Internship Success Stories
Deanne Goforth
I interned for the Tibetan Women's Association from
December 18th, 2006 to March 16th, 2007. Currently,
I am a second-year graduate student at the University of
Oregon, International Studies Program and have a focus of
indigenous women's empowerment. TWA is an international
non-governmental organization that I felt privileged to
intern with. The women who work for TWA possess the
ability to make you feel very welcomed, while at the
same time giving you assignments that really do make
a contribution to the organization. Many NGOs do not
come with a history dating back to 1959, as TWA does.
The historic revolt against Chinese oppression that
many Tibetan women stood up and fought against had a
monumental impact on me while choosing the appropriate
place to intern. Since TWA is the only Tibetan women
focused NGO in existence, I felt that it would be an
honor to assist them in any way possible. The amount
of information a person would learn from this type of
experience is really limitless and highly dependable
on the self-motivation of the individual. My favorite
part of interning has been teaching English to the women
at Stitches of Tibet during the mornings because they
are some of the most dedicated students I have ever met.
Their laughter is contagious, but more importantly they are
fortunate enough to participate in a program that offers
skills for future economic sustainability. This is just
one of the valuable contributions TWA makes to the lives
of Tibetan people in-exile and those still living in Tibet.
For more information please contact our central office.