At FAT, I was able to learn the art of fostering one’s own agency | My internship experience at FAT
When I first landed at FAT, I was unsure about many things but soon after, I was able to learn the art of fostering one’s own agency. When I was able to let go of my self-doubts and fear, I found myself knocking from desk to desk in each and every room introducing myself to every Champion (Young staff leaders at FAT), interacting and learning while also having the most amazing time. The champions in the office were kind to spare time from their busy schedule so that I could talk to them about their roles and responsibilities. They were always available to clarify my doubts.
The second thing I learned through this experience was the beauty of human interactions. There was so much mutual respect, empathy, and thoughtfulness during the interactions. Even though most of the champions were not fluent in English and my Hindi was very weak, the empathy and their thoughtfulness bridged the language gap. I will never forget the time when I interacted with the HR trainee and the administrator at their office and they shared their experience of struggling with language during their training in Rajasthan. We laughed so much!
I was anxious about how I would build good relationships with my colleagues or the people I was working with at the Girls Makerspace or if I dropped by at the main office for a short time. I realized that sometimes, I must move out of my comfort zone and make the first move some time. I cannot always expect people to come and talk to me. After I started doing this, my language problem, which I thought was my main barrier, also became my strength because now we were empathizing and we were able to analyse beforehand what the other person might feel, think or need even beforehand. It is like knowing and understanding each other so well.
The next moment, you realize you are laughing with them at the same jokes, sharing the same food from the same tiffin box, talking about family, and sharing personal stories and experiences. This is my experience of how relationships at my workplace are formed.
FAT has created a space where everyone is equal and everyone is on the level to hold you accountable. One day, I showed up late to the office and a young smart boy from Girls Makerspace in his 7th grade questioned why I was late. This is the type of space FAT has created where age doesn't define hierarchy and respect. The other thing which I find very beautiful about the organization is how all the champions (staff) working in the organization today, started as participants. From a participant crossing different levels to a becoming trainee to finally becoming a champion who is now working to train other participants- they have come full circle under the organization. And for this reason alone, I deem the journey of FAT a success story.
FAT as an organization has taught me many new things over the past five weeks. I had the opportunity to witness many new things, hear lots of new stories and moments to reflect upon these experiences. Moreover, I had the opportunity to learn and relate to theories in the best the way I can. I also had the opportunity to offer my best help in the best way possible sparing nothing from my side. And last but not least I was given creative freedom throughout the whole fieldwork process be it in my teaching, interaction, or formulating different modules. This experience was good learning for me but in the meantime, I got to enjoy and have fun while doing it.
Written by Christso Kamkra ; Edited by Almas Naseem
To volunteer/intern at FAT, write to us at fat@fat-net.org
