A Month That Changed Everything: My Internship Journey with Destiny Reflection

You know that feeling when you're scrolling through Google at 2 AM, desperately searching

for something that'll make your college fieldwork requirement actually mean something?

-Fayez Ahmed (Bachelor's in Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences)

You know that feeling when you're scrolling through Google at 2 AM, desperately searching

for something that'll make your college fieldwork requirement actually mean something?

That was me and Nandika last year. We weren't just looking for any NGO—we wanted an

adventure, a purpose, and honestly, a solid excuse to explore the eastern part of India with our parents' blessing (because let's be real, that's not easy to get!). Neither of us had ever been to Kolkata. The city was this mysterious, cultural hub we'd only read about in books and seen in movies. But when we stumbled upon Destiny Reflection during one of our late-night research sessions, something just clicked. An organization working with survivors of sexual trafficking, empowering them through skill development and creating handmade products—the work spoke to us immediately.

After hitting that 'send' button on our application emails, the waiting game began. When the reply came asking for an online interview, I won't lie—we were terrified. What would they

ask? How should we answer? What if we said something wrong? We spent hours preparing,

overthinking every possible question. But the actual interview? It was the complete opposite

of what we'd imagined. The Destiny team was so warm, so understanding, so chill. We talked

about our plans, our motivations, what we hoped to learn and contribute. They were

supportive from the get-go, and by the end of that call, we weren't nervous anymore—we

were just excited. Really, really excited.

Here's the thing about college schedules: they're never in your favor. November was

fieldwork month, and December was our winter vacation—our last winter break before

diving into the chaos of final year. Most of our friends were planning trips home, beach

vacations, or just catching up on sleep. We chose differently. We gave up our winter break for this internship, and honestly? Best decision ever. (Though I'll admit, the fear of missing

home-cooked meals was REAL.)

If you think finding accommodation in a new city while sitting hundreds of kilometers away

is easy, think again. Every apartment we found online was either way out of our budget or

miles away from the office. We were getting worried—really worried. Then came the savior

moment: Smarita ma'am found us an apartment under her care that was both affordable and

close to the office. We were over the moon! Until... we heard about the 10 PM restriction.

Hello, anxiety, my old friend. But we decided to roll with it. What's an adventure without a

few plot twists, right?

Picture this: Me, landing at Kolkata airport at 4 AM, exhausted, sleep-deprived, carrying all

my luggage, waiting for sunrise because what else do you do at an airport at that hour? The

jetlag was hitting different. By 11 AM, armed with Google Maps and way too much

optimism, I navigated through the metro and hopped on a Rapido to reach the office. And

then—plot twist—the location was WRONG. I was standing in the middle of some random

alley, heavy bags cutting into my shoulders, wondering if I'd made a terrible mistake. After

what felt like ages of walking (and maybe a little internal crying), I finally found the Destiny

office. The relief I felt when I saw that door was indescribable. It was like coming home. And

funny enough, that office literally became our second home for the next month. So much so

that we even spent a night there once when we got locked out of our apartment (but that's a

story for later!).

I'm pretty sure I fell asleep in the office multiple times that first day. Smarita ma'am, being

the absolute angel she is, personally took me to our apartment. It was a bit old, had a very

homely vibe, and okay, maybe felt slightly haunted at night (or maybe that was just the

tiredness talking). But ma'am had arranged everything we needed—utensils, basic supplies,

and even snacks that became our breakfast lifeline on many mornings.

The next month was this beautiful blend of chaos and routine. Waking up, making our own

breakfast (we really appreciated our mothers after this), finding the right buses and autos to

the office—it was adulting at full speed. And can we talk about Kolkata itself? The city felt

like stepping into a time machine that took us back to a vintage India we'd only heard stories

about. Those iconic yellow Ambassador taxis cruising down the streets, the old rattling buses that looked like they'd been running since independence—it was like living in a different era altogether. But what really surprised us, coming from Kerala, was the traffic culture. People actually followed traffic rules! Like, genuinely followed them even when there was no police around to check. Cars stopped at red lights, pedestrians waited for their turn, everyone stayed

in their lanes—it was both impressive and slightly surreal for us. The only downside? This

civic discipline came with the cost of standing at the edge of the road for what felt like ages,

waiting to cross a simple street. Those few minutes of waiting tested our patience every

single time, but hey, at least it was safe!

The auto system in Kolkata deserves its own paragraph. That was hands-down the weirdest

thing we experienced. Autos running on fixed routes like buses? Having to pay in CASH (we

hadn't used cash in years, thanks to UPI)? It was like stepping into a different dimension. But

honestly, it became part of the charm, part of what made Kolkata so uniquely Kolkata.

One of the highlights was definitely the Christmas fair at the German Consulate. Talk about a

completely new experience! We weren't just visitors—we were there selling Destiny's

products, networking with people from India and abroad, all while trying to resist the

temptation of all those amazing food stalls. Spoiler alert: we didn't resist for long. We also got to witness this beautiful performance of regional folk songs by people from rural West

Bengal. Those moments reminded us why we were there—to be part of something bigger,

something meaningful. Then came the Birla School fair, which was basically their annual

day. We set up our stall early, all pumped up. The school had organized so many games and

activities. We played everything (very competitively, I might add) but sadly didn't win any

prizes. Can't win them all, I guess!

You can take us out of Kerala, but you can't take Kerala out of us. We were desperately

missing home food, especially after weeks of experimenting with our questionable cooking

skills. And then—miracle of miracles—we found a cloud kitchen serving authentic Kerala

cuisine! Those meals briefly transported us back home. Sometimes, it's the small things that

matter most. But the best meals? Those were the shared lunches with the Destiny team. We

especially looked forward to Tuesdays when everyone would be in the office together. It took

us right back to school lunchbreaks—that same warmth, that same joy of sharing food and

stories. Sudeshna ma'am and Smarita ma'am made every effort to make us feel at home, and it worked like magic.

The rural trip to Purulia wasn't on our bucket list. We had no proper plans, no detailed

itinerary. But sometimes the best experiences are the unplanned ones. 8-10 hours of

continuous driving, random conversations, food breaks, power naps—it was exactly like

those childhood family road trips we'd almost forgotten about. Those long stretches of road,

the changing landscapes, the impromptu snack stops—pure nostalgia.

If I had to pick the most impactful part of our internship, it would be working at the

community center in Khidirpur. That experience was truly eye-opening. Seeing the struggles

of children from vulnerable and economically weak families, understanding their reality—it

touched something deep inside us. We conducted activities with these kids who were shy and reluctant at first. Building trust took time. But gradually, they opened up, and by the end, they didn't want us to leave. They'd ask when we were coming back, if we could stay longer.

Those moments made everything—the early mornings, the long commutes, being away from home—absolutely worth it. We learned as much from them as we hopefully taught them. It was professional growth, personal growth, and a whole lot of perspective shifts wrapped into one experience.

Destiny Reflection isn't just an organization—it's a family. And I'm not just saying this; I

mean it with every fiber of my being. The lazy afternoon talks with Sudeshna ma'am, where

conversations flowed from work to life to everything in between—those will be deeply

missed. Raju bhaiyya and everyone else in the office kept us entertained, made sure we were

okay, and never once made us feel like outsiders. Even when we were far from home, missing our families, feeling overwhelmed—they were there.

As our last day approached, the reality hit us hard. This month had flown by way too fast. We

packed our bags with heavy hearts and minds that absolutely did not want to leave. There

were tears, there were hugs, there were promises to stay in touch. This internship was never

just about fulfilling a college requirement. It became an experience that combined fun,

learning, hard work, and memories that'll last a lifetime. We saw a different side of India,

understood issues we'd only read about in textbooks, and met people doing incredibly

meaningful work every single day. We learned that home isn't always a place—sometimes it's people. The Destiny family created a home for us, thousands of kilometers away from our

actual home. They welcomed two nervous college students and sent back two individuals

with broader perspectives, bigger hearts, and a determination to make a difference.

Today, when someone asks about our internship, we don't just talk about the work we did or

the skills we learned. We talk about the family we found. We talk about Destiny Reflection

with pride, with gratitude, with love. We'll always be proud to say we're part of the Destiny

family. This isn't just a line—it's a truth we carry with us. This journey taught us that sometimes, the best experiences come from taking risks, saying yes to the unknown, and

trusting that things will work out. To anyone reading this and thinking about volunteering or

interning with Destiny Reflection—do it. Take that leap. It might just change your life like it

changed ours.

Destiny Reflection works to disrupt the cycles of sexual exploitation and human trafficking in

Kolkata, empowering survivors through skill development and creating sustainable

livelihoods. Learn more about their work at destinyreflection.org

If you're interested in volunteering, interning, or supporting their cause, reach out to them.

Trust me, you won't regret it.