November 16, 2009

Bangladesh internship answered life questions

After graduating from U of C, Raksha Vasudevan went on an internship to Bangladesh.

Raksha Vasudevan graduated last April from the Haskayne School of Business with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in marketing and signed up for an AIESEC internship in Bangladesh. AIESEC Canada, now present in 28 Canadian universities including the U of C, provides university students and graduates with leadership experiences and the opportunity to participate in a global internship program.

Vasudevan went to work for the Bangladesh Association for Social Advancement (BASA).

What was it like going to Bangladesh?

Going on the internship to Bangladesh was a pivotal, life-changing experience for me. I went through pretty severe culture shock. The heat, the noise, the sheer population numbers (Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world), the poverty, the colours, the religion and the food were so different than what I was used to in Canada.

To say it was eye-opening and fun would be an incredible understatement—it was heartbreaking, exhilarating, frustrating and inspiring.

How did it impact your worldview?

I went to Bangladesh with a lot of questions. What should I do with my life? What further education should I pursue? What is really important to me? Many of those were answered. I want to work in the development sector. I want to complete my master's in development management. I realized that family, friends, and doing something that I feel is helping others in a visible, tangible way are what I value most in life.

But I also came back haunted by so many bigger questions. Why was I born into such a blessed life when so many others are not? Why isn't God looking out for them? Do the developed countries really have any interest in assisting lesser developed countries, or is it in their best interests to keep them poor?

Upon coming back, I continue to think about questions like these, knowing that I'll likely never find answers that satisfy me. At the same time that I have these doubts, I also feel more confident in myself, more certain about what I want to accomplish and in my ability to accomplish them.

How did AIESEC help you?

I found the internship through AIESEC, and was also provided with lots of "on-the-ground" support. AIESEC members from one of the local committees in Dhaka picked me up from the airport, arranged a place to stay, showed me around the city and I even went on a few trips to the beach and to other towns with them.

The other great thing about doing an AIESEC internship is that you meet (and usually have the option to live with) other interns and that was one of the best things about my experience. It gave me the chance to get to know people my age from different cultures and backgrounds. I made some wonderful friends, and I now have people to stay with in a bunch of different countries.

Learn more about AIESEC Calgary at www.aiesec.ca/calgary or come to a lunch-hour open house from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 18 in MacEwan Student Centre, Room 275.

Also as part of International Education Week, the Centre for International Students and Study Abroad is hosting a Global Café on Nov. 20, where campus community members will “share” their home country with others. Global Café will be held at CISSA in the MacEwan Student Centre, Room 275.