Written by Pranjal Chauhan:
I felt truly honored to begin my journey with CEQUIN as part of the Communications Department. It was a world of its own, set apart in a dedicated room adorned with a large whiteboard filled with essentials, surrounded by thoughtful posters and charming little knick-knacks. At the heart of it all were two incredibly dedicated and capable individuals, Nida and Mariyam, who brought life and direction to the space. While my initial steps were taken in communications, my experience soon expanded far beyond. Comms was not just a department,it was the thread that wove all the pieces together, showcasing the collective spirit and impact of CEQUIN.
The first day that i entered the comms room my eye caught a poster that was related to the campaign called ‘Mardon Wali Baat’. The poster was a quirky scene from the movie- Gangs of Wasseypur and it read ‘Apko Permission lena chahiye tha’- with Huma Qureshi and Nawazuddin Siddiqui starring in the poster. That one poster gave me a sense of the kind of work I might be stepping into, something creative, a little offbeat, and not afraid to say things differently. It made me feel like this space had room for fresh ideas and honest expression. And my supervisors did not disappoint.
We were told about the various flagship campaigns of CEQUIN and introduced to the previous works for them as well. As interns in comms it was our job to post relevant content for the audience.
Throughout my journey we were given various tasks to think and create and to report on the ground. As an intern I went to the ground twice and came back with something new each time. I witnessed two flagship campaigns very closely- Kickstart equality and Women’s collective.
For the kickstart equality program I was lucky enough to report to the ground and witness a match. Even with my limited understanding of football, I was completely drawn in. The girls were, in one word, incredible. Athletic, energetic, fiercely determined—but more than anything, they were sincere and confident. While the other teams were made up of professionals who trained together for 5–6 hours a day, CEQUIN’s team consisted of young women from different localities, many of whom had barely played together before. And yet, they brought fire to the field. Even though I did not understand much about football, they still made sure I became a part of their team. They were just pure talent. I was able to make some conversations with these girls, and they were such brilliant young women who were so ambitious that I could almost see their wings sprouting. This experience truly left me in an awe of them.
For my next field visit, we went to Tehkhand village in Okhla for a Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) Day camp. Our goal was to conduct a session with women and girls, advocating for menstrual health and raising awareness about the menstrual cycle. As women, understanding our own bodies is fundamental and it was genuinely heartening to see the kind of work CEQUIN is doing to empower women in this space. Alongside fellow interns and experienced supervisors, we were able to hold a meaningful session where we not only shared information but also created space for questions, discussion, and even touched on aspects of the topic that are often left unsaid. It felt honest, necessary, and impactful.
All in all my experience in CEQUIN was literally life changing. I got a glimpse of the office setting and the ground reality. With my supervisors I always felt heard and motivated to be creative with my work. Creating expression is really tasking but with CEQUIN the expression just flows naturally with the type of work they do. I wish to see the girls from Kickstart Equality to really represent India in football because trust me- they really will do justice to this and i wish i get a chance in future to return to CEQUIN as a part of their team. I am and will always be truly grateful for this experience.
Thank you CEQUIN!
