Shriya's experience as an intern
A beautiful idea moulded into reality, Hanai rewrites the game in rural women’s access to self empowerment. Hanai achieves this through the means of improved access to vital healthcare information with convenience and ease. Fortunately, I had the chance to spend about three months with the team virtually. There was not a dull moment throughout my internship with Hanai, being lucky enough to participate in interesting and inspiring conversations all around the globe, Canada, Kenya, Germany, and the US just to name a few.
It was very fulfilling to be a part of a community with the purpose of creating a positive change to help women. On a personal level, this connects with my own beliefs and aspirations in life. Besides being introduced to invaluable networks, I thoroughly enjoyed learning the ins and outs of running a tech startup with a focus on social impact. Learning valuable lessons all across the board, from creating personas of ideal customers, to web design, identifying funding opportunities, drafting proposals, and finding creative solutions to reach women in areas without any mobile data connection. And of course, the token Gen Z task of creating social media posts, which was quite an enjoyable way to leverage on my limited skill set and learning on the fly in order to put it to good use.
The team members I worked with have been fantastic to say the least, scattered around the world they manage to make it all work seamlessly. Shamala’s energy, compassion and drive to help others truly propels the vision of Hanai out of this world, she has materialized this ecosystem that now changes lives of others on a global level. It is something I aspire to achieve in the future. Part of this ecosystem is Elisabeth who has broadened my law-focused mind to the intricacies of data analysis. Her attention to detail and passion to make a difference is something I will always remember, always putting the needs of the ladies that we are working with in Kenya at the front and centre of our efforts.
I am also thankful to Sanjiv for helping me navigate the numbers, whether it was scoring funding opportunities from across the world or drafting local proposals in Malaysia, he had always helped me feel at home. Even when I had jumped in the deep end with the design and advertising of a brand image, Partizia stood as a guiding light in curating the visual image of Hanai which was then translated in its presentation.
Overall, Hanai has been one of the most rewarding experiences that I have been a part of. My gratitude to Sham and team Hanai will never surpass the value of the experience that I’ve gained here. The company’s name means “to care for and nurture” in Hawai’ian, a value which is embodied throughout the people and work that is done. The aforementioned website can be viewed here, and connecting with Hanai’s social media will keep you in the loop of current events and happenings, do follow our LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.