My Master's degree in International Organizations and Crisis Management has taught me how important the inevitable role of IOs such as the United Nations or the European Union is in times of conflict, which unfortunately we are living in right now. However, not only IOs, but also non-governmental organizations, associations and foundations working on a civil society level play an important role in our world. The promotion of democracy, the empowerment of women, the fight for environmental protection are tackled by many local organizations around the world and also in Cambodia. hbs focuses precisely on supporting these organizations, which is why I applied for an internship.

I spent three months at hbs Cambodia supporting the Resource Governance Program Manager. I researched on waste management in Cambodia, its challenges and opportunities. I was able to publish my own article on this topic in the publication "Community Participation in Development". In addition, I conducted my own small research project on the zero-waste approach in Cambodia and the link between gender and waste, which resulted in four further articles published as a dossier on the website. Besides the research and writing, I supported the preparations for the 30th anniversary celebration of hbs in Cambodia. I helped with the finalization of the publications in terms of proofreading and layout and with the organization of the celebrations themselves.

During my time at hbs, I learned a lot about the role of a green foundation in a country like Cambodia. Strengthening local civil society organizations financially, but also by contributing to improving the capacity of CSOs is a great approach to achieve social progress in Cambodia. Apart from the fact that I could see the great impact of hbs' work in Cambodia, I really enjoyed my internship because of this great team. Paula, the director of hbs Cambodia, and the staff made me feel very welcome and I always felt like part of a team. I wouldn't want to miss the experience I've had over the last three months.