Learning Shouldn’t Mean Struggling
I have always found this conversation about internships a bit funny… because the people who argue that interns should not be paid are usually not the ones waking up early, rushing to catch buses, and trying to survive on almost nothing just to gain experience.
For me I believe that interns should be paid, maybe not a full salary like permanent staff, but at least something reasonable, call it allowance, stipend, whatever name makes it sound softer, but it should exist, I say this not just from theory, but from what I have seen up close.
I remember my sister’s internship period like it was yesterday, she was working at the airport, going about four days a week, sounds normal, right? but the real story was in the background, “Ah ah, transport again?” she would say one morning, standing there calculating her last cash.
And I would just be looking at her like, “You are going again today?”
She would sigh, “What choice do I have? If I miss today, they will mark me absent.”
See ehn that thing used to pain me. Because this was not someone being lazy or unserious, she was committed, showing up, learning, doing actual work, but at the end of the week?Nothing.
There was no allowance, no support. Just _ Thank you for your service.
And that is where I have a problem, Yes, internships are about learning, nobody is arguing that, you go there to gain experience, understand how things work, build yourself, but lets not pretend like interns are just sitting in one corner watching life happen.
They work, they contribute, Sometimes, they even do the kind of tasks full staff try to avoid.
So how does it make sense that someone is giving their time, energy, and even money, because transport in this country is not beans and gets absolutely nothing in return? That’s where it starts to feel less like “learning opportunity” and more like quiet exploitation.
Because imagine this… An intern resumes by 8am, they leave their house by maybe 6:30am, They spend money on transport, they work till 4 or 5pm, Sometimes they are tired, stressed, even hungry.
And then they go home with… experience, experience is good, no doubt, but experience doesn’t pay transport fare, It doesn’t solve basic needs.
At least give them something to ease the burden, even if it is small, even if it’s just enough for transportation, that alone can make a huge difference.
I havee seen people quit internships halfway, not because they did not want to learn, but because they simply could not afford to continue, and that is sad, because it means opportunities are now only accessible to people who can financially sustain “free work", that shouldn’t be the case.
One time I even asked someone, “So you’re not getting paid at all?” The person laughed and said, “Paid? I am even owing myself for coming.”
That joke didn’t sit well with me, because deep down, it wasn’t really a joke, Look, companies might say, “We are investing our time and resources into training interns.” And that is valid, but interns are also investing their time, energy, and money into showing up and contributing.
It should be mutual, Not one sided.
At the end of the day, I am not saying companies should break the bank for interns,no , but there should be some form of support, something that says, “We see your effort.” Because when people feel valued, they do better, they learn better. They show up better.
And honestly, that’s how you build loyalty too, So yeah, in my own opinion, interns should definitely be paid if not salary, then at least a reasonable allowance, because learning should grow you, not drain you.
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