As you can imagine, the answers to these questions are going to be a tad strange, as my internship workplace was different.
What are the social interactions like at your internship workplace? For the most part I am meeting a lot of new people, local to LIberia, and developing bonds with them. The filmmaking and photography is completely solo. Everyone is very nice and willing to help me in whatever they can, I love it! Do people spend a lot of time socializing? A fair amount of my time is spent socializing, but that is just due to LIberian culture. Are people isolated, doing their own things? Yes and no. Many people work alone, but there are often group events/meetings. So a combination of the both, I’d say. Do they work in open spaces, cubicles? Nope! Nothing at all close to a cubicle, haha. There is not one specific ‘workplace’ =, we are always traveling around Liberia, so it’s hard to say! Lots of collaboration on work projects? Not much collaboration? I am collaborating with Growing Liberia’s Children on the process of this video creation, but it is 90% a solo job as far as final product goes. How does the social dynamic impact or reflect the organization’s work? Well, GLC is impacting the community in exactly the way their name implies: Growing Liberia’s Children. Alongside this, they help other areas and organizations in Liberia.
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You’ve been at internship for a week now and you should have a grasp of what your internship project will be. What will you be doing?
I do have a grasp of what my project is! My final product will be a video. I plan on having video ready before the end of internship, and will be working on two more to be delivered later. I will be the photographer and filmmaker for GLC; so I will be shooting video and photo while in Liberia. What will the final product look like? The final product as mentioned above will be a documentary. This documentary will touch on Liberia’s history, and then focus on how Saint Paul school has impacted the community and is development in the broken education system they have in Liberia. Which skills (academic, creative, technical) will you utilize and/or develop while you work on this project? I will utilize media skills; ranging from editing to shooting video, to photography, to story crafting, etc. How will the project benefit the organization? Growing Liberia’s Children is going to display this video on the homepage of their [new] website. From there, any traffic will be able to imagine a clearer picture of what they will be supporting. If this is still your first week, write about what some options may be even if you don't have it settled yet. [None] Liberia.... Where should I even start? Well first off, this post is long overdue, but the experience was one I needed some time to absorb. (Also this is rather long; up to you if you wanna stay! I traveled to Liberia; leaving January 7th and returning on the 18th, we had a good amount of time there. I took my camera gear (per usual) but this time it was different - I was making a movie while I was there. The movie I was making is for Growing Liberia's Children, a non-profit working with Saint Paul school. And that's exactly where this photo was taken: at the school, where preschool through 6th graders attend. The kids here have so much passion and heart. Every day that I was able to interact with them I saw a burning fire in their eyes that I've never seen before. These kids love each other and themselves, they're eager to learn and eager to create a future they want. It's truly beautiful. On a different note, Liberia and all the experiences I had while there was life changing. The people, the culture, the lifestyles they live, the beautiful scenery, and the innocence I saw in children.... Everything I saw was eye opening. Life in Liberia is dramatically different than life I've seen, well, anywhere else. Different than Asia, different from Europe, and very different from the U.S. The people of Liberia manage intense lifestyles. Liberia has an 80% unemployment rate. Additionally, the majority of people have no electricity, no running water, a need for food, and more. Many of the people I met mentioned many times that, "you need to be strong" in order to live there - and it's true. I met a girl, she was the recipient of GLC's scholarship fund. Her name was Bindu, and she was a freshman in college, attending Saint Maris Polytechnic, a school in downtown Monrovia. Her daily routine... let's just say it's crazy. Waking up at 4-5 A.M,l, arriving in time for class to start at 8:00 AM, and taking classes ending at 8:00 PM, with only a 2 hour break from 12:00 - 2:00 PM. From there she makes her way home, arriving around 10:00 PM and she still needs to study and sleep. The craziest part? She is only able to eat one meal per day: breakfast. It's people that have lives like this that made me realize how fortunate I am to live the life I do. Even just to live in the United States is a huge blessing. Problems similar to these affect many many people in Liberia. It's heartbreaking to hear and see, but the positives that have resumed from their hardships are incredible.
Who benefits from the work that you do at your internship?
At my internship with Growing Liberia’s Children I am directly helping the children and people of Liberia. While I was in Liberia I was not only fortunate enough to help out with my own means, but I had a team behind me and we were able to get a lot done. Through my filmmaking and photography I will create products directly associated with bringing attention and information on the issues and circumstances within Liberia. Who in the community benefits from the work? Overall, that happens at your internship site? As far as affected communities go, the ones I’ve influenced are overseas. For my internship I am currently just video editing and photo editing, but the “real” work was done in Liberia. I was on the go filming, photographing, looking for shots, and building a story. Fun stuff in my book. How or why do people benefit from this work? Along with that fun, it goes towards a good purpose - which I’m all about. From removing ignorance in overseas problems to directly changing lives of those less fortunate than us, I’ve just been helping. I am helping in any way I can, and maintaining the relations I built to continue this helping process while I am not physically there. Agriculture is a large industry in Liberia, often times people's largest investment if they can afford it. Producing an export of their country, feeding people, and using the skills for survival purposes, agriculture is a well-rounded industry in Liberia. Many children have aspirations to study this field, and those fortunate to be in school learn related skills. Proving to be a profitable market, this is key to Liberia's growth. Help give children a future now through vocational training: http://growingliberiaschildren.org/donate.php | |
AuthorI'm 16 years old, living life and attending High Tech High International as a Junior. Living in San Diego, following my dreams and pursuing entreprenuership along with photography. ArchivesCategories |