hear.
The last challenge of the internship was “not having a clear job description”. It resulted in a sense of getting lost at the beginning and I was not happy with this situation. Only after 2,5 months I got used to this situation and turned it into a positive opportunity for learning many different things and helping people in different aspects. So, I learned how to adopt to a new working environment that does not necessarily match with your expectation but still give you a sense of “being meaningful and useful”.
Supervision of the Internship
The supervisor that I was assumed to work with quitted his job, so I was assigned to another supervisor during the internship. She was the clinical psychologist and the project manager at the CFS, and she was very helpful. Feedbacks that she gave me from some time to time were so comprehensive, informative, positive and useful. We also had some
conversations about psychopathologies seen with children, effects of migration on people and attachment patterns of people. All feedbacks and supervision were orally done, during the days we were in the CFS at the same time.
me about the process that the teenagers have to go through based on the law applies to asylum seekers in Greece. This supervision was so helpful in terms of understanding why the teenagers suffering from psychological distress. Based on the supervision I got from him, I created the individual supports plan and a form that I used during sessions. In short, I find both two supervision I was receiving informative, extensive, and effective.
SWOT Analysis of the Organization
Strengths Comprehensive and
holistic assistance:
The organization has different assistance departments that people can get benefit based on their needs. Human resources and their motivations: The organization has more than 200 workers and
volunteers who are very motivated to practice their job in the best way possible.
Collaboration with stakeholders: The
NGO has in active contact with other NGOs, leading to extend its scope of works and
efficiency.
Weaknesses Large number of
migrants: Although
the organization has a wide capacity to operate, there are still vast number of people who are in need.
Mismanagement of human resource:
The organization has many volunteers and interns, but there are some cases that it is not effective at using them at the true place based on their expertise.
Opportunities A big space in a neighborhood where mostly refugees live:
makes the organization physically visible, resulting in more number of beneficiary. Donors (International donors like UNHCR and EEA): gives the
organization financial power to help more people, raise its capacity and maintain its
projects.
Sharing the building with the official asylum department:
gives an opportunity to the organization to reach more number. Also, it eases the referral mechanism since both organizations that they do referrals to each other work in the same flat.
Threats Ongoing migration to the mainland:
High number of influx of people coming from island to the mainland might end up with an inadequate capacity to operate within time.
Finance: There is
always a risk of a cut off finance received.
New selected government:
Migration policy of the new government could restrict the limits of the organization to intervene the current situation.
Living Conditions
Greece is a relatively cheap country compared to many other European Countries. Living standards are not that high due to the economic crisis in the country. Unemployability rates among young population are high and average salary is low, which makes the country not a good option to settle. However, anyone can have a good student life in the country if expectations are not very high. If you would like to rent a room or flat more than 6 months, rents are cheaper. If the duration of stay is less than 6 months, one can find a room in a shared apartment starting from 300 euros per month including facilities and bills.
Considering that price for accommodation, 750 euros would be fair enough for someone per month.
I have not observed any discrimination towards expats during my stay. However, I am not sure if this would be the case if I had been receiving money because there are many Greek people who are poor and living under normal conditions.
Conclusion
In general, I can tell that I am happy with staying in Greece for 5 months and doing internship with the organization mentioned above. However, before I started my internship, my expectations related to the organization were different and much more. I was expecting to learn more things and improve myself as much as I could. This can be related to my ideal image of a working life in my mind. Uncertain job tasks created a confusion in my mind at the beginning, bring me about a dissatisfaction with the internship. However, I cannot tell that I did not learn anything or improve myself. The time I changed my perspective of the internship, I noticed that I have been learning already.
My suggestions to third semester students would be to do an internship in order to get an experience before they graduate. I became more sure about this after I did the sector analysis assignment because good NGOs are looking for at least 1 year working experience even the position is voluntarily. Therefore, before getting graduation, I believe that it is a wise move to have some experience. However, it is also important to have that experience at a good organization. I guess that international NGOs would be a better decision than national ones since anyone who evaluates your CV while applying for real positions would
know and heard about the international organization before. Nevertheless, this decision should be made based on the preference of the person.
Moreover, someone should know what s/he expects from an internship and what his/her motivation is. Sometimes, pursuing your already existing carrier can be good in terms of getting more expertise in a specific area, sometimes it is better to change the path in order to learn different areas and combine them with what is there already. Therefore, I suggest students to try to decide as possible as during the NOHA lectures and the first 2 semesters about what aspect of humanitarian actions they would like to follow in future, and to canalize their effort, energy and motivation towards that direction.
Another thing I would lastly suggest to them is to get familiar with all international standards and guidelines that is related to the scope of their internship, no matter which organization they work at. There were some moments that I had to go over those publishes while practicing my internship. So, it is good to be familiar with international sources
beforehand in order to know which information can be found in which source and how to use the information.
