Internship in India : Women's Issues

Poverty, social division, and superstitious beliefs victimize thousand of women in India and these are just a few of the issues to be explored by interns. Most of these women are from poor families; with most divorced and uneducated. Interns interested in learning how to support and spread knowledge to these disadvantaged women, can also gain valuable experience doing so with this program. In Delhi, various social organizations are working to protect these women and bring them into the mainstream of life by giving them an informal education (also called adult literacy program) as well as skills to manufacture (and eventually train others) crafts and works of arts.

Skills/Qualifications

There are no specific educational, previous experiences, skills or qualifications needed to join the women's support project in India . However, interns are expected to be flexible and patient. Interns should have a passion and love for poor and exploited women as well as be creative enough to help them.

Intern's responsibilities

The women's support project in India aims to help destitute women's groups (comprised of  both young girls and adult women) - helping them rebuild their self esteem in hopes of leading a productive life with their heads held high. Interns contribute to a variety of activities, ranging from English-teaching to skill-development training for young girls and adult women. For the group consisting of young girls, you will teach English, organize creative extra-curricular activities (singing, dancing, art instruction, playing). For the group consisting of adult women, you will teach English and help in skill-development (such as stitching and tailoring - skills that will later help these women in their quest to be self-sustainable). Interns' help is also expected in creating various publications, writing proposals for funding, and report writing

Internship in India : Internship Project and Role of Supervisor

One of the most distinguished features of IFRE's internships in India is the guidance of supervisors. IFRE will assign a qualified supervisor to provide assistance for all interns throughout the duration of their chosen internship. Individuals filling the role of supervisor are usually either the director or chosen staff member of the project which interns choose. During your time as an international intern, you will be assigned a number of duties which volunteers also perform (in this sense, there are very few differences between IFRE's volunteers and interns). In the internship, you will select a particular area of your interest related to women's issues and explore the issue further with the help of your assigned supervisor. Please note: the project supervisor DOES NOT develop internships as this is up to the intern to get as much or as little out of their projects. ALL participants should be proactive to ensure the ultimate success of their internships. Supervisors will provide at least five (5) hours each week to make certain that interns are adequately guided.

Room/Food

IFRE arranges room, food, and supervision for interns from the beginning to the conclusion of said program. During the first week's language and cultural immersion program, interns stay in IFRE's hostel in Guna Gao ( Delhi ) where cooks prepare Indian food ( Nan , curry, Dal, chapatti, rice, and pickle). For the duration of the internship period, participants stay with host families .

IFRE arranges separate rooms as well as a communal bath for interns staying with the host family. IFRE maintains a local staff, office, vehicle, and their hostel in Gurgaon, Delhi NCR. Most of IFRE's partner programs are located within a 20-mile radius, ensuring IFRE to meet with interns as necessary. Interns will also have 24/7 access to IFRE's office and the mobile numbers of the in-country coordinators. IFRE's staff members will also visit each intern in 1-2 week intervals as a part of the program .

INDIA Internship Program Fee & Dates:

Start Dates : IFRE's internships in India begin on the first and third Monday of each month.

IFRE is proud to offer the same services offered by our competitors but at a highly economical price (nearly 50-175% less!). Furthermore, we at IFRE do not make six-figure salaries. What we DO is work very and effectively to keep costs down for individuals seeking and international internship. We remain constantly devoted to maintaining both the quality of our programs and ensuring the safety of our international interns.

IFRE is a 501 (C) 3 organization, so your program fee will be tax deductible as provided by law.

IFRE application fee: US $349. The application fee covers advertising, program promotion, and office expenses (rent, utilities, and staff salaries).

India Language Program Fee: US$ 250 for one week

Language fee covers Language and cultural training, food and accommodations for 7 days, training materials (books, paper, orientation package, TV, video, trainers), cost of local sight seeing/tourist site arrangements, recreational activities, village stay/host family, cultural programs and additional activities, travel related expenses (one week orientation), insurance.

Additional Costs for Interns

International flights, visa extension, personal expenses, water/soft drinks/entertainment ($1-3 per day), laundry, telephone, immunization costs.

Allocation of program fee