Journal entry date: November
24, 2003
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This week I was busy putting
data in Raiser Edge for Window. My host organization is organizing
Women of Color/Incubator Development Incubator fund raising
training and I am involved in preparation for the training.
I also helping in phone call and prepare for Social Change Conversation
program this week. I am also helping in management and some
photo copying the material for office. We had farewell party
for Finance Director Tracy this week. There is already another
Director in her place.
There was some problem in computer for one day so all staff
spend their time in managing their files, and I also helped.
The filing system is very good here in WFN. Every staff is very
professional and dedicated to their work. They are very helpful
and caring too.
I went back to Nepal for Two weeks for some personal work. I
needed to attend an interview for my green card. I got the green
card lottery this year. I took this opportunity, as the gift
of god and thinking that god want me to help my country form
here in US, I accepted this opportunity. This is a huge transition
for me. I am little stressed. I have some guilt feeling that
I won't be able to transfer the skill I learned here in USA,
hence I am confidence that what ever I do and where ever I live
I will be working helping creating just and equitable society
for all.
After coming back form Nepal, last two week of October, I was
extremely busy with WOCIDI training i.e. preparing binder, making
table tent, sending email to international participants regarding
their requirement for the visit from international perspective.
I also worked on Kellogg Fund Raising Survey these weeks. WFN
is starting Fund Raising University this year. The member organization,
who fill up the Fund Raising Survey Questionnaire, will be eligible
to participating in on line Fund Raising University Program.
It is unique opportunity for me to be involved in this survey
process. I am especially involved in encouraging the international
member fund to fill up the survey questionnaire and be part
of the Fund Raising University.
First week of November was very exciting week for me. I was
participating in WOCIDI training as the auditor. I was quite
excited to attend the training and enhance my fund raising skill.
I was also excited to meet Kantian Rona, board member of Tea,
who was coming to participate in the training. The training
was very useful as it gave new idea for soliciting and stewarding
donor; find out the six-degree of separation and donor engagement
tool. Training also focuses on use of direct mail, writing fund
raising letter and on line fund raising technique. I liked donor
engagement tool best among the whole session. The tool says
that there are there are four steps for donor in your mission.
Awareness-Interest- Consideration-Involvement. As an auditor
in the training I also developed the evaluation questionnaire.
During my internship with WFN I made one presentation about
my organization at Global Giving Campaign in Palo Alto.
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Learning of Social/Cultural
life in USA
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We watched a Hindi movie "Lagan"
with my host family this week. The movie was nominated for Oscar
Award last year. This was the first Hindi movie for my host
family it had sub title in English. Though it had sub title
in English I explained the social aspect of the movies because
it is very hard to understand a movie with knowing the social
and cultural back ground. Finally Joan and Bob liked movie very
much.
As my host family was going to Mexico for their vacation I needed
to move to new place. It was very difficult for me as I was
very much attached to them. My host organization tried to find
new family for me but they could not find one who is ready to
host some one for one whole month so they arranged a hotel for
me, which is only two blocks from my office.
I was home sick and feeling lonely, during the first week in
the hotel. But slowly I started to enjoy my independent life.
It was for the first time in my life I was staying alone in
the hotel. I had mixed feeling about it. It would be nice to
live with some family but living in hotel gave me chance to
interact with many people around the world. After moving to
hotel I started to spend more time at office. I started coming
office at 8:30 and go back around 5:30. This way I can learn
and contribute more at the office.
By the next week in the hotel I started to make some friend.
To stay at the hotel was good opportunity for me in one way.
This gave me the opportunity to learn how hard people work for
living in USA. There are some students who are working there
as part time and go to college in the morning. They are working
hard for their education. There are some seniors who worked
and lived in same hotel for more than twenty year. Exposure
to independent life style in USA gave me the chance to think
back the social value system of our culture and realize how
fortunate we are to have such great culture of love, care and
support. We are really lucky and privileged to have family such
support and extended family system. In the mean time I really
feel pity when I see senior living lonely life. Our culture
is really rich which take care of the elderly people and give
support to our children no matter how mature they are.
I found the American people more assertive and very much straight
forward, which was some times very difficult to deal with. I
encountered one incident when I was really hurt by someone's
behavior. We, Nepali are raised and brought up in different
environment where we care about others feeling very much. We
are very polite and we try to not to sound rude or not to look
more assertive. I know I need to learn to deal with this kind
of straight behavior and I am also aware it will take time.
My internship with WFN is coming to end. I am planning to write
a report about my learning.
I am leaving San Francisco on 26th of Nov. We will celebrate
Thanks Giving at Santa Barbara with Indira, Scotlin and Michele.
I am excited to meet all other friends in Washington DC.
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Journal entry date: October
3, 2003
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It been more than a week I have been doing
internship with Women Funding Networking. I joined WFN on 23
September o3. They gave me written job description on the first
day. Work seems interesting to me. I will be working in Development
department for three days i.e. Mon-Wed and Communication and
Membership Department for two days i.e. Thus-Fri. My working
days will be five days a week and working hour will be 9-5.
I am enjoying the work here. All the staff here are helpful
and ready to extend help when ever I ask for. Anita Lalwani
is the mentor or she the contact person for me. I am finding
many similarities in doing things and working style. Since this
is the first week only I can't say much about my learning. The
work I am doing is seems similar what we do back in our organization
in Nepal
My host family Joan and her husband Bob are very nice person.
Joan is lawyer and Bob is social worker and works for Drug and
Alcohol rehabilitation center. Joan and Bob are very open minded
and always interested to learn more about other culture and
society. They are like angel. They are trying every thing to
make me feel home. I am totally adjusted with them and feel
like home. The only thing I am missing in that home is my husband
and my children. They take care of my tasted, likes and dislikes
about food. Joan and I come together to the office because her
office is near to WAN and we mostly come on walking. We go back
home together again. I am enjoying her company. I am learning
a lot form these beautiful loving couple. They have twenty-seven
years of successful marriage experience and have raised two
children successfully. I am trying to learn more life skill
from these successful couple.
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