Virtual internship with AKDN in Geneva, Switzerland

Ashhal Vellani virtually interning with AKDN in Switzerland.Diploma Programme (DP) 2 student, Ashhal Vellani, spent four weeks virtually interning with the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in Geneva, Switzerland. AKDN aims to improve living conditions and opportunities for the poor, without regard to their faith, origin or gender.

COVID-19 portal containing resources Ashhal helped put together.Focused in the Communications department, Ashhal’s main role during the internship was to assist in the development of an online library of resources related to the COVID-19 pandemic. His participation involved collating and organising resources from different AKDN agencies such as the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and Aga Khan Health Service (AKHS), and uploading them on a COVID-19 portal on the AKDN website for easy accessibility. He was guided by a supervisor based in Geneva all through his tasks.

Commenting on his experience, Ashhal said, “It was an amazing journey with many interesting memories. I got to interact with mentors all the way from Geneva and a fellow Academy student from Hyderabad, India. The internship also helped me gain some work experience which is a great foundation for the future as I set out in a real working environment.” He added that he also gained insight about the day-to-day operations of an organisation such as how tasks are assigned and how people work.

The internship greatly helped Ashhal expand his skills and knowledge on the use of different video conferencing applications and how to publish content on a website. He also learnt valuable life skills such as time management and commitment to one’s work, which he feels will help him in the future.

Having learnt so much from his very first internship experience, Ashhal encourages students to take full advantage of the summer internship opportunities. “I would totally recommend doing an internship during the summer break as it gives you valuable work experience and assists you in developing many leadership skills,” said Ashhal. “This internship made me feel like I contributed to the community and possibly made some lives better.”