I’m Federico. I am currently studying international cooperation for development in Milan, Italy. In February 2024, I completed an internship for SUSWA. For a month, I lived in Surkhet, where the project has its headquarters. During my time in Nepal, I enjoyed immersing myself in the Nepali culture, lifestyle, and cuisine. They were very different from what I was used to, yet I loved them.
During my work, I focused on data analysis. I started with a qualitative study carried out by SUSWA, which involved analyzing the root causes of inequality and identifying the activities that needed to be focused on. I also used quantitative measures to verify the results of the baseline data. My main task was to reorganize datasets by disaggregating data by social groups, gender, and beneficiaries. I also focused on aggregating and analyzing data according to project indicators, using filters and search keywords. This allowed me to find quantitative results that were analyzed and presented in a way that facilitated visualization and met the needs of local stakeholders. As a result of my work, I had the opportunity to present my findings to the Finnish Embassy in Kathmandu. The topics I analyzed were of great interest to the embassy.
During my internship, one of the tasks I completed was analyzing and reorganizing the Management Information System (MIS) dataset of the project. I compared the baseline and monitoring data with the project indicators and created dashboards to visualize and reorganize the specialists’ monitoring dashboards. This allowed for better support for the decision-making process of the project managers. The SUSWA experts provided all the datasets and MIS required for this task. Additionally, in my second week of the internship, I had the opportunity to participate in a monitoring field trip to the Mudkechula Rural Municipality where the project works with four Palikas. It was a great learning experience, allowing me to observe how the project is organized and structured, and how the Palikas work in collaboration with SUSWA.
I traveled with a team including the chief technical advisor, quality controller, and WASH advisor, to visit local committees in Nepal. My role was to document the mission through photographs. It was an incredible experience to witness the authentic and amazing places and meet the local people. On February 18th, Sunday, I participated with SUSWA at the World Social Forum 2024 in Kathmandu, where a conference was held on the “Situation of Menstruation Management in Karnali”. This event provided me with an opportunity to delve deeper into the themes that I had previously analyzed and observe how an international event is organized.
During my visit to Kathmandu, I had the opportunity to visit the NIRAS office, which provided technical assistance for the project I was working on. It was a month filled with experiences and inspiration, where I not only worked with datasets but also got to visit the places where the project operates. I had the chance to interact with the different personalities involved in the project daily, which was interesting, to say the least. Working in an international environment with professionals who specialized in different fields was an enriching experience, and they managed to convey to me the values and particularities of their activities.
Finally, I got to witness, how a well-organized cooperation project can work in connection with the local area and its people. This experience was very helpful and inspiring for me, as it allowed me to understand if my career goals align with my characteristics and skills. The internship was invaluable in testing myself and the knowledge I had acquired during my studies.
This internship with SUSWA was a fantastic experience, so valuable and full of learning opportunities.
I’m very satisfied and I think that this month at SUSWA was truly crucial for my formation!
By Federico Crippa
