STUDENT INTERNS OF 2008

Two French students from the University in Besançon, France to formulate a project proposal on Waste Management

I am Timothée Romain, 22 years of age, and I am from Dijon, a city in Burgundy, France.

After a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy, a diploma in Medicine in Humanitarian Actions from the Dijon College and hands on experience with the Red Cross as a first aid officer, it became clear to me that I wanted to pursue a career in social work with special focus on development issues.

My sensitivity towards development issues, in France and abroad, led me to apply for the "Vocational Degree in Management of International Projects of Development" in Besançon this year. Equipped with my academic background, this four-month internship with FIN Trust will help enhance my understanding of the social dynamics, innovation in sanitation and how the villagers respond to the propositions to tackle waste management. These are the motivational factors behind my involved in this project.

The holistic approach and the long duration of this internship, gives me ample opportunity to use this as a platform to enable me to set up similar projects in the future. Besides, discovering Indian culture will be a thrilling ride. The biggest plus point of being a part of FIN Trust is its commitment to the ethical, cultural and social values held by the beneficiaries of the project.

My name is Morgane Sevat and I am 22 years old. I grew up in a small village in Franche Comte, a region located in the east of France near the border of Switzerland.

Since my teenage years, I have been very interested in Geopolitics, especially colonial history and development issues. I passed the French Baccalaureate with advanced placements in Economic and Social Sciences. After a Bachelor's Degree in English, I am currently pursuing a Professional Bachelor Degree in "Management of International Development Projects". This four-month internship with Friend in Need/Un ami is part of this degree. I have been working as a volunteer with a local social work association called Emmaus for the past 7 years. This organisation is very close to my heart and I intend to dedicate my professional skills towards its benefits by creating a local branch in a region where the need is felt, in the future. During my academic years I had the opportunity to travel to some countries namely, Sri Lanka, Burkina Faso, Indonesia, and Morocco, which benefited me personally and professionally.

It was during these academic years and through my personal research that it became clear to me that my interest lay in social work especially at an international level. This internship provides a complete, general training in the various fields of accounting, methodology of projects, economy, agriculture, fair trade and development (which is very important to me) for the coordination of projects in developing countries.

After this year, I plan to attend a training (4 months) in management of projects of Spirulina production. Spirulina is an alga that is highly nutritive, rich in proteins and vitamins used to combat malnutrition. Madurai has one such farm. I believe in this solution and hence would work to spread awareness about it.

This experience with Friend in Need will allow me to apply what I have learnt to manage a project, carry through its objectives and establish development strategies in accordance with the will and the needs of the population keeping in mind their culture and environment. And of course discover India and its composite culture along the way.

Bini Philips: Communications intern of FIN Trust, Department of Journalism, Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi, India.

Objective: to help in writing reports of FIN Trust and make some short films on Kameshwaram

My name is Bini Philips, I am 20 years old and I live in the capital city of Delhi. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Lady Shri Ram College for women, Delhi University. Summer vacations are usually a time for us students to put to practise what we learn in classrooms through internships with media organisations or NGO's.

To work as a communication intern with Friend-in-Need Trust not only gives me the opportunity to prune my journalistic skills but to work for a humanitarian cause. The ecosan toilet projects undertaken in Kameshwaram, Tamil Nadu by FIN Trust as part of the rehabilitation process in regions hit by the Tsunami, has opened doors for me to learn about waste-management projects. It also provides me a chance to work among people so close to my ancestral home (I am originally from Kerela) and then further it to other regions through project proposals.

Having lived in a city all my life, I do not believe in and I do not function according to caste based divisions. However, I am aware that outside of the major metropolitan cities, they govern the social and economic lives of the people. I am familiar with caste based divisions only through text books, and therefore, this internship will provide me a platform to understand social hierarchy and its complex implications in the lives of people in rural areas first hand. Besides formulating information provided by Shyama V. Ramani into notes for circulation and for the website, I will be visiting Kameshwaram in July and making some short films on it. Finally, having Ms. (Dr.) Shyama V. Ramani as my mentor has been and will be very beneficial for me.

Design of Web pages on kameshwaram by Bharati Dasan University Students

Students from Bharati Dasan University, Department of Women’s studies will be staying in Kameshwaram for 1 to 2 weeks as part of an internship, whose objective is to create web pages on Kameshwaram.

Students are encouraged to portray any aspects of the village structure, mode of governance, achievements or progress as they see fit.

The methodology to be followed consists of surveys and discussions with the villagers. Thereafter the results will be discussed with Ms. Shyama V. Ramani (FIN), Ms.Annapoorna Venkatraman (FIN), Mr. Suburaman and Mr. Ganapathy (SCOPE), Ms. Manimekalai (BDU) and the Kameshwaram Panchayat. A final presentation will be presented and approved by Kameshwaram panchayat on June 22.

Mr.Paranjyothi, representative of FIN at the village will be guiding the students in Kameshwaram.

Seven Students from the Grenoble School of Management in France help to construct school toilets in the village of Thirupundi

Seven students of the Grenoble School of Business, France, from the students humanitarian association SOS have raised 2 lakh rupees from local companies in Grenoble towards building a set of ecological toilets in the government school of Thirupundi near Kameshwaram. A number of students from Kameshwaram, who cannot afford to pay the fees of the private school of St.Sebastien in Kameshwaram go to the public school of Thirupundi near Kameshwaram.

The seven French students will be in Trichi and kameshwaram for three weeks in order to carry out a market study of the cost of materials and labour required to construct a toilet complex in Thirupundi School near Kameshwaram and formulate a final plan for choice of materials, labour and calendar for the construction of the same. They will also discuss the design of the ecosan toilets with the teachers and students of the Thirupundi school.

Along with this, students will be participating in workshops conducted by SCOPE and by Bharati Dasan University and will be reporting on the same.

Mr.Paranjyothi, representative of FIN at the village will be guiding the students in Kameshwaram.