A few days ago I mentioned that I went to the Gandhi museum and was surprised by some of his quotes. What an incredible man who made such a great impact! Truly selfless. He really lived out what he preached. When he visited England to have an audience with the crown he refused to dress up. He wore the loin cloth which was his normal garb. I’ve also been reading some of Paul’s letters in the New Testament since I’ve been here and he also was a selfless man who left a mark on the world. Both had incredible impact upon the world by preaching a message. I was left wondering…how does one become a person like that? How does one have such an impact? Both dedicated their entire lives to their mission, even depriving themselves of comforts and needs. I guess the secret lies there somewhere- in the abandonment of self for the pursuit of a greater purpose.
CULTURE SHOCK
I think I realized something. I didn’t think that I had been experiencing culture shock because I had it very bad in Amsterdam and this time I was more prepared. I tried to prepare myself not to have expectations because I knew that I couldn’t imagine what it would be like. I tried to prepare myself for all kinds of extremes. When I got here I wasn’t thrown off by the language barrier or totally surprised by my surroundings. It has been very different than my last trip abroad. Still, I think I have been experiencing culture shock, but in a different way than before. When I stepped out of the airport I felt like I was on Pandora. (If you have seen Avatar you know what I am talking about.) I walked into a hostile environment. Cars almost hit us when we tried to cross the street and the parking lot was a mess! It was really foggy and brown and loud. There were people everywhere. Cars filled every possible space. They were parked with no regard to order, just however the person wanted to park, meaning that many cars were blocked in. The traffic flow in the parking lot also had no order. In a space small enough for one car to pass through there were cars trying to drive both ways. When we got out after quite a while, I had my first experience with Indian driving! It is like a video game. There are no road rules cars just drive where they please. I was riding with Sunil who loves to weave in and out around cars. There were cars, trucks, carts and bicycles on the road. I didn’t think much about the housing before I arrived but if I had I am not sure if I would have predicted staying in apartments with no heating and the other conditions which exist. Still, I didn’t think I had culture shock because I knew before I came that things would be very different, and they were.
I care very much about people so I think that the thing which really shocked and disturbed me were the conditions around me. I couldn’t really enjoy the city because my gaze was focused on the fact that people here have so much less. The standard of living just blew me away. The average person has very little. They get around and have the necessities, but don’t have much more. The whole city is very dirty and views of people walking around in it barefoot stuck out in my mind. The slums and tents along the side of the roads stood out to me. I’ve never seen anything like this. This is where the shock came from. I couldn’t get past it at first. I was afraid to say that I liked it here because I didn’t like what I was seeing. I couldn’t bring myself to say that I liked a place where so many had so little.
After seeing and understanding more about the culture and seeing more of the good parts of Delhi I realized that there is a sad aspect of India, but there is also a very neat and interesting city here. Some of the ways that people do things seem primitive to us but are just the way they do things here. I still hate to see suffering, but now that I have adjusted some and have been able to see the good here I have been able to get past that. I like it here. I've been able to really enjoy it. I had a wonderful weekend. Its so different that I won’t understand this place in 3 weeks, but it is fascinating to be in this city and soak in the sights and sounds. I think I'll even miss all the noise!
INTERVIEW WITH PRASHANT
Tonight at 6 I had an interview with a shop owner named Prashant. He runs a store that his father owns called TATSAT which is located in the market right behind this apartment complex. Daniel set a meeting up for me with him. It was very interesting. I met him at the shop which was very cute. It sold fabrics, clothing, scarves, bags, handmade goods like pottery and dishes, stationary and things like this. His store sells only products from NGOs, companies with fair trade labor, companies that make eco-friendly goods, and from independent artisans. A large part of the items are from artisans, but many of the bags and jewelry were from NGOs. It started out slowly but now he is in touch with several sources which provide the goods. The trick is that supply and quality are not stable so procurement is an ongoing process. Many NGOs have programs for women to learn to create items like blankets, bags and jewelry which can be sold. The problem is, most of the time these goods are not of good enough quality or design to have market value. Though he tries to direct those NGOs, what Prashant does is give access to markets to entrepreneurs who make items which could be sold. He does not give particular orders or designs, but gives feedback about pricing and goods to the NGOs. He informs them of what sells, but does not control what they do.
Prashant brings in items from these suppliers and when they are sold he takes commission and then sends the rest of the money to the NGO in payments each month. He does not buy it initially. It is up to the NGO about how it divides the money. Some may use the profit to go towards the NGO in general, but others may give individual women some of the money. Unfortunately the majority of NGO projects fail to make sellable products because creation of quality goods takes great skill and management. There is a gap. This includes the organization that Daniel works with, Vidya. It has not yet been able to make sellable products.
He also shared with me other information about NGOs. He actually started one of his own with several friends which is an advocacy NGO called Prabodh. They cannot get an audience with ministers so they raise awareness in the community mostly. He admitted that NGOs have a dark side. He said that NGOs get tax benefits as well as other benefits (like free stalls in markets like Dilli Haat) so many times people will set up NGOs which provide a service but also are a business. The intent is to get the benefits from being an NGO while making more profit. He also said that there are many restrictions put on businesses that one can get away with in an NGO.
He claims that the main issue of NGOs is whether they will be perpetual or fade away. He said that a NGO should have self-sustainability as its objective so that it will create independent people and will no longer be needed, but often this does not happen. Instead the NGO will create dependency of the people upon it. This distorts the market and affects efficiency when it comes to selling goods. He thinks that this is a very important aspect of NGOs to consider.
The interview was very interesting. I have full notes with me here and a copy of the documentary that his NGO recently made about the auto-richshaw business which he somewhat explained to me. I'm going to watch it tomorrow because its late here now.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Jan 16
I would like to start by clearing up a few things…
First, a friend told me that my blogs make it sound like I am entirely miserable and unhappy here. This is not true. If it has sounded this way it is only because I tend to write the most frustrating things first and then I go on to the good. The days surrounding my time in the hospital were definitely miserable, but since then I have been having a great time. I am really enjoying my time in India! It is difficult for me in the sense that I am constantly reminded here of the poverty and need. Its present everywhere and that is hard for me to see. I care very much about people; therefore, there is always this reminder at the back of my mind. Despite this, I think India is amazing. It is so interesting. The people are kind and very interested in me and in the U.S.. There is culture here that goes far beyond the creation of our constitution. I also really like most of the volunteers I work with. The three I hung out with today are 3 of the most positive people I’ve ever met. It’s encouraging and inspiring to be around these people. I love exploring India and talking to the people.
Also, I wanted to clarify why I am here. For me, there are several reasons. First, as this blog suggests, I am here to do research on NGOs and how they work in India. I am curious about whether the services they provide truly would not be provided without their presence here. So far I think this is so. I am especially interested in the topic of NGOs because I am considering working with some type of NGO(s) after Wofford. I also have been very interested in India and Indian culture for some time now, especially as I’ve learned of the rising importance of the country in world affairs. Additionally, I like to volunteer. I want to do as much volunteer work as possible throughout my life. People are the most important part of life and it’s amazing how much a person a can do to impact others. I am here for more than one reason and I am gaining insight in each area. I have lots of meetings next week for my project. Of course I am doing volunteer work here as well. The research and work also show me whether or not I want to do this type of work in the future. Of course through this all I am learning about Indian people and culture.
PERFECT DAY
With this cleared up, I’d like to tell you about my perfect day. Today I slept in, which was much needed! I woke up and took my time getting ready and organizing my life. After a relaxing but productive morning I had lunch then went out with 4 other volunteers to Dilli Haat, a market I went to earlier in the week. I got several things for great prices. I actually kind of enjoy haggling for items. It makes me feel like I am getting a good deal. I think I’m pretty good at it. This market is government regulated so it is super clean and very organized. Its beautiful! There are bright colors all over from the fabrics, purses, knick knacks, and various other goods. There are these incredible shoes there and tons and tons of cashmire and pashmir scarves in tons of patterns, with colored elephants, frames, bangles, saras, purses and bags, etc. Foreigners often come through it and the shop owners spot them immediately and beg them to come see their items. They try so hard to sell you as much as possible and set really high prices. They ask questions about where we are from and why we are here. People stare.
After this we went to a neat shop called for Soma with lots of clothing, blankets and other things made of cloth. Then, nearby were the Lodhi Gardens. It was really neat because it was cleaner and nicer than the rest of the city, plus there were ruins from old buildings of Mughal architecture. It was great. My friends thought I was a dork because I took a lot of pictures. I love architecture, especially stuff like this which was built in the 1600s! I think the Mughal architecture is incredible…it is where Humayun’s Tomb (which I saw last week) and the Taj Mahal came from. It was nice to take a walk in a green park. When I got back, after fitting 5 people in one auto-rickshaw (those things barely fit 3 people comfortably they are tiny!) we ate dinner. While we sat around the table Danika said “Oh! This is what a perfect day feels like!” and we all agreed. We had a great time chatting and exploring.
After dinner I began to do research for my project. I received an email about an appointment tomorrow with a man named Prashant who owns a store which sells the goods created by women from NGOs. I will meet with him tomorrow at 6 pm at his shop which is nearby. I have researched each of the NGOs I will be interviewing staff members from and working on my questions. I am also trying to get an appointment with someone from the YMCA in New Delhi. Just today one of my roommates who has been ehre for almost 3 months gave me a new contact. This person works with Nirantar which is an NGO that researches how effective other NGOS are. It primarily focuses on analyzing NGOs that give microloans to women from what I understand. My last week here is going to be a race to the finish, but I will also have all day Saturday of next weekend so I think its possible to get stuff done!
First, a friend told me that my blogs make it sound like I am entirely miserable and unhappy here. This is not true. If it has sounded this way it is only because I tend to write the most frustrating things first and then I go on to the good. The days surrounding my time in the hospital were definitely miserable, but since then I have been having a great time. I am really enjoying my time in India! It is difficult for me in the sense that I am constantly reminded here of the poverty and need. Its present everywhere and that is hard for me to see. I care very much about people; therefore, there is always this reminder at the back of my mind. Despite this, I think India is amazing. It is so interesting. The people are kind and very interested in me and in the U.S.. There is culture here that goes far beyond the creation of our constitution. I also really like most of the volunteers I work with. The three I hung out with today are 3 of the most positive people I’ve ever met. It’s encouraging and inspiring to be around these people. I love exploring India and talking to the people.
Also, I wanted to clarify why I am here. For me, there are several reasons. First, as this blog suggests, I am here to do research on NGOs and how they work in India. I am curious about whether the services they provide truly would not be provided without their presence here. So far I think this is so. I am especially interested in the topic of NGOs because I am considering working with some type of NGO(s) after Wofford. I also have been very interested in India and Indian culture for some time now, especially as I’ve learned of the rising importance of the country in world affairs. Additionally, I like to volunteer. I want to do as much volunteer work as possible throughout my life. People are the most important part of life and it’s amazing how much a person a can do to impact others. I am here for more than one reason and I am gaining insight in each area. I have lots of meetings next week for my project. Of course I am doing volunteer work here as well. The research and work also show me whether or not I want to do this type of work in the future. Of course through this all I am learning about Indian people and culture.
PERFECT DAY
With this cleared up, I’d like to tell you about my perfect day. Today I slept in, which was much needed! I woke up and took my time getting ready and organizing my life. After a relaxing but productive morning I had lunch then went out with 4 other volunteers to Dilli Haat, a market I went to earlier in the week. I got several things for great prices. I actually kind of enjoy haggling for items. It makes me feel like I am getting a good deal. I think I’m pretty good at it. This market is government regulated so it is super clean and very organized. Its beautiful! There are bright colors all over from the fabrics, purses, knick knacks, and various other goods. There are these incredible shoes there and tons and tons of cashmire and pashmir scarves in tons of patterns, with colored elephants, frames, bangles, saras, purses and bags, etc. Foreigners often come through it and the shop owners spot them immediately and beg them to come see their items. They try so hard to sell you as much as possible and set really high prices. They ask questions about where we are from and why we are here. People stare.
After this we went to a neat shop called for Soma with lots of clothing, blankets and other things made of cloth. Then, nearby were the Lodhi Gardens. It was really neat because it was cleaner and nicer than the rest of the city, plus there were ruins from old buildings of Mughal architecture. It was great. My friends thought I was a dork because I took a lot of pictures. I love architecture, especially stuff like this which was built in the 1600s! I think the Mughal architecture is incredible…it is where Humayun’s Tomb (which I saw last week) and the Taj Mahal came from. It was nice to take a walk in a green park. When I got back, after fitting 5 people in one auto-rickshaw (those things barely fit 3 people comfortably they are tiny!) we ate dinner. While we sat around the table Danika said “Oh! This is what a perfect day feels like!” and we all agreed. We had a great time chatting and exploring.
After dinner I began to do research for my project. I received an email about an appointment tomorrow with a man named Prashant who owns a store which sells the goods created by women from NGOs. I will meet with him tomorrow at 6 pm at his shop which is nearby. I have researched each of the NGOs I will be interviewing staff members from and working on my questions. I am also trying to get an appointment with someone from the YMCA in New Delhi. Just today one of my roommates who has been ehre for almost 3 months gave me a new contact. This person works with Nirantar which is an NGO that researches how effective other NGOS are. It primarily focuses on analyzing NGOs that give microloans to women from what I understand. My last week here is going to be a race to the finish, but I will also have all day Saturday of next weekend so I think its possible to get stuff done!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Jan 15 A Fun Day
SOME THOUGHTS
One of the most striking things to me about India is that there are people all over the place. I now understand something that an Indian man told me before I came to India. He said when he came to the US he wondered where all the people were. He had a friend who was sent as a missionary to the US somewhere in the mountains of West Virginia and he didn’t last long because he was really bored. He was not used to being in so much space with so few people. He only lasted a few weeks. India holds 1/6 of the world’s population so there are just people everywhere like you wouldn’t believe! I mean EVERYWHERE. Everywhere you look there is a person or group of people.
It was also very interesting to me that there are usually many people doing one simple job. There are lots of jobs that we just don’t have much of in the US. Everyone with even the smallest amount of money has a driver. It is very cheap and traffic is horrible. Heather has a friend who recently moved here from the US because her father works with the World Food Bank and her driver took us home after we went to the Gandhi museum together. Also, when I went to the big mall, City Walk, every single store had a security guard! Every store. Our apartment complex has men who sit at the gate each day to lift the gate. Since there are so many people labor is very cheap and there are many low paying jobs. I mean I ride around the city in auto richshaws each day and each trip costs from 40-100 rupees. The exchange rate is around 49 rupees to a dollar so its much cheaper than a taxi in New York!
There are things about the city that just hit me. Over and over I am reminded: Oh my gosh I’m in India! It’s a thrilling thought. I’ve wanted to come to this side of the world for so long. Sometimes its exciting. But its also difficult and very strange. Today we gave our richshaw driver one American dollar because he wanted to see what it looked like. He tried to give it back but we just let him keep it. It totally made his day. He probably doesn’t know what the exchange rate is, but when he finds out that the dollar is worth almost 50 rupees he’ll probably be really excited. India is a neat place. The culture and mindset is so different
EXCURSION
Today I went with Heather and Jake to the Lotus Temple and to Iskon Temple. We went to the Lotus Temple last weekend but it was not opened to go inside so we went back. It is supposed to be a temple for all religions to come and worship. According to Bella, most Indians believe in god and simply want others to believe in some sort of god. It does not matter which one, they respect all, but you must believe in a god. Inside the temple was like the inside of a lotus. It was incredible, but not good for sound. People were singing inside and the echo was terrible. Unfortunately we couldn’t take pictures inside, but I have included some pictures from the outside. It really is an amazing building. We had to take off our shoes to go inside. When we left several people asked to take pictures with us! It was really funny. And several people took pictures without asking. Before this, I’ve never been stared at so much in my life! People just stare all the time. Its funny. In the US I’m not that interesting, but here I am very rare. People are just fascinated, especially when they find out that I am from America.
From the Lotus Temple we could see another temple so we asked about it. It was Iskon Temple which is a huge and beautiful Hindu temple. We walked over to it. The walk was eye opening. We cut through a park and there were homes outside which broke my heart. There is a picture below. There were children playing and a woman with a basket on top of her head. Right behind this huge and probably expensive temple there were lots of people living in this park.
The day got even more interesting when we approached the temple. The guards were fascinated by my camera and kept asking us to take pictures with and of them. They wouldn’t let us go in until we’d taken a ton of pictures! They giggled and thought it was the greatest thing ever. They asked us to send the pictures to them and gave me an address. If I can do it I’m definitely going to send the pictures.
Once we finally went in we had to wait about ten minutes before we could take off our shoes and talked to an Indian man who was visiting his adult children in New Delhi. He was very nice and spoke great English. We asked many questions about the US and then eagerly told us about places in India we should see. We walked around, trying to be respectful. We didn’t want to offend anyone and we didn’t know very much about Hinduism so we tried to discretely and respectfully walk around the outside. We stepped inside just for a moment to see and then came back out. I was struck by the beauty of it. It was comparable to a huge Catholic church in Europe. As we started to go a man caught us and invited us in. He showed us around and explained to us who the gods were. There was some type of ritual thing going on inside so we observed. It was beautiful inside too. Paintings on the ceilings of gods and there were three huge altar-type things where there were statues of the gods. I took one picture inside of one of the shrines. He then asked if we wanted to be blessed. Heather and I declined but Jake did so. I am a Christian so I did not want to participate. I enjoyed seeing the temple and learning about it, but I did not want to participate in the ritual. I think that it is very important to know about and understand other religions. It helps one to better understand his or her own religion and to respect others. We were appreciative for the tour and thanked him on our way out. Hinduism is a strange religion to me. It is very mystical. The temple, though similar in certain aspects, was very different than anything I had ever seen before.
MY PLACEMENT
Today was much better than the past two days. The main teacher who has been so difficult to deal with was not there so that was the main reason. There was a new lady there who is 24. She was really nice. She couldn’t speak much English so we could not communicate much but she was a pleasure to work with. Today I did not plan anything I just helped kids one on one with what they were doing and tried to smile a lot. At the end Jackie and I took pictures and unfortunately I don’t really have good ones because they just crowded around and started yelling, but next week I am going to try again. I wanted to post some videos but unfortuantely the site isnt letting me post them so I will figure how to and do that soon.This weekend I am going to talk to my sister who is training to be an elementary school teacher for some ideas. Next week is a new week.
INTERVIEWS
Today was a great day overall, but not as good for my project. I was excited to talk to the head of Mobile Creches today as Jaggi told me I would, but then it did not work out. He has scheduled it for next week. I am not sure what happened but he has gotten it arranged for next week as well as a meeting with a leader of Vidya, which is the NGO that Daniel Lala works with. I also was supposed to meet with Bella today but both of the meeting times we had picked I came by to discover she was not there. Indians have a very different view of time than Americans. They are late for everything by hours! They truly have no sense of time! I will hopefully talk to her tomorrow and then have several appointments next week.
One of the most striking things to me about India is that there are people all over the place. I now understand something that an Indian man told me before I came to India. He said when he came to the US he wondered where all the people were. He had a friend who was sent as a missionary to the US somewhere in the mountains of West Virginia and he didn’t last long because he was really bored. He was not used to being in so much space with so few people. He only lasted a few weeks. India holds 1/6 of the world’s population so there are just people everywhere like you wouldn’t believe! I mean EVERYWHERE. Everywhere you look there is a person or group of people.
It was also very interesting to me that there are usually many people doing one simple job. There are lots of jobs that we just don’t have much of in the US. Everyone with even the smallest amount of money has a driver. It is very cheap and traffic is horrible. Heather has a friend who recently moved here from the US because her father works with the World Food Bank and her driver took us home after we went to the Gandhi museum together. Also, when I went to the big mall, City Walk, every single store had a security guard! Every store. Our apartment complex has men who sit at the gate each day to lift the gate. Since there are so many people labor is very cheap and there are many low paying jobs. I mean I ride around the city in auto richshaws each day and each trip costs from 40-100 rupees. The exchange rate is around 49 rupees to a dollar so its much cheaper than a taxi in New York!
There are things about the city that just hit me. Over and over I am reminded: Oh my gosh I’m in India! It’s a thrilling thought. I’ve wanted to come to this side of the world for so long. Sometimes its exciting. But its also difficult and very strange. Today we gave our richshaw driver one American dollar because he wanted to see what it looked like. He tried to give it back but we just let him keep it. It totally made his day. He probably doesn’t know what the exchange rate is, but when he finds out that the dollar is worth almost 50 rupees he’ll probably be really excited. India is a neat place. The culture and mindset is so different
EXCURSION
Today I went with Heather and Jake to the Lotus Temple and to Iskon Temple. We went to the Lotus Temple last weekend but it was not opened to go inside so we went back. It is supposed to be a temple for all religions to come and worship. According to Bella, most Indians believe in god and simply want others to believe in some sort of god. It does not matter which one, they respect all, but you must believe in a god. Inside the temple was like the inside of a lotus. It was incredible, but not good for sound. People were singing inside and the echo was terrible. Unfortunately we couldn’t take pictures inside, but I have included some pictures from the outside. It really is an amazing building. We had to take off our shoes to go inside. When we left several people asked to take pictures with us! It was really funny. And several people took pictures without asking. Before this, I’ve never been stared at so much in my life! People just stare all the time. Its funny. In the US I’m not that interesting, but here I am very rare. People are just fascinated, especially when they find out that I am from America.
From the Lotus Temple we could see another temple so we asked about it. It was Iskon Temple which is a huge and beautiful Hindu temple. We walked over to it. The walk was eye opening. We cut through a park and there were homes outside which broke my heart. There is a picture below. There were children playing and a woman with a basket on top of her head. Right behind this huge and probably expensive temple there were lots of people living in this park.
The day got even more interesting when we approached the temple. The guards were fascinated by my camera and kept asking us to take pictures with and of them. They wouldn’t let us go in until we’d taken a ton of pictures! They giggled and thought it was the greatest thing ever. They asked us to send the pictures to them and gave me an address. If I can do it I’m definitely going to send the pictures.
MY PLACEMENT
Today was much better than the past two days. The main teacher who has been so difficult to deal with was not there so that was the main reason. There was a new lady there who is 24. She was really nice. She couldn’t speak much English so we could not communicate much but she was a pleasure to work with. Today I did not plan anything I just helped kids one on one with what they were doing and tried to smile a lot. At the end Jackie and I took pictures and unfortunately I don’t really have good ones because they just crowded around and started yelling, but next week I am going to try again. I wanted to post some videos but unfortuantely the site isnt letting me post them so I will figure how to and do that soon.This weekend I am going to talk to my sister who is training to be an elementary school teacher for some ideas. Next week is a new week.
INTERVIEWS
Today was a great day overall, but not as good for my project. I was excited to talk to the head of Mobile Creches today as Jaggi told me I would, but then it did not work out. He has scheduled it for next week. I am not sure what happened but he has gotten it arranged for next week as well as a meeting with a leader of Vidya, which is the NGO that Daniel Lala works with. I also was supposed to meet with Bella today but both of the meeting times we had picked I came by to discover she was not there. Indians have a very different view of time than Americans. They are late for everything by hours! They truly have no sense of time! I will hopefully talk to her tomorrow and then have several appointments next week.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Jan 14
Today was frustrating again at work. I switched with Jackie and took the older kids today. Most are pretty smart and several are in school so they get bored easily. They like busy work so I brought worksheets today for them to do. I was excited about today because I thought it would be a lot better, but it was worse. Turns out the younger kids were really good and quiet today and things didn’t go so well for me. I gave out worksheets with counting and they loved them, but the teacher took them away. She said “no no no” but because of the language barrier I had no clue what was going on. I was really frustrated. Everyone else plans whatever games and activities they want and seem to have a great time. Their teachers allow them to do whatever they want so they can be really creative. Also they seem to actually teach a lot, even math. I, on the other hand, never feel like I am really teaching them much and our teachers keep complaining about the activities we do. We always feel awkward. I’m never sure whether I should just come in and take control of the class or what my role should really be. It kinda seems like they just want us to come in and just observe because every time we try something they disapprove, yet when we come they leave us alone with the kids.
What really made me frustrated was the driver who had helped me out yesterday came in today and the teacher started fussing! She seemed mad and she kept pointing and me and over where Jackie was. I could feel my face getting red with anger but I wasn’t sure what was going on. He never told me too much of what she said but apparently she was saying that Jackie and I aren’t doing what they want. We are supposed to do things with numbers and counting. Well the worksheets I had brought had to do with counting so I’m just at a loss. I really have no idea what to do. I’m so frustrated that I want to just give up and just come in and sit down and watch the kids sit there and draw on their chalkboards for 2 hours rather than planning anymore in vain. I can’t do that though because I came here to work. I didn’t come to India for me but to work. Giving up would make the trip seem pointless. I already only get to be there for two hours plus I have a hard time feeling like I’m doing much good since I’m not actually teaching much, but to just go each day to sit is really frustrating. I talked to the directors and they offered to come with us tomorrow. I told them I’m going to try again tomorrow to do something with them and if it doesn’t go well they can come on Monday. I guess as a volunteer for such a short time I can only do so much, but I feel like my role is very small and that is hard to take.
Today I talked to Bella for a bit, but since we talked about my placement for so long I ran out of time for the interview so it was rescheduled tomorrow. Tomorrow will be busy. I will be meeting with the head of Mobile Creches and I will also interview Bella, the director of CCS. Both will be very useful for my project.
I went to the memorial to Gandhi at his home where he was assassinated. Wow Gandhi was an amazing man. I am going to post some pictures tomorrow because I don’t have the time to do it tonight, but it was amazing. His room was so humbly decorated. There was virtually nothing in it other than his bed, a desk and his staff. He was truly selfless. I followed the last footsteps that Gandhi ever took, wondering why on earth would anyone want to kill a man like Gandhi. I read some of his quotes which I had never heard before and was shocked. He talked constantly about how men should not live beyond their means because it is impossible for all to obtain an expensive lifestyle. When one is really wealthy and does not share this wealth, he makes it so that others do not get what they need. Men should not live beyond necessity. Hmmm Americans would do well to take that advice. Many of the things he said were tough and would require sacrifice, but truly would pave the way for a world in which more people had the necessities to live. Today in India there is the biggest wealth gap of probably anywhere else in the world. Most of the population has very little, yet a very small percentage is incredibly wealthy. It doesn’t seem to make sense. It also doesn’t seem to make sense that a person who is considered poor in the US would be rich here.
I went to Dilli Haat today which is a wonderful market! There was a lot of neat stuff and bargaining is tough but I think I did pretty well. I got a few things that were so cheap. This is exactly what I mean. I came to India with very little spending money, yet I will still be able to get a ton of nice things because the exchange rate is so high. There was a freshwater pearl necklace (real) that was the equivalent of $12.50! I got a few things unbelievably cheap. Some of the girls in my program are even going to get massages and facials and haircuts because its all so cheap here.
I didn’t get to stay at Dilli Haat long. We were at Gandhi’s house longer than expected and we had to be back around 5 pm for a program. A famous classical Indian dancer brought several of the girls she’s trained to perform for us. I hope to include pictures and videos of this tomorrow so check again for those. They were so beautiful and very talented! The dancing was incredible and so precise. They had been studying for about 15 years. They wore traditional saras with silver belts and lots of jewelry on their face, head and clothes. There was a hairpiece of flowers in their hair too. The dancers wear bell ankle bracelets which ring at the correct time with their dancing. They stomp their feet making the bells ring throughout the dances. It was truly memorizing! Such a neat part of older cultures is dancing. This type originated from within Hindu temples during sacrifices and ceremonies. Later it became more of an art form. It was one of my favorite things about this trip. The reason we were able to get such talented dancers to perform is that the woman is a close friend of Bella the director.
What really made me frustrated was the driver who had helped me out yesterday came in today and the teacher started fussing! She seemed mad and she kept pointing and me and over where Jackie was. I could feel my face getting red with anger but I wasn’t sure what was going on. He never told me too much of what she said but apparently she was saying that Jackie and I aren’t doing what they want. We are supposed to do things with numbers and counting. Well the worksheets I had brought had to do with counting so I’m just at a loss. I really have no idea what to do. I’m so frustrated that I want to just give up and just come in and sit down and watch the kids sit there and draw on their chalkboards for 2 hours rather than planning anymore in vain. I can’t do that though because I came here to work. I didn’t come to India for me but to work. Giving up would make the trip seem pointless. I already only get to be there for two hours plus I have a hard time feeling like I’m doing much good since I’m not actually teaching much, but to just go each day to sit is really frustrating. I talked to the directors and they offered to come with us tomorrow. I told them I’m going to try again tomorrow to do something with them and if it doesn’t go well they can come on Monday. I guess as a volunteer for such a short time I can only do so much, but I feel like my role is very small and that is hard to take.
Today I talked to Bella for a bit, but since we talked about my placement for so long I ran out of time for the interview so it was rescheduled tomorrow. Tomorrow will be busy. I will be meeting with the head of Mobile Creches and I will also interview Bella, the director of CCS. Both will be very useful for my project.
I went to the memorial to Gandhi at his home where he was assassinated. Wow Gandhi was an amazing man. I am going to post some pictures tomorrow because I don’t have the time to do it tonight, but it was amazing. His room was so humbly decorated. There was virtually nothing in it other than his bed, a desk and his staff. He was truly selfless. I followed the last footsteps that Gandhi ever took, wondering why on earth would anyone want to kill a man like Gandhi. I read some of his quotes which I had never heard before and was shocked. He talked constantly about how men should not live beyond their means because it is impossible for all to obtain an expensive lifestyle. When one is really wealthy and does not share this wealth, he makes it so that others do not get what they need. Men should not live beyond necessity. Hmmm Americans would do well to take that advice. Many of the things he said were tough and would require sacrifice, but truly would pave the way for a world in which more people had the necessities to live. Today in India there is the biggest wealth gap of probably anywhere else in the world. Most of the population has very little, yet a very small percentage is incredibly wealthy. It doesn’t seem to make sense. It also doesn’t seem to make sense that a person who is considered poor in the US would be rich here.
I went to Dilli Haat today which is a wonderful market! There was a lot of neat stuff and bargaining is tough but I think I did pretty well. I got a few things that were so cheap. This is exactly what I mean. I came to India with very little spending money, yet I will still be able to get a ton of nice things because the exchange rate is so high. There was a freshwater pearl necklace (real) that was the equivalent of $12.50! I got a few things unbelievably cheap. Some of the girls in my program are even going to get massages and facials and haircuts because its all so cheap here.
I didn’t get to stay at Dilli Haat long. We were at Gandhi’s house longer than expected and we had to be back around 5 pm for a program. A famous classical Indian dancer brought several of the girls she’s trained to perform for us. I hope to include pictures and videos of this tomorrow so check again for those. They were so beautiful and very talented! The dancing was incredible and so precise. They had been studying for about 15 years. They wore traditional saras with silver belts and lots of jewelry on their face, head and clothes. There was a hairpiece of flowers in their hair too. The dancers wear bell ankle bracelets which ring at the correct time with their dancing. They stomp their feet making the bells ring throughout the dances. It was truly memorizing! Such a neat part of older cultures is dancing. This type originated from within Hindu temples during sacrifices and ceremonies. Later it became more of an art form. It was one of my favorite things about this trip. The reason we were able to get such talented dancers to perform is that the woman is a close friend of Bella the director.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Jan 13
I had a frustrating day. After work I was going to go to Dilli Haat, a market here which is apparently amazing. Everyone went while I was in the hospital so I was going to check it out. I'm determined to get my interviews in and to really get to see a lot of the city. The Australians went to see Gandhi's home where he died so I was convinced to tag along instead. It was a total wasted day because the stupid auto rickshaw drivers took us to the wrong Gandhi museum! Apparently more than one Gandhi has been assassinated in India and has a museum to prove it! By the time we discovered this it was too late to go to teh right museum because it was about to close so we just had to come back. So I paid again to be taken back. Waste of money and time!
Tonight, though, there was a bonfire. Its a shik holiday here so we had a fire and snacks with dancing. It was pretty fun to see all of the volunteers and staff mingling and dancing. It was nice to stand around the fire and learn about the holiday. We had to throw some of the food into the fire as a sacrifice first and then walk around it in a circle. Vicki said a prayer and then we ate! I'm totally stuffed now. Afterward i enjoyed hanging out with some of the other girls in my group. There are only 4 male volunteers and the others are all girls. There is a big group of Australian students and then several others who all came alone. One Australian and the rest of us are American. Its a pretty good group of volunteers; all a bit strange of course because the average person doesn't want to volunteer in India. Of the people I encounter everyday at home, most don't care too much about the outside world or for that matter about much other than themselves. Its refreshing to meet other people who care about others and volunteering and making a difference in some way. I really am closest to 2 people: Jake and Heather. Both are around my age and are very neat people. I am also learning from them. Jake is very funny. He is himself no matter what and doesn't apologize for it. I'd like to be more like that. Heather has had some tragic things happen in her life but she seems to have this amazing peace about life that I have never seen in another person. After seeing the way much of India lives I hope I can also become more like this. Most things that happen in my life really aren't a big deal. I haven't had anything all that bad happen to me. I have it made and to complain is really a crime. It cheats me out of truly enjoying and experiencing life. When I get back I am going to be so thankful for my warm home and shower and my car and for many things that I never knew were luxuries.
As a side note I am going to meet with Bella (the program director) tomorrow to talk about CCS and NGOs. Today I have been preparing for it so I will include the details of that tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Jan 12 Some Thoughts
MY PLACEMENT
Today was terrible! The kids were mad crazy. They all cried at some point and there are like 25 of them! They kept hitting each other and stealing things from each other. They would not listen to me at all or cooperate. Its so difficult because I already don’t speak much Hindi at all so I can’t rally them, but today they were so much worse than usual. I gave them worksheets I had made for a game but they didn’t understand the intent they just wanted to color. I gave up and let them color, trying to say the colors to them in Hindi over and over (since that is my theme) but then they started ripping up the paper and throwing it everywhere. They screamed and screamed and ran around and didn’t listen to anything. I left more exhausted than I felt in the hospital! I was so tired. Usually I end up staying past 12 but today I left at 5 til because I couldn’t take it anymore. Bella is going to have Sunil (my driver) come in with me to help me get the kids settled down and to translate. Hopefully this will work better. I’m desperate. I really want to make a difference at my placement. I already feel a bit disappointed because I only get to work there for 2 hours, but now I feel useless because I can’t teach them anything! I’m not going to give up though I am working for a solution.
INTERVIEW WITH JAGGI
I also spoke with Jaggi, the second in command for CCS India. I did not ask him too much because I am going to talk to the director, Bella, but I asked him some questions about how CCS works. I mostly talked to him about setting up the appointment with me to meet with the head of Mobile Creches and another NGO. He is going to let me know soon what will work best.
SOME THOUGHTS
Indian culture… what is Indian culture? This is a question that cannot be easily answered. In fact there is no way to generalize. India is like many countries in one. It is full of contradictions and it is very complex. Each region has a different language and different customs as well as different types of food. Plus within each region there is much diversity in areas like religion and behavior. I will only get a picture of a part of Indian culture and society because even people who live here for their whole life do not know about everything. It’s funny because most of the volunteers here say that part of their motivation for coming was to experience and learn about the culture, but it can be easy to miss.
It is easy to look at what’s around you and generalize or fail to see the reality of it. I get up everyday in my cold apartment and take a cold shower and then get ready for work. On the way (the car ride takes at least 30 minutes sometimes longer) I see what is difficult to explain… this is a different world. It’s not like the U.S. It does not look the same at all. The streets are filled with cars and tons of other vehicles which do not drive in the lines but fill in every single space in mass organized chaos. The very edge of the streets are lined with food stands, shops, people walking and working, tents where people live, people doing assorted things like giving haircuts, tons of trash litters the ground, the people are so close to the street I am constantly surprised that they don’t get hit often, there is lots of construction… the city is so dirty. There is not a nice building. Everything is weathered and aged. It’s like going to a bad neighborhood which is a total mess- except there is no way out. You can’t exit into another part of the town. It doesn’t end. The entire city is the same. And from what I understand the capital is better than the rest of the country. It’s the whole country. I just don’t believe it. Sometimes when I am driving to and from my placement I think: I want a break from this place. I mean there has to be a part that not… this. A break from this for just an hour. But theres not. There is no break. There is no escape. Sometimes it’s exciting, but sometimes it’s depressing.
Today a woman spoke with us about women’s issues in India. She reiterated some of the themes that the professor had discussed. Namely, India is full of contradiction and complexity. The mix of modern and traditional is clear, but what does modernity actually mean? What is development and what is progress? Both stoutly defended their country, even belittling Western culture in some ways. She wisely pointed out that if the entire world had the living standard of the United States everything would collapse. It is simply not possible. Our commercial and consumer driven society relies on being parasitic in some sense. Though this is an interesting point, it is not wise to simply villianize the U.S.. She was highly critical of many actions taken by the U.S., declaring them to be irresponsible. I also find it frustrating that many Americans (and other Westerners) live without regard to how their actions and lifestyles affect others or the environment; as well as how these governments at times act as if they are gods. Still, it is incorrect to blame Americans. Just as Indians see the poverty around them each day and those of higher castes are not too concerned with those who have less than them- they simply accept it as a fact and move on knowing they can’t help every person; Americans live with lots of wealth surrounding them and they accept this. They act accordingly. I know that there are people here in India who have absolutely nothing and when I go home my lifestyle can change some, but I will not choose to live in a shack just because I know of what is happening around the world. I may give more money and make lifestyle changes, but since I live there I will act as Americans do. I will buy a house with central heating and air conditioning, I will buy the clothing that I like and I will still treat myself to a Starbucks coffee every now and then. Like Indians, Americans get used to the situation around them and act accordingly. Most do not know of the immense wealth they have. The things they do and see are ordinary to them. Its an interesting thought. Simply by virtue of where you happen to be born in the world will affect to a great degree the lifestyle you will live.
I have realized that it is not true to assume that “these Indian people” are poor and destitute simply because they live differently. Many do struggle through life, much more than in the U.S., yet material goods are not the way that happiness is measured. As the woman today said, “many are rich other ways.” Many here do struggle to survive, but others have enough without much extra and seem okay with the way things are for them. These thoughts may not seem significant or even to make much sense to you, but this is me processing what I see and experience. I don’t think it will all really click in my mind until I get back home.
Today was terrible! The kids were mad crazy. They all cried at some point and there are like 25 of them! They kept hitting each other and stealing things from each other. They would not listen to me at all or cooperate. Its so difficult because I already don’t speak much Hindi at all so I can’t rally them, but today they were so much worse than usual. I gave them worksheets I had made for a game but they didn’t understand the intent they just wanted to color. I gave up and let them color, trying to say the colors to them in Hindi over and over (since that is my theme) but then they started ripping up the paper and throwing it everywhere. They screamed and screamed and ran around and didn’t listen to anything. I left more exhausted than I felt in the hospital! I was so tired. Usually I end up staying past 12 but today I left at 5 til because I couldn’t take it anymore. Bella is going to have Sunil (my driver) come in with me to help me get the kids settled down and to translate. Hopefully this will work better. I’m desperate. I really want to make a difference at my placement. I already feel a bit disappointed because I only get to work there for 2 hours, but now I feel useless because I can’t teach them anything! I’m not going to give up though I am working for a solution.
INTERVIEW WITH JAGGI
I also spoke with Jaggi, the second in command for CCS India. I did not ask him too much because I am going to talk to the director, Bella, but I asked him some questions about how CCS works. I mostly talked to him about setting up the appointment with me to meet with the head of Mobile Creches and another NGO. He is going to let me know soon what will work best.
SOME THOUGHTS
Indian culture… what is Indian culture? This is a question that cannot be easily answered. In fact there is no way to generalize. India is like many countries in one. It is full of contradictions and it is very complex. Each region has a different language and different customs as well as different types of food. Plus within each region there is much diversity in areas like religion and behavior. I will only get a picture of a part of Indian culture and society because even people who live here for their whole life do not know about everything. It’s funny because most of the volunteers here say that part of their motivation for coming was to experience and learn about the culture, but it can be easy to miss.
It is easy to look at what’s around you and generalize or fail to see the reality of it. I get up everyday in my cold apartment and take a cold shower and then get ready for work. On the way (the car ride takes at least 30 minutes sometimes longer) I see what is difficult to explain… this is a different world. It’s not like the U.S. It does not look the same at all. The streets are filled with cars and tons of other vehicles which do not drive in the lines but fill in every single space in mass organized chaos. The very edge of the streets are lined with food stands, shops, people walking and working, tents where people live, people doing assorted things like giving haircuts, tons of trash litters the ground, the people are so close to the street I am constantly surprised that they don’t get hit often, there is lots of construction… the city is so dirty. There is not a nice building. Everything is weathered and aged. It’s like going to a bad neighborhood which is a total mess- except there is no way out. You can’t exit into another part of the town. It doesn’t end. The entire city is the same. And from what I understand the capital is better than the rest of the country. It’s the whole country. I just don’t believe it. Sometimes when I am driving to and from my placement I think: I want a break from this place. I mean there has to be a part that not… this. A break from this for just an hour. But theres not. There is no break. There is no escape. Sometimes it’s exciting, but sometimes it’s depressing.
Today a woman spoke with us about women’s issues in India. She reiterated some of the themes that the professor had discussed. Namely, India is full of contradiction and complexity. The mix of modern and traditional is clear, but what does modernity actually mean? What is development and what is progress? Both stoutly defended their country, even belittling Western culture in some ways. She wisely pointed out that if the entire world had the living standard of the United States everything would collapse. It is simply not possible. Our commercial and consumer driven society relies on being parasitic in some sense. Though this is an interesting point, it is not wise to simply villianize the U.S.. She was highly critical of many actions taken by the U.S., declaring them to be irresponsible. I also find it frustrating that many Americans (and other Westerners) live without regard to how their actions and lifestyles affect others or the environment; as well as how these governments at times act as if they are gods. Still, it is incorrect to blame Americans. Just as Indians see the poverty around them each day and those of higher castes are not too concerned with those who have less than them- they simply accept it as a fact and move on knowing they can’t help every person; Americans live with lots of wealth surrounding them and they accept this. They act accordingly. I know that there are people here in India who have absolutely nothing and when I go home my lifestyle can change some, but I will not choose to live in a shack just because I know of what is happening around the world. I may give more money and make lifestyle changes, but since I live there I will act as Americans do. I will buy a house with central heating and air conditioning, I will buy the clothing that I like and I will still treat myself to a Starbucks coffee every now and then. Like Indians, Americans get used to the situation around them and act accordingly. Most do not know of the immense wealth they have. The things they do and see are ordinary to them. Its an interesting thought. Simply by virtue of where you happen to be born in the world will affect to a great degree the lifestyle you will live.
I have realized that it is not true to assume that “these Indian people” are poor and destitute simply because they live differently. Many do struggle through life, much more than in the U.S., yet material goods are not the way that happiness is measured. As the woman today said, “many are rich other ways.” Many here do struggle to survive, but others have enough without much extra and seem okay with the way things are for them. These thoughts may not seem significant or even to make much sense to you, but this is me processing what I see and experience. I don’t think it will all really click in my mind until I get back home.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Jan 11 Meeting with Daniel Lala
Today I started back at work at Mobile Creches. I was sad to have missed two days of work and felt a bit disoriented, but last night I created a lesson plan to teach colors to the 3 to 5 year olds. It truly is difficult to communicate because the teachers do not make much effort to understand us. Jackie said that while I was gone she tried several activities which they did not approve of. They would simply take back the math worksheets she passed out or tell her to sit and take control of the class. I reminded her not to get discouraged so today we tried again. With the 3 to 5 year olds I brought flashcards with colors on them and had them repeat the colors over and over. I would then point to other objects of the same color and repeat the color over and over and ask them to repeat. "Mere baad bolo" means repeat after me. I said that countless times. It didnt seem that they fully understood, but I hope that after sticking with the theme of colors all week they will get it. I had them color rainbows (I drew outlines of a rainbow on pieces of paper). They loved this and when I gave them crayons I would say the colors. As they colored I would also point to the colors and repeat them to the children. Hopefully I am pronouncing things correctly because I wouldnt want to teach them wrong. Now I am trying to come up with an activity for tomorrow.
This afternoon I met with Daniel Lala who had spoken with us earlier last week. He has worked with NGOs in several countries and has been in India now for 3 years. He was a costume designer for films so to move into this type of work he had to gain experience first so he would work on a project and then use the money to volunteer for 6 months. He volunteered with CCS for 3 months (the max amount of time one can volunteer) just to get introduced to NGOs in the area and got linked up with Vidya where he now works. He is a project manager, meaning he actually sets up the programs they use for women's empowerment and for children. Vidya has been around for 25 years and its focus is on women's empowerment. To do this they must also provide services for children so they teach children from the slums. Their goal for children is to give them opportunities so that they can move out of their situation and get a good job. Many children drop out of school to work for their parents and then never return so there are also remedial programs to get children back into school. Some of these chidren are able to go to college. It seems that Vidya sees a problem (women with no opportunities) and then analyzes all of the little factors that come into play such as; dealing with the children as well, supporting women who become ostracized from their family for gaining an education, providing cheaper and better education, health programs etc to address as many aspects as possible. They choose realistic solutions to problems.
He discussed with me the way the Vidya works, the type of work he has done and is doing now, and general information about NGOs. When I asked if the presence of NGOs is well-known by people in New Delhi he said yes; that almost everyone knows what an NGO is in the city and most have encountered them. They see that these provide services that the government cannot or does not provide for well. Many give extraordinary opportunities. There are many NGOs present which work with a number of issues with many different approaches. Daniel mentioned several times that it is precisely because the government does not provide adequate services that other means are necessary and thriving today. He recommended a book to me The Beautiful Tree which talks about the parallel education in India today which has resulted because the government does not ensure education to every child and it is not very good. He spoke with me about many dimensions of the problems in India and some of the solutions which exist. After spending a week here and seeing what I have... the entire city is foggy, brown, gloomy, run down, littered with trash, and swarmed with people (many in terrible circumstances) it was encouraging to see that in some cases there is progress being made and there are people who care.
He highlighted one theme that Dr. DeMars addressed in his book; that NGOs are a blend of complex connections, differing motivations and goals, and contradictory aims at times. He advised me not to the the CCS staff too much about my project because he said that they would discourage me from doing this. He said that while I am here I should do what I want and not make it known because they would not really support it. He also criticized that they run this organization for volunteers but very rarely go to the field themselves so they have little knowledge about it. He said that after interviewing them about what CCS is all about I should talk to a staff member from CCS in the US and find out what they say. He said that the perspective would be different. Within Vidya he also said that what he was telling me would be different than what an Indian staff member would say. There are different approaches that people attempt to accomplish the mission of the organization.
Daniel is going to try to set up meetings for me with the vice chair of Vidya who is an Indian as well as one person who attends a program. He is also going to try to put me in contact with a man who sells at his store products that people who recieve microloans from NGOS produce. I think this will be very interesting. After talking with him for some time and expanding my connections I am excited that my research is taking off and curious about where it will go. At the moment my topic is broad. After gathering more information I will see what direction to take with this project and how to make it more specific. I think it is good to begin broad when approaching a topic I don't know too much about. I am going to follow the leads I get and the information I find.
This afternoon I met with Daniel Lala who had spoken with us earlier last week. He has worked with NGOs in several countries and has been in India now for 3 years. He was a costume designer for films so to move into this type of work he had to gain experience first so he would work on a project and then use the money to volunteer for 6 months. He volunteered with CCS for 3 months (the max amount of time one can volunteer) just to get introduced to NGOs in the area and got linked up with Vidya where he now works. He is a project manager, meaning he actually sets up the programs they use for women's empowerment and for children. Vidya has been around for 25 years and its focus is on women's empowerment. To do this they must also provide services for children so they teach children from the slums. Their goal for children is to give them opportunities so that they can move out of their situation and get a good job. Many children drop out of school to work for their parents and then never return so there are also remedial programs to get children back into school. Some of these chidren are able to go to college. It seems that Vidya sees a problem (women with no opportunities) and then analyzes all of the little factors that come into play such as; dealing with the children as well, supporting women who become ostracized from their family for gaining an education, providing cheaper and better education, health programs etc to address as many aspects as possible. They choose realistic solutions to problems.
He discussed with me the way the Vidya works, the type of work he has done and is doing now, and general information about NGOs. When I asked if the presence of NGOs is well-known by people in New Delhi he said yes; that almost everyone knows what an NGO is in the city and most have encountered them. They see that these provide services that the government cannot or does not provide for well. Many give extraordinary opportunities. There are many NGOs present which work with a number of issues with many different approaches. Daniel mentioned several times that it is precisely because the government does not provide adequate services that other means are necessary and thriving today. He recommended a book to me The Beautiful Tree which talks about the parallel education in India today which has resulted because the government does not ensure education to every child and it is not very good. He spoke with me about many dimensions of the problems in India and some of the solutions which exist. After spending a week here and seeing what I have... the entire city is foggy, brown, gloomy, run down, littered with trash, and swarmed with people (many in terrible circumstances) it was encouraging to see that in some cases there is progress being made and there are people who care.
He highlighted one theme that Dr. DeMars addressed in his book; that NGOs are a blend of complex connections, differing motivations and goals, and contradictory aims at times. He advised me not to the the CCS staff too much about my project because he said that they would discourage me from doing this. He said that while I am here I should do what I want and not make it known because they would not really support it. He also criticized that they run this organization for volunteers but very rarely go to the field themselves so they have little knowledge about it. He said that after interviewing them about what CCS is all about I should talk to a staff member from CCS in the US and find out what they say. He said that the perspective would be different. Within Vidya he also said that what he was telling me would be different than what an Indian staff member would say. There are different approaches that people attempt to accomplish the mission of the organization.
Daniel is going to try to set up meetings for me with the vice chair of Vidya who is an Indian as well as one person who attends a program. He is also going to try to put me in contact with a man who sells at his store products that people who recieve microloans from NGOS produce. I think this will be very interesting. After talking with him for some time and expanding my connections I am excited that my research is taking off and curious about where it will go. At the moment my topic is broad. After gathering more information I will see what direction to take with this project and how to make it more specific. I think it is good to begin broad when approaching a topic I don't know too much about. I am going to follow the leads I get and the information I find.
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