As an Indicorps Fellow I worked with Sonal, as well as her siblings Roopal and Anand. I found each to be highly dedicated to service to the community, both in India and the US, and each has inspired me at different times in my work, which has involved empowering some of the most oppressed communities in India, as well as building an inclusive political culture in India.

During my Fellowship year, my colleagues and I worked to empower some of the poorest communities in the world, regardless of religion or caste. I personally spent a year in my native city, Kanpur, UP, teaching young men from slums how to start businesses, financial management skills, teamwork and community building through sports, and also worked with the local leaders to bring vocational training and sanitation infrastructure to the communities. My colleagues' projects were in the fields of communal harmony, empowering women, mentoring children, sanitation and so on. The communities we worked in included Hindus, Muslims, Dalits, remote Tribals and so on. The cadre of Indicorps Fellows has included members of various faiths, including Muslims, Hindus, Christians, non-believers, and so on.

My experience in Indicorps was a stepping-stone for my subsequent work in a grass roots movement for a spreading democracy and improving governance in India -- Lok Satta. We at Lok Satta strive to provide dignity, opportunity and justice to ALL Indians.

My Indicorps colleagues have gone on to serve society (both in India and in the US), to study at premier institutes for graduate/professional education, and to be outstanding professionals in various fields.

I think it is critical that people know what Indicorps and its Fellows do, and who we are. I can personally attest to Sonal's (as well as Roopal's and Anand's) dedication to service to the community, irrespective of caste/creed, etc. My colleagues and I would not have been inspired by anything less.

Sincerely,

Ankur Shukla
Indicorps Fellow 2004-05