My 12 Buckets Experience
G’day! I am Kelvin Ramdhun and am currently in my last semester at The University of Western Australia studying Marketing and Finance. My journey at 12 Buckets initially started through an internship program called the McCusker Centre for Citizenship at UWA.
McCusker Centre for Citizenship collaborates with students and “the broader UWA community, not-for-profit, community, government and business organisations to make a difference in our communities locally, nationally and globally.” Students are matched with an organisation and must then complete 100 hours of voluntary work there. I first heard about this program last year through my friend who had just completed an internship. It may be challenging to find work during university, but this program enables students to gain work experience in Australia while also being socially engaged.
Due to its high demand, the enrollment process for the McCusker Centre for Citizenship was far more complex than other units at UWA. Students must complete a form describing their motives in joining the program and submit their CV. They are then selected by the staff and are matched with an organisation.
I got offered the opportunity to be a Marketing and Communications Intern at 12 Buckets. Being in my field of study, this position proved to be very insightful for me. As you might already know, university courses do not give students a real world experience. McCusker closes this gap where interns learn within the work environment. This allowed me to apply what I have learnt in my university units and broaden my marketing skills. Sarah, my supervisor was also very supportive and gave me very specific tips in tailoring social media posts, using marketing analytics and improving my creativity.
Being part of the 12 Buckets team was a very enriching experience. This organisation is doing amazing work, helping local children to flourish regardless of their backgrounds and circumstances. I have witnessed inequality in my home country, Mauritius, but was not aware that there were students experiencing such challenges in Perth. I am grateful to be able to study in Australia, and the least I could do was to give back to the community. It always feels nice to hear from the volunteer mentors about how their students are making significant progress and enjoying 12 Buckets.
My wish is that more people hear about 12 Buckets and help to positively change a child’s life. There are children on the waiting list for the mentoring program, and they all deserve to receive this form of support. I hope that more people from university get involved and volunteer with 12 Buckets.
Children are the future, let’s get together and shape a better future for our world. Please consider volunteering as a mentor or donating to help them.
This experience has given me more than any paid position potentially could have at this time in my career journey.
Thank you for reading.
Kelvin