There are many benefits to pursuing an internship abroad with Globalteer. These benefits include living in vibrant cities like Cusco in Peru and Siem Reap in Cambodia, helping people and animals, and gaining professional experience as well as improving your CV.
Globalteer's website and social media channels frequently discusses the work that we do with animals, children, and communities.
We also invite people to volunteer with Globalteer or apply for our internship programmes. However, we have not really discussed how an internship at Globalteer can help you achieve your professional goals. This blog will outline why you should consider applying for Globalteer's internships. Thereafter, it will identify employment opportunities that you can pursue with the experience that you have obtained.
Globalteer, registered charity in the UK and abroad
When pursuing any internship, it is important to know about that organisation’s work. This is because your internship will likely be contributing to that organisation's work. Therefore, before discussing internships, it is important for me to briefly outline Globalteer’s work.
Globalteer, in short, is a UK charity working in Cambodia and Peru to protect children’s rights, empower women, develop communities, conserve the environment, and to promote animal welfare.
These goals are in line with international goals which are articulated in human rights treaties such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. The need for a healthy environment was expressed as early as 1966 in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the right to a clean environment forms part of the Bill of Rights of many countries today.
Although there is no treaty on animal welfare yet, the UN Convention on Animal Health and Welfare was proposed in 2019, but is yet to be adopted. Two things are important to note in this proposal: the first is the recognition of the growing concern worldwide for animal health, welfare and protection. The second is that this proposal recognized the need to protect all animals, from companion animals like dogs and cats, to laboratory and wild animals.
To achieve our goals, Globalteer launched various initiatives in Peru and Cambodia. In Peru, Globalteer launched the Picaflor House and the Peru Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) initiatives. In Cambodia, Globalteer launched the Helping Hands School and the Globalteer Sports Programme. These will be discussed in greater detail below.
Globalteer's work in Peru
The Picaflor House is an afterschool programme in Oropesa, near Cusco. This initiative was established because parents worked long hours in order to support their families financially. This meant that after school, children would not be fed and would wander the streets unsupervised.
Picaflor House offers children a nutritious meal every day and helps them with their homework. This promotes their physical and mental development and ensures they don't drop out of school due to poor grades. This is important because parents sometimes take children out of school to engage in child labour due to poor grades. Finally, Picaflor teaches the children other subjects such as Spanish, English, maths and art lessons in order to supplement the school curriculum.
The Peru Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) was launched in order to address the street dog problem in Peru. In Cusco alone, there are an estimated 40,000 street dogs. To address this problem, PAWS offers sterilisation in the form of neutering surgeries. Additionally, PAWS offers veterinary care and education campaigns in order to change social attitudes towards animals.
Gloablteer's work in Cambodia
The Helping Hands School, like Picaflor House, is an after school programme. Although public school is free, many children could not attend due to not having school uniforms and scholastic materials. Helping Hands provides uniforms and scholastic materials to those in need so that they can attend public school. Thereafter, it provides them with a meal every day and classes to supplement the public school curriculum.
The Globalteer Sports Programme is the initiative which seeks to empower children through sports. Globalteer believes that sports will not only promote the physical and mental development of children. We also believe that sports can be used as a tool to teach children about teamwork, fair play, and social issues such as children’s rights, the environment, gender equity, alcohol/drug abuse, and corruption and fair play.
Below, I will discuss the internships available in Peru and Cambodia and those that are available in both countries. Additionally, I will identify various career possibilities that you can pursue with that experience.
Internships with Globalteer Available in Peru & Cambodia
Volunteer Coordinator: This intern ensures that people volunteering with Globalteer have a well-organised and amazing experience during their volunteership. This intern would be in charge of logistics such as accommodation and transport. They would also coordinate airport pickups, tours, and orientations. This experience is valuable for those looking to work in an administrative position, or a position in logistics.
NGO Assistant: The NGO Assistant assists the Project Manager at the Picaflor House. The intern teaches classes, creates workshops, and works with students who require individual attention. This experience is beneficial for those looking to work at organisations working with children or vulnerable people.
Internships with Globalteer in Peru
Blog Writer: The blog writer essentially writes blogs about Globalteer's work. Other blog writers have even written about their experiences working for Globalteer or living in Cusco. I, a law graduate, am proof that you don't need to be a journalist to apply for this role. Apply for this role if you want to apply for positions in communications and reporting in the future.
Social Media Creator: This intern creates content about Globalteer's work and uploads it onto our social media channels. As most companies and organisations have social media channels, this internship will allow you to pursue opportunities in social media specifically, or in communications generally.
Media Creator: The media creator takes photographs and videos to be used on Globalteer’s website. This intern would produce photographs, videos and vlogs about Globalteer’s work and the work that Globalteer does with its partners. Like the social media creator, the intern would be able to pursue opportunities in the area of communications.
Fundraising: This intern helps raise money for Globalteer so that the organisation can continue with its work. The intern identifies and reaches out to potential donors. Additionally, the intern also researches grant opportunities for Globalteer and its partners. Experience obtained during this internship would be beneficial at other small to medium NGOs, as they also need to source funding in order to continue to do their work.
Dog Welfare Assistant: This intern will form part of the PAWS initiative and work with the mobile veterinary team in dog welfare and population management. Additionally, the intern will work at dog shelters, and perform administrative tasks associated with the programme. This internship is ideal for those looking to work in animal welfare or related fields.
Digital Marketing Intern: A digital marketer uses online or digital channels in order to reach customers, build brand awareness, and promote a company’s products and services. This includes through social media platforms, emails, and other online channels. Opportunities in this area are broad, ranging from being a digital marketing specialist, a SEO specialist, and a content marketing specialist.
Internships with Globalteer in Cambodia
General Internship: Located in Siem Reap, Cambodia, the duties of the intern are similar to that of the NGO Assistant in Cusco, as they are broader than the other internships, and the intern supports senior staff members in a variety of ways. The duties of this internship range from creating content for Globalteer’s website and social media channels, working with the teaching and sports teams, supporting volunteers at Globalteer’s projects, and the monitoring and evaluation of projects. Experience obtained in this internship is broad, and can be used to pursue positions in communications, monitoring and evaluation, and project implementation at local or international organisations.
Sports Intern: This intern will work to implement Globalteer’s Sports Programme by coaching children in rural Cambodia. They will also work with coaches to implement the sports programme, and working with international volunteers. Experience obtained during this internship would be beneficial for those looking to coach children in various sporting codes, or those looking to work with children generally.
I hope that this blog has shown you that pursuing an internship with Globalteer can be a beneficial experience for the people and animals that we help, Globalteer, and the interns themselves. I encourage you to apply for one of our internships if it aligns with your long-term career objectives. Alternatively, should you not require the professional experience but still want to contribute to Globalteer’s work, you can volunteer or simply make a donation by following the links below.