As a fellow, I left my family, friends and life back home to make a commitment, a commitment to take action by serving the Melghat tribal community in Lawada alongside my partner NGO Sampoorna Bamboo Kendra. This dedication and commitment to action through service, is at the core of what Indicorps promotes and does in India. Regardless of how seemingly insurmountable the odds were from the get go or how successful I might be, it was important that I take action. In doing so, I saw the deep complexities of rural India and as an american, how truly ignorant I was about the ground realities. Initially though, with no background in development, no local language skills, having never lived in India and host of other barriers, I was unsure of how much I could help my community...why should they listen to me, what can I possibly do, what sort of impact could I make...
But now looking back, thanks to the immense support & guidance of Indicorps, its amazing to see whats been done; was it the first set of advanced artisan trainings that I helped to introduce...or maybe it was the 1 hour I spent with Antulal, a local tribal artisan, every night on the top of the hostel looking at the stars & discussing our every so different lives...maybe it was the new exam system I created to improve handicraft design quality...or was it teaching a young ambitious Chanda basic mathematics so she can cost bamboo products accurately...possibly it was mentoring Motilal, the former bar owner turned lead bamboo artisan, through his amazing life transformation...or maybe seeing Vijay for the first time pridefully selling his products to customers telling them the highly skilled 30+ plus step manufacturing process...or was it...
Big or small, these are all experiences from my time in India, each with actual impact on the ground. And every one of the fellows can share a similar list of amazing things from their time in India. The collective impact of such action is great, but the fact that each of us will continue to do so in our lives will be even greater. And this was all possible because Sonal, Roopal & Anand took action, took similar steps years earlier to create Indicorps. They take those steps everyday as they choose to engage with India, in spite of all the challenges, risks & obstacles it throws at them. It is that path & message that will bring about positive social change in society and one that I will always keep with me as I forge ahead.
Rohan Jasani
January 2007 Fellow
Monday, December 29, 2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
I was a 2006 - 2007 fellow working on education reform in rural Gujarat, India. Without the hard work and thoughtful leadership of Anand, Roopal and Sonal Shah, this experience would have been impossible. Perhaps I would have still come to India, but I know I would not have engaged with my work, my identity, and my community so deeply without their guidance and support.
“I used to be like you,” he says, eyes scanning his classroom to make sure his students were on task. “I used to be optimistic. I used to have faith that things could change. And then I came here…” he trails off. The conversation ends as I struggle to find the antidote to his words and fail.
This conversation was one of the hardest I had in Kutch, Gujarat while I was working on education reform. I had seen for myself the challenges teachers face—inconsistent attendance due to inconsistent livelihoods, local politics creating barriers, and students unprepared for the school environment. But, I had always seen this teacher as inspiring, one of the few teachers who had managed to rise above these difficulties to educate his students successfully and holistically. To hear his weary was a disturbing reminder that there was no one or nothing in the system to continue propelling these teachers forward.
Enter me, probably the most unlikely candidate to inspire someone else. Practical to the core, I have a habit of distilling any visionary thoughts into a list of to-dos. Compounded by a four month course of changing projects and NGO disorganization, I had serious doubts about my ability to do anything worthwhile—to be the proverbial “change”. I still had a few strengths on my side; despite my own disillusionment, I trusted other people, I loved children, and I had faith in the power of education. These beliefs fed the slow and steady fire that burned in the bottom of my stomach, but I did not think my inspiration was infectious enough to motivate others to share my passion.
Many people in my NGO had told me that my project was not big enough or exciting enough to make a difference. And on bad days, I too did not see how my project—creating an interactive learning center in the community—would do anything for the vastness and seriousness of the problems I saw. On day one of the learning center, I walked to the school to turn the key for the first time, with some fifty story books in my arms as my only resource and eleven children following me excitedly. As I shrugged off my own self-consciousness as everyone stared in a mix of bemusement and puzzlement, I felt the fire surge a little. Maybe this will work, I thought, maybe my to-do list, when all the boxes are checked, will crystallize into something bigger than I am capable of imagining.
And so the first day started. Only one other adult came that day, the local teacher with whom I had conversed a few weeks before. He came in as the children sat on the floor, excitedly reading stories, the books strewn across the floor like confetti. He smiled, shook his head, and left. Two days later, and he came again, watching the students as they learned how to make three-dimensional buildings in Google Sketchup. Three days later, he returned, watching the students as they worked in independent groups on four different activities. “Have you heard about this book that helps teach self-learning?” he asked. “I tried to find it when I first came here but could not. It might help you.” And then, the next day, he came back after school and spent twenty minutes with the students, helping them as they constructed a homemade jigsaw puzzle map of India. As he got up to leave, another teacher came in and disparagingly asked, “What, do you actually have fun here?” He smiled widely and sincerely and said, “My students are learning because they want to. What more can a teacher ask?” And then I realized that my fire, small though it might be, was still strong enough to re-ignite his flame—and what more can I ask?
Sonal Singhal
August 2006-2007 Fellow
“I used to be like you,” he says, eyes scanning his classroom to make sure his students were on task. “I used to be optimistic. I used to have faith that things could change. And then I came here…” he trails off. The conversation ends as I struggle to find the antidote to his words and fail.
This conversation was one of the hardest I had in Kutch, Gujarat while I was working on education reform. I had seen for myself the challenges teachers face—inconsistent attendance due to inconsistent livelihoods, local politics creating barriers, and students unprepared for the school environment. But, I had always seen this teacher as inspiring, one of the few teachers who had managed to rise above these difficulties to educate his students successfully and holistically. To hear his weary was a disturbing reminder that there was no one or nothing in the system to continue propelling these teachers forward.
Enter me, probably the most unlikely candidate to inspire someone else. Practical to the core, I have a habit of distilling any visionary thoughts into a list of to-dos. Compounded by a four month course of changing projects and NGO disorganization, I had serious doubts about my ability to do anything worthwhile—to be the proverbial “change”. I still had a few strengths on my side; despite my own disillusionment, I trusted other people, I loved children, and I had faith in the power of education. These beliefs fed the slow and steady fire that burned in the bottom of my stomach, but I did not think my inspiration was infectious enough to motivate others to share my passion.
Many people in my NGO had told me that my project was not big enough or exciting enough to make a difference. And on bad days, I too did not see how my project—creating an interactive learning center in the community—would do anything for the vastness and seriousness of the problems I saw. On day one of the learning center, I walked to the school to turn the key for the first time, with some fifty story books in my arms as my only resource and eleven children following me excitedly. As I shrugged off my own self-consciousness as everyone stared in a mix of bemusement and puzzlement, I felt the fire surge a little. Maybe this will work, I thought, maybe my to-do list, when all the boxes are checked, will crystallize into something bigger than I am capable of imagining.
And so the first day started. Only one other adult came that day, the local teacher with whom I had conversed a few weeks before. He came in as the children sat on the floor, excitedly reading stories, the books strewn across the floor like confetti. He smiled, shook his head, and left. Two days later, and he came again, watching the students as they learned how to make three-dimensional buildings in Google Sketchup. Three days later, he returned, watching the students as they worked in independent groups on four different activities. “Have you heard about this book that helps teach self-learning?” he asked. “I tried to find it when I first came here but could not. It might help you.” And then, the next day, he came back after school and spent twenty minutes with the students, helping them as they constructed a homemade jigsaw puzzle map of India. As he got up to leave, another teacher came in and disparagingly asked, “What, do you actually have fun here?” He smiled widely and sincerely and said, “My students are learning because they want to. What more can a teacher ask?” And then I realized that my fire, small though it might be, was still strong enough to re-ignite his flame—and what more can I ask?
Sonal Singhal
August 2006-2007 Fellow
Friday, December 26, 2008
Letter to Self
Note: Towards the end of my fellowship year, all '05/'06 fellows wrote letters to themselves that would be mailed to them 6 months later. I received my letter after my return back to the states in 2007, and have kept it in my wallet since as a reminder of all I had learned whilst an Indicorps fellow.
July 29, 2006
Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road. But you know - you always knew what road you would to take. The one less traveled, of course, but more than that, the one where you can see the fruits of your labor shining bright over the horizon. It seems to be a road that is almost too perfect, too bright, too tempting for someone like you. Except that it doesn't have the American notion of security. No pension plans, 401k, retirement savings around the corner on that path. Just hope for a future where the community is your security and 'carpe diem' is your mantra.
But whatever you decide, whichever path you end up taking, make sure you keep that fire inside of you lit. Keep refueling it. Never let it die. I trust that you won't because all you have to do simple: just remember that when you were in India, you did just that. You could let the rest of the world fall away while you made decisions with confidence because things just felt that right. Don't ever forget how right, how comfortable and how at peace you felt during your time in India. Because it was only then that you came the closest to knowing yourself.
And remember that being uncomfortable is a good thing. A blessing in disguise. Challenge only comes from difficulty. And growth only from challenge. I know something you fear is returning to the states and becoming stagnant. Being in an environment that is not so conducive to your growth because you aren't being physically or mentally challenged daily. But before you give in, remind yourself that you still have a list of 101 dreams you penned in the 7th grade you have yet to accomplish. No. 1. Train for a marathon. (I know you're not a runner, but trust me on this.) No. 2. Try to understand the people closest to you, even if you disagree with them. That'll bring you ten steps closer to being able to connect on a much deeper level. No. 3. Meditate more. No. 4. Breathe. Deeply. No. 5. Start a book club. Theres so much I can add to this list.
But now the next step is to begin listening to your heart. You've lost practice over the last four to eight years in the states, but you're getting back on the right track. You're not quite there yet, but I see it coming. Continue down that path of self-discovery, because if it's the right path, you'll find that it never ends. You'll just be farther along it by the next time you read this. And if you're not, don't panic. And don't try to backtrack either. Just get back to the basics and start listening again.
Christina reminded you yesterday that the biggest service you can do for the world is to not ask what it needs, but rather do what makes you come alive "... because what the world needs most are people who have come alive."
"This little light of mine. I'm going to let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine ..."
Your biggest fan,
(the other) Asha
Indicorps Fellow 2005-2006
July 29, 2006
Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road. But you know - you always knew what road you would to take. The one less traveled, of course, but more than that, the one where you can see the fruits of your labor shining bright over the horizon. It seems to be a road that is almost too perfect, too bright, too tempting for someone like you. Except that it doesn't have the American notion of security. No pension plans, 401k, retirement savings around the corner on that path. Just hope for a future where the community is your security and 'carpe diem' is your mantra.
But whatever you decide, whichever path you end up taking, make sure you keep that fire inside of you lit. Keep refueling it. Never let it die. I trust that you won't because all you have to do simple: just remember that when you were in India, you did just that. You could let the rest of the world fall away while you made decisions with confidence because things just felt that right. Don't ever forget how right, how comfortable and how at peace you felt during your time in India. Because it was only then that you came the closest to knowing yourself.
And remember that being uncomfortable is a good thing. A blessing in disguise. Challenge only comes from difficulty. And growth only from challenge. I know something you fear is returning to the states and becoming stagnant. Being in an environment that is not so conducive to your growth because you aren't being physically or mentally challenged daily. But before you give in, remind yourself that you still have a list of 101 dreams you penned in the 7th grade you have yet to accomplish. No. 1. Train for a marathon. (I know you're not a runner, but trust me on this.) No. 2. Try to understand the people closest to you, even if you disagree with them. That'll bring you ten steps closer to being able to connect on a much deeper level. No. 3. Meditate more. No. 4. Breathe. Deeply. No. 5. Start a book club. Theres so much I can add to this list.
But now the next step is to begin listening to your heart. You've lost practice over the last four to eight years in the states, but you're getting back on the right track. You're not quite there yet, but I see it coming. Continue down that path of self-discovery, because if it's the right path, you'll find that it never ends. You'll just be farther along it by the next time you read this. And if you're not, don't panic. And don't try to backtrack either. Just get back to the basics and start listening again.
Christina reminded you yesterday that the biggest service you can do for the world is to not ask what it needs, but rather do what makes you come alive "... because what the world needs most are people who have come alive."
"This little light of mine. I'm going to let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine ..."
Your biggest fan,
(the other) Asha
Indicorps Fellow 2005-2006
Fellows for Life
Applying for an Indicorps Fellowship was no giant leap for me. Community building and empowerment, in its various forms, is the only "career direction" I can remember ever having. So after completing my undergraduate and graduate degrees in International Development at the University of Denver, I applied to serve in India as an Indicorps Fellow.
As an alum of the Indicorps Fellowship, my story is a testament to the organization’s ideals and practices. And, as Indicorps is Sonal Shah’s investment towards the progress and development of India – our common country of heritage – my story is also a testament to her values and mission-oriented work.
My Fellowship was located in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, in a tsunami-affected part of the country. In an effort to enhance adolescent girl empowerment, we created a resource center for girls affected by the tsunami, where they could explore the world around them in a safe space. Many communities, and many girls – fishermen, Dalit, Muslim, Hindu – were all impacted by the devastation, and thus included in the VIP (“Valar Ilam Pengal” means Adolescent Girls in Tamil) Project. The girls took computer classes and learned to make crafts, socialized with their peers, and were encouraged to take leadership roles within the VIP sphere.
I returned from India in October 2006. I was struggling to find a meaningful job and, as that process lingered on, I struggled to find a way to channel my newfound eagerness to be an active member of my community, in creating positive change.
During that time, Sonal put me in touch with various people in my intended field of work, to give me guidance and offer me connections. She also answered my emails and phone calls with guidance and encouragement of her own, all the while doing this for numerous other Indicorps Fellows and sorting out her own transition from Goldman Sachs in New York to Google.org on the opposite side of the country. When she was in Denver for a brief family visit, she met with me at a coffee shop. I can remember the personal attention and hope she offered me when, with tears in my eyes, I explained how difficult I found it to have not yet found a job, and how I was unable to channel my eagerness and optimism.
I am continually humbled and awed that Sonal, amidst projects of a grander nature, would also give me so much support and attention in my meager attempts to find a job! She is genuine, committed, and incredibly brilliant. I am even more impressed with Barack Obama today, knowing that he has chosen to surround himself with people like Sonal Shah.
I now work in Corporate Social Responsibility for a bank that serves both urban and rural Colorado. I find myself transferring many of the lessons learned and experiences shared during my Fellowship, to my current projects. We call ourselves Fellows for Life. This is partially because the experience is so profound that we will remember our year of service forever. But it is mostly because serving as an Indicorps Fellow does not start or end with our year of service. It is a profound experience that will continue to shape us, and the paths we choose, as we move on in our lives.
Kavitha Kailasam
Indicorps Fellow, 2005-2006
As an alum of the Indicorps Fellowship, my story is a testament to the organization’s ideals and practices. And, as Indicorps is Sonal Shah’s investment towards the progress and development of India – our common country of heritage – my story is also a testament to her values and mission-oriented work.
My Fellowship was located in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, in a tsunami-affected part of the country. In an effort to enhance adolescent girl empowerment, we created a resource center for girls affected by the tsunami, where they could explore the world around them in a safe space. Many communities, and many girls – fishermen, Dalit, Muslim, Hindu – were all impacted by the devastation, and thus included in the VIP (“Valar Ilam Pengal” means Adolescent Girls in Tamil) Project. The girls took computer classes and learned to make crafts, socialized with their peers, and were encouraged to take leadership roles within the VIP sphere.
I returned from India in October 2006. I was struggling to find a meaningful job and, as that process lingered on, I struggled to find a way to channel my newfound eagerness to be an active member of my community, in creating positive change.
During that time, Sonal put me in touch with various people in my intended field of work, to give me guidance and offer me connections. She also answered my emails and phone calls with guidance and encouragement of her own, all the while doing this for numerous other Indicorps Fellows and sorting out her own transition from Goldman Sachs in New York to Google.org on the opposite side of the country. When she was in Denver for a brief family visit, she met with me at a coffee shop. I can remember the personal attention and hope she offered me when, with tears in my eyes, I explained how difficult I found it to have not yet found a job, and how I was unable to channel my eagerness and optimism.
I am continually humbled and awed that Sonal, amidst projects of a grander nature, would also give me so much support and attention in my meager attempts to find a job! She is genuine, committed, and incredibly brilliant. I am even more impressed with Barack Obama today, knowing that he has chosen to surround himself with people like Sonal Shah.
I now work in Corporate Social Responsibility for a bank that serves both urban and rural Colorado. I find myself transferring many of the lessons learned and experiences shared during my Fellowship, to my current projects. We call ourselves Fellows for Life. This is partially because the experience is so profound that we will remember our year of service forever. But it is mostly because serving as an Indicorps Fellow does not start or end with our year of service. It is a profound experience that will continue to shape us, and the paths we choose, as we move on in our lives.
Kavitha Kailasam
Indicorps Fellow, 2005-2006
A Lasting Impact
In a recent conversation regarding the attacks on Mumbai I was asked about my reactions to this event. What I recounted was a violation and misrepresentation of a nation I had come to love and perceive as a peaceful, stable, and unified country. As I continued I began to feel the same visceral reaction I had when I first heard about the attacks- heart pounding, pain in my stomach, a cold chill. I never dreamed that as a person born and brought up in the U.S. my connection to India would be so strong. This is what I sought during my year as an Indicorps fellow, and it is only the Indicorps fellowship to which I can attribute the creation of this relationship to my motherland. Prior to Indicorps, India was a place where I was dragged along in AC cars driven by unknown men to house after house of relatives who spoke a language I did not know. During my year in India with Indicorps I learned Gujarati, washed my laundry by hand, rode the bus (or just waited for it and then walked), and learned how to make roti and dhal. I committed myself to the advancement of the sanitation movement, inspired by the men I worked with who pioneered the movement when it was more of an issue of caste than public health. They broke barriers by cleaning toilets; work proscribed to the untouchable caste, and promoted Gandhian principles of equality and simplicity. The work of the NGOs (non-governmental organizations/non-profit) I partnered with truly revealed to me the notion of seva (selfless service), their motto being, “Love all, serve all.” And I found this to be not only in work, but also in daily interactions of people in India. Everybody called me sister and welcomed me into their homes without question.
The NGOs I worked with were committed not only to equality and unity within castes, but also within the many religions of India. Living in Ahmedabad in 2004, just two years after religious riots tore the city apart, there was a great energy and commitment devoted to the unification of all Indian people. Hindus and Muslims at my NGO fasted and broke fast together during Ramadan. Another Indicorps fellow in my year worked to bring together Hindu and Muslim children to create a musical that emphasized peace and unity. With this display of compassion and empathy that surrounded me daily in India, it was difficult for me to accept the act of terror that occurred in Mumbai, an act that attempted to break the love of all the different races and cultures that I witnessed in India.
Throughout my fellowship experience these are the themes that persisted with me- compassion, unity in diversity, peace in suffering. These also are the themes that Indicorps, an organization founded by three young, inspired, and dedicated siblings who represent the 1st generation of Indian-Americans in many different ways; highly educated, successful, motivated. But what is exceptional about these siblings is that they took a chance to create change. They left their comfortable homes in the U.S. to give back to the nation which has brought us to our success as a Diaspora. They took a chance to create a group of Indian leaders in the global community to advocate for issues surrounding India and development. By taking this chance they themselves became leaders in their own right. Now, Sonal Shah, one of those three siblings has been appointed as a member of the transition team of what is hoped to be the most significant presidency in the near history. Indian-Americans have been given a voice, one who has devoted her life to the success of a unified India and a unified Indian diaspora. I remember Sonal speaking passionately as a guest at the University of Maryland about the divides we as an Indian community have created that have inhibited our influence as a large group in America. Her passion confirmed my desire to participate in the Indicorps fellowship, a program I had learned about through a family friend whose friend was doing the fellowship at that time. Sonal’s voice and leadership as an individual as well as through her contribution to the Indicorps philosophy continue to guide me today even after my fellowship has been completed for more than three years.
Priya Shashidharan
Indicorps fellow 2004-2005
The NGOs I worked with were committed not only to equality and unity within castes, but also within the many religions of India. Living in Ahmedabad in 2004, just two years after religious riots tore the city apart, there was a great energy and commitment devoted to the unification of all Indian people. Hindus and Muslims at my NGO fasted and broke fast together during Ramadan. Another Indicorps fellow in my year worked to bring together Hindu and Muslim children to create a musical that emphasized peace and unity. With this display of compassion and empathy that surrounded me daily in India, it was difficult for me to accept the act of terror that occurred in Mumbai, an act that attempted to break the love of all the different races and cultures that I witnessed in India.
Throughout my fellowship experience these are the themes that persisted with me- compassion, unity in diversity, peace in suffering. These also are the themes that Indicorps, an organization founded by three young, inspired, and dedicated siblings who represent the 1st generation of Indian-Americans in many different ways; highly educated, successful, motivated. But what is exceptional about these siblings is that they took a chance to create change. They left their comfortable homes in the U.S. to give back to the nation which has brought us to our success as a Diaspora. They took a chance to create a group of Indian leaders in the global community to advocate for issues surrounding India and development. By taking this chance they themselves became leaders in their own right. Now, Sonal Shah, one of those three siblings has been appointed as a member of the transition team of what is hoped to be the most significant presidency in the near history. Indian-Americans have been given a voice, one who has devoted her life to the success of a unified India and a unified Indian diaspora. I remember Sonal speaking passionately as a guest at the University of Maryland about the divides we as an Indian community have created that have inhibited our influence as a large group in America. Her passion confirmed my desire to participate in the Indicorps fellowship, a program I had learned about through a family friend whose friend was doing the fellowship at that time. Sonal’s voice and leadership as an individual as well as through her contribution to the Indicorps philosophy continue to guide me today even after my fellowship has been completed for more than three years.
Priya Shashidharan
Indicorps fellow 2004-2005
Complex Realities
My fellowship in Bhavnagar, Gujarat taught me many important lessons; some (as often happens with life) did not make themselves obvious to me until I returned and reflected on the eventful year. I departed for India a few months after finishing my undergraduate education to work with adolescent girls in the pursuit of alternative vocational opportunities. The work often brought me at the intersection of education and gender inequality, caste and other dividing lines, and the impact of poor public policies on a rights-deprived community.
In the midst of the year, I often struggled to reconcile these issues with my own liberal perception of how the world “should be.” As I interacted with the communities in Khumbarwada, the slum area of Bhavnagar and the geographical focus of my project, I was not bound by caste, religion, or class. Looking back at the year and piecing together these interactions, I realize now that the world is not black and white; the assumptions I make about the world are always vulnerable to a more complicated reality.
My experience with Indicorps, Sonal Shah, and her siblings taught me the value of action over words. While I speak of “change” and “crossing lines,” they are actually doing so on a daily basis, both professionally and personally. While in Gujarat, I was miles and worlds away from my philosophizing undergraduate classrooms; I was in the thick of reality. And reality involved having chai with a group of Muslim girls in their neighborhood, riding my bike a few streets down, and sharing laughs with another group that carry Dalit backgrounds while exploring ways that they could generate income for themselves and their families.
Through conversations, direct observations, and building relationships, I slowly learned that there is no one answer or explanation for the complex issues facing my communities. The human faces and life stories behind buzzwords (empowerment; tolerance; inclusion) that I so easily tossed around brought me to the inconvenient - but stirring - truth that if I am to truly follow through on the values and issues I believe in, then I must translate this into positive, constructive action. My complaints and denouncements are not enough; I must roll up my sleeves and work toward offering a viable alternative. This is the path that Indicorps and Sonal Shah have set before me, and I look forward to rising above this challenge as we continue to join hands with fellow Indians to evolve new answers to the issues of our time.
Shital Shah
Indicorps Fellow 2005-2006
In the midst of the year, I often struggled to reconcile these issues with my own liberal perception of how the world “should be.” As I interacted with the communities in Khumbarwada, the slum area of Bhavnagar and the geographical focus of my project, I was not bound by caste, religion, or class. Looking back at the year and piecing together these interactions, I realize now that the world is not black and white; the assumptions I make about the world are always vulnerable to a more complicated reality.
My experience with Indicorps, Sonal Shah, and her siblings taught me the value of action over words. While I speak of “change” and “crossing lines,” they are actually doing so on a daily basis, both professionally and personally. While in Gujarat, I was miles and worlds away from my philosophizing undergraduate classrooms; I was in the thick of reality. And reality involved having chai with a group of Muslim girls in their neighborhood, riding my bike a few streets down, and sharing laughs with another group that carry Dalit backgrounds while exploring ways that they could generate income for themselves and their families.
Through conversations, direct observations, and building relationships, I slowly learned that there is no one answer or explanation for the complex issues facing my communities. The human faces and life stories behind buzzwords (empowerment; tolerance; inclusion) that I so easily tossed around brought me to the inconvenient - but stirring - truth that if I am to truly follow through on the values and issues I believe in, then I must translate this into positive, constructive action. My complaints and denouncements are not enough; I must roll up my sleeves and work toward offering a viable alternative. This is the path that Indicorps and Sonal Shah have set before me, and I look forward to rising above this challenge as we continue to join hands with fellow Indians to evolve new answers to the issues of our time.
Shital Shah
Indicorps Fellow 2005-2006
A Peek Into My World: Journaling My Departure
Journal entry from Wednesday, July 19, 2006:
In one week, I will be leaving Bhavnagar permanently. I am anxious to leave, yet the part of me that has grown comfortable is feeling strange. I grow very attached to all the places in my life that bloom with memories, whether good or bad. I wish I could capture it all - the feelings, the conversations, the smells, the simple humanity. The tinkling of the bell on my bicycle as I round the corner. The smell of the bridge in Kumbharwada, from garbage steeped in the creek. The taste of the ingenious combination of sing and revadi (peanuts and sesame candy) as I share it with members of the team as "timepass" on an afternoon. The almost daily silent exchange with the man who owns the shop on the corner as I buy a Rs 4 bag of refreshing, delicious Amul chaas to accompany dinner. Sitting at a table in the office with itchy feet, knowing somewhere in the back of my mind that I’m being bitten by red ants. Having the cough-syrup tasting cold drink grossly misnamed “Re-Sip” with some teenage girls on Nari Road, who don’t want to do anything related to the vocational training but insist I come to their homes to shoot the breeze.
Trying to suppress laughter in the morning as cute Jini Baa, so appropriately named, hums to herself and says “ha, baa,” and “saru, baa” after everything. Discussing life and being made a fool by down-to-earth Appubhai, the only person who really seems to understand why I have come and why I am frustrated. Being called “my dear little sister” by Nishitbhai after exchanging morning greetings, the only English phrase I may hear all day from the staff. Nilamben tickling me at the most inopportune times so I embarrass myself. The overwhelming feelings and confusion as I sit on the hard dirt-packed floor in a Moti Talav home, with a girl telling me that she has no dreams and desires because there’s no point in having them, while her mother nods in agreement as she makes dough for rotis. The rush of an unexpected smile on my face when I run into a Bal Sena (children’s collective) member on the street and they yell out, “De tali, ben!” (high five, sister!). Even that feeling of pointlessness and helplessness when trying to wrestle with my project.
Not all are experiences or feelings that are warm or rosy, but they make up small bits of how my NGO and Bhavnagar are constructed in my world. Not at all what I expected or even wanted, but the fact is that it’s there and it happened. The jumble of thoughts are not full of epiphanies, just simply... life. And that’s about as real as it gets.
Shital Shah
Indicorps Fellow 2005-2006
In one week, I will be leaving Bhavnagar permanently. I am anxious to leave, yet the part of me that has grown comfortable is feeling strange. I grow very attached to all the places in my life that bloom with memories, whether good or bad. I wish I could capture it all - the feelings, the conversations, the smells, the simple humanity. The tinkling of the bell on my bicycle as I round the corner. The smell of the bridge in Kumbharwada, from garbage steeped in the creek. The taste of the ingenious combination of sing and revadi (peanuts and sesame candy) as I share it with members of the team as "timepass" on an afternoon. The almost daily silent exchange with the man who owns the shop on the corner as I buy a Rs 4 bag of refreshing, delicious Amul chaas to accompany dinner. Sitting at a table in the office with itchy feet, knowing somewhere in the back of my mind that I’m being bitten by red ants. Having the cough-syrup tasting cold drink grossly misnamed “Re-Sip” with some teenage girls on Nari Road, who don’t want to do anything related to the vocational training but insist I come to their homes to shoot the breeze.
Trying to suppress laughter in the morning as cute Jini Baa, so appropriately named, hums to herself and says “ha, baa,” and “saru, baa” after everything. Discussing life and being made a fool by down-to-earth Appubhai, the only person who really seems to understand why I have come and why I am frustrated. Being called “my dear little sister” by Nishitbhai after exchanging morning greetings, the only English phrase I may hear all day from the staff. Nilamben tickling me at the most inopportune times so I embarrass myself. The overwhelming feelings and confusion as I sit on the hard dirt-packed floor in a Moti Talav home, with a girl telling me that she has no dreams and desires because there’s no point in having them, while her mother nods in agreement as she makes dough for rotis. The rush of an unexpected smile on my face when I run into a Bal Sena (children’s collective) member on the street and they yell out, “De tali, ben!” (high five, sister!). Even that feeling of pointlessness and helplessness when trying to wrestle with my project.
Not all are experiences or feelings that are warm or rosy, but they make up small bits of how my NGO and Bhavnagar are constructed in my world. Not at all what I expected or even wanted, but the fact is that it’s there and it happened. The jumble of thoughts are not full of epiphanies, just simply... life. And that’s about as real as it gets.
Shital Shah
Indicorps Fellow 2005-2006
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Satyagraha = truth and firmness
The first time I heard about Indicorps was through a presentation by Sonal Shah and her brother, Anand, at a family friend’s house in Maryland. Like many of my peers, I felt then like a fully assimilated Indian-American, endowed with extraordinary parents but disconnected from their history. College had shaped me into an activist, eager to fight injustice but disillusioned by the futility of protest, so I was intrigued that Sonal and her siblings had founded a “Peace Corps for Indians”. But it wasn’t until they played a short video featuring a member of that year’s fellowship class that I was hooked. I watched a person just like me describing the simplicity of her lifestyle in the desert frontier of Kachchh, Gujarat, and I had to apply. She also had wanted to do more, had made this journey through our Motherland, and had found herself along the way.
Indicorps offers an opportunity to meld real development work with a lived education about cultural roots. It places young non-resident Indians with non-governmental organizations (NGO) working with villages and urban populations on a wide variety of development topics. Already planning to apply to medical school, the health focus of one particular project outlined on Indicorps’ web site created an ideal intersection for my fellowship. With the guidance of a partner NGO, I helped to develop peer educators who overcome modest means to generate awareness about HIV/AIDS among their neighbors in the slums. In the process, I gained a mentor, learned a language, and became an adult.
At orientation each year, the fellows become fast friends who remain close for years afterwards. We can immediately identify with each other’s background and motivation, and Sonal is a grounding presence amidst complicated issues to which we devote hours of thought. She challenges us to question the inherent agenda buried in information, to deconstruct the assumptions we carry, and to value personal working relationships with locals above numeric or tangible ends.
Before Indicorps, I was immersed in the great wellspring of intention that leads many students to demonstrate against how our tax dollars are spent. We spoke desperately against anything that appeared communal, oppressive, or unjust. But it wasn’t until my Indicorps fellowship that I actually built something together with people. Now I feel privileged in a new way, honored to share chai or dinner with the most genuine people I know. I gained insight into sustainable grassroots development, into India, and into myself. But I also learned important lessons about bias.
Sonal and her siblings are the last people whose character or values could sponsor hate. As an example of their vigilance against Indian neo-colonization, they carefully chose Ultimate Frisbee as the cornerstone of an Ahmedabad youth empowerment project because it emphasizes teamwork without celebrating any iconic Western athletes.
You may ignore this testimony, and simply repeat claims that by tenuous association with the RSS or VHP, Sonal is a 'right-winged Hindu fanatic'. But I have never seen even a modicum of religious or political influence in any of her work. Sonal is one of the most progressive, bright, capable people I have ever met. She engages in long discussions about how we can achieve a secular India. She inspires me to see every side of an argument, and confront new problems from the ground up. I consider myself lucky to even know her. Her siblings, Anand and Roopal, have both devoted their livelihoods to serving India, and we all grow from their example.
The Shahs work tirelessly for equality and opportunity for all South Asians, both in the sub-continent and abroad. I believe Sonal Shah to be an informed, experienced humanitarian who lends an important voice to President-elect Obama's transition team. Hopefully we can all understand each other soon.
Thank you,
Manish K. Pant, 2003-2004 Indicorps Fellow
Indicorps offers an opportunity to meld real development work with a lived education about cultural roots. It places young non-resident Indians with non-governmental organizations (NGO) working with villages and urban populations on a wide variety of development topics. Already planning to apply to medical school, the health focus of one particular project outlined on Indicorps’ web site created an ideal intersection for my fellowship. With the guidance of a partner NGO, I helped to develop peer educators who overcome modest means to generate awareness about HIV/AIDS among their neighbors in the slums. In the process, I gained a mentor, learned a language, and became an adult.
At orientation each year, the fellows become fast friends who remain close for years afterwards. We can immediately identify with each other’s background and motivation, and Sonal is a grounding presence amidst complicated issues to which we devote hours of thought. She challenges us to question the inherent agenda buried in information, to deconstruct the assumptions we carry, and to value personal working relationships with locals above numeric or tangible ends.
Before Indicorps, I was immersed in the great wellspring of intention that leads many students to demonstrate against how our tax dollars are spent. We spoke desperately against anything that appeared communal, oppressive, or unjust. But it wasn’t until my Indicorps fellowship that I actually built something together with people. Now I feel privileged in a new way, honored to share chai or dinner with the most genuine people I know. I gained insight into sustainable grassroots development, into India, and into myself. But I also learned important lessons about bias.
Sonal and her siblings are the last people whose character or values could sponsor hate. As an example of their vigilance against Indian neo-colonization, they carefully chose Ultimate Frisbee as the cornerstone of an Ahmedabad youth empowerment project because it emphasizes teamwork without celebrating any iconic Western athletes.
You may ignore this testimony, and simply repeat claims that by tenuous association with the RSS or VHP, Sonal is a 'right-winged Hindu fanatic'. But I have never seen even a modicum of religious or political influence in any of her work. Sonal is one of the most progressive, bright, capable people I have ever met. She engages in long discussions about how we can achieve a secular India. She inspires me to see every side of an argument, and confront new problems from the ground up. I consider myself lucky to even know her. Her siblings, Anand and Roopal, have both devoted their livelihoods to serving India, and we all grow from their example.
The Shahs work tirelessly for equality and opportunity for all South Asians, both in the sub-continent and abroad. I believe Sonal Shah to be an informed, experienced humanitarian who lends an important voice to President-elect Obama's transition team. Hopefully we can all understand each other soon.
Thank you,
Manish K. Pant, 2003-2004 Indicorps Fellow
Monday, December 22, 2008
Spirit of Service
I am hard-pressed to think of anyone more representative of economic, political, social, religious, and moral inclusiveness than Ms. Sonal Shah. I have been proud to call Sonal a friend and colleague since meeting via a mutual United States Treasury coworker some years ago,
and today I write as a member of Indicorps' board of directors. As Indicorps Fellows commit themselves to projects as diverse as youth entrepreneurship, alternative energy, maternal health, and clean water, the very experience combines international development with
opportunities to link their engagement to self-discovery and self-reflection.
Sonal Shah's remarkable track record in the public, private, and independent sectors – from Indicorps to Goldman Sachs to Google.org – not only embodies a commitment to selfless and collaborative service, but also demonstrates leadership as someone who motivates others to
learn and likewise engage where they see need, injustice, or opportunity to effect positive change. Indeed, anyone who has ever had the distinct privilege of getting to know her can attest to this fact, and our remarkable Indicorps Fellows and their experiences demonstrate some of the most authentic examples of Sonal's efforts in practice in our world today. Her long-established and widely-lauded commitment to improving lives and livelihoods, regardless of circumstance, race, ethnicity, religion, or otherwise is worthy of nothing but praise.
Sonal's keen intellect, impeccable credentials, and remarkable experience and expertise are exactly why she is a tremendous asset to President-Elect Obama's transition team – and to any team – now and into the future as we face myriad challenges requiring the input of
just such a visionary thinker and leader. As President-Elect Obama stated in Grant Park on November 4: "we rise or fall…as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long."
As Americans have come together in historic manner this past election cycle, likewise Indicorps Fellows from diverse faith traditions and geographies come together in service to a common homeland, and while I do not share their Indian heritage, I am honored to be affiliated with
Indicorps, its founders and fellows, and their spirit of service.
Terry Babcock-Lumish
Indicorps Board Member
and today I write as a member of Indicorps' board of directors. As Indicorps Fellows commit themselves to projects as diverse as youth entrepreneurship, alternative energy, maternal health, and clean water, the very experience combines international development with
opportunities to link their engagement to self-discovery and self-reflection.
Sonal Shah's remarkable track record in the public, private, and independent sectors – from Indicorps to Goldman Sachs to Google.org – not only embodies a commitment to selfless and collaborative service, but also demonstrates leadership as someone who motivates others to
learn and likewise engage where they see need, injustice, or opportunity to effect positive change. Indeed, anyone who has ever had the distinct privilege of getting to know her can attest to this fact, and our remarkable Indicorps Fellows and their experiences demonstrate some of the most authentic examples of Sonal's efforts in practice in our world today. Her long-established and widely-lauded commitment to improving lives and livelihoods, regardless of circumstance, race, ethnicity, religion, or otherwise is worthy of nothing but praise.
Sonal's keen intellect, impeccable credentials, and remarkable experience and expertise are exactly why she is a tremendous asset to President-Elect Obama's transition team – and to any team – now and into the future as we face myriad challenges requiring the input of
just such a visionary thinker and leader. As President-Elect Obama stated in Grant Park on November 4: "we rise or fall…as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long."
As Americans have come together in historic manner this past election cycle, likewise Indicorps Fellows from diverse faith traditions and geographies come together in service to a common homeland, and while I do not share their Indian heritage, I am honored to be affiliated with
Indicorps, its founders and fellows, and their spirit of service.
Terry Babcock-Lumish
Indicorps Board Member
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
An approach to learning--question fearlessly and think critically
There are few people I have met who are truly committed to a life of service, and my friend, Sonal Shah, is one of them. I first met her in DC in spring 2003 when I interviewed for the Indicorps fellowship program. At that point, I knew I wanted to engage in a year of service, and Indicorps' focus on grassroots service combined with an emphasis on personal growth strongly appealed to me.
I left for India that summer to serve in Patan, Gujarat, piloting the Hands-on Science project in rural government schools. I was entrusted with the responsibility of making science education more exciting for and applicable to the everyday lives of middle school students through the use of hands-on activities. Upon landing in my project site, I realized my students were simply regurgitating ideas from their textbooks. They had no concept of the practical applications of what they were learning. Worst of all, they were fearful to speak up in class. I quickly realized that my education goals for my students needed to broaden. It was not just about science anymore. I had a deep desire to instill a curiosity for learning in my students--to make them realize that it is not memorizing facts; instead, it is an endless cycle of asking questions, critically assessing the answers, and then asking more questions.
I took a leap of faith in going to India. Indicorps had not even completed its first year. I had no idea what my living situation would be like at my project site or how much support I would receive. When I got to orientation, I quickly realized that Indicorps was the one taking a leap of faith in accepting me—a young, recent graduate with very little world-experience. Sonal, and her siblings, Roopal and Anand, created the fellowship program because they had such a strong belief that a group of committed young people had the potential to change India. These three individuals, who were not much older than me, invested their entire selves emotionally, professionally, and financially to pursue this dream. Realizing how much they had given up for me and for the other fellows made me feel an even greater responsibility to follow through with my education project.
Not only had Sonal and her siblings provide me with all the support to serve my community in Patan; they had also given me the opportunity to develop a deep connection to my parents' homeland. Prior to going to India, my knowledge of the South Asian community was limited to the small Parsi community I was raised in. I felt uncertain of my Indian identity, unsure of how to balance it with being a first-generation, American. My fellowship experience taught me that being Indian is not just about going to India every few years to see family; or cooking traditional Indian food at home; or about sending money to help combat the overwhelming poverty we see on those visits to India; or even just complaining about all the injustices that afflict India. Instead, it is about actively engaging with the community in India and abroad. It is about immersing oneself in the culture, the people, and the land. It is about taking responsibility and action to ensure that the change we wish to see in India actually comes to fruition.
Just as I had encouraged my students in Patan to question fearlessly and think critically, Sonal has always challenged me to think beyond the superficial. When I have gotten frustrated about injustices occurring around me, she pushes me to not only be critical, but to do something about it. She has always been a woman of action. I now urge those who question her integrity to think critically about Sonal and what she stands for. Sonal has empowered a new generation of Indian Americans through creating the Indicorps fellowship. She has tirelessly served her community in the States and abroad, and I look forward to seeing how her work with the Obama transition team unfolds. This new administration is providing us all with hope for a dramatic change that we are all yearning for in this country, and I am proud of Sonal for playing an integral role in bringing about that change.
Roshni Kasad
Indicorps Fellow 2003-2004
I left for India that summer to serve in Patan, Gujarat, piloting the Hands-on Science project in rural government schools. I was entrusted with the responsibility of making science education more exciting for and applicable to the everyday lives of middle school students through the use of hands-on activities. Upon landing in my project site, I realized my students were simply regurgitating ideas from their textbooks. They had no concept of the practical applications of what they were learning. Worst of all, they were fearful to speak up in class. I quickly realized that my education goals for my students needed to broaden. It was not just about science anymore. I had a deep desire to instill a curiosity for learning in my students--to make them realize that it is not memorizing facts; instead, it is an endless cycle of asking questions, critically assessing the answers, and then asking more questions.
I took a leap of faith in going to India. Indicorps had not even completed its first year. I had no idea what my living situation would be like at my project site or how much support I would receive. When I got to orientation, I quickly realized that Indicorps was the one taking a leap of faith in accepting me—a young, recent graduate with very little world-experience. Sonal, and her siblings, Roopal and Anand, created the fellowship program because they had such a strong belief that a group of committed young people had the potential to change India. These three individuals, who were not much older than me, invested their entire selves emotionally, professionally, and financially to pursue this dream. Realizing how much they had given up for me and for the other fellows made me feel an even greater responsibility to follow through with my education project.
Not only had Sonal and her siblings provide me with all the support to serve my community in Patan; they had also given me the opportunity to develop a deep connection to my parents' homeland. Prior to going to India, my knowledge of the South Asian community was limited to the small Parsi community I was raised in. I felt uncertain of my Indian identity, unsure of how to balance it with being a first-generation, American. My fellowship experience taught me that being Indian is not just about going to India every few years to see family; or cooking traditional Indian food at home; or about sending money to help combat the overwhelming poverty we see on those visits to India; or even just complaining about all the injustices that afflict India. Instead, it is about actively engaging with the community in India and abroad. It is about immersing oneself in the culture, the people, and the land. It is about taking responsibility and action to ensure that the change we wish to see in India actually comes to fruition.
Just as I had encouraged my students in Patan to question fearlessly and think critically, Sonal has always challenged me to think beyond the superficial. When I have gotten frustrated about injustices occurring around me, she pushes me to not only be critical, but to do something about it. She has always been a woman of action. I now urge those who question her integrity to think critically about Sonal and what she stands for. Sonal has empowered a new generation of Indian Americans through creating the Indicorps fellowship. She has tirelessly served her community in the States and abroad, and I look forward to seeing how her work with the Obama transition team unfolds. This new administration is providing us all with hope for a dramatic change that we are all yearning for in this country, and I am proud of Sonal for playing an integral role in bringing about that change.
Roshni Kasad
Indicorps Fellow 2003-2004
Monday, December 15, 2008
The Crucible of Truth
If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time.
But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine,
then let us work together.
--- Lila Watson
But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine,
then let us work together.
--- Lila Watson
They’re not coming, I thought. I was sitting in the dark outside the community hall, the site for the formation of the first Life Skills Self Help Group (SHG) for adolescent girls in Malpor, a poor, Adivasi village in rural Gujarat, India. It was the second month of my Indicorps Fellowship. Just the week prior, the girls had decided they were ready to meet formally as a group. And so there I was, waiting for our first meeting to convene. Alone.
That night, only four girls came. A month later, the group was officially born, but not without its share of difficulties. Meetings rarely started on time, and attendance was erratic. I fumbled awkwardly with my Gujarati. Investment levels were abysmally low. Frustrated by my inefficacy, I almost gave up.
Yet, despite virtually insurmountable odds, my love for the girls didn’t allow me to succumb. After holding meetings for a month, I realized how ego-centric I had been despite my intent to build a liberatory space with my girls, not for them. I lamented over low investment levels, but I never gave the girls an opportunity to take ownership over the group. I sought to empower the group, but I didn’t realize that it wasn’t enough to simply talk about empowerment. The girls needed to concretely apply concepts to real-life contexts. They needed to start by building something as a group that they could call their own.
And so we started building. On March 3rd, 2007, International Women’s Day, the group hosted a historic event. For the first time in their lives, the girls held a microphone and performed in front of more than 500 community members. From then on, the group ran on its own inertia. On World Health Day, we held an Arogya Mela, where the girls educated their village about community health. Empowered by their newfound knowledge of the link between sanitation and disease, the girls initiated a long-term, village-level sanitation campaign, through which they conducted bi-weekly clean-ups, administered a sanitation survey, held a sanitation rally, and enacted a street play on the theme. Using the profits earned from sales at the Arogya Mela as seed money, the girls initiated a savings arm of the group, spurring the formation of three more SHGs for women within the community.
By the end of my fellowship year, the girls were making decisions and taking ownership over their lives. Jamna took a loan from the group’s savings account to continue her education. Anjana convinced her grandmother to stop chewing tobacco after learning about its adverse effects on health. Nita taught her neighbor how to make a remedy to rehydrate an infant suffering from diarrhea.
But it wasn’t just the girls who grew – with each step they took forward, I took one with them. I started the year on a mission to empower adolescent girls, but I ended it with the understanding that the most powerful form of empowerment lay nestled within my love for my girls, a love that made us believe in our potential to be more than we could ever have imagined.
Prerna Srivastava
Indicorps Fellow 2006-2007
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