First Impressions

I’ve been in India for 3 days now and it’s really fantastic being here! I’m working with an organization called Youth for Seva (YFS). YFS is partnered with a number of local NGOs and connects youth volunteers with these NGOs. My project will be to study the social problems in urban slums and analyze/document the effects of slum development projects being taken by various NGOs.

Yesterday, Prabhanjan (a local student volunteer) and I visited a small slum. It was the first time I had ever been inside a slum. Externally it was not too different from what I was expecting: there were no roads (just narrow and uneven dirt paths), the homes were very small (the largest one was probably 10x10 feet) and extremely close together, there was a lot of trash and mosquitoes over, and it was very crowded. It was really devastating to see the living conditions of these people, and comparing it to my own house back home made it even more painful. But it was also encouraging to hear about the educational and health/hygiene initiatives being undertaken by NGOs to empower the slum dwellers.

One thing I did not expect was the slum dwellers to be so hospitable. As we were walking by a group of boys eating mangoes, one boy (probably 7-8 years old) asked us curiously who we were and he repeatedly offered us the mango he was eating. He then showed us where his home was and asked us to come in for some water. Though we had gone with the purpose of simply quickly walking through just to get a quick glance of what a slum is like, we were still met with hospitality, and by such a small child at that. It really goes to show the attitude of some of these people.

It's really inspiring see the huge number of local youth volunteering through YFS. There are about 1,500 college students volunteering during their free time at hospitals, schools, free tuition (coaching) centers, etc. Additionally, there are about 50 full-time volunteers who recently graduated from college and have decided to dedicate at least 6 months to sewa work. Living in America, we often hear that Indian students are focused on nothing but academics and schoolwork. However, meeting these talented and selfless volunteers made me realize this is all a misconception. The youth are often yearning for opportunities to volunteer, but unfortunately there are not many organizations like YFS that are able to channelize their energies.

I feel that I've learned a ton already in my short time in India, and I'm looking forward to learning more. :)