Friday, June 29, 2012

HAND Internship







Hey guys! This is Roshni again. Here's a little about the organization I worked with in Hungary.

My internship with HAND started late June 2012.
HAND is officially known as Hungarian Association of NGOs for development and Humanitarian Aid

It helps organizations in the nonprofit sector by providing management services such as training, research visits and and contacting donors. It also acts as a mediator for easier flow of information between the NGOs and the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During this time, I met a lot of awesome people. Timea Gideon, my manager helped me understand how the organization operates and what it's main functions were. I also met the President of HAND, Mr. Laszlo who was very passionate about the organization and it's work.

On the second week after meeting Timea, I got to work on my first assignment, their Newsletter. It was fun compiling and summarizing news about various policies and government regulations in Hungary related to nonprofit organizations.

It was also challenging at times since I didn't understand Hungarian. Some websites I had to research on were completely in Hungarian, so Google translator was of great help. I was happy to work with Kati who was also interning with HAND..... even though it was only through emails :) She fixed the Hungarian part of the newsletter and I sent her all my work in English. She also worked around my overwhelming travel schedule, I would like to say thank you Kati!


With the little time I was involved with HAND and my stay in Budapest, I'm very pleased to have learned about the Hungarian history and culture and most importantly it's people . This experience has taught me a lot and given me several valuable lessons.  


If you wish to learn more about the organization, please visit www.hand.org.hu




Thursday, June 28, 2012

My Internship at CEEweb, Hungary

Hey there! It's me Tanay here again!
So let me tell you guys about my internship. Over the summer in Budapest I worked with CEEweb (Central and Eastern European Working Group for the Enhancement of Biodiversity). I think I was assigned CEEweb due to my interests in environmental conservation, and due to some of my past experiences in this field. It was a great experience working with CEEweb.
Some of the main things that I worked on included- Reading articles on and learning about green infrastructure, environmental policies in the EU, landscape fragmentation and land use in Europe.
Then I got involved with the Green-Go fest- and annual festival organized by CEEweb for promotion of biodiversity conservation. I created posters for a short film contest (within the Green-Go Fest) in English and also in Hungarian. I created and proposed a new project management chart to CEEweb. The chart would help them solve managerial issues related to long term projects. It would help the organization track the progress of each task related to every project. Based on what we learned in class and from other speakers, I even presented some marketing tips to CEEweb.
While working there was also a lot to learn from my internship. I learned about how working in Europe differs from working in the United States- especially when you communicate with people who speak another language. I also learned a lot about the environmental policies in Europe and about how NGOs are making efforts to reduce the carbon footprint. I thoroughly enjoyed working at CEEweb and only wished that I could work with them for a longer period.

The last month has been extremely enjoyable and productive at the same time. Being called the "official photographer" of the program was a great honor. Every day was just amazing. I am glad I spent a month in Budapest, and I am sure I would definitely return to this city at some point in the future.


 The poster that I made for the Green-Go Short Film Contest (English version)




Internship Report:Bátor Tábor

Hi! LaCourtney's here!


Bátor Tábor, translated as Camp of Courage or Courage Camp, is a non-profit organization based in Hungary whose mission is to help ill children to become happy and healthy again. 

I was granted the opportunity to work with this organization at it's headquarters located in Budapest. During my four weeks here, I was assigned the follwing tasks:

  • Data Entry
  • Revision of English Annual Report
  • U.S funding Resources Research
  • General Administrative Duties


Working with Bátor Tábor was definitely a wonderful experience. Over the course of this program, one concept that I have constantly been reminded of is the importance of strategy. The interesting thing is, I got the opportunity to witness how this organization's multiple operations come together to execute their strategy. I personally got to experience the difficulties these organizations face when researching financial resources.I admire the hard work and dedication that these organizations have to support their social causes.



I believe that Bátor Tábor possesses a high experienced and motivated staff. This is one organization where the mission is truly the motivation factor. I have no doubt that this organization will continue to thrive in the future. Unfortunately, I was not able to spend more time working with this organization. I think it would have been interesting to stick around until the end of a session.


Interning with an NGO while simultaneously studying the Hungarian social sector has been an invaluable experience. The amount of knowledge you gain from this program outweighs any knowledge you gain in a traditional classroom or workplace.


Thank you all for the support, and it was my pleasure to share this experience with you all!



Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Internship Report - XKK

XKK is an organization that works in several different areas. As a relatively young organization, its more specific goals are still being refined, but overall XKK works towards fair media representation, education advocacy, and Roma integration. 

Hungarian Countryside
Working for XKK - as I'm sure was the case for all the program's students - was a unique experience because I got the chance to learn about Hungary through problem solving and interaction, rather than through secondary sources. Figuring out what practices could and should be applied in Hungarian society has been an ongoing lesson, but certainly an informative one! My contact at XKK was very helpful in teaching me which solutions could work and which were not relevant here, as well as helping me gain a deeper understanding of the problems they are trying to address. 

My tasks started out as one list and over the course of the program, morphed into something completely different. In the end, my responsibilities were primarily to come up with ideas for an anti-prejudice campaign, to research successful parent network models, to create a database of NGOs with relevant causes or potential funding interest, and to identify what factors make an anti-prejudice effort successful. 

Interning in Hungary was a very valuable experience and I highly recommend it to anyone considering the program! It has been an excellent, hands-on way to learn about the region's culture, politics, NGO sector, and business environment.

 ~Hannah


Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Internship Report: United Way Hungary

Szia, this is Nicole!

Hi this is Kayla! Over the past few weeks we’ve been working together on developing a new website for UWH.

I came to work for UW this summer because I spent last summer working for them in Atlanta, I was interested to see how a different UW operated under the same mission statement in a different country.

I came to work with UW because of my interest in childrens development and my desire to better their outlook on the future.

Our assignment was to re-vamp the UWH website.

Thankfully they already had most things translated into English! So we started by making a new template.

We worked closely with Tamàs Füzesy and Adrienn Koscsò, they were very friendly and extremely open to our suggestions.

My favorite part was selecting the pictures to be displayed in the gallery. It was fascinating to see all the pictures of their previous events because it gave me a good understanding of the organization as a whole.

Working with UWH taught me a lot about the social sector…

I really got to see the challenges they face.

Yes, the culture here is very different from that in Atlanta. There isn’t the same culture of giving which makes it hard for them to fundraise. I think my biggest learnings have been cultural, society here is very different.

One unexpected thing I learned was that working with a partner actually makes learning about the public sector more interesting and made the time at my internship more fun.


Definitely, working with a partner is a totally different dynamic but we had a lot of fun!

Monday, June 25, 2012

Our Final Week!


Hello everyone,
My name is Roshni Sharma. Like most students in the Budapest Study Abroad Program, I'm also a Management major concentrating in Human Resources. I love to see new places, get to know different people and capture moments in my pictures. This passion of mine brought me to join this program foremost. Apart from that, my interest in Social Entrepreneurship grew as a soon-to-graduate student hoping to step foot in the business world and make changes for the causes that I believe in. I'm really glad I got on board with the rest of the crew in this program because of the encouragement it has given me and the optimism I have discovered while on this journey.

It seems like just yesterday we arrived at Carolina ut 10, Budapest (our apartment). I remember the excitement when we first crossed the bridge and saw the most breathtaking view of the city parted by the Danube. Four weeks down the road now, I can't believe the programs ends this week and we are all wrapping things to take home or to travel more :) With this amazing experience and a whole lot of incredible memories to take further, I would like to share some of highlights of the end week in Budapest and my personal experiences.


Site Visits

The House of the Parliament – June 20, 2012
At 8:30 AM we all hurried our way to the main door of our apartment to catch the tram to the Parliament house. For days we'd been traveling all around Budapest catching a glimpse of this magnificent work of art. It is one of the most outstanding landmark I have ever seen, sort of like the ones in Disney movies.

The House of Parliament at night
Statues of Hungarian monarchs and military commanders cover the outer walls of the building. The unique interior design includes huge halls, miles of corridors, a high central dome, and numerous rooms mostly decorated in red and gold. We first made our way to the main conference hall where our guest speaker Katalin Ertsey gave us a brief introduction of her work and association with the Hungarian government. She is a member of the parliament and talked about her affiliation with the Green party and the current political situation in the country which was very interesting. The most exciting part was that we were seated in the conference room with microphones in front of us as if we were government officials....very cool!  
You can see a picture of us here ----------------->





Inside the Parliament House









The Holy Crown of Hungary





We also saw the Hungarian crown (aka Holy Crown of Hungary) that was placed in the center of the dome guarded by two soldiers. During World War II it was transferred to the United States to keep it protected and later returned to Hungary by president Jimmy Carter in 1978.






Guest Speaker – Bala Mulloth – June 21, 2012

This day we had the opportunity to sit in Mr. Mulloth's class. I must say for all the learning we did about Social Enterprise in the 3 weeks time and with so much information in our heads, thanks to him, he summed it all up into a 20 minute presentation like a step by step tutorial. 

Mr. Mulloth is an assistant professor of entrepreneurship and innovation management at Central European University (CEU) Business School and is significantly involved in the field of social entrepreneurship. His insights on the changing role of leadership and entrepreneurship was particularly interesting to me. One of the examples of a leader he talked about during the presentation was his former student from NYU who is a leading figure behind the fund raising activity of the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York. He's not the typical financial planner you'd have in mind. He's a tattoo artist by profession. His passion for social reformation and change brought him to the Occupy movement. I think this says something - As society is changing, so are the definitions of entrepreneurs.
Here are some good reads Bala recommended for all of you interested in business and Entrepreneurship:
"Creative Destruction" by Joseph Schumpeter
Entrepreneurship for the 21st Century” by Timmons & Spinelli




Bátor Tábor Hungary– A Hole in the Wall Campaign : June 25, 2012



Also known as camp with courage, Bátor Tábor aims to create a healthier and happier lifestyle for children with illness. It provides therapeutic recreation programs for children with cancer, diabetes, JRA or haemophilia and for their families.

Attila Molnár, the CEO of Bátor Tábor gave us an insight on the programs initial plans and how it came into existence. It was actually inspired by the actor Paul Newman who started this campaign for kids in the United States. The Bátor Tábor Foundation has been a member of Paul Newman's Association of Hole in the Wall Camps since 2007.

Attila showed us a video of some of the kids in the campaign who have been fighting against their illness for a long time. It is amazing to see the positivity in those kids and the fact that they do not let their limitations come in the way of their everyday lives. One of the kids said that their disability was a reality they needed to accept; something they cannot change but what they can do is focus on things they could do. This was a very inspirational and an equally emotional presentation. I liked the optimism Mr. Molnár had for his campaign. With his past experience in the corporate world and a passion to help children through Social Entrepreneurship, he seems to have a great balance of the two sectors.

The program's operational process and decision making is identical to a for profit organization except the difference is Bátor Tábor isn't looking for financial profit for its share holders. It has various fund raising mechanisms such as organizing charity events, donations from corporations and individuals, international partners, and pro bono activities. It has proved to be a successful program with sufficient funds for its ongoing activities. Last year made it to the list of top ten organizations in Hungary that get donations from the 1% tax deduction.

Here's a video if you want to learn more about Bator Tabor:



Budapest Study Abroad has been a great learning experience. I cannot believe it is the last week of our program. I have met some of the most inspirational people during this trip and their words will resonate with me. To make it even more memorable, our group of 7 students is by far the most diverse creatures I have come across and that definitely added more fun to our after class adventures. Other than that, I’ve gotten to see a lot of Europe, however there is so much more to see and I consider it as a motivation to come back soon! Also, to anyone wondering about the potential for European exploration while you’re studying abroad, I would like to tell you that it is quite simple and well worth it.

View from the boat ride
Here are some of my recommendations if you're visiting Budapest:
Five things you need to experience in Budapest
The boat ride on Danube – a must – Budapest at night is spectacular, the lights add to its beauty
The Opera House – You'll have to try this – our pick was TOSCA
Libyrinth – visit the wine cellars
Szimpla Kert – voted as one of the world's best bars
Szechenyi baths – get into the warm thermal water baths surrounded by picturesque monuments and surrounding


Five things you need to taste
Cold fruit soup – awesome in the summer!
Langos – choose from the many toppings they have
Brachoi – This sauce is addictive!
Palinka – It's amazing and doesn't give you a hangover...they say!
Dr. Gelato – Try their colorful ice-creams

There are many more things to do and visit in Budapest. Check out the other blogs my friends have posted here, they have lots of information and fun facts about all the places we visited.

Finally a quick shout out to The Georgia Tech Faculty who were very caring and supportive throughout the whole program. All the day to day programs they organized such as the educational trips and meetings with guest speakers from different NGOs and social enterprises were incredibly helpful. They have immensely contributed to our learning and growth... hopefully as new innovators :)

Köszönöm.

Quick advice : For those of you who decide to be a part of the Budapest Study Abroad Program next year (which you should) the most important thing is – to buy a pair of comfortable walking shoes...trust me, it is very important!
And get an umbrella, you cannot trust Budapest weather forecast!


This blog is filled with beautiful pictures of our trip. I wanted to add some of the behind the scene pictures that were funny and memorable.



Outside St. Stephen's Basilica
Best way to travel within cities, HOP ON HOP OFF!



Happy Lunch..Yumm
Musical talents everywhere
Me at the Opera










Traveling outside host country

Bus ride to Eger

Look at them faces




Internship - CIJ



Kami again! Here to talk about the internship I was lucky enough to experience during my time in Hungary...

The Center for Independent Journalism of Hungary was founded in 1995 and for the first few years focused on basic journalism training.  Today it is a non-political organization whose mission is to raise professional standards in journalism and contribute to ethical, unbiased reporting in Hungary.  Essentially they act as a catalyst organizing and holding conferences, round table discussions, workshops, trainings for journalists, promoting the latest reporting technologies, and bringing in scholars to  speak to the journalistic community.  Besides this, they also promote Roma journalist programs focused on training and reporting Roma stories. 

When I first heard of where my internship would be, I got excited; for I love writing and in this way could embrace my inner grammer-nazi.

 Proof-reading English translations turned out to be more challenging than one would think, however.  I had to adjust and perfect sentences without changing their integrity or meaning.  That  and get used to a Hungarian keyboard.



Besides this, part of my job was giving English tutorials to  Roma reporters who wanted to work on their language skills.  This proved rather entertaining as we swapped slang terms, and they showed me gypsy music while I showed them what "The Wobble" was on youtube.

My final assignment was to help catalogue and pack CIJ's English-book library in anticipation of a location move.  (Status of where : still TBS).  Again more challenging than one would think- who knew there were sooo many books about the American First Amendment?



The best part, however, was not particularly what I did there but what I learned there.   Between Ilona, Fruzi, and Bori; I had some of the most informative and interesting political discussions I have had all the time here.  I honestly believe the people who work at CIJ are working towards a greater good in ethics at a time when Hungary needs it most, and I believe with that mission and passion they will do great things.  

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Let's Go to Prison!


Szia, I am Kami; ignore the name(s) the blog has given me.  Its a long story.

I too am studying business at our esteemed Scheller College of Business at Georgia Tech and enjoy long walks in the rain, people smiling, and my bribes to be in cash.... jk, Dori :D.... but seriously....

Tuesday 10:54 am
Our group visited  one of Budapest's finest jails,  Fegyház és Börtön  for a little more perspective on the Hungarian system of justice.  Even though not technically classified as a social enterprise, the jail visit delved into some of the questions we are primarily addressing by studying this subject area.  How does one provide maximum social good while being efficient?  What about sustainability?  How do logistics operate in an organization where the mission in not necessarily the main operation?  Who are really the stakeholders in this situation?

All very important questions. 

Besides this, our tour guide/ translator, Willy Benkő,  volunteers his time at the jail.  He teaches inmates who are to be released in less than one year public speaking skills.  First involved with Toastmasters in the states, Will's passion is public speaking, and he truly believes it is an invaluable skill in this day and age that can be easily attained through direction and practice.  Self-confidence is what rehabilated men really need to be good and do in the world, and Bill strongly holds that teaching this skills can help provide that. 
Today the jail holds about 1,500 inmates with 600 workers to run the place.  After a thorough security check, we were lead into the cell block to have a look at the inmate's quarters (which come in smoking and non-smoking for future reference and can sleep 2-8 depending on how cozy one wants to get).  With inmates in their very stylish grey on grey attire doing work in the garden, we learned about the 3 tier system of classification and that everyone gets to go outside a minimum of an hour a day.   Oh, and we also learned of the rubber room where inmates with anger issues can take their frustration out.  Or try to set it on fire as one, naked, man allegedly did. 
After this, we stopped for lunch right off of Moritz Square on the Buda side where we were regaled with tales of how one can roast large sections of bacon fat over a bon fire and make a delicious topping for bread that way.   My personal agenda for next week involves asking our landlord of any inhibitions he might have about a group bon fire in the open space beside our apartments.

Wednesday 9:35am
Tamás Szcsaurszki came to speak to our group about the current state of the non-profit sector in Hungary.   We also learned a great deal about a government that we are not sure how specifically they got into office because we cannot find anyone who actually supports them.  These days the non-profit sector in Hungary is having great difficulty.  Between a decrease in income and increase in obstacles thanks to the current government's policies, social benefit organizations are struggling here.   Plus it is hard to work with a government that is so bias that once the state-run media had to apologize for having 'technical difficulties' that resulted in them not being able to find about 50,000 protestors right next to where they were filming something about the Prime Minister.   Probably, their technician was just off getting some polinka or something. 

Thursday 10:15 am

Our group met with the Carpathian Foundation located in Eger.  Operating in Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, and the Ukraine- but only certain regions of each- the cross-border, regional foundation founded in 1995 acts as a 're-granter' of funds received from such places as the Norwegian Fund back to local non-profits.  While also providing financial and technical assistance to local organizations, the Carpathian Foundation itself runs Roma training programs and scholarship programs.  Operating in a region of growing disparity and large minority populations, their aim is to improve the quality of life in that area through fostering local initiatives.  Three of which we were fortunate enough to see, as we set out on a toasty June day:

·         Kaptarko Conservation and Cultural Nature Protectional and Cultural Association

> Works to protect unique 'beehive stones' made from volcanic rock (probably once upon a time
     used for pagan sacrifices.... yummy)
> Has become recognized for great strides in eco-tourism by building hiking trails around the
    stones
> Has achieved legal state protection for the stones
> Has a great amount of patience, as Norby was able to handle us for almost half a day!

·         Association of Romas in Szomolya

> Works to integrate Roma families into Hungarian villages
> Uses EU funds to move Roma from cave homes to houses
> Provides each family with a mentor and teaches financial responsibility

·         Farasko Cave Art Association

> Has turned cave homes into a beautiful artists community
> Holds annual artist symposium
> Has a 'perfect pitch' room where 7 students can butcher 'Row Row, Row Your Boat'
> Sells cancer preventing Jam (delicious, I am told)







Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Godollo and Balaton


Szia! 

My name is Kayla Stokes. I am a senior business administration student graduating next summer. I chose to attend to this study abroad program because I felt it would be an amazing and life altering experience. This is my first time traveling outside of the United States. Luckily, my new found friends have made this transition easy. Since arriving in Budapest, there has been so many opportunities allotted to me.  I have always been interested in one day opening my own nonprofit and this program is allowing to me see the operational component of what it actually takes to have a successful organization.



On Saturday, we made the hour and half  drive to Lake Balaton for a relaxing day in the sun. It is often called the "Hungarian Sea".  The average water temperature during the summer is 25°C. The water that day, unfortunately, was rather cold. Therefore, not many of us chose to go for a swim. The beach was not the typical beach I expected to see, the shore was actually rocky. Though we did not spend the entire day by the water, entertainment was everywhere. Luckily for us, that day, hundreds of bikers paraded through the streets, high fiving us as they drove by.

Sunday, we finally had a full day of personal rest and relaxation. So I decided to explore the city alone and attempt to finish souvenir shopping. After hours of diligently walking Váci utca, I stumbled across a cool looking coffee shop and decided to stop in for a frappe. It was delicious.

Monday, the group had a very busy day. We traveled Gödöllő to tour a palace as well as 
visit two very different organizations. The Sissi Castle is the second largest castle in Hungary. For years it was home beautiful Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elizabeth. 
After 1945, the Soviet Army took control of the  building, but did not properly take care of it.  Fortunately, the castle has been recently restored and renovated.  


Next, we visited the Regina Foundation. This organization was established in 2005 with the hopes of empowering women returning to the workforce after maternity leave. It attempts to provide women with sustainable employment alternatives while assisting in the development of their personal lives. I learned that it is extremely difficult for women in Hungary to find employment before and after having a child. There are no laws at time to prevent this type of discrimination from happening neither. This agency is advocating for women rights in the labor market.


Finally. we meet Matthew Haynes at the Open Garden to discuss living a natural life. Open Garden is a non-governmental organization dedicated to discovering a  practical solution to organically producing food. Organic farming is essential to maintain and improve soil fertility and biodiversity conservation. The farm uses crop rotation, fertilization and green manure to create longevity for the soil. Ninety percent of what is grown on the land is intended for sale.


Sunday, June 10, 2012

Week 4: Halfway there

Hello!

LaCourtney's here! 

Well let me first say, This has been such an amazing journey and experience thus far. I'm so happy that we are able share these with you.


I'm a Senior studying Business Administration with an anticipated graduation date of May 2013. With that being said, time is winding down fast. Which brings me to one of the reasons of why I chose this program. There are so many amazing opportunities available to us, and I only had scratched the surface. The chances of me having an opportunity like this again are slim. So...Y.O.L.O! My main interest in this stemmed from social issues related to education, children's health, and lack of opportunities for mentally handicapped individuals. Wanting to start my own social enterprise one day, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity learn how these enterprises operate with an international perspective. 


This past Tuesday we got the opportunity to hear a lecture from Eva Kuti. If you want to know anything about Hungary's NGO sector, Eva is the person to talk to. Eva worked for the Central Statistical Office and the Economic Research Institute where her research focused on the non profit sector of Hungary. The knowledge she provided us with gave us a deeper understanding of what environment these organizations operate in. We are truly grateful to have received her views and insights. 


Lenin Statue
In the evening, we took a bus to an area right outside of Budapest. Here we visited Memento Park aka "Communist Land". After the fall of communism, all of the commie statues were removed and placed here. We had a fun time posing with and imitating them.
YMCA 
Roshni and I




Wednesday I spent my first day interning for Bator Tabor. Bator Tabor offers complex therapeutic recreation programs for children with cancer, diabetes, JRA or hemophilia and their families. I've enjoyed it so far. The people are so lively and you can see that they are passionate and love what they do. Near the end of the program, I will share more about my work and experience with them. For now check out their website here



On Thursday, Malcolm Hayday, the CEO of Charity Bank came to speak with us. Charity Bank, UK based, finances social enterprises, charities and community organizations. Charity Bank acts as any other bank except that their depositors and investors use their money to facilitate real social change. Charity Bank also tells you exactly what they do with your money. They give their savers the option to take trips to see projects that are using their money. This brings the savers together in the hope of sparking up new ideas to make social change in communities of their own. I just think this is an amazing concept! Charity Bank believes it can make the biggest impact by staying small.  I believe that statement raises an important point. You can make the greatest impact by focusing all of your energy into one community than allocating it out to ten. BUT...of course every organization's mission is different and decisions should be made accordingly. We were able to enjoy lunch with Malcolm afterwards. It was a pleasure to have him take the time out to speak and have lunch with us. 


Friday was Social Enterprise Day! 

Us with Fruit of Care
NESsT hosted a Social Enterprise Day in Budapest on Friday. NeSsT is an organization geared to solving critical social problems in emerging market countries by supporting social enterprises.  Social Enterprise Day brings together leaders from social enterprise, government, philanthropy, business and the nonprofit sectors to celebrate social enterprise and to create an enabling environment that fosters social enterprise.


Leaders of social enterprises were able to come together to discuss their views and insights on being successful, social impact, and challenges faced within their organizations. 2011 was a difficult year for social enterprises in Hungary. It was interesting to hear about the issues  they experienced and the steps they have taken to remediate them. During the break, some of the social enterprises had booths set up with their products for sell to support their social cause.
I got these awesome earrings
Here are a few of the social enterprises that were there. You can buy their products online!
fruitofcare.hu














There is so much more to come! Thanks for all of the support, and please continue to follow us in this journey. Also, feel free to comment and ask questions.

Where does the Budapest 2012 Study Abroad group go next? IDK! You have to keep reading our blog to see ;-).