It's almost a month into my trip and I'm finally writing my first blog post. I want to say it has taken me so long because I have been busy. That's somewhat true, putting this project together (which I will discuss at a later point) has involved a lot of reading and learning. But I haven't been able to write because of a million other reasons I can probably make up (including being a little homesick).
But, it's no longer the case because I found my reservoir. (For those not in NYC, there's a large reservoir in the middle of Central Park-beautiful spot to run) I always say that I wouldn't have been able to live in NYC if Central Park didn't exist. After 3 weeks of working and living on the same street in an Industrial Area on the outskirts of Mysore, I discovered a beautiful lake (pictures to come), and I finally felt like I will be okay here for 9 months and can make this somewhat of a temporary new home.
I actually find comfort in the parallels between Mysore in NYC. For example, instead of being a tourist traveling to the center of Mysore city, equivalent to Penn Station/Times Square area, I avoid the city and instead walk 3 miles every Sunday to an area that's probably the equivalent of the Upper West Side. There's a coffee shop and restaurant where I get North Indian food, study the local language (Kannada), and think/reflect. Enough with NYC, although for those that know me well aren't you glad I'm not talking about Chicago?
I am currently working with an incredible organization. It's a grassroots research organization that works with companies, NGOs and the government to evaluate development project and the many government "schemes, or social welfare programs the government starts. While these schemes mean well and perhaps if they were actually put into place India would have more resources for the poor but schemes=scams? Not quite, but a lot of resources are being mismanaged and there is a lot of corruption. Though, the group I'm working with, GRAAM, is Indian advocacy at its best and in a day individuals will be passionately discussing ways to deal with child labor, health care, and the caste system. I'm truly lucky to be here.
At the same time I wonder why exactly I am here. I mean, I know my personal motivations, my year long goals and am excited about the opportunity of being here. But the bigger question, what role does the West have in a countries like India? There is a very strong society with pockets of activism that I doubt are even present to the same extent in the US. There are truly inspirational individuals with innovative, locally brainstormed ideas much better than some of the ideas imported from the West. True, there are many other things, including complacency and corruption but that's a story for another time.
TODAY'S STORY (took me long enough to get here):
On a walk around my new favorite lake, I was talking to my also new roommate (who finished medical school last year in Mysore and is now applying to public health schools in the US) and a community trainer. To be honest, I have no idea who he was but I just know he works on a lot of social empowerment projects with the HIV/AIDS population in and around Mysore. He was also discussing the work he does with female sex workers in Bangalore (IT capital of India 2-3 hours away). One program he described teaches and encourages sex workers to save their money. If they make 1000 rupees a day ($20), they should try to save at least 100/day. That way eventually they no longer feel the necessity to work in the trade every day and in the long term can save enough to invest in another business or have a financial security blanket as they try to find other work. Typically, there is no culture of saving. These women feel like they are always broke and have to work to make money. (A lot of money goes to alcohol, which makes the job more tolerable) On the other hand, the women feel like there are no other jobs available to them where they can make 1000 rupees a day. This might be true, which is why in some ways this program actually works. My first reaction is to want to find something else for the women to do right away, almost "rescue"them from sex work, if that's what they want. "Rescuing" is probably not the right thing, instead what's needed is more "help others help themselves." Of course this can go sour, like anything, like when the US interprets this as give weapons to Afghan/Central American/etc. rebels...and maybe sometimes rescuing is needed in extreme situations.
There were many other great programs that this man described. They evaluate these programs too so for example, an HIV/AIDS education and importance of condom use program has decreased the incidence of HIV/AIDS from 14% down to 8% in the last 4-5 years in the population the group is working with in Bangalore. All of the programs he mentioned had a staff of about 60 and cost enough money for us to ask him where he got the funding from. Answer: the Gates Foundation. And, there was the answer I was looking for to the role of the West. While the ideas, projects, and implementation may be best coming from local groups, it is going to be a long time before donations, grants, "aid" are not needed anymore. May not be sustainable, but perhaps a cultural change doesn't need to come from a sustainable program. For example, if enough money and support is poured into a culture of saving and finding other business or job opportunities for sex workers, eventually (ideally) the program can stop but the end results will be sustained with societal change. Probably not, but I'm still young enough to be idealistic :)
I think my new goal should be to make loads of money, start a foundation, and fund local people with great ideas and the motivation and drive to implement them.
I will try to have more picture-oriented posts in the future when I take more pictures...
But, it's no longer the case because I found my reservoir. (For those not in NYC, there's a large reservoir in the middle of Central Park-beautiful spot to run) I always say that I wouldn't have been able to live in NYC if Central Park didn't exist. After 3 weeks of working and living on the same street in an Industrial Area on the outskirts of Mysore, I discovered a beautiful lake (pictures to come), and I finally felt like I will be okay here for 9 months and can make this somewhat of a temporary new home.
I actually find comfort in the parallels between Mysore in NYC. For example, instead of being a tourist traveling to the center of Mysore city, equivalent to Penn Station/Times Square area, I avoid the city and instead walk 3 miles every Sunday to an area that's probably the equivalent of the Upper West Side. There's a coffee shop and restaurant where I get North Indian food, study the local language (Kannada), and think/reflect. Enough with NYC, although for those that know me well aren't you glad I'm not talking about Chicago?
I am currently working with an incredible organization. It's a grassroots research organization that works with companies, NGOs and the government to evaluate development project and the many government "schemes, or social welfare programs the government starts. While these schemes mean well and perhaps if they were actually put into place India would have more resources for the poor but schemes=scams? Not quite, but a lot of resources are being mismanaged and there is a lot of corruption. Though, the group I'm working with, GRAAM, is Indian advocacy at its best and in a day individuals will be passionately discussing ways to deal with child labor, health care, and the caste system. I'm truly lucky to be here.
At the same time I wonder why exactly I am here. I mean, I know my personal motivations, my year long goals and am excited about the opportunity of being here. But the bigger question, what role does the West have in a countries like India? There is a very strong society with pockets of activism that I doubt are even present to the same extent in the US. There are truly inspirational individuals with innovative, locally brainstormed ideas much better than some of the ideas imported from the West. True, there are many other things, including complacency and corruption but that's a story for another time.
TODAY'S STORY (took me long enough to get here):
On a walk around my new favorite lake, I was talking to my also new roommate (who finished medical school last year in Mysore and is now applying to public health schools in the US) and a community trainer. To be honest, I have no idea who he was but I just know he works on a lot of social empowerment projects with the HIV/AIDS population in and around Mysore. He was also discussing the work he does with female sex workers in Bangalore (IT capital of India 2-3 hours away). One program he described teaches and encourages sex workers to save their money. If they make 1000 rupees a day ($20), they should try to save at least 100/day. That way eventually they no longer feel the necessity to work in the trade every day and in the long term can save enough to invest in another business or have a financial security blanket as they try to find other work. Typically, there is no culture of saving. These women feel like they are always broke and have to work to make money. (A lot of money goes to alcohol, which makes the job more tolerable) On the other hand, the women feel like there are no other jobs available to them where they can make 1000 rupees a day. This might be true, which is why in some ways this program actually works. My first reaction is to want to find something else for the women to do right away, almost "rescue"them from sex work, if that's what they want. "Rescuing" is probably not the right thing, instead what's needed is more "help others help themselves." Of course this can go sour, like anything, like when the US interprets this as give weapons to Afghan/Central American/etc. rebels...and maybe sometimes rescuing is needed in extreme situations.
There were many other great programs that this man described. They evaluate these programs too so for example, an HIV/AIDS education and importance of condom use program has decreased the incidence of HIV/AIDS from 14% down to 8% in the last 4-5 years in the population the group is working with in Bangalore. All of the programs he mentioned had a staff of about 60 and cost enough money for us to ask him where he got the funding from. Answer: the Gates Foundation. And, there was the answer I was looking for to the role of the West. While the ideas, projects, and implementation may be best coming from local groups, it is going to be a long time before donations, grants, "aid" are not needed anymore. May not be sustainable, but perhaps a cultural change doesn't need to come from a sustainable program. For example, if enough money and support is poured into a culture of saving and finding other business or job opportunities for sex workers, eventually (ideally) the program can stop but the end results will be sustained with societal change. Probably not, but I'm still young enough to be idealistic :)
I think my new goal should be to make loads of money, start a foundation, and fund local people with great ideas and the motivation and drive to implement them.
I will try to have more picture-oriented posts in the future when I take more pictures...
The hostel I live in.
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