Dear Valerie,
Before I go ahead with my clarifications I’d just like to say how grateful I am to you for giving me so much of your time. I realize that you really do not have to do so. Therefore, I thank you for being so considerate.
You mentioned that the minimum period for the internship is three months when I said that I would have time up to the end of November. My response, through the form, was that I had been receiving intensive training and learning right from the 25th of August with the help of a founder member of the organization. It was however then clearly stated that this did not mean that I was interning with Saathi. But the fact remains that I was and still am receiving unique training. I began meeting an 11 year old from a slum viz. Nilesh and his mother very early on in the training process. I know that all of this, as you said, was not done by going through the formal channels. An exceptional experience is taking place nonetheless. Although Saathi doesn’t have any current projects in Pune, I know that it is currently debating the issue of starting projects in other places as well. This would be a great place to learn how. As for the regular interaction you have mentioned, I would love to take part in any such interaction, both face-to-face and otherwise. I am not attempting to discount the value of face-to-face interaction; however I believe a lot of interaction will be possible everyday by way of telephonic conversations. I am also willing to make visits to Mumbai as and when necessary to ensure that face-to -face interaction does take place. I would also like to mention here that I have been receiving a great deal of supervision and mentorship over the past 45 days from Roabin who has played this role many times over for a large number of Saathi’s staff as well as interns in the past and continues to do so even now. Roabin tells me how he himself has learnt so much from Saathi and this is the reason why I wanted to bring Saathi into the picture too.
On the money issue, I’d like to reiterate that I will not require to be reimbursed for expenses that are made while I am in Pune. Accommodation and transport within Pune are not issues for me. I hope I do not come across as arrogant, but I did not understand how never having done something (paying interns for transport) becomes a reason for never starting to do so when genuine issues present themselves.
Although making a compromise and deciding to volunteer instead of asking for a full fledged internship is interesting, I believe it would be like asking me to make a choice between what I think is right and what I think is easy. As per my understanding, volunteering would involve me giving limited time to the organization as per its requirement. Unlike an internship, volunteering would not be mutually beneficial or a mutual learning experience. I once again request that you accept the applicant information form and put it under consideration.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
Nishant Philip
P.S. - I would also like to reiterate the questions pertaining to my blog. I truly fail to understand why I am told that my blogposts are often inaccurate and inappropriate which throws me into a state of confusion over the matter, and yet I am not even given a hint as to what Saathi believes I ought to do to maintain accuracy. I have been pleading for simple suggestion for a long time now. I have been told that it’s a risk that Saathi is unwilling to take. I don’t understand this as well because I am not asking people to give me orders, just suggestions. Why the caution, when the final decision for any actions taken would be mine?
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