As I look back on the last 6 months of my life as a Knowledge and Change Management Intern at the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management, I reflect not just on the opportunities and lessons I have gained through this internship, but that of life in a foreign land. My name is Gerald Gan, and I will be enrolling in Nanyang Technological University’s Public Policy and Global Affairs programme in August 2024.
As someone deeply passionate about writing and research, especially on themes of Southeast Asia and inter-governmental organisations, the opportunity to intern at the AHA Centre was one I could not possibly have overlooked when I first found out about it in September 2023. And there I was 4 months later, in January 2024, barely two months after completing my compulsory military service in Singapore, moving to a foreign land for a 6-month long internship. Coming into this internship, I had two broad objectives; to learn more about disaster management and the AHA Centre’s important work, and to hone my writing and research abilities.
Moving to Indonesia. Moving away from the familiarity of Singapore was not easy initially, as it meant moving away from family, friends and food that I was accustomed to. While I was fortunate enough that my family was already living in Jakarta for a short while prior, I was still largely a stranger to the culture in Indonesia and Bahasa Indonesia. But any fear was quickly laid to rest as I entered the office, with welcoming and warm supervisors and colleagues making my assimilation seamless.
During my six months at the AHA Centre, I have had valuable experiences and opportunities spanning different areas. As a Knowledge and Change Management Intern, I assisted with publications such as the ASEAN Risk Monitor and Disaster Management Review 4th Edition, attended events, and conducted research on certain disaster management themes. I was also assigned a project of my own, conducting daily media monitoring of traditional media sources on Southeast Asian disaster developments. These opened my eyes to the world of disaster management, a field that encompasses more than post-disaster response, but also capacity building to enhance the disaster management capabilities of countries and the use of knowledge products and initiatives to educate and uplift communities.
My internship has also allowed me to explore different functions of the AHA Centre. I assisted the Resource Mobilisation and Communications units in work including data compilation and article writing. I wrote Column articles related to the AHA Centre’s programmes such as the ASEAN-ERAT Level 2 Course on Rapid Assessment and Information Management and ASEAN-ERAT Level 1 Induction Course, amongst others. As an individual passionate about writing, this internship enabled me to sharpen my literary and writing skills.
I also represented the AHA Centre at the 8th Forum of Entities hosted by the ASEAN Secretariat. Through the interface and sharing sessions, I was exposed to the network of ASEAN and its various entities. The forum was also an added opportunity for me to learn even more about the AHA Centre and its importance within and beyond the ASEAN network, as I interacted with other participants and shared about the functions of the AHA Centre. While it was initially daunting to represent the centre at such events, it was an extremely insightful experience and opportunity that I am extremely grateful for.
To summarise my internship experience at the AHA Centre, I am grateful to have the opportunity to learn about the AHA Centre and to work with the Knowledge Management and Planning team. I would like to express my gratitude towards my supervisor Mbak Carol and the Knowledge and Change Management team for their guidance, mentorship and patience during my six months here at the AHA Centre. I leave the AHA Centre, and Indonesia, knowing I have not only met the two objectives I had set for myself prior to starting this internship, but have learnt much more. This internship experience has not only been an eye-opener for me but has served to expand my interests in Southeast Asia. As I begin my university studies in a few months, I am certain that the experiences and lessons learnt here will serve me well.
