Interview by Liam

 

Interview

This interview of the Regional Senior Manager of an International Non-Governmental Organization (the name of the interviewee and the organization has been kept anonymous as per the wish of the interviewee) was conducted on 10th March 2024 at a Church. This interview aimed to learn the intricacies of social work in India. The interview was conducted over a meal, both the interviewer and the interviewee ate Dal and Puris with Gaajar ka Halwa

Interviewer: Good morning, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Since you are Regional Senior Manager of an International Non-Governmental Organization what does your job entail?

Interviewee: Good morning, it is a pleasure to be interviewed by you. As the Regional Senior Manager, my tasks entail management of all the South-Pacific countries, I facilitate communication between multiple Points-of-Contact and the agency. I also plan and execute various social media related activities through which our reach gets widened.

Interviewer: May I ask what gravitated you to this field ?

Interviewee: I have a Bachelors in Sociology, plus, I am a very social person. I love interacting, talking and getting to know people and engaging with them. So this field was the best option for me. As it is, we live in a very “me myself and I” sort of a world, so I have always thought that being out there and helping the marginalized or oppressed people is something which I believe was my calling.

Interviewer: Interesting, may I ask if there are any drawbacks in this line of work ?

Interviewee: Well, in my initial few years of my profession in this field it was a little disconcerting as I had to cover a lot of rural India. These places are not the kindest. The people are tough, living standards are abysmal so one has to compromise a lot when one covers such areas. I have interacted with people who shoot themselves up with drugs, so there have been certain situations which have induced a lot of anxiety in my heart. However, I refused to give up and chose to slog it out.

Interviewer: What has been the NGO’s most notable achievement ? Could you please provide a description of it as well ?

Interviewee: We provided aid to the people who suffered a lot of losses due to the Kerala floods. Around 900 children  from affected families were provided with school kits, containing school bags, notebooks, stationery, a lunch box, solar lantern and an umbrella. We also designed a low-cost temporary housing model which is guaranteed to last for 8-10 years and can be fabricated within 6 days. 

Interviewer: Is there anything else you'd like to add about the work of the NGO in this region, or any message you'd like to convey regarding the importance of the organization's mission and efforts?

Interviewee: Absolutely, I want to stress how our NGO's work is truly changing lives here. We've tackled challenges head-on, empowering communities and seeing real results. But there's more to be done. I encourage everyone to join us in our mission. Together, we can make a lasting impact.