Social internships helped me understand concerns around climate change, food scarcity, and health

As part of UPES School for Life’s social internship ‘Srijan’, I planned a set of three initiatives: ‘Food Drive’, ‘Let’s Plant’, and distribution of safety kits

I have always been keen on understanding the problems prevailing in society and the ways to solve them. When UPES School for Life started ‘Srijan’ – a six-week social internship – I knew it was an opportunity to serve the community.

‘Srijan’ enables first-year students to intern with over 350 reputable organisations and NGOs. This allows students to gain work experience and pushes them to think about a larger purpose.

Through the social internship, I learned that any kind of change and impact you make matters and will be counted. The desire to alleviate the suffering of those who were less fortunate grew stronger with time, and I decided to do my part in giving back to the nation. I shared this plan with my batchmates, and they all agreed to help with the cause. This initiative would not have been a success without their assistance and contribution.

Guided by the philosophy ‘a little bit for yourself and everything for others,’ I planned a set of three social initiatives: the ‘Food Drive’, ‘Let’s Plant’, and distribution of safety kits.

• The Food Drive: Seeing children struggle for necessities, we began a food drive for them. We distributed 75 food thalis and 30 litres of milk to children living in slums.
• Let’s Plant: Considering the climate change crisis and issues such as pollution, extraordinary heat, and uneven weather patterns, we decided to make our small contribution. We planted 50 trees in the surrounding areas of Delhi.
• Distribution of Safety Kits: Keeping the third COVID-19 wave in mind and the waning seriousness about the precautions, we planned an effort to create awareness among people. We distributed 50 safety kits that included two N95 masks and a 100ml sanitiser.

Knowing that we as individuals can make a difference is one of the greatest feelings in the world. I believe that everyone should be part of a social initiative at least once in their lives. By doing so, they will realise that even small actions can make huge differences. If we try to understand the world’s pressing problems and work towards resolving them, it could lead to an ideal society someday.

During this internship under UPES School for Life, I imbibed skills such as empathy, time management, and leadership. School for Life provides a broad base of curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular learning experiences to students from diverse backgrounds and nurtures their abilities through a problem-solving approach.

In today’s dynamic and emergent global scenario, the higher education landscape is always evolving to satisfy the demands of students, society at large, and the future of work. School for Life focuses on what we would need to do as future global citizens and leaders.

Students can upskill themselves and choose other expertise through courses that focus on improved communication, management, and professional skills, along with critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. The courses are structured such that we can study without feeling pressed or stressed; they are full of life lessons, allowing students to learn, achieve, and grow.

(The author is a first-year BBA student, UPES School of Business)