December 2012
MaryBeth Apriceno
Position
Overall Rating:
My summer with Emerge was amazing. I lived and work in Sri Lanka for 3 months while volunteering, and it was one of the best and most meaningful experiences of my life.
Did you feel like you made a difference?:
I wish I could have made more of a difference, but it is hard to communicate with the girls when you do not speak Sinhalese. This does not prevent you from connecting with them, and there are certainly non-verbal ways to communicate. It just makes it hard when you cannot speak with the girls.
Organization and communication:
Most US start-ups in developing countries are understaffed, and Emerge is no different. It was exciting, however, to be a part of the organization in many aspects and to help with a variety of tasks.
Accommodation:
Emerge found my fellow interns and me amazing and cheap accommodations.
Safety:
I never felt unsafe while with Emerge.
I spent three months with Emerge doing grant-writing and fundraiser planning. The experience was one of the most meaningful of my life, and I miss Sri Lanka dearly. Work was a little crazy, but only because we were understaffed and extremely passionate about the work we did. I was able to spend one day a week with the girls, and this is what meant the most to me. To see them going through the Emerge programs is incredible, and many of the girls touched my heart. I spent the other 4 days of the week meeting with potential funders, writing grant proposals, and planning fundraisers. These endeavors took me all over Colombo and allowed me to meet a lot of amazing people. By the end of the internship, I had submitted 6 grant proposals and planned 3 fundraisers. This - along with being able to see the girls once a week - made the whole experience extremely gratifying.

Additionally, Sri Lanka was amazing. Emerge arranged great and comfortable accommodations for me and my fellow interns. They also encouraged us to travel and see Sri Lanka while in the country and helped us to do so by helping coordinate our travel. I was able - with the help of Emerge - to travel most weekends to amazing places. Sri Lanka is a beautiful place that holds a special place in my heart. I cannot wait to go back... there is just nothing like riding through the streets of Colombo in the tuk tuk.