Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement

For about one week in the middle of my trip, I will have the privilege to step away from my position at the Public Health Foundation of India in New Delhi and head down to the southern part of the country to observe the work an Indian NGO, the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement. It is an organization founded in 1984 engaged in building a new civil society through grassroots action in the health, education, and community development sectors. Over the course of its twenty year existence, it has brought "light and life and health and happiness to hundreds of thousands of displaced, dispossessed and disempowered men, women, and children, particularly in the tribal and rural belts." I'm excited for this leg of my trip because not only will I be able to experience another part of the country, but also because I will be able to get a different perspective on the sector of health and its effect on people.

I'm very excited to work with this organization because its history reflects something that I feel is very important when it comes to providing healthcare for the marginalized and poor. Originally, the organization was founded to provide healthcare to the disadvantaged in rural south India. However, as the doctors realized that solving the people's medical problems was merely the first step in improving their quality of life, further initiatives were created and the organization's services were broadened. For me, this reflects the important principle that curing people's medical conditions cannot be the sole objective for helping the poor. In the end, economic development and opportunity are going to be the avenues through which people's lives will be enhanced, and this organization recognized this need early and has since implemented many initiatives in the areas of education and community development.

Preparations

It is now starting to hit me that in about one and a half months, I will getting on a plane to go to the other side of the world. It's kind of interesting because for me, the trip is kind of like this "out of the world," crazy experience, but for so many people around the world and for so many of my close friends, getting on a plane to India is simply the beginning of a journey back to their motherland. Sometimes I am phased by how much this simple subtlety can make a difference as I look ahead towards my trip.

For example, as I've spoken to people about my trip, I've gotten many mixed reactions about going to India. Many people at home have told me to "be careful" and to "be alert." Some people have said, "that's awesome that you're getting the chance to experience and help other people!" Some people have straight up said, "are you sure? why would you want to go all the way out there?" Even as I first told my parents about the prospects of going to India and then informing them of the reality that I had received grant money and was actually going to go, I had to reassure them that my experience was actually going to be safe and that my excitement was not overriding any lack of judgement.

Realistically, even my own personal preparations for this trip have been interesting. I've been reading up on different cultural tidbits that I should be aware of so as not to offend the people. I'm scheduled to receive a round of immunizations at my University's travel clinic at 8:30am this Friday morning. I've bought a travel money belt, and am planning on gearing up with some heavy duty mosquito repellent and long sleeve clothing to avoid getting bit by potentially harmful mosquito species. Sometimes I can easily fool myself into thinking that I'm preparing for a small war or something!

But the fact of the matter is, India has and will continue to be the homeland for millions of people scattered around the world in this day and in the days to come. And chances are when they're planning a summer trip to visit the grandparents or looking into exploring their home culture, their time spent in preparation is not devoted to arming up with the latest bug spray or devising tricks to avoid pick-pocketers. I would venture to guess that it might one of the least of their worries. Of course I am aware that I will likely stick out big time as I walk the streets of the country. But as I've been reflecting on my trip over the past couple of days, I've been coming to the realization that if I carry on my trip with the constant worry of "is this safe to eat?" or "am I going to be pick-pocketed if I walk down this street" - I will likely miss out on much of what country and the people have to offer.

And what a shame that would be, right?

Rediscovery of a Hobby

I've been able to spend the past couple of days in my hometown of Bridgewater, New Jersey. One of the old time hobbies that I was able to take part in during high school was the art of ceramics. After dropping my brother off at school one morning, I decided to pay my old ceramics professor a visit. I will always remember my teacher for having a profound appreciation for the connection between art and culture. When I was in high school, I never quite grasped why he placed so much emphasis on offering his "cultural ceramics" class every semester. Now, looking ahead at the summer, I can totally see why.

As I shared about my trip to India - an idea popped into my head that was sort of like a random chance occurrence and moment of satisfaction mixed together. All this time as I was pondering what the heck I would do with my time after getting off work everyday in New Delhi - an instant solution popped into my mind as I gazed past students working on their coil pots and the art posters that had hung on the wall when I was a student at the high school. At that moment, I thought to myself, what would it be like to explore the ties of ceramics with Indian culture? What would it be like to be able to work with local artists - learning their craft, their trade, their lives? What better way to experience authentic Indian culture than to immerse myself in the lives of the people? It was an awesome moment.

Some of the greatest memories from my trip to overseas last summer came on a forty six hour train ride sitting on a plastic bucket seat with no shower, limited food, and a squater toilet that could only be reached by hurdling over dozens of standing room passengers. Yet in the conversations that I had with the college students who had just finished a semester of police training or the family who was making a move out into new territory, all those bitter memories of conditions that I would never face in America seemed to fade away. What I experienced was exactly what the majority of people in that country went through on an everyday basis. It was an experience of what it meant to be with the people.

Looking ahead to this summer, I'm excited for the opportunities to be had that will be forever cemented in the category of truly "meeting the people where they are." Maybe the whole trade of making pots and sculptures will be part of it!