Bronwyn adds: “I also worked on new project proposals and research, which was really fascinating for me as I’d never really done that before. One of them was a women’s economic empowerment project, which really aligned with everything I’m interested in.”
Meeting those who are benefiting from ChildFund’s work was also eye-opening for Bronwyn. “I visited a local village for a special festival and had lunch with a woman who volunteers with ChildFund to support sponsored children with letter-writing. It was amazing to get an insight into her life. Her husband has had a few accidents and she now does the majority of agricultural work. But she was also there cooking and looking after their children, so the workload for women is just massive,” says Bronwyn.
“Seeing this woman, and hearing her stories about other women, and the horrible things they face really put a human face to the research that I did.”
For Bronwyn and Mansi, their internships have exposed them to the realities and nuances of working in the international aid and development sector.
“At university, we’ve learnt so much about sustainable development and having a long-term approach, and deep development. It was so amazing for me to see that being carried out. I`m really impressed by ChildFund`s work in Vietnam,” says Bronwyn.