Service Exchange Internship #2 - Women's Health/Rights

One Yale student will be paired with a student from New Asia College to work in the field of women's health/rights. The pair of interns will spend four weeks working for Mother’s Choice, an organization that provides shelter and other services for women facing crisis pregnancies and their babies. The pair will then travel to New Haven and work at Life Haven, a temporary shelter that provides a safe and nurturing environment for homeless pregnant women and women with young children. Chinese language skills are not required for this internship.

About Mother's Choice

Mother's Choice was founded in 1987 by a small group of people concerned with the plight of Hong Kong's single girls, their boyfriends and families coping with crisis pregnancy. A home was opened where pregnant girls could stay until they gave birth to their children. A centre with social workers was set up for the girls so that they could receive counseling and support during and after pregnancy. Soon after the birth of the first baby at Mother’s Choice, Baby Care was established to care for babies and children awaiting adoption. Since 1993, Mother's Choice has extended its services to helping children who are in need of foster care and small group homes. Mother's Choice is a community organization. Each week, over 350 volunteers assist with pregnant girls, their families, their babies and children. While in Hong Kong, students will live in a dormitory on the campus of New Asia College at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

About Life Haven

Life Haven is a temporary shelter that provides a safe and nurturing environment for homeless pregnant women and women with young children. It serves 20 families at a time. Over 150 families are sheltered annually, including 250 children. Most families come to the shelter after being evicted by landlords or family members. Evictions result from family break-ups, disasters, living expenses exceeding income, domestic violence and other reasons. While in New Haven, students will live in an apartment inside a house in the East Rock neighborhood.

Interns' Projects

During their tenures with Mother’s Choice and Life Haven, the interns will design a series of workshops on housing issues, women’s health, Chinese and American culture, and other relevant topics.

Qualifications

Candidates need to be people-oriented, sensitive to cultural differences, flexible and independent. Applicants should also be enthusiastic about hosting the Hong Kong students in New Haven for part of the summer, and candidates with experience working with children and young people are especially encouraged to apply. No Chinese language skills are required.

Funding

Yale participants in the public service exchange will receive round-trip airfare to Hong Kong, as well as free housing in both Hong Kong and New Haven. In Hong Kong the interns will stay in dormitory accommodations on the campus of New Asia College at The Chinese University of Hong Kong; in New Haven they will live together in an off-campus apartment. Students will also receive a modest stipend in both places to help defray the costs of their commuting and daily living expenses.