"Instructive, intensive and memorable"
Lisa talks about her internship at LEFÖ, an organization that looks after trafficked women
In addition to my two degrees in political science and psychology, I was always looking for an internship where I could gain practical experience alongside university theory. I had been toying with the idea of joining LEFÖ - IBF, the intervention center for victims of trafficking in women as their field of work seemed to be a suitable interface for my field of study. When choosing an internship, the question always arises as to whether you would do it unpaid or not. In the meantime, I have come to the conclusion that I only do unpaid internships if I know in advance that I will learn something and not just be a coffee maker, and the position really fits in well with my training.
So I applied in writing with a letter of motivation and CV, was invited to an interview and was accepted for a two-month internship a few weeks later.
LEFÖ- IBF is divided into a counseling center for trafficked women on the one hand and an emergency and transitional apartment for women who want to escape their situation of exploitation and make a new start in an independent life on the other. My time at the intervention center was very instructive. I worked one day a week in the office and dealt with bureaucratic tasks, made appointments with doctors, phoned the authorities, wrote emails and helped the women find jobs. Another day was reserved for the staff meetings, where I was able to learn a lot about the internal process and both the theoretical and practical approach to individual cases. The third day of the week was spent in the emergency apartment, where I looked after the women, accompanied them to appointments, cooked together and got to know their everyday lives.
The initial period was probably the most difficult, as I was confronted with so many dramatic stories and initially felt left alone with them. The staff were all covered with work and so there was no time for supervision or clarifying discussions. Over time, I found a good conversation partner in one of my colleagues, with whom I was able to share my thoughts and feelings. The more I got to know the women, their stories and their strengths, the more hopeful I became that some of them would be able to leave their past behind them.
In any case, the internship was very instructive, intensive and memorable. In retrospect, however, I would have liked to have been given more space for reflection discussions and to have learned more about the theoretical approach of the organization. It was a good decision to do this internship, as it opened up a new field of activity for me and helped me to put the theory I had learned into practice.
