We Are All One

"Hum Sab Ek Hai," Jayeshbhai, the founder of the NGO Manav Sadhna, would chant with the school children of the Gandhi Ashram School. The words literally mean, "We are all one." The profundity of these words I did not understand until I spent a year of my life in India.

I wanted to go to India to work on grassroots level development projects. I was drawn to Indicorps' philosophy of simple living and cultural immersion in order to effect change on the ground in India. I believed that any sort of development work required humility and openness; the Indicorps fellowship seemed perfect.

I couldn't believe I was actually going to Ahmedabad, Gujarat for a year to create community development activities with Manav Sadhna for the city's largest slum, "Ramapir no Tekro." When I finally got there, I was afraid and overwhelmed. All sorts of questions ran through my head. How will I get anything done this year? Will anyone trust me? Will I fail? What if I do fail? What if I let everyone down? With endless support from the Indicorps family, I put these questions aside and let go of my fears. I began talking to people and learning about my community. I grew confident and started implementing some activities.

One particular story always stands out for me.

In order to create awareness about female health and other issues adolescents face, I attempted to start a weekly session for young girls in the community to meet. The hope was they would feel safe and inspired by each other to share their stories, fears, and dreams. Initially, I struggled with this class, as only a handful of girls attended. I remember one Sunday specifically when I was ready with my lesson plan; the topic was change and growth and only one girl, Nikita, came. I felt utterly defeated. How can I impact any sort of change if only ONE girl shows up to my class? I wondered. Nikita's father is an alcoholic and her mother is not formally educated. She lives in a dangerous, insanitary slum. She fights to go to school and works hard to do well. After the sun goes down, she is forbidden to leave her home because of the nature of her community. Though it seems like Nikita's future is dismal, she dreams BIG. She hopes to be a doctor one day and serve communities like the one in which she lives. Adolescents like Nikita are no different from adolescents anywhere; they need nourishing, support, and guidance to feel confident enough to reach for their goals.

As the session went on, Nikita showed me that she was not measurable. She was one individual, one life, and if she was empowered, she would empower others. That Sunday, when she was leaving, she clearly said to me, "You have to keep the sessions every week, even if it's just me." And so I did, because one life matters and building a relationship with her IS development. Eventually attendance went up and the girls became great friends. The two hours on Sunday were an opportunity for me to empower others, and to grow and feel empowered.

As my year progressed, I developed beautiful relationships with my community. Laughing, eating, celebrating, mourning, and just living with them taught me the simple fact that every human on this planet is the same, equal to, like, no different from, any other human on this planet. No one is superior, no one is inferior. We are all one. If we all were to believe this, then we would be in a wonderful place. If we could all do whatever we do-teach, practice medicine, trade stocks-with this simple value in mind, we would be serving humanity. I learned to believe this in India.

The opportunity to serve India and learn from her is unique and invaluable. Every chance I get to talk about my story and talk to young Indians about applying to the Indicorps fellowship, I take. I do this not because anyone asks me to or because I feel an obligation. I do this because my fellowship year was more profound than I can articulate, and the growth and internal change I experienced as a result of impacting external change, I want everyone to understand and experience. I do this because now I am part of family that believes in change and engaging with India for the rest of our lives, and I want that family to grow. I do this because I love my country, and I want everyone to know why.

Rashida Merchant
Indicorps Fellow 2007-2008