Summer Internship 2026: Day to Day Experience

Walking into this VT Seva internship, I thought I had an idea on what to expect. However, the idea that I pictured in my head was like a droplet in the ocean to what I had actually experienced.

We started off our journey from JIVA to Allampally, the bumpy, dirt road truly allowed us to grasp our surroundings and feel exactly how rural the area we were going to was. As soon as we entered, we were welcomed with beautiful flowers and a sea of joyful faces. Regardless of a language barrier, a culture difference, or even an age gap with some kids, we were treated wonderfully. Anything we said, these kids took in happily, showing utmost respect to us although we were schoolkids just like them. From the first second of this internship, they taught me so many games and sports, such as Kabbadi and Kho Kho, as well as us teaching them any games we knew of.

The next morning, we rose for yoga and prathassmarani:yam, and the Allampally kids were as focused as ever, putting their full energy into what they were doing. It was a trait that I took with me as I returned, as I deeply admired them for maintaining such focus. Around 9 am, the bell rang for school, and it was our responsibility to teach our subjects that we had prepared. My assigned topic was coding, and as I walked into the coding lab, I was faced once again with a room full of expectant faces. At first, I struggled a bit trying to find the best rhythm and optimal way to teach them coding with limited network and a language barrier. However, once I found that rhythm, the class was unforgettable. It was a true two-way street. Never did I feel they were bored, and if they were confused, they always made sure to ask. Seeing their faces light up as they understood a new topic made me feel happy. It took minimal effort to teach them, as their enthusiasm and genuine interest pushed me to keep trying, and to think of harder topics as they kept up with ease. By the end of the week, I found myself wishing we had more time, as we only covered the basics. With their interest, however, I am sure they will persevere and keep trying once given the opportunity to code.

Later on in the day, the other interns and I were stopping by classes, teaching them English and interacting with kids through games. As I mentioned, they are always eager to learn, so visiting each class was productive and worthwhile. It was a great way for us to get to know each other, and some of my favorite memories were made in these classrooms. 

Shortly after, during 7th and 8th period, my second teaching subject was volleyball. I was informed ahead of time that the boys at Allampally were already well-versed in volleyball, since they played almost every day, while the girls focused more on other sports like cricket. Teaching volleyball to the girls brought me much joy. Sharing the sport I love with these kids, and watching them grow to love it as well was a great feeling. Across the five days, these girls grew so much, and became better players as the days went by.

There was one girl in particular who was determined to play. After our first day of volleyball, she wanted to play with me every possible minute of playtime. During school, I taught the girls a game called the Alphabet Game, where players bump the ball back and forth, calling out letters from A to Z without letting it drop. It's meant to be simple and fun, but for beginners, it can be challenging. With the girls during school hours, we only made it to around the letter L. Still, this one girl kept asking to try again, so we kept going. An hour passed, and I could tell her arms were hurting. Finally, even after the sun had set, we made it to Z, and I was incredibly proud. One trait I found common amongst the kids is that they're determined and brave, committed fully to whatever they set their minds to. From that moment on, I added that trait to the list of things I'll be stealing from these wonderful kids. 

Aside from school, talking to the kids was the most memorable part of this whole internship. I was always having fun with them by playing games, but the conversations we exchanged were most intriguing. I will never talk to people so kind, curious, intelligent, and interesting again, and the topics we discussed ranged from lighthearted to controversial to deep. The late nights and early mornings that I spent with them, just purely talking, were something I won’t ever forget.

As a part of this internship, we visited their villages, known as thandas. Seeing their homes and daily lives gave us deeper insight into how different their lives are from ours, and it helped us appreciate their struggles and their childhoods even more.

We also took two day trips to Beersaipet, where the experience and joy we felt mirrored what we'd found in Allampally. But soon enough, our time in Allampally and Beersaipet came to an end. The farewell parties at both schools were beautiful, dances and speeches everywhere, and bittersweet tears from the other interns and me. From there, we headed to Vizag, home to one of the Swamiji's Netra Vidyalaya schools.

At first, the other interns and I were more timid and shy with the Netra kids than we'd been with the Allampally kids. But once we saw how their world worked, it was amazing, an experience unlike anything else. The Netra kids showed us how they learn subjects like English and math, ones that are usually taught visually. Their own methods were immensely impressive and intriguing, and gave us a real window into how their minds work.

The Netra school in Vizag also had a goalball facility, and as interns who love sports, this was like a dream come true for us. We played in teams and competed against the Netra kids, and it’s safe to say they completely beat us. These kids were the best there were, and it made sense that many of them won national awards for goalball.

As we were talking to the kids, we learned that the Netra school and Jeeyar Gurukulum never fail to support them in any dreams that they hope to achieve. Truly, this organization has helped these kids through and through, and I have no doubt that these kids will go on to be successful. After three days, our Vizag journey had come to a stop, and I came out of there more knowledgeable about certain lives and situations than I had ever been.

Soon, we were nearing the end of our internship. However, we had one day left at JIVA, and we jumped right into interacting with the students. These students were in college, and they spoke with such clarity and intelligence, whether in Telugu or English. Our interactions with them were once again eye-opening. We also toured the JIVA Medical college and hospital, and I truly loved experiencing this. I learned so much about India’s original medical knowledge and the history of homeopathy. The college campus was beautiful, and the hospital was filled with doctors working their hardest, letting us see firsthand what real hard work looks like.

To conclude, I walked out of this internship as a changed person. My thoughts, actions and words hopefully become more determined, focused, resilient, and disciplined, just like the traits I picked up from all the kids along the way. Jai Srimannarayana!

Article Written By:  Anagha Senapathi