A Humbling Field trip to Farrukhabad – Our Intern Speaks

When I started my internship at E&H foundation, it wasn’t because I wanted to make a career in the development sector or that I wanted to build a passion towards it, it was just to understand the dynamics of working in non-profit.

Initially, I had a bunch of questions in my mind ranging from whether I will like the work, whether I’ll be surprised or disappointed in how NGOs work and if I’ll ever be able to trust an NGO ever again. I, like most people, believed in the stigma of how NGOs work, that they use only a small part of donation for the needy, rest everything goes into their overheads.

E&H Foundation completely changed my view on this. Their policy of using 100% of the donations for the underprivileged made me trust NGOs again, made me believe that there are people out there with good intentions.

In the beginning of the internship, it was a bit difficult to connect with the work we were doing sitting in an office in Delhi, while the actual work was happening in Uttar Pradesh but we kept the momentum going, knowing that our efforts will bear fruits.

After working at E&H for two months, learning so many new things not just about work but about life, people, the world, came the high point of my internship – A field trip to Farrukhabad, the place where E&H has made so much difference, working with underprivileged children.

Personally, for me, it was the first time on field, in a rural area. It was the first time I’d be up close and personal with the real people of India and their real problems. All packed up and excited, we left for Farrukhabad.

During the trip, we visited many classes in the rural areas of Farrukhabad. In many classes, there was no electricity, but the students still were very enthusiastic towards learning counting even in the heat of July. The class teacher was equally enthusiastic. We spoke to almost all the kids in the class and realized that they were an ambitious bunch. One boy, Farooq said he wanted to join the police force and serve the people of his city. It was so inspiring to see these kids with so little have the courage to dream for something so big.

We met the parents of a lot of students studying in Gyanshala classes. The parents, especially the mothers, are very motivated to push not just their sons but also their daughters to complete their education and build a better future. They understand the struggles they have got through in their life and wouldn’t want their children to go through the same.

During our visit, many families stressed on how thankful they are to Gyanshala, E&H’s program partners, for enabling education for their young ones because without it many of them would’ve been unable to get any education at all.

It’s very difficult to have that connect to the work when you’re sitting in an office far away from the field. This field trip enabled me to build that connection. I have always had a great sense of respect for people who work in non-profit sector for the level of selflessness they possess and after working with E&H Foundation, it has increased many folds. For me, it is one of the toughest jobs in the world, that I might not opt for it so early in my career but definitely see myself exploring as time goes on.

E&H has helped me evolve as a person, an experience that I will tell my kids about one day, perhaps. Thank you to Sanjeev Sir, Saumya Ma’am and Sharan for always making me feel like a part of the team, for all the warmth and affection.

-Urshitaa Mittal (Marketing Intern, 2019)