Reflection on Internship at the Network on Violence Against Women - Kelsey Louder

After almost two weeks at my internship I have had a lot of time to reflect on the entire internship experience and how it is helping me grow. I originally thought the internship was just going to teach me tons of things about working in an NGO, the problem of violence against women in South Africa, and what is being done in the Western Cape specifically to end the violence. It has done all those things and I'm sure I will continue to learn more but I think the most important things that working at the Western Cape Network on Violence Against Women (WCNOVAW) has taught me have been about my self. First of all, who knew I could take a minibus taxis to and from work by myself and not want to hyperventilate? Growing up in Mexico, Missouri and going to college in Kirksville did not prepare me for this kind of experience. When Vernon first told me that I would be taking a minibus to work, I thought he surely must be joking. I had about zero confidence in myself to get on the right bus, let alone make sure I get off at the right stop. I did it though, and now I am a pro at this whole minibus thing. I was even showing the former IEC girls how to do it the other day! Even though that may not sound like much of anything, anyone who knows me knows that its a huge step for me to feel comfortable with that.

Another thing I am learning is how to make myself become more assertive. In situations that are new to me I can be very quiet and shy and as you can imagine that doesn't work well in an internship setting. It is taking a while for me to come out of my shell at work and it has been a very interesting experience. Slowly I start to ask more questions and have little conversations with more people but it I think it is going to take a while for me to get used to things. Patience isn't something I am good at, so I have been a little frustrated to say the least. WCNOVAW is such a fantastic organization and I am surrounded by strong women everyday when I go to work, I'm sure I will be able break out of my shyness soon enough. The programs they help implement are very interesting to me and one program in particular, the Global Fund Peer Educator Program, is especially inspirational. Seeing all these different young women going out into their communities to share information about violence against women and where to get help, is such a great thing to witness. I was fortunate enough to go to a meeting and meet some of these young women,my first day at the internship and I immediately got to see some of the impact WCNOVAW is making in the community. It may be difficult for me to adjust to a new situation but the motivation to really get as involved as I can in this organization is definitely there. It's only my second week and I can already tell I have come a long way but I am glad I have another two weeks left because I have a long way to go. This experience may just teach me more than I ever expected it to.