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As a graduate of the University of Michigan, August 2009 Fellow Mansi Goyal reflects on one of many bus rides that prompted her to think about everyday life in a new way. Based in Sakad, Mansi is partnered with Adharshila Learning Centre and focuses on teaching math and science through active learning methods.
I race with my bags to the big red bus parked outside of the hotel in front of a few general stores, only to see that it is empty. As I disembark, a tall, skinny, high cheekboned, young fellow runs my way – it’s the “bus-wala” (a colloquial term for a bus conductor) – probably alerted that a certain madam was looking for his bus.
“What time does the bus leave?” I ask.
“At 1 pm,” he says.
It is only 11am. I decide to go around town and then return. The small town, Bulwadi, is peppered with many different shops. 12 o’clock rolls around and I return to the bus. The bus-wala tells me I should grab a seat before it fills. I sit in the front-most left seat, closest to the door. Slowly people fill in – young girls in bright frocks, a boy stuffing all his pockets with ice-cream bars, women with babies, grandfathers, their grandchildren, and goats. We wait for what seems like the lifetime of all the people on the bus combined. The bus is full – we ought to go – the time is half past one, but we wait more. Around 2pm, the driver starts the engine, and like a knee-jerk response – a new crowd of people appear at the steps of the bus, all hoping to get a space. The bus-wala returns – although he doesn’t smile, I notice he is friendlier than most I’ve encountered. The bus is now packed from roof to tires and we begin to make our way. The bus-wala hangs outside of the bus, packed against 3-4 others who also protrude on the outside. After every stop, he signals the driver with the call of “Chale Ando” (let’s go)! He jokes with the others around him how this job is all about yelling.
The first leg of the journey was smooth, although the bus-wala, still hanging outside the bus, had to continuously duck the close lying tree branches along the way. As we went along, he kept a steady watch on the front and the back. He was captain and navigator, having a fierce gaze hardened by familiarity with the particular route. The bus stopped in front a huge crowd of women waiting to get on. They carried sacks of wheat, plastic jugs of kerosene, and small drums of oil. I watched the bus-wala help the women drag the sacks of wheat onto the bus. The bus was abuzz with excitement. I was handed a jug full of kerosene which I placed in my lap. The bus-wala yells and yells at the passengers to move in closer, so that everyone can get on, and then the call of “Chale Ando” propels the bus ahead.
The bus-wala reminds me of the older students at the school I teach at in Western Madhya Pradesh. What village is he from? Does his family farm, do they migrate for work? How did he get into the bus business? I try not to stare at random people and turn them into anthropology subjects, but the bus-wala struck me as familiar; he reminded me of the students that I interact with on a daily basis. I couldn’t help but think about his life. He is a part of a generation of Adivasi (first people) undergoing a shift from rural-based work to city-based work. The bus-wala’s job is neither completely city or rural, but whatever it is, it is work outside of the farm. This young man and the many others I know from Adharshila represent a shift away from the farm. But the face of the farm is also changing.
Once large and vast, farms used to be cultivated with the knowledge of crop rotations, natural fertilizers, and weather cycles. Now, it feels as though farming is a cheapened entity, land is divided between brothers, cash crops such as cotton and soyabean are favored over vegetables for healthy consumption, chemical fertilizers are overused and misunderstood, and the weather patterns are changing. Farmers are categorized as ‘unskilled labor’ and thus do not get adequate value for their crops. Go to any Subji Mundi (Wholesale Vegetable Market) and you will understand.
What is the cause of the changes in the farm? Cash crops can be explained by the demand from urban and foreign industries, looking to find cheap raw materials to turn a profit. The use of chemical fertilizers is well-known to be born out of the Green Revolution, whereby foreign chemicals seen to yield robust crops were marketed and caused the rise of the agro-business industry at the cost of depleting the soil of nutrients and bonding farmers to the chemicals. But for this generation of youth, whose mothers and fathers find themselves struggling with farming and rural based work, isn’t it inevitable that they will have to make decisions about where their future lies? What will happen to Adivasi identity as the youth take it into the cities, where it is a foreign and de-rated identity? Will there be fear and embarrassment? How can the confidence of this generation in transition be kept alive?
As I gain insight into the lives of Adivasi youth, I feel the similarities to my own migration-based transition from my parents’ generation, who immigrated to the United States from India and must have encountered some of the very same questions and fears the Adivasi youths face. In the new societies that we enter, will there be more opportunities, inclusivity, and common grounds for understanding? The language, clothes, and work may change – but if there exists confidence in the ones undergoing change, perhaps the creation of a new self will not result in forgetting or embarrassment. The bus-wala reminded me of this, as he embraced his role with strength, care, and confidence with all of the people on the bus.
On 8 July 2010, Volunteer Ahmedabad hosted a Dasra-Social Impact workshop at the Indicorps Office in Ahmedabad. As an organization, Mumbai-based Dasra, “bridges the gap between funders seeking high impact and non-profit organizations in the field driving social change.” Dasra goes beyond the financial statements and provides management expertise and hands on assistance to grow social impact.
At the workshop, Dasra presented its unique Executive Education for Successful Social Entrepreneurs Program to representatives from twelve organizations in Ahmedabad and communities around Gujarat. The workshop introduced useful ideas on scaling up operations and reaching the largest audience with the most meaningful message. Organizations discussed ways to not just grow their organizations, but also to focus their efforts to become more effective at promoting change in their community. Deval Sanghvi, co-founder of Dasra, stated: “This was a great opportunity to meet with practitioners to understand the barriers in scaling social innovations and demonstrate the value of the Dasra Social-Impact program.”
Volunteer Ahmedabad facilitated a spirited discussion on strengthening local volunteerism. Workshop participants talked about common challenges of hosting volunteers and ways that non-profit organizations, working together, can strengthen the volunteer ethic in India and ensure a high standard of volunteer. “The workshop provided a nice forum to share ideas and best practices and has inspired us to think harder about how Volunteer Ahmedabad can add value,” noted Indicorps staff member Vijay Ramchandani.
More information about Dasra can be found at dasra.org
University of Michigan Law alumna Roopal Shah ’95 engaged Indicorps and Volunteer Ahmedabad to host the first international event for Michigan Law Alumni and Friends Service Day on 1 May 2010. The University of Michigan Law School invited its alumni throughout India to join the Volunteer Ahmedabad Action Item (“Action Item”) for a cleanliness drive and civic awareness campaign. The Action Item was a high-energy event involving over 75 people; it included a street clean-up and street plays about our collective responsibility to keep Ahmedabad clean. The Ahmedabad Action Item complimented the larger UM alumni service efforts in Illinois, California, Ohio, Florida, and Washington DC.
The University of Michigan Law School-Indicorps partnership for an 2010 Alumni and Friends Service Day is a continued testament to the power of service to cross boundaries.
Ahmedabad Ultimate (AU)’s fifteen-day summer camp concluded with tournament on 23 May 2010. The Summer Camp aimed to introduce Ahmedabad school students to the sport of Ultimate Frisbee. AU held summer camps at three different schools, Anand Niketan (Satellite), Samvedna (Vadaj) and Saraswti Vidhyalaya (Saraspur). AU summer intern and coach Chetan Padia says, “It was amazing to see how quickly everyone took a liking towards the game.”
In addition to daily practices each morning, the summer camp featured weekend movies, and street play activities to promote interaction between the schools. Samvedna hosted a weekend movie screening of Kung Fu Panda, with a lively discussion about the “power of believing in yourself” and “staying focused on your dream” afterwards. Raksha Joshi, a fellow with AU shares, “It was really heartwarming to see children, who were strangers a week before and from markedly different backgrounds, interact with each other so freely.” The following weekend, Anand Niketan hosted the final tournament, followed by an award ceremony.
The camps were motivating for camp participants and volunteer coaches alike. Swati Joshi, a student of Anand Niketan, says, “The sport of Ultimate Frisbee is very exciting. I have started to attend the coaches meeting and I am looking forward to get more involved with AU.”
August 2009 Fellows Travel to Gandhi Ashram Sevagram and Lok Biradari Prakalp in May 2010
The fourth workshop for Indicorps 2009 Fellowship class in May 2010 encompassed visits to Sevagram (Wardha) and Lok Biradari Prakalp (Gadchiroli). The Indicorps Fellowship’s second annual pilgrimage to Central India in the sweltering heat is a testimony to the Indicorps values and resilience, and has earned us respect and friends in the region.
The serenity of the Gandhi Ashram at Sevagram provided the perfect ambiance for the Fellows to reflect upon finishing strong. Encouraged by Ashram head Vinod Acharya’s discourses on Gandhi, the Indicorps team engaged in Shramdhaan and shared challenges in the pursuit of selfless service. 2009 Fellow Bindu Reddy, currently serving on a public health project with Chaitanya, said, “I reveled in the discipline and rigor of daily 4:30 am prathna and shramdaan. The chance to live differently always provides an opportunity for introspection while also connecting outwardly with the history of a man and a nation.”
At Lok Biradari Prakalp, Dr Prakash Amte inspired the team through his valor in serving humans and animals alike. Dr Amte’s story of serving without fear and with love struck a chord. Equally powerful was how four generations of the Amte family demonstrated a single-minded convergence to simplicity and service as a way of life. 2009 Fellow Alykhan Mohamed, serving on a slum redevelopment project with Hunnarshala, said, “It was inspiring to meet a family of people who have dedicated themselves so fully and naturally to a vision over so many years.” As part of Shramdhaan (gift of labor), the Indicorps team assisted in digging a pond that will serve as a local water reservoir.
As an integral part of this year’s Indicorps Fellowship, each 2009 Fellow crafted a 3-4 day Personal Workshop visit to a community-based grassroots development organization on a topic of interested to them. Fellows were encouraged to spend a few days at a different organization, learn from their experience(s), and share best practices. Fellows were given flexibility to schedule their personal workshop and decide where to go within a 12-hour train radius of their own project site.
Members of the August 2009 Fellowship Class organized varied and constructive personal workshops. Learnings ranged from technical to relationship-building to personal growth. Rushi Sanathra, a fellow at Lok Mitra focusing on nurturing rural social entrepreneurs in Gujarat visited Mann Deshi, a microfinance organization in Maharashtra. Sanathra returned to his project site with a different viewpoint on rural development. He shares, “It was really good for me to go to another place and see how their methods are similar and different from ours. I got a chance to bring back some of Mann Deshi’s practices to my project site and to share mine with them. It was a very symbiotic give and take process.”
Hardeep Bhatha (August 09 Fellow), whose project is Public Health Business Management in Maharashtra, visited Anandwan, an organization for marginalized leprosy patients started by renowned Indian activist, Baba Amte. She came back humbled by her experience. The Personal Workshop gave her a chance to explore the depth of relationships and understand the power of the human spirit. She says, “Going to Anandwan was a life-altering experience because the love and spirit I found there is incomparable to anything I have experienced before.”
On 15 June 2010, Volunteer Ahmedabad (VA) celebrated the graduation of its 5th Youth Leadership Course (YLC) batch. With 15 graduating members, the ceremony on the rooftop of the Indicorps office brought together YLC alumni, parents, partner organizations, and hosts of other well-wishers. The parents of the 2010 YLC participants were elated. “What we could not help our son do in twenty-four years, Volunteer Ahmedabad’s YLC did it in six weeks,” shared the proud father of Abhishek Khatri, 2010 YLC participant.
The 2010 YLC focused on three topics: education, environment, and heritage. The education team organized a student show for Helpline– an Ahmedabad-based school focused on educating the children of migrants; the environment team planted over 50 trees; and the heritage team organized a Grand Heritage Walk in the Ahmedabad Old City. “YLC has given me a platform to initiate a social change that I always wanted to make and it will continue to be a part of who I am forever,” said Yash Modi, a member of the 2010 YLC education team. Mahesh Desai, founder of Helpline and a mentor for the education team, applauded the YLC participants’ dedication and creativity and said, “While I was supposed to be guiding them, in all honesty, the YLC education team has rejuvenated me.”
YLC also allowed for intense personal development of each participant. Nakul Vadher, from the heritage team said, “Six-weeks ago, I was reluctant to talk to people. Now I am willing to speak to friends, family, strangers, and the media about the importance of heritage and civic responsibility.” Abhishek Khatri added, “I have a new-found confidence in taking responsibility for things around me that I want to change.”
Even more extraordinary was the fact that the 2010 YLC course was conducted almost entirely by former YLC participants. YLC alumni shared best practices and innovated in their curriculum design and peer-to-peer leadership-building methodology. 2009 alumni Dimpy Dave took the lead. With support of YLC alumni Jinesh Mistry, Khyati Bhaglani, and others who served as project guides, Dimpy’s tenacity and enthusiasm proved to be a constant source of motivation. Dimpy says, “Coordinating this year’s YLC gave me immense pride. It helped me test my leadership skills and experience leadership in a true sense.”
The participants’ reaction to the peer leadership experiment was incredibly positive. Kiran Dodiya, YLC 2010 environment team member, states: “Before YLC I did not think that one person could make a difference. However, now I think I can be that person. I can initiate a change by starting a chain of positive actions.”
What effect do the Fellows have on their communities? What effect did the communities have on the Fellows? What value does Indicorps add to the conversation on development and service? What story can we tell?
July 2010 marks the completion of Indicorps’ tenth Fellowship class. Each Fellowship class renews the original purpose of Indicorps, and helps us refine why we exist. In an attempt to answer larger questions about Indicorps’ purpose and impact over the last decade, Gaurav Madan (August 08 Fellow) traveled across India to 10 project sites (representing each year of the Fellowship). He has authored a series of essays that will form the content of a book, currently being edited and designed, and due for release this fall.
This book will tell our story. It will attempt to draw a clear link between personal transformation and societal transformation. The intended audience is people like you – people who are interested in grassroots development and can appreciate a nuanced look at the Fellowship experience. We’d like to share the book at service seminars, relevant non-profits, academic/research institutes, and other like-minded events, to help create a paradigm shift in ways to approach grassroots service and personal growth. If you know of any upcoming events from October 2010 through March 2011, where we can present the book, let us know at book@indicorps.org. We will distribute copies at the upcoming alumni reunion.
Additionally, we may be asking Fellow and staff alumni for photographs, ideas for distribution, and input over content and style over the next two months.
The sweltering heat of the desert, of India, before the skies send their calmness, their tears to satiate the burning fire on earth, eats at everyone. I wonder how people have become accustomed to this – why is it normal to wash clothes in the (literally) scorching sun, or sweep up the yard in 110 degree weather, why it is just a part of the summer for everyone to fall sick with some stomach or cold ailment. I have become accustomed to staring into the darkness around me from 2-4 am, when my body will no longer endure the burning slabs of stone I sleep on.
And after living like this for three months, I started to believe that these details just were, and people dealt with them—it was what it was, for years upon years. And in the grand scheme of things, that is what I began to think about my fellowship year. It seemed as though everything that happened – living through death, being ignored because I was categorized into a marginalized group, seeing people lie to my face and laugh, having my personal things stolen from me, being disrespected because I am a woman, and more so, people constantly testing my ability to love humanity, to have trust and faith in the world—just were, and I just had to deal with them because people suffer every day, and have been for years upon years.
To cope, I found myself regressing into a routine. If I really stopped to think about it, I couldn’t believe it – wasn’t that why I left my job and moved across an ocean? I wanted to break the apathetic cycle of life I had created; to believe that the common phrase “it is what it is” wasn’t the way I wanted to live my life; to change it. I had come with the intention to make changes, but now, through the tests and bumps in the road, was I beginning to settle for something less than what I set out to do; because I was caught up in “dealing”? Whether I allowed the thought to fully materialize every morning or not, I woke up with it hammering away at my existence. Read the rest of this entry »
“All the boys in my family know how to ride a bicycle, but none of the girls do. Papa gets angry. You want to fly but what do you do when Papa and Mama pull you down.” – Supriya Mishra, 12-year old girl
It is a cold Sunday afternoon in Kanpur, UP. Visibility is low. Men hover around chai-stands for some steaming garlic milk tea. I am on my way to Anooppur village, an animal herding village 25km away from Kanpur city. I had promised the young girls in that village that I would visit them and together we would do some fun activities. On the local bus, I frantically jot down some activities and attempt to create a schedule for the 2-hour session. Eventually I stop. Experience teaches you that spontaneity works best. Sometimes, unlike my habit of ‘having a plan’, being flexible and adapting to people’s needs gets the best results.
Anooppur is an Other Backward Caste (OBC) village. Every family’s last name is Pal because they are all from the same caste. Many young women and girls are high-school dropouts and marry at a very early age. Young women are taught from childhood how to be a good cook, to clean the house, to take care of younger children, and to help with farm work. Education does not seem to be a priority, especially not for girls. It is in this village where I first met Ragini and Ruchi, a 6-year old and a 9-year old, the domestic queens. Everyone in the village commends the sisters for the amount of housework they do everyday. At that age, I had never even cut an apple for myself.
That Sunday, around thirty girls attend the Sunday session where we play drama games and draw pictures of our dream village. Some girls are excited, some are timid, some are scared.
“Sapna, come back home,” shouts her mother from outside, 90 minutes into the session.
The young women hand me back their drawings and begin to head to the door.
“Dhanyavad,” I thank them, raising my voice a little to gain their attention, “But give me five more minutes please.” I inform them that I want to sing a song with them and that maybe we can sing it next time.
“Nahi, nahi, teach us now.” The young women are eager. Together, we sing a song that an elder community woman composed. The content is on the need of using hand-pump water, instead of old and dirty wells for drinking water in the village. The tune is catchy, the words have meaning. Before I know it, the young women were singing along, moving their heads just like I was.
“Next time, can we have the words to the song? I want to sing it while I sweep the floor,” asks Seema, an 18-year old young women.
“You can still sing,” I say. I sing the chorus – paani na barvaho, panni na barvaho, koau say panni na barvaho – and animatedly imitate sweeping the floor. (Translation: don’t fill water, don’t fill water from the well)
“Didi, can we write our own song next time?” Sunita asks.
“Or our own radio drama?” adds Aditi.
I am ecstatic. I never thought that they would ask to do something like this. Ideas are rushing through my mind, how to do something where these young women will develop their own programs and be makers of their own product, where young women can work together, support each other to create change, no matter how small. Maybe, they’ll teach each other how to ride a bicycle.
A spirit lies dormant in the hearts of young women like Sunita, Aditi, Seema, Ruby, Ruchi, Ragini, Supriya, Bitu. Now, that spirit is beginning to stretch its arms and legs. Now, it’s beginning to open its eyes, smell the fresh air, hear the birds chirping, taste the sweetness, and feel the awaiting flight to freedom.
Pooja Shahani, August 2010 Indicorps Fellow