A Year as the Abianda Intern

The past year at Abianda has just been full of great opportunities. I have been reflecting on everything that being at Abianda has taught me about the world and the challenges that most young women and girls face.

I have always loved Abianda’s approach and being able to be a part of evoking that approach has been amazing. Working alongside passionate, skilled women has been amazing to see and do and you guys really are a testament to Abianda and everything it stands for.

Even though I am not fully leaving Abianda I will miss seeing you guys in the office everyday!! I am also very grateful for everything the team has done to give me the best opportunities and being so welcoming from start to finish!! Thank you Abianda!!

I asked the team two questions about the impact of working with the first Abianda intern. This was their responses.

-Tallulah, Abianda's first Admin and Operations Intern

What difference has it made to have the intern here?

It's been great having an intern at Abianda. Not only because of that role and who holds it being a reminder of the work and impact we are aiming to achieve at Abianda and how we would like to support young women but also because it's been great having them get involved in different areas of work across the organisation, making sure it reflects young women's needs and views.  It also feels like a meaningful progression path that the organisation is providing too. 

Whilst working with Tallulah I found that I constantly thought about how Abianda continue to work on and develop our processes and policies for making opportunities for young women within the organisation, with a focus on making sure their engagement can be safe, meaningful and ultimately put them in the position to influence real change. Having an intern embedded in the team helps to keep this focus.

Having an intern has brought fresh energy and new perspectives to our team. It has also been great to see you grow in confidence and skills over the year.

I think it's made a huge difference to the team, to how we use and appreciate the office, to how smoothly meetings run... I feel like the list is endless! Tallulah- the insights and energy (and excellent fashion choices!) that you bring to team spaces has also made a big difference both to me and the work we've been able to complete whilst you've been with us- your feedback literally helped shape the development of our training offer and I'm excited to see the impact of this moving into 2026; it's a part of your legacy!

It's made a huge difference to have an intern in Abianda; it has felt very needed for the organisation to be able to offer a longer-term professional opportunity to a young woman with lived experience related to our work. As an organisation, we have learned so much by having the intern with us, her expertise and insight, her reflections and her willingness to get involved in all aspects of the organisation means that Abianda, and the internship offer, is even better! I have enjoyed how much the intern has grown within their role, how much initiative they took and all the things they have been involved in.

It has been an amazing to have Tallulah at Abianda. As her line manager, a difference to me is that she helped me with taking on so many tasks and responsibilities. Not only that, but it has been so special to have a young woman be a part of the Abianda team - her presence in the office and at meetings has been invaluable. She has created a legacy for interns in the future.

What did you notice about yourself while working with the intern?

When engaging with Tallulah as the intern, I noticed myself wanting to make sure I was working in ways that supported them to get involved and ensure accessibility and inclusivity for them. I also noticed myself continuing to work collaboratively with them and making sure that with any piece of work they were involved in, they got feedback on what their input resulted in. I also noticed myself wanting them to feel safe and have a space to share their thoughts and reflections.  

I hope to have created space for honest conversations about the work and that I have a real interest in what you have to say and your perspectives. 

I've noticed just how vitally important to me it feels to have young women and girls' voices feeding into our work from as many angles as possible and how key the intern role is in facilitating that. 

How much I wanted to support the intern's learning and also support them to get their own idea of a podcast off the ground. All the work with the intern always felt so rich and meaningful. I have really enjoyed having Tallulah as a colleague, what I learned from her whilst working alongside her, the chats we would have, Tallulah's excellent jokes and musings on life and of course, the snacks (giant wotsits for life!)

I have noticed that I enjoy working alongside young women and sharing my knowledge! It felt fun and also meaningful to work alongside Tallulah on many projects and share the year with her.

And a word from our new Intern Sophie:

Starting my internship at Abianda has been both exciting and grounding. Being apart of an organisation that centres the voices and experiences of young women and girls has already deepened my understanding of how meaningful and thoughtful work can create a real change.

Having this position as an intern for just a short time has already showed me that Abianda stands by their values and beliefs and that is something I'm very passionate about myself. I am grateful to be learning from a team that are caring, gentle and so supportive, it really shows me that we are an organisation that prioritises not just the physical/mental health of the young women being exploited but of its staff members as well.