{"id":14456,"date":"2026-04-09T17:42:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T15:42:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/?p=14456"},"modified":"2026-04-28T18:01:49","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T16:01:49","slug":"sister-judiths-internship-at-gsif","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/sister-judiths-internship-at-gsif\/","title":{"rendered":"Building Capacity: Sister Judith\u2019s Internship at GSIF"},"content":{"rendered":"

By GSIF Communications Team<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"Sister Judith Nandrianina<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>from Madagascar\u00a0spent 3 months\u00a0at the Generalate in Rome to undertake an internship\u00a0in Finance & Accountability\u00a0at GSIF.<\/a>\u00a0This internship opportunity is part of a broader collaboration and training journey between sisters from Africa and the Middle East and GSIF, designed to strengthen the technical capacity of the Mission Development Offices (MDOs) while fostering cultural knowledge and experience sharing.\u00a0As\u00a0Judith\u2019s\u00a0internship\u00a0was\u00a0coming to an end, we sat down with\u00a0her\u00a0to hear about\u00a0her experience,\u00a0the challenges she faced and the lessons\u00a0she\u00a0learned\u00a0along the way.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Could you introduce yourself and tell us more about your background?<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n

My name is Judith and I was born in Anjepy Manjakandriana, Antananarivo. I studied management, finance, and accounting at the Catholic University of Madagascar in Antananarivo for 3 years. After completing my studies, I moved to Congo for an international experience and worked for 10 months for the Bon Pasteur Kolwezi program<\/a>, where I was responsible for administration and finance. I then returned to Madagascar to study theology and took my perpetual vows. Before coming to Rome, I spent some time familiarizing with the work of the Mission Development Office in Madagascar, took English lessons and learned some Excel to be ready for this internship.<\/p>\n

\u202fWas it difficult to settle in at first? What challenges did you\u00a0encounter<\/em><\/strong>?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

At the beginning, it\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0always easy for me.\u00a0I\u2019m a\u00a0reserved and quiet person. But this experience helped me step out of my comfort zone, approach others, and communicate more. Little by little, I\u2019ve opened up.\u00a0By\u00a0the end of my internship,\u00a0I felt\u00a0much more confident and comfortable\u00a0because I\u00a0got\u00a0to\u00a0know\u00a0people and\u00a0felt\u00a0welcomed.<\/p>\n

With the internship coming to an end, how would you describe your three-month experience at GSIF?<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Looking back, my internship\u00a0has been\u00a0very interesting\u00a0and enriching. Even though three months is\u00a0a short time, I learned a lot and gained experiences I will carry with me. It was a period of intense learning, practical engagement, and personal growth.<\/p>\n

What skills or knowledge have been most valuable to you\u00a0and that you will take back to Madagascar?\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n

The most important skills I acquired are in strategic financial planning, which has given me a broader understanding of our development office\u2019s finances. I also improved in monitoring and reporting – a critical skill in finance, especially when dealing with donor guidelines. I also learned how to prepare funding requests for donors, understanding what documents are needed and how to comply with their requirements.\u00a0\u00a0The tools we created during my internship (planning, mentoring, and financial evaluation files) will make it easier for me to put this knowledge in practice.\u00a0I will be able to bring more structure, accuracy, and efficiency<\/strong> to financial processes back home and better support the sisters, staff, and partners-in-mission responsible for the projects.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Has this experience changed you personally?\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n

Yes!\u00a0Personally, I have grown in\u00a0knowledge,\u00a0cultivated openness, and\u00a0I feel more confident communicating, collaborating, and contributing\u00a0in\u00a0a team setting.<\/p>\n

How has it been collaborating with GSIF staff?<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The GSIF staff is experienced, open-minded and has strong technical skills. In Madagascar, we sometimes feel more limited in terms of knowledge, training, and professional experience. But I also believe we bring something valuable. We have field experience, we are part of local communities, and we carry the values of the Congregation. This collaboration has been a valuable exchange<\/strong>: I learned a lot, but I also shared the realities of Madagascar, helping staff understand the challenges we face. For example, I talked a lot with Laura [GSIF Finance Manager] about how our projects work and what we truly need.\u00a0The MDO is still very young, so we need support and funding. In Antananarivo, many children in vulnerable situations do not go to school because their parents cannot afford the tuition fees. There is the\u202fFihavanana\u202fsocial\u202fcenter<\/a> but it does not have the capacity to welcome all the children who need help. I shared with Laura that if we could find funding to support their education, we could help so many children and support their families in becoming more independent. Together, we brainstormed possible solutions and looked for potential donors for 2027.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Have there been moments when you felt especially aware of\u00a0the cultural\u00a0differences?<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Yes, especially with English. I\u00a0had\u00a0English-taught courses,\u00a0I was surrounded by people who spoke English,\u00a0so I\u00a0immediately\u00a0understood\u00a0I was\u00a0abroad. But\u00a0this\u00a0helped\u00a0me practice a lot. When the training\u00a0was\u00a0online or in person\u00a0with the staff, I\u00a0could\u00a0ask questions\u00a0when something\u00a0was\u00a0not clear. With online courses\u00a0like Excel,\u00a0it was\u00a0a bit different:\u00a0I\u00a0had\u00a0to pause\u00a0if I\u00a0did not\u00a0understand and\u00a0check the dictionary.\u00a0Sometimes\u00a0I also\u00a0felt\u00a0I\u00a0lack practical\u00a0skills. But this\u00a0did not\u00a0block me. I asked\u00a0questions when I needed\u00a0help, I\u00a0did not\u00a0hesitate.<\/p>\n

Do\u00a0you think\u00a0intercultural exchanges enrich the mission?<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Yes,\u00a0absolutely.\u00a0Intercultural experience\u00a0enriches the mission because it helps us be more open-minded\u00a0and connect beyond Madagascar. We need to connect with others\u00a0and learn from each other.\u00a0We\u00a0all\u00a0have something to offer. We can share our skills, knowledge, and experience. It is important for the mission that sisters stay connected with one another:\u00a0sharing about the mission, about how we work, and learning from each other.<\/p>\n

What\u00a0final\u00a0message would you like to share with the sisters and partners in Africa?<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\"What I would like to share with the sisters and partners in Africa is the importance of having an open spirit – being ready to receive, to learn, and to better understand how GSIF works, how to collaborate with GSIF and the MDOs, and how to work together with both staff and sisters within the MDO. I would like to invite them to take an interest in finance. Finance may not seem appealing to everyone but it is essential for managing expenses responsibly. We like to spend, but often dislike being held accountable.\u00a0I would also encourage curiosity and a willingness to learn. I really invite others to be curious. For example, even if we don\u2019t know how to use Excel and don’t have a background in finance, we can still choose to learn. we can find learning resources, watch tutorials and take the initiative to develop new skills.<\/p>\n

We need to think about the future of our mission, so that our work can be productive and sustainable<\/strong>. I invite everyone to stay curious, keep learning new things and develop a broader vision of the mission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By GSIF Communications Team Sister Judith Nandrianina\u00a0from Madagascar\u00a0spent 3 months\u00a0at the Generalate in Rome to undertake an internship\u00a0in Finance & Accountability\u00a0at GSIF.\u00a0This internship opportunity is part of a broader collaboration and training journey between sisters from Africa and the Middle East and GSIF, designed to strengthen the technical capacity of the Mission Development Offices (MDOs) […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14459,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,98],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14456","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gsif","category-madagascar"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/22ef8591-4e7f-4312-aae0-89d636db4a59_main.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14456","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14456"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14456\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14468,"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14456\/revisions\/14468"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}