So, what made these young women opt for an internship far away from home? “Pure interest. I wanted to learn about microfinance; after working for a consultant in Sweden which did some development projects for United Nations organisations, my curiosity and interest in microfinance grew,” says Månstråle Dahlström from Sweden. With a Masters in Economics, Månstråle had heard about India from friends who had worked on similar projects in the past.

For Brinda Budhraja, a student at Stanford University, it was the idea of travelling around the world and exploring the area of developmental work that drew her to this internship programme. “I worked with an industrial management firm for four years before I started school. And, I strongly believe that it is silly to think you can have a hang of things without any sort of fieldwork. I knew Kancheepuram will provide me with that fieldwork experience,” says Brinda, an Indian by birth. And if Percy Barnevick (the ex-CEO of ABB and one of the brains behind HiH) inspired the Swedish Erika Sundelin, it was a sheer interest in setting up her own microfinance company that brought Natalie Guillen, another Stanford management student, to Kancheepuram.

Each summer, Hand in Hand offers a four-week internship programme for international students to work on projects related to microfinance, including developing strategy for microfinance focus area, drafting a needs assessment and implementation plan for diversifying loan products, and conducting a demand assessment and supply-side analysis for micro-insurance products to Self Help Groups (SHGs) set up by HiH.

Erika Sundelin and Brinda Budhraja in Kancheepuram for their fieldwork on microfinance.

With absolutely no idea of what to expect from the training programme, the four women spent their first week undergoing training at the Chennai-based Institute for Finance and Management Research (IFMR). Here, a line-up of speakers familiarised them with microfinance in general and the nuances of working in India. “All our preconceived notions about microfinance were turned upside down at the training,” says Månstråle.

At the end of the training they set out for Kancheepuram. From battling mosquitoes to deciphering local accents, they underwent a range of experiences. “Day one was terrible. It was a cacophony of sorts. We were four of us of whom two had heavy American accents, the other two Swedish accents and our interpreters with Tamil accent; it was a mass confusion in the beginning,” recalls Brinda with a laugh. She even thought she might not make it through the next few weeks in Kancheepuram. “The main low point was not being able to understand the language. While we had translators, the getting-to-know-each-other conversations were getting lost,” adds Månstråle.

As the training gained momentum, the women started enjoying their stay in the town, which is famous for its silk-weaving industry.

“The way microfinance is being handled here is rather fascinating. Citizen Centres empower the underprivileged by providing more than just a model for financing schemes. As a model, microfinance here is developed by educating and explaining the population about its advantages. I always believed that microfinance, the way it is now, perhaps needs much more refining to make it sustainable. The training at IFMR confirmed my views,” says Natalie, her voice reflecting contentment on completing the internship at HiH.

In recent years, NGOs have vastly increased in number and scope. They are increasingly influential in communities and grassroots activities, in policymaking, planning and implementation. In today’s highly competitive environment of limited resources for the public sector, effective leaders and creative management are crucial. Such internship programmes explore the critical tasks associated with managing NGOs working in international development and humanitarian assistance, and introduces students to a set of analytic and management tools.

For these students, the training programme opened a world that was completely alien to them. “Most of the people out there are self-driven and have an amazing entrepreneurial zest in them,” says Månstråle. Her countrywoman Erika found the young children of Kancheepuram no different from those back home in her country. “They play similar computer games that my brother back home plays such as Grand prix auto. If I were a tourist, I would not have had the slightest idea about what these Citizen Centres really do,” she shrugs.

The Citizen Centres at the village-level are equipped with computers and Internet connectivity to bridge the digital divide between rural and urban areas. The NGO provides loans, computer and entrepreneurial training to those interested in establishing their own Citizen Centres as businesses. “There is something too calm about these Citizen Centres,” adds Natalie with a big sigh. The experience has not sunk in yet for her. One of the things she learnt during the internship is that “development happens through empowerment and not through dependence.”

Amidst all the seriousness of learning the nuances of microfinance, these young women also had scores of young boys, aged 15-18 years, proposing marriage to them with claims that they will one day become engineers or doctors and be capable of providing them a secure future! “These side stories made our days so beautiful,” laughs Månstråle.

Even as they relished the South Indian food, they also felt guilty each time they refused the water offered to them by the locals. “People were very warm and the hospitality was good, but we had to be careful about the water we drank,” explains Erika.

After four weeks of beating the heat, the group is flying back to their respective homes with one key takeaway — microfinance actually works.

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