Vesna Kesic Grant Story
Vesna Kesic Grant Story
Internship Abroad: Working in Asuncion, Paraguay
Through the generous donation from my donors, I was able to complete my internship in Asuncion, Paraguay working with a non-profit organization by the name of Fundación Paraguaya. Fundación Paraguaya is based in Paraguay and started out as a microfinance organization that supported the indigenous communities in rural Paraguay. They continue to support their local indigenous communities but have started to expand to support other marginalized communities around the world through their anti-poverty method, called Poverty Stoplight.
Poverty Stoplight is a survey that can measure a family’s level of need through questions that analyze their current living situation. Through that survey families can select certain areas of their lives that they would like to improve upon, such as acquiring clean tap water, having a leak-free roof, having all children attend school, and more. Through this, there is intensive goal setting and families are paired with life coaches that can help them through steps that need to take place in order for these plans to be fulfilled.
As a research intern at Fundación Paraguaya, I specifically worked with the Global Stoplight Team. This meant that I was working on projects and with organizations outside of Paraguay that have been using the Poverty Stoplight method. During my time at Fundación Paraguaya, I was lucky enough to work on their recent project partnered with the World Bank and the European Commission.
The European Commission is spearheading a project to distribute e-cards to Roma communities in the EU, specifically in Romania, Slovakia, and Bulgaria. These e-cards are to be used to allow Roma communities to have better access to social benefits. Through this initiative, the European Commission has the goal to improve the well-being of Roma communities, and Fundación Paraguaya was asked to support that part of the goal. The Poverty Stoplight is able to improve the well-being of many Roma communities if it is executed properly.
My role in the project was a lot of research to assess the current state of Roma communities in each country going through this project. I created a presentation for my team on each country’s government views toward Roma communities, analyzed what rhetoric was common in the news, and what organizations exist to support them. I also conducted a report on poverty incidence for each country and was most fascinated with the poverty reports on Bulgaria.
That has inspired me to write an independent study paper with an advisor at Tulane, Dr. Dauphine Sloan. I will be assessing how Fundación Paraguaya can support Romani Communities in Bulgaria and see what initiatives will be most beneficial and effective. It was wonderful getting to know the team and learning about the work culture in another country. Overall, I am very grateful to both NTC and Fundación Paraguaya for the opportunities and doors they have opened for me through this internship experience.
