Saturday, June 30, 2012

Life Changers

Receiving an education is important no matter where you are in the world. In the U.S. the current issue is both the costs of attending college, and in some parts of the country the quality of the public schools systems due to lack of adequate resources for teaching staff. I know personally being one of the thousands of individuals who has student loans, the cost of education is a really big concern... Especially when the job market isn't what it used to be, and getting a college degree is no longer the guaranteed career booster it used to be. 

While these issues are very important to us in the U.S., they pale in comparison to the overall lack of access to even basic primary education in the rest of the world. 18% of the world's population is currently illiterate, and according to UNESCO India still has the largest illiterate population in the world despite all of its recent development. Two thirds of all illiterate people are women. 

So why am I telling you all these things? Because here at DSK they offer girls and boys from the state of Gujarat the opportunity to take vocational classes...such as wood working, tailoring, computer skills, mechanics, among others. 
Currently there are 150 girls enrolled in tailoring and beautician classes. The classes run for three months and the cost for each of the girls is 3,000 Rupees which includes room and board. That is about $55. Upon completing the classes the girls are then given back 2,500 Rupees to help them start their own business. It really is an amazing program that has helped a lot of individuals change their lives for the better. The problem though is for some of the students here and other potential students 3,000 Rupees is really hard for them to come up with, and now the cost of the sewing machines they use is 8,000 Rupees, so they have to come up with an additional 5,500 Rupees to get started. That's only about another $100 in U.S... an amount that is less then most people's gas for the month. 

Education really is a powerful thing, it can help people change their lives, but unfortunately everything comes at a cost...and for some of these girls $150 or 8000 rupees is more then they can afford. 
Its crazy to realize that with just one year of my school's tuition and cost of attendance I could have sent over three hundred girls to school here, and then given them the extra cash they needed to start their own business after. 

Friday, June 29, 2012

Doing Laundry

DSK- is the college campus where I am currently staying, it is the home base of Navsarjan Trust. Before leaving for India I talked to one of my Professor and one of my program's alumni who had stayed at DSK before to get the low down on what to expect. What I was told was for the most part true, while some of the details given to me were definitely exaggerated others were dead on. 

One thing no one ever mentioned, and I never thought about was how I was going to do my laundry. Turns out I have to hand wash my laundry...which is totally fine. 
Thankfully, my parents raised me to be an independent and capable person... and I was one of a select group of freshman at USD who not only knew how to do my laundry, but did it on a regular basis.
 But now at the age of 22 I had to be taught all over again how to do my laundry (Indian style). Just thought I would add some of the photos...cause I thought they were kind of funny.






Look Ma...Im all done. Don't worry I hung my under garments inside my room, I didn't want to offend/excite the locals. 

For those of you who think doing laundry once a week or every two weeks even is a lot... Sushma told me I should clean the clothes I wear everyday when I go to shower so that it won't take me as long,  and because once the rain actually starts for the monsoon it will be harder to find a place to dry my clothes. 

Ah the wonderful and wacky experiences we gain while traveling. 


Thursday, June 28, 2012

Saying Goodbye

Confession time...I am not sure how many of you have ever heard of Pinterest, but this past semester it became one of my favorite past times when I needed something mindless to do after school and work had drained me. (If you don't know what pinterest you should check it out...I promise you find something on it that will make you smile pinterest.com)

The other day while I was taking a break from work I saw a quote on it that resonated with me, it was from Winnie the Pooh. It said, "How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

This definitely rings true for me. This past year has been a huge year of transformation and growing up for me...
I started grad school, 
stepped out from the comfort and shelter of my parents financial support (though they still are incredibly helpful and supportive when I need them) 
watch all the rest of my friends finish college, 
said goodbye to my wonderful house and awesome roommates, 
and watched as a number of my truly amazing friends went their separate ways to start the epic next chapter of their lives. 

I really have had the best past four years in San Diego, and although I new I would love India and was excited for the challenge and growth I would experience here...saying goodbye was especially hard this time. Because when I get back in October everything will be different, majority of my best friends and loved ones will no longer be living in San Diego, even half my cohort from my Masters program will be gone. 
I've honestly never been very good at goodbyes to begin with, I tend to get a little emotional sometimes (if you know me...you would be nodding your head to that statement...haha)
but the truth is I am incredibly lucky to have such wonderful people and experiences have blessed me throughout my life thus far...and the fact is life has really just begun for me.
Some of the best days have yet to come.  

So I am going to take the advice of another quote..."Don't cry because its over, smile because it happened" and say a pray or intention of thanks to the universe and all the wonderful people who have made my life so incredibly epic. I love you all, and miss you so much...But I promise I bring you all with me wherever I go for each of your loving light drives me to live life with compassion and loving kindness. 

And I've realized its not really goodbye...its just until our paths cross once again. 

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Village Life

Yesterday Sushma took me to the local village so we could see the bundle of joy pictured below that just arrived 8 days ago. I took a bunch of photos so that Sushma could give them to the family later. I just wanted to share a few of the photos with you because it was such a beautiful afternoon with all of them. 

 Above is a picture of the Grandmother, Mother and new son






The cow was tied about outside of their house

Above is pictured one of the electricians for Navsarjan and his daughter. He is the uncle of the baby shown above.

Some of the Children who were playing outside. They saw the camera and me and came running to get their photo taken. 
a mother and son
She is 95, and she placed her hands on my head to give me "good wishes" or blessings after I took this photo and showed it to her.
A family portrait in their lovely home.

Pictures of their house... which honestly was a lot bigger and nicer then I thought it would be...Sushma says he is a rich farmer. 
A former student of Navsarjan's little boy...
he was swinging on the side of the road.

One of the delivery cars of Navsarjan. 

India has proven itself to be colorful, beautiful, at times smelly, but so full of culture... and I have only been here a week. The people here have welcomed me in and shown me all they can about their way of life, and what it truly means to be a part of a community. 




Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Old Ahmedabad with Sushma

This past Sunday I went with Sushma (one of my wonderful coworkers...pictured above) to the city to go to the local market. Her cousin came and picked us up after we took a rickshaw into the outskirts of the city. 


 Above is one of the local shops.

 It took us three rickshaws to get from Old Ahmedabad back to campus when we were done with our shopping trip. (Did I mention I live 45 minutes outside Ahmedabad)
Below is a picture of Sushma's Cousin's sons at their family home in old Ahmedabad. They had me over for lunch and made me all of Gujarat's specials. 


 The Local Market in Old Ahmedabad was load, crowded, hectic, colorful, and ultimately a wonderful experience, I am so happy Sushma took me. 
 We stopped and had a delicious snack on the side of the road...don't worry I didn't get sick. 
 

5 Rickshaw Rides...............100 Rupees
Roadside Snack..................120 Rupees
4 Indian Dresses..................670 Rupees
2 Pairs of Leggings..............200 Rupees
2 Pairs of Capri Pants..........160 Rupees
2 Scarfs................................180 Rupees

A Day with Sushma and her family exploring Old Ahmedabad......Priceless!


Yeah I know its corny and overdone...but I had to do it. So excited to see what other adventures, people, and places the next four months introduce me to. 

Monday, June 25, 2012

Rebecca

My trip to get here took three flights and the better part of two days. I left San Diego on Wednesday June 20th at 10:30a.m. and arrived to Ahmedabad at 6:35a.m. on June 22nd.

 I met a woman named Rebecca from California, while I was waiting in the airport in Mumbai for my last flight. As one of the only other foreigners in sight we naturally gravitated towards each other. 
She turned out to be a missionary from the Baptist Church. She had started out working at an architecture firm in New York, when one day she decided she wasn't feeling fulfilled in her job any more, and she said God told her to come to India. 
After her first trip in 2009, where she worked with a missionary, Rebecca looked to God to find her true mission in India. After that first trip, Rebecca started working to get kids off the street and into school programs in Kolkata. Now with the support of her church and various prayer groups she has spent the majority of the last three years in India working to get kids into schools. When she is home she presents to her church and all the other organizations supporting her on the work she is doing here. 

Rebecca's commitment to her faith and her work was admirable. Despite an extreme fear of flying, and some uncomfortableness with the culture in Kolkata, Rebecca continues to come back year after year feeling as though this is what she is meant to do. 
Her dedication to the work she is doing, made me reexamine why I was making the trip to India myself. And though our motivations and methods for helping may have been different, our goals are the same, to help. 

I wish her luck in her endeavors, and thank her for the company as I waited for the last leg of my long trip. 

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Snow White

Something you may not know about India... is that it is currently monsoon season where I am and incredibly hot. This means that temperatures can reach up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit and it dumps rain. While I was lucky enough to miss the hottest part of the season (which occurs in May and early June) the monsoon rains are particularly late this year, making temperatures still on the hot side. 

You are probably wondering what this has to do with Snow White...don't worry I will explain it in a second. 
Needless to say the extreme heat and lack of air conditioning, plus incredibly modest clothing, means I'm definitely not looking my best these days. That said, I am not here to look good, I am here to work. But despite being drenched in sweat majority of the day, I have never been told more how beautiful I am by the young girls taking classes here. They are enamored with the color of my skin, which to them is quite fair (despite a tan that I was pretty proud of before I left). A few of the girls have even started referring to me as Snow White... a nick name I never thought I would get. 

To me they are the beautiful ones.. for as I sit here unaccustomed to the elements, dripping sweat... they seem quite at ease in some of the most colorful and beautiful saris and dresses I have ever seen. 
But here light skin is something to be revered...the color of one's skin became a part of the caste system when the light skinned Aryans conquered India. They used the caste system to help keep themselves in a higher position, and the Tamil people, a darker skinned people below them. 
That's why today the Dalit (the group I am specifically working with here) are traditionally some of the darkest skinned people in India. 
The Caste System is often referred to as Varna which means color, and sadly the color of one's skin often dictates how one is treated. Unfortunately, this statement has been true the world over. 
But the fact is the world would be boring if everything and everyone was all one shade. It is my hope that one day people everywhere will realize that true beauty comes from within, and that the skin we wear is nothing more then the shell that our soul resides in for this lifetime. 

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Reason for the Title and the Blog

Two days ago I arrived to India for the beginning of a four month research trip. While here I will be working with several different organizations. My internship for the next few months is with a wonderful NGO (Non Governmental Organization) called Navsarjan. (Don't worry I will go into extreme depth about the work they do later) The internship and research project I am currently involved with are requirements for the completion of my Master's in Peace and Justice Studies.

I am creating this blog both so that my family and friends can keep track of the work I am doing, and so that I may have a space to reflect on my experience here.

I decided to title this blog "Cultivating Compassion"because of the book I am currently reading, a book by His Holiness the Dalai Lama called Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World. The book speaks of the difference between empathy and compassion. While "empathy is characterized by a kind of emotional resonance--feeling with the other person, compassion, in contrast, is not just sharing experience with others, but also wishing to see them relieved of their suffering." 

"Compassion means wanting to do something to relieve the hardships of others, and this desire to help, far from dragging us further into suffering ourselves, actually gives is energy and a sense of purpose and direction." 

This is what I am seeking to do with my time here. It is my hope that my work here will help relieve the  Dalit "Untoucables" of a little bit of their hardships, and will help me feel secure in the direction my studies and life have taken me thus far. I want my work to be filled with purpose, and for my own circle of concern to be broadened so that I may leave here one step closer to a sense of universal compassion. 
So for the next four months I will be working towards CULTIVATING COMPASSION.