How My Community Internship with TRY NGO Changed My Perspective on Social Work
Introduction
When I started my community internship with TRY NGO, I honestly thought social work just meant helping people in obvious ways like teaching, donating, or volunteering. That was my simple understanding of it. But after actually going on these visits, I realized it’s not that straightforward. A lot is happening quietly behind the scenes- responsibility, patience, and systems that keep running without much recognition.
My Role During the Community Internship
One of the experiences that really changed my thinking was visiting a cow shelter, Govansh Ashray Sthal, near Chilla Border in Noida. Feeding fodder to the cows might sound very basic, and I thought the same at first. But when you actually stand there and do it, you understand the daily effort it takes to manage a place like that. It’s not a one-time activity. It’s routine, and that routine is what keeps everything functioning.
What stayed with me even more was seeing the biogas plant functioning there. The waste generated at the shelter was being converted into biogas that helped the families managing the shelter with cooking. Seeing that biogas plant actually working was honestly surprising for me because I had only read about such models in books before. I realized that social work is not only about direct human interaction, but it can also be about building systems that support communities in practical ways.
As our internship continued, we started spending time with children from underprivileged backgrounds. In the beginning, our focus was not just on academics but on making them feel comfortable, as that felt like the most important task initially. At first, the children were quiet, and honestly, I didn’t blame them. A group of college students suddenly sitting in front of you would naturally feel strange.
So we didn’t open our notebooks immediately. We just started talking, played a few small games, and asked random questions. Slowly, the awkwardness reduced. We worked on basic things like forming small words, practising simple math, and identifying body parts. Nothing advanced. But the way they reacted when they got something right, that excitement made the session feel bigger than it actually was.
Later, when we interacted with students from classes 6 to 8 at Adarsh Primary School, the setting changed, but the learning gaps remained. Our role there was to solve doubts in different subjects. Students approached us with questions in Mathematics, English, and other areas where they felt stuck. Often, they did not need long explanations - they just needed someone to break down the concept patiently.
Key Learnings from the Internship
Through these experiences, I understood that learning does not always require big infrastructure. Sometimes it just needs attention, encouragement, and a safe environment where children feel comfortable.
What stood out to me was how personal attention changes confidence. When students felt heard and not judged for their doubts, they were more willing to ask questions. A small clarification could visibly boost their self-belief.
I slowly understood that social work is not about doing something big in one dramatic moment. It’s not about one powerful act. It’s about showing up again and again. Small efforts and simple actions, done consistently.
Whether it was feeding animals, observing the biogas system, sitting with children until they opened up, or explaining the same math problem again, all of it felt connected. Different tasks, same intention: responsibility.
Impact on My Perspective
This internship also made me think about my own privilege. Access to education, proper guidance, and basic resources is something I have always had. I never really stopped to question it. But when you sit closely with different communities, you start noticing the gaps. Not in a dramatic way, but quietly. It makes you more aware.
As a management student, I usually study leadership in terms of strategy, planning, execution. Big words. Big frameworks. But here, leadership looked different. It looked simple. It meant being present. Listening properly. Helping without expecting appreciation.
And honestly, that version of leadership felt more real.
Conclusion
This internship did not give me a dramatic moment or a headline-worthy achievement. What it gave me was clarity. Clarity about how real change works. It is rarely loud or instant. It builds slowly - through consistency, patience, and effort that often goes unnoticed.
Somewhere during this journey, my understanding shifted. I stopped looking at social work as a task to complete and started seeing it as a mindset to carry. It made me more aware of the gaps that exist, but also more hopeful about the impact small efforts can create.
More than anything, it changed how I define responsibility. Not as something imposed from outside, but as something that grows within you once you truly observe and engage. And for me, that internal shift has been the most meaningful outcome of this experience.
This blog is written as part of my Community Internship with TRY NGO (www.tryngo.in�), a non-profit organization working at the grassroots level for social development.