If you are interested in nonprofits, health care administration and public health programs in developing countries, we have opportunities for you in Armenia to work and learn, to help the people of Armenia and to see the country at the same time. Administrative Internships run two to six weeks in length and each is individually designed to meet your particular needs. Volunteers pay their own expenses for airfare, lodging and food.
As an Administrative Intern you will work with the EyeCare Project staff in their Yerevan Office doing a variety of tasks that fit your skills and experience. In addition, you will join the staff as they visit schools, nursing homes, soup kitchens and polyclinics—anywhere they are needed. Interns select one of several areas and work with a staff member—or they may split their time and work in more than one area depending upon their interests and the needs of the organization at the time. These areas include marketing and public relations; monitoring and evaluation; program design and development; and general health care administration. Though not required, a knowledge of Armenian and Russian languages is helpful.
If you would like to apply for an EyeCare Project Administrative Internship, please E-mail us from this link—volunteer@eyecareproject.com—with a letter of introduction. Attach your CV and a one-page statement on why you would like to be a Medical Observer in Armenia. We look forward to hearing from you.
To learn more about what your Administrative Internship would be like, read the story of Lisa Giragosian—a junior at Wellesley College. AECP Summer Intern, Lisa Giragosian, learned during her month in Armenia working with the EyeCare Project that “Change Requires Action, and Action Calls for Dedication.” She tells her story—
My name is Lisa Giragosian, and I was an Armenian EyeCare Project intern at the Yerevan office this summer. A junior at Wellesley College, I am pursuing a major in Neuroscience and a minor in Economics. Prior to summer, I planned to attend graduate school for research in Neuroscience. Thanks to AECP, I have been exposed to many possibilities in the public health field. I hope to attend graduate school for public health after gaining a few years of work experience.
I have a limited medical background; I am not pre-med. I have interned at Brown University's Neuroscience Department, primarily shadowing a grad student in a lab. Also at Brown, I was a research assistant to a psychology professor. By studying Neuroscience, I naturally fulfill many of the pre-med requirements.
In Yerevan, I usually worked on weekdays from 10 until 4. My workday was shortened since I usually had daily afternoon meetings with different programs. On some Fridays, I came into AECP in the morning, and volunteered at Orran Youth Center in the afternoon.
My daily schedule was tight and left me with little flexibility to travel outside the city. Fortunately, I traveled to Nagorno-Karabakh with Nune Yeghiazaryan. On our return, we stopped in Goris to visit the Mobile Eye Hospital. My first visit to the beautiful village was enhanced by my experience at the MEH. Despite the time and space constraints, the doctors and nurses met—and perhaps exceeded--all medical standards. Most of the patients were elderly, and were given the utmost respect and undivided attention of the medical experts. I was also impressed by the MEH atmosphere: on-the-spot diagnoses and surgeries, combined with anxious, at-risk patients, seem like a formula for stress and chaos. But the doctors and patients ended each session with success.
As one of AECP’s first interns, my role basically morphed as the summer progressed. Initially, I did light research for a fact-sheet about stem-cell research, arguably today’s most popular scientific and political controversy. When taking a break from reading about stem-cell research, I read the AECP’s most recent survey and looked at its statistical analysis method. Both projects were engaging and encouraged me to apply my skills of data interpretation while challenging my developing opinions on significant global issues.
Although I utilized my skills, my AECP co-workers expected me to be challenged even more. I worked collaboratively on the eye safety campaign with Gohar Khojayan. By my sixth week at the office, I was asking questions without hesitation. I became more comfortable with the projects, and confident in my growing participation and input. Working with AECP in Yerevan exposed me to the field of public health. Since my return to the U.S., the office has sent me updates on the project. Seeing the growing success of that one project is inspiring: I cannot imagine its growth in just one year. The office welcomed me as part of their close-knit team. I miss our times (both stressful and fun!), but am thankful for the bond we established.
The most valuable experience of my AECP internship was the general seeing, learning, and doing of the project’s objectives. The statistics compiled in the surveys came to life in Goris, where I sat in on meetings with the Ministers of Health, and edited grant proposals. I learned that change requires action, and action calls for dedication. AECP’s Yerevan office exemplified this logic with passion and grace. At AECP, I did what was asked of me, and now, I am asking what I can do for AECP.
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