Written by Ananya Devgun:
As the second semester of my Master’s in Gender Studies was coming to an end, we were encouraged to find internships relevant to our course in order to gain real-world insights into possible career paths after graduation. Once my end-semester exams were over, I began applying to various organisations, cold-emailing some and filling out Google forms I found on LinkedIn.
After a week of sending out applications and hearing nothing back, I unexpectedly received an orientation email from CEQUIN. I was relieved that at least one organisation had found my profile “hire-able.” At the orientation, I was glad to discover that two of my classmates had also been selected, which brought a sense of comfort.
We were introduced to CEQUIN’s mission, working for the upliftment of women and girls through various programs and how the backend functioning of these initiatives is handled. Based on my interests and skill set, I was placed in the Communications team under the guidance of Mariyam and Nida.
Our first full day at the office was an absolute delight. During lunch, everyone gathered in the common area, spread out their tiffins, and shared stories from their everyday lives. It was a warm and welcoming surprise that instantly made me feel at home.
The work itself was as enjoyable as being around such lovely people. Having some prior experience with social media management, the technical side of things came naturally to me. However, what did take some learning was understanding how to align my work with CEQUIN’s mission. The brainstorming sessions and content planning gradually helped me understand how to make each post meaningful.
One of the most memorable parts of my internship was getting the opportunity to host a live session with Prerna, a PhD scholar and MA senior of mine. It was my first time putting myself out there as a host, and I felt truly supported by Nida and Mariyam, who placed immense trust in us interns to lead the session entirely on our own.
As a Communications intern, I was also given several chances to showcase my design skills. Working with Canva and Instagram was already something I enjoyed, but doing it with a larger purpose made it even more fulfilling.
In the final week of my internship, I had the chance to accompany Zehra ji and Rajkumari ji on a field visit to Rekha Camp in Tehkhand, Okhla, for a Menstrual Health and Hygiene Month awareness session. As soon as we entered the park where the session was to be held, a dozen young girls ran up to Zehra ji, hugging her and sharing updates since their last meeting. Witnessing this deep sense of community and trust was incredibly moving.
Although it was my first and only field visit during the internship, it became one of my most cherished memories. The young girls approached me with such affection, asking my name, where I was from, and what I did. That experience shifted something in me, and I’ll always regret not being able to attend more on-ground events.
Having gone from having no idea about how a grassroots non-governmental organization works to being part of such a prestigious organization supported by an amazing group of women, I’m nothing but grateful for the opportunity to have worked with CEQUIN, and I hope to stay connected with it as a volunteer in the future too!
