April 2017

Playa Del Carmen, Mxico

Internship Training
Objectives

To increase employability of GVI Internship participants.

To provide support on learning process and strengthen skills of GVI Internship participants.
To prepare Interns for their placement and promote their involvement with GVI to make a
difference.

Summary

After completing the first 12 weeks of volunteering on our community development internship in
Mexico, Emma and Monique were offered extra training for their placement as scholars in our
community projects during the following 12 weeks. This was an amazing opportunity for them to take
on further responsibility and gain valuable skills and experience that will not only improve their quality
of leadership in GVI Mexico, but also for any future roles they may have, the report is Moniques
perspective after she received relevant training for her placement as GVI Field Staff.

Figure 1 Dog from the community of Invasores, place where vet and childcare GVI programs are making a difference.

Report

GVI is committed to encourage volunteers and interns to stay involved with the projects, by
either coming back to volunteer programmes, Internships, or to take opportunities such as
becoming scholars or staff members. During the training, we learn about GVIs alumni

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services and their vision behind keeping people involved with GVI, sharing the common
mission of building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference.

I personally found the training extremely relevant, practical and helpful to situations that
occur and could occur at the projects in Playa del Carmen, and Im sure at all the other
projects worldwide as well. The two days of in depth training about health and safety and
volunteer management benefited us immensely, and we left each day feeling more equipped
to handle everyday situations in the house and support the volunteers that come through
the community projects in Mexico. The staff training gave me a renewed perspective of my
responsibility and refreshed my passion for contributing to GVIs work, as I learnt more about
the history, vision and achievements GVI has made, is making, and hopes to make.

Figure 2 Volunteers, Interns and staff getting ready for a GVI Trust challenge

On the first day of training, we received the GVI health and safety course, where we learnt
lots about our responsibilities and also rules and regulations. Although this does not sound
particularly fun, I found it really interesting, as after being on the projects for 12 weeks, I
could see the relevance and importance of being aware of this information and how to apply
it in everyday life here in the projects. we did practical role-plays and modeled situations
relating to what we were learning, and these were helpful in solidifying the information we
were being taught, as well as making the training diverse and interesting. One example was
a role-play in the case of a legal situation, where Emma was the defendant of GVI and I was
the prosecutor of a GVI volunteer. From this activity, we were about to bring together the
information we had learnt about the importance of keeping things on file and up to date,
as well as the terms and conditions of GVI, and understanding why all the information
gathered by GVI is necessary. Learning this information in my training made me think back
to when I was beginning as an intern here with GVI, and made me recognize the reasoning
behind all the paperwork and presentations, something that I would not have thought about
before!

On the second day of training, we were given the volunteer management training as well as
a presentation about GVI impact around the world. The volunteer management training
equipped us with efficient methods of managing conflict, the proper processes by which to
handle on a given situation, and many more practical things. The GVI world presentation
taught us all about the history of GVI, from 1998 to the present, and gave us an overview of
the projects GVI has all around the world. I found this really fascinating and through knowing

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more about GVI worldwide, I feel as though I have a wider perspective of GVI rather than
just what I experienced here in Mexico. It inspired me to continue supporting GVI and
encouraging others to get involved with their projects as I saw how the projects all came
together with a common goal and vision, one that was achievable and is being achieved
each day, and through each volunteer that chooses GVI.

Figure 3 Fundraising page on Just Giving after completing the challenge

To conclude, the staff training that Emma and I received as Community development interns
was super valuable and beneficial to us as GVI members and as people who want to be
involved in making a difference in communities all over the world. GVI staffs passion to
make a long lasting change is seen in everyones enthusiasm for training young people like
Emma and myself, to equip us with the skills and knowledge to go further. By empowering
volunteers and interns with training and opportunities to stay connected with GVI, the
impact is multiplied and carries on after participants leave their projects.

For more information on the projects here in Mexico, visit:

http://www.gvi.co.uk/location/yucatan/

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