Final Thoughts

This summer I was presented with a unique opportunity to volunteer in India through the Youth for Seva fellowship program. Looking for an adventure and motivated to do something for the country I consider my punya bhoomi, I decided to spend a couple months volunteering in Bangalore. Though I initially had doubts as to whether I would be able to handle the linguistic and cultural challenges, I have thoroughly enjoyed my volunteer experience and consider myself fortunate that I was given this opportunity.

My exposure to India has increased manifold this summer. As an American-born Indian, I’ve visited India with my family before, but most of my previous trips have been limited to sightseeing and shopping. I’ve always experienced India from a visitor’s perspective. Travelling around in air-conditioned cars and staying at nice hotels might have provided for some great family vacations, but they did not allow me to experience the other side of India. This mysterious other side sometimes rose to the surface in the form of begging children surrounding us on the streets or glimpses of cardboard houses along the side of the road. But it always ended with us handing over a few rupees and looking the other way, going on with our lives.

In my past visits I was in India without really being in India. To understand a country it’s necessary to explore all its different facets, interact with all types of people, and live in all sorts of environments. The Youth for Seva experience gave me an opportunity to immerse myself in a new lifestyle and discover a side of India that I was not exposed to before. Although I’ve learned an incredible amount, my biggest learning is that I have barely begun to scratch the surface of India’s beautiful complexities.

For my fellowship, my main project was to document the impact of the various slum development projects taken up by NGOs in Bangalore. As part of this project I had the opportunity to interact with experienced volunteers who work at these projects as well as the beneficiaries of these projects. The first time I visited a slum I was distressed by the painful, insecure living conditions: the homes are tiny (usually just 10×10 feet and often made of scrap cloth or tents), it is cramped and polluted, and the “roads” are often just narrow and uneven dirt paths. However, I quickly realized that if I want to really understand life in slums I would have to move beyond just the physical aspects and really get to know the people who live in these places.

While interacting with people in slums, I began to experience the joy of hospitality. The very first time I visited a slum, I was just walking through with another volunteer and we were stopped by a young boy about eight years old. He was eating a mango and after talking with us for a few moments, he repeatedly offered us his mango and invited us to his home for tea. I noticed this same hospitable attitude wherever we went. Most families I visited, no matter how short our visit and no matter how modest their financial circumstances, would not let us leave without at least a cup of tea. Another interesting thing I noticed was that for the most part, the people I talked to in slums seemed pretty satisfied with what they have; ironically, they do not seem any less happy than other families I know who have every luxury in the world except for the time to enjoy them.

That being said, people living in slums live in some of the most miserable conditions in the city. There are many challenges standing in the way of slum development, including lack of education, illiteracy, disease, lack of hygiene, alcoholism, etc. But it is inspiring to see how thousands of volunteers are working truly selflessly to tackle these challenges. The organizations I am documenting run projects such as free tutoring classes for children in government schools, medical camps, health clinics, self-help groups, adult education, women empowerment, etc. It is amazing to see the positive impact that they have had in the past years. If their work continues to grow as it has, the future of Bangalore’s slums looks much brighter.

Being in India is definitely different in some ways, whether it’s dodging around the crazy traffic (Bangalore drivers make New York City drivers seem polite and peaceful), figuring out the bus system, or trying to understand an entirely new language. But this experience has also taught me that India is really not as foreign or distant as many Indian-Americans, or even first generation Indians, may perceive. Living in India for the past couple of months made me realize that this country is also my home and I have a place here.