SVM Interns Share Their Story

Smart Village Movement, October 13, 2022

Last month, SVM had two bright students from Martin Luther Christian University for a one-month internship. During the internship, Jennyca and Riabakin helped the team in Meghalaya by conducting an impact assessment survey for which they stayed and explored Sohrarim and nearby villages for two weeks. This survey was essential to understand the community’s perception and satisfaction with the project.

They also helped with tallying PPHM (Positive Public Healthcare Management ) data and promoting Navgurukul’s Meraki Python course among the school’s students. They also helped enter new grand challenges formulated by the team on SVM Platform.

The SVM core team ensured that they should be involved in a vast number of projects and operations to understand the work and culture of SVM.

Jennyca Lyngdoh

About Jennyca

Jennyca Lyngdoh hails from Lumshadsngi, East Khasi hills district of Meghalaya. She comes from a middle-class economic background, but her family has supported everything she chooses to do. Growing up, she came across many social issues, including poverty, addiction, high crime rates, and lack of education in her area. Therefore, she chose to pursue social work to understand and solve social problems. Being in this field gives her happiness and fulfilment as she believes she will be able to reach out to people who need help. She loves listening to music and learning new ways of tackling problems in the community.

Jennyca’s Internship Experience

“The internship opportunity I had with SVM was an excellent chance for learning and professional development. I consider myself fortunate to have an opportunity to be a part SVM, even as an intern. I am also grateful for having a chance to meet so many wonderful people and professionals who led me through this internship period.

I can honestly say that my time at SVM was one of my best experiences. Not only did I gain new knowledge, but I also learned the importance of time management skills and self-motivation. The atmosphere at SVM was always welcoming, and whatever knowledge I possess today, my internship experience with SVM has made many contributions.”

Riabakin Khonglah

About Riabakin

Riabakin Khonglah belongs to a small village called Lamin in West Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya. Riabakin likes to explore new things and take up challenges for her personal development. She would also take up any opportunities that come her way if it helps her improve her educational growth and confidence. She believes because of her empathetic quality; she can connect well with people and gives importance to listening rather than speaking meaninglessly. Coming from a Community Development specialisation, She wanted to intern with Smart Village Movement to improve herself in dealing with projects in the community.

Riabakin’s Experience

“From my Internship in Smart Village Movement, I learned and understood how projects are facilitated and executed in the field. Every day, I enjoyed learning in SVM as the team did not limit me to just one vertical, but I could have a basic understanding of all four verticals. At first, it was pretty challenging when it came to working on an excel worksheet or email as I was unfamiliar with using it; however, with the help and patience of the team members, I was able to improve myself.

The full one-month internship was fruitful and full of new learning experiences. I can’t express my gratitude towards the SVM team, but I know the satisfaction I had after reaching home daily that I had a productive day and learned something new.

We would be swamped with various activities every week; however, I felt excited about the new opportunities I received. I am ecstatic to show my gratitude towards the SVM team, who provided me with knowledge, moral values, and what I should plan and look up to in the future.”

If you or someone you know would like to be involved as an intern or volunteer in Meghalaya or Gujarat to gain a rich experience in development work, please contact us at careers@smartvillagemovement.org