Volunteer Experience: Business Management & Administration Internship

Insiders Story: “I learnt more in the past 4 months than in Uni!”

Juan Antuna Ros shares his experience as a volunteer with SOLS 24/7 Malaysia.

I have been on the Business Management & Administration Internship program in Malaysia for just under 4 months and will be here for an additional 8 months. In this time I’ve learnt more about managing a business than in my entire time at university and I’ve had the opportunity to attend meetings and presentations with some of the biggest players in Malaysian business.

The extensive variety of tasks that are spread across a small management team has meant that straight from the word go I’ve been given a lot of responsibility and important work to carry out. I’ve worked with other NGOs in the past where you are usually assigned to only one or two projects for your entire duration. But with SOLS 24/7 there is just so much to do and be involved with that I’ve had the chance to work on many different projects.

Discussing strategies with colleague Tim, from Netherlands.

I have assisted thoroughly in setting up SOLS Smart, the business arm of SOLS 24/7 where 80% of profits will be channelled into the NGO to fund future projects. This has given me the opportunity to discuss marketing strategy with experts in the field, create a brochure with designers, set up a website and design a program and presentation targeting senior managers. I’ve obtained a comprehensive understanding of what it takes to set-up a business, and the experience to be a part of the process is something I won’t forget.

Funding is the bloodline of most NGOs but applying for it is not as simple as just asking. I’ve learnt firsthand and in great detail about proposal writing and how to approach potential donors. These activities have lead to a partnership with Berjaya Cares Foundation that will be funding a huge project for 2012. I will be going to Malaysian Borneo to set-up a training centre for underprivileged youths from rural and urban areas. It is extremely exciting to be able to be a part of a project like this and see it develop from the ground up.

As well as my duties as a Business Management & Administration Intern I’ve been given the chance to dedicate some of my time to the Education side of SOLS 24/7. Teaching basic Maths everyday for 1 hour has been a lot of fun and given me the chance to get to know and interact with some of the students who are benefitting from the programs. A strong part of my involvement with Education concerns researching and developing a new compact maths program that will teach all the mathematical skills that are essential in life.

All in all, the SOLS 24/7 team are an inspirational and tremendously passionate group of people with solid moral principles. Their tireless determination and hard work ethic is both astounding and infectious. Few organizations in the world have such sincere and ambitious goals and even fewer organizations actually achieve them on a regular basis. The kind of monitoring and attention to personal development I get from my supervisors is extremely encouraging and their relentless support makes me feel very comfortable about working here. I definitely get the impression that I am highly valued and needed by the organization and that my work will have a lasting impact on many people’s lives. This alone motivates me more than a high salary or bonus. This is a concept that I studied previously in Organizational Psychology during university, but have now come to realize first hand.

Quick Questions:

1) SOLS 24/7: You have a history of loving to do volunteer work and working with grassroot projects. What started your interest?

Juan: There are many people that accept this world for what it is and are able to find happiness amidst the suffering of others, through various distractions, comforts and material possessions. And there are the lone few that stand out like a sore thumb, they will never be satisfied until suffering and tyranny is brought to an end and are fighting everyday for a better future. I started volunteering when I realised that I wasn’t a sheep anymore and had to try and do something meaningful with my life.

2) SOLS 24/7: To complete your internship for your university, why did you choose to work with a non profit, and not in the usual corporate environment?

Juan: I didn’t get the hype of applying to big companies just to pimp out my CV or show off to my friends and family about how big and reputable my employer is. At the end of the day, most of those people are sitting around making photocopies and coffee. The kind of work you do in an NGO is usually very diverse, dynamic and interesting. You are able to work in different areas and interact with a lot of different people from different cultural backgrounds. It strongly develops your initiative and self-determination as you are working because you want to, not because you have to, and its really up to you how much you want to contribute.

3) SOLS 24/7: Could you give a brief outline of your previous volunteer work – in Tanzania, etc?

With his football team in Tanzania.

Juan: I began doing voluntary work in Tanzania for a local NGO called ‘Art in Tanzania’. They hooked me up with a role as a football coach in Kwetu High School. We played a few friendly matches with neighbouring schools and the attention we got from the children and the general public was incredible. This gave me the idea to create a football competition but on a much larger scale! The director of the NGO shared my vision so I was appointed sports project manager. I was to plan and coordinate a football tournament for secondary schoolsI planned and co-ordinated their first football tournament for local secondary schools aiming to promote ‘Art in Tanzania’ and HIV Awareness. I also managed a team of volunteers and medical interns to work as coaches, referees and medics on match days.

Other than sports I also taught Adult English Advanced Classes and initiated a class plan and study programs for local Tanzanians of all ages who had very low understanding of the English language. I took students out of the class for individual speaking practice and reading exercises. This greatly improved my cultural understanding and approach to working in Africa.

Juan believes in empowering others through education.

4) SOLS 24/7:Lastly, when a student wants to do an internship, what criteria or points should they take into consideration when choosing an organization to work for?

Juan:

Do you want to ENJOY what you are doing.

Do you want to LEARN while you are doing it.

Do you want to EXPERIENCE something deeply rewarding.

Do you want to CHANGE people’s lives.

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