A few years ago, a family friend referred to the organization he worked for like a second family. Well, after spending four months at Save the Children Italy, I can see what he meant. A welcoming environment, friendly colleagues, and an ever-changing agenda – all assets of a wonderful working experience. Starting October 2021, I joined the Communication, Brand & Campaigning Department, located in Rome.
Today, Save the Children Italia operates in over 122 countries all over the world, joining local communities and leaders to improve the lives of children and families and ensure them a future. It took over a hundred years for the organization to get where it is today, but if there’s anything I’ve learned in the past few months, is that its members have no intention to settle. The organization keeps evolving, changing, and developing. There’s the opportunity for new ideas to be shared and new projects to flourish. Yet, Save the Children’s values – accountability, collaboration, integrity, ambition, and creativity – are well rooted in practice.
There’re a few things that worried me as I planned my internship at Save the Children Italia. To begin with, the size of the organization intimidated me. I couldn’t stop thinking about the number of people, branches, offices, and partners that somehow contributed to its structure and performance. Would I have been able to understand its dynamics and get a sense of its impact? Well, not only was I able to better understand its functioning, but it was the organization itself that made sure I had the means, time, and space to do so. During the first two weeks, I participated in at least 15 of the so-called “Inductions”, or else brief introductory sessions elaborated by the different departments to explain their operations to newcomers. Meeting after meeting, the overall structure and network took shape in my head. I associated names to faces, tasks to positions, and competencies to departments. I connected the dots and quickly understood how to make sure information, documents, and material reached the right person unhindered and as fast as possible. As I confronted myself with friends and acquaintances, I came to realize that such a procedure is not at all granted and that the interest, time, and resources deployed by Save the Children to inform and train its employees are far beyond ordinary.
Another thing that used to worry me – and still does a bit – is the amount of strength and self-integrity necessary to work for an NGO, especially one that deals with disadvantaged children. Would I be strong enough? Would the people around me be able to support me along the way? It’s no easy task to handle delicate and often heartbreaking situations with the right detachment. Especially when you are twenty and determined to change the world. But once again, my experience at Save the Children helped me revaluate my positionality and provided me with the mentorship, assistance, and support I needed to grow as a human being and as a potential employee of the third sector. I was able to understand the impact of the littlest contribution, the importance of networking within and across departments, and the difference that employees engagement really makes.
I could go on and on about my experience at Save the Children Italy, but it’s about time I wrap it up. I’ll thus conclude by saying that if you are looking for a friendly yet professional, inspiring, and truthfully impactful organization that operates in the third sector, Save the Children might be the right place for you to grow as a communication professional and as a human being.
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