As my LIA project comes to a close, I feel that I have so much to process. In order to begin the process of understanding the experiences I have had, I have decided to write brief summaries of the key projects I have accomplished, split up into my personal LIA project and broader internship work.

My Own Project

To give a concise summary of my own work, I completed research on the organizational structure of NGOs, with a specific focus on immigration, that culminated in a final project. Using a sociological approach, my research focused on understanding the role of NGOs within the broader spheres of capitalism, imperialism, and government to examine the efficacy of NGOs. Through this research, I discovered funding to be a major barrier for many NGOs in terms of not only efficacy but also ethicality. From this discovery, I reorganized an organization's donation process, making it easier for everyday individuals to get involved and expand the organization's base of support. Through doing this, I also worked to ease the organization's reliance on government funding or big business donors.

Overview of Internship Work

Over the past three months, I had the privilege of completing internships at two international organizations focused on immigration and refugee support: INHURED International in Kathmandu, Nepal, and The HOME Project in Athens, Greece. I set out with the goal of building a cross-cultural understanding of the global refugee crisis by working within both an Eastern and a Western context.

I began in Nepal working with INHURED International, which is a human rights organization that works alongside the UN and national governments to advance refugee protection through research, advocacy, and policy work. During my two months there, I contributed to policy briefs, participated in fieldwork at refugee camps, researched legal issues affecting refugee populations, and assisted with grant applications. This was such a moving experience in ways I am still processing. It reframed how I think about humanitarian work not as something done for people, but alongside people who are already doing the harder part themselves.

I then moved to Athens, Greece, to begin my internship with The HOME Project, which is an organization with a mission closely aligned with INHURED's, but with a dedicated focus on unaccompanied refugee minors. This opportunity gave me a deep respect for what it takes to keep an NGO running with funding gaps and a deeply complicated bureaucratic system. Despite numerous setbacks, The HOME Project has never faltered in showing up for the people in their care.

Conclusion

Honestly, I don't think I'll fully understand what these three months gave me for a long time to come. They not only changed how I think about this work, but also how I view the whole world around me. I tried to go into everything with an open mind and just take in as much as I could. One of the most significant aspects of my LIA project was meeting incredible individuals. The relationships I made transformed my experience into something deeply meaningful. I am so grateful for the lifelong friends I made along the way.