From Expectations to Experience

How a two-month internship at Youth With A Vision helped Milly turn classroom learning into practical skills, confidence and a vision for her future.

By Nsangi Milly Nankya | Youth With A Vision | July 2026

When Nsangi Milly Nankya began her two-month internship with Youth With A Vision (YWAV), she came with a passion for helping disadvantaged children, a desire to learn and an expectation that the experience would help prepare her for her future career.

Two months later, as she completed her internship in July 2026, Milly could look back and see how much she had grown — not only in her professional skills, but also in her understanding of the challenges facing children and families in her community.

Read Milly’s story below to discover what she expected, what she learned and why she believes more young people deserve opportunities like this.

Why I Chose Youth With A Vision

Milly's decision to join YWAV was deeply connected to what she had witnessed growing up.

She had seen children drop out of school because of poverty and difficult family circumstances, including single-parent households. These experiences touched her deeply and strengthened her belief that every child deserves an education and the opportunity to build a better future.

She was particularly attracted to YWAV because of its holistic approach to supporting children and families.

Rather than focusing only on children's immediate needs, YWAV also works with families to address some of the underlying causes of poverty through initiatives such as the Youth Finance Scheme.

For Milly, this was an approach she could believe in.

She had also heard positive things about YWAV's work in the community and wanted to gain experience within an organisation that was trusted by the people it serves.

Most importantly, she wanted to learn from experienced staff and gain practical skills that could not be acquired from a classroom alone.

Starting With Expectations

At the beginning of her internship, Milly had several clear expectations.

She wanted to learn how to support children facing difficult circumstances, understand how the Youth Finance Scheme works, communicate effectively with children and families, identify problems and find appropriate solutions.

She also wanted to develop skills in record keeping and report writing and hoped to receive guidance, training and constructive feedback from the YWAV team.

These expectations gave her a clear sense of what she wanted to achieve during her placement.

But as the weeks passed, the experience began to offer her much more than she had initially anticipated.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

One of the most valuable areas of Milly's internship was her exposure to the Youth Finance Scheme.

She gained an understanding of the process from loan application through to repayment and learned how to assess whether an applicant meets the requirements for support.

More importantly, she was able to see the human side of the programme — how access to financial support can help families create opportunities, improve their livelihoods and work towards greater independence.

For Milly, seeing this impact first-hand made the experience particularly meaningful.

She also gained important administrative and professional skills. During her internship, she learned how to open and maintain client files, organise documents and write reports. These are practical skills that will be valuable as she continues her journey towards becoming a social worker.

Growing in Confidence

Beyond the technical skills, Milly says that her experience at YWAV also helped her understand the importance of teamwork.

Working alongside the YWAV team gave her opportunities to share ideas, receive feedback and use that feedback to improve her work.

Her communication and report-writing skills developed, and she became more confident working with others.

These may seem like simple professional skills, but for a young person beginning their career, they can make a significant difference.

An internship provides an opportunity to move from learning about work to actually experiencing it — to take responsibility, receive guidance, learn from mistakes and gradually become more confident.

That is what Milly experienced during her two months at YWAV.

Looking Back

Reflecting on her internship, Milly says:

“My experience at Youth With A Vision has been very interesting, and I have learned many things that I had never learned in the classroom.”

Her two months at YWAV gave her a deeper understanding of the realities facing children and families and showed her how practical community-based support can make a difference.

She leaves the internship with new knowledge, practical skills, greater confidence and valuable experience that she can carry into her future career.

For YWAV, however, Milly's story represents something even bigger.

It reminds us that young people also need opportunities to learn, grow and gain experience.

Help Us Create More Opportunities for Young People

While internships can open important doors for young people, financial circumstances can sometimes make it difficult for them to walk through those doors.

Many of the young people who come to YWAV for internship opportunities come from financially disadvantaged backgrounds. Although they may have the education, determination and willingness to learn, the everyday costs associated with an internship — particularly transport and meals — can become a significant challenge.

Where possible, YWAV supports interns with lunch and other practical assistance so that financial hardship does not prevent them from completing their placement.

We believe that an internship should be an opportunity to build a future, not an opportunity available only to those who can afford the associated costs.

You Can Help

By supporting YWAV's Internship Support Programme, you can help us create opportunities for more young people like Milly.

Your support can contribute towards practical needs such as:

• Daily lunch for interns

• Transport assistance

• Essential learning and placement materials

• Other basic needs that help interns successfully complete their placements

Your contribution can help remove financial barriers and give a young person the chance to gain experience, develop confidence and take an important step towards their future career.

Every Opportunity Matters

Milly came to YWAV hoping to learn.

She leaves having learned, contributed, grown and gained experience that will stay with her beyond her two-month placement.

Her story is a reminder that sometimes changing a life begins by simply giving someone an opportunity.

We are grateful to Milly for the contribution she made during her internship and proud to have been part of her professional journey.

If you would like to help YWAV create more internship opportunities for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, please consider supporting our Internship Support Programme.

Together, we can help turn opportunity into possibility — and possibility into a future.

SUPPORT THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM