My Internship experience at Community Partners International (CPI)
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Huang Xi Qing, Hillary
Placement Site: Community Partners International (CPI), Thailand
I conducted my capstone placement with Community Partners International (CPI), a non-profit supporting to conflict- and poverty-affected communities in Myanmar, Bangladesh, Thailand through health, sustainable development, and humanitarian programmes. As part of the Sustainable Development team under the Empower Programme, I worked on projects combining data analytics, programme evaluation, and field-based community engagement. I had the opportunity to grasp a deeper understanding of how NGOs translate health and development goals into real-world outcomes.
A highlight of my placement was participating in CPI’s School Health Project 2025 in Mae Sot, Thailand. This initiative, run in partnership with the Ling Jiou Mountain Charity Foundation, provided essential health services and education to students from migrant communities. As one of the few staff members who spoke both Mandarin and English, I served as a translator and facilitator between CPI’s field staff, Taiwanese volunteers, and Burmese-speaking students. My role expanded quickly from logistics support to assisting directly at the children’s dental clinic, which served around 700 students. Translating dentists’ instructions and coordinating patient flow pushed me to develop composure and adaptability in a fast-paced environment. Despite language barriers, the shared goal of improving children’s wellbeing transcended communication gaps provided a vivid reminder of what collaboration in global health means on the ground.
Back in the office, I worked on developing automated dashboards for CPI’s soc enterprise arm, Wan Mai, which supports women artisans from Myanmar and Thailand. I was able to transform raw sales data into interactive tools that tracked both financial performance and social outcomes like job creation and gender inclusivity. These dashboards helped the team visualise their progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, and link everyday business operations to measurable social impacts. The combination of hands-on project work and data-driven analysis gave me a holistic view of how developmental NGOs balance field realities accountability and evidence-based management. It also sharpened my technical skills in data visualisation and monitoring frameworks, broadening the ways I can contribute to the global health sector in the future.
Beyond the structured learning, cultural immersion played a big part in my experience. Visits to local organizations like the Mae Tao Clinic, a community-based organisation aiming to support migrant humanitarian needs, deepened my understanding of healthcare access challenges faced by cross-border populations, and the ingenuity of those providing care under resource constraints. These experiences connected powerfully to my classroom learning, what once felt theoretical became deeply personal as I met those living through displacement. The emotional weight of these encounters reminded me that health work is not only technical—it carries ethical and humanitarian dimensions requiring empathy and adaptability.
Reflecting on this experience, I learned that development work is seldom predictable. My internship began quietly when my supervisor fell ill, but it soon transformed into an opportunity for initiative and independent learning. From conducting background research on Myanmar’s crisis to supporting frontline projects, I learned to adapt, stay curious, and make the most of each moment. More importantly, this journey reinforced my aspiration to pursue a career in global and community health—one that bridges cultures, amplifies local leadership, and transforms small contribution into collective change.