Global\u00a0Citizenship.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n My family and I at our most recent trip to Spain<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n I owe my parents everything. They worked hard to provide me and my older brother a life free of worries. Both immigrants from India, my parents ensured that my older brother and I had the privilege to spend time in India as well as in other countries. I\u2019m proud to say that I have visited all continents except Australia and Antarctica. Because of these experiences, I have gained a love for immersing myself in different cultures. Most importantly, I began to view myself as a global citizen, with ties to all over the world. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Social Justice.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Reading to my children at an after-school program in Ecuador<\/p><\/div>\n Growing up, I had no idea what social justice meant. Despite noticing extreme poverty in many places and experiencing inequality due to my gender, I never thought about the causes or potential solutions to these social wrongs. After my first year in college, I went on a 2-week immersion trip where I lived in a small village in Ecuador, conversed with residents, and participated in after-school programs with children. One day, we visited a leprosy clinic, and I had the opportunity to talk to the Director, a nun who dedicated her life to serve others. She explained to me her fundamental belief in life is that every human being deserves to be treated with dignity, even those rejected by society.<\/span><\/p>\n That made me think about those who live on the sides of the roads, dig through garbage to eat, and feel invisible from the rest of society. My parents, as protective as always, would make my interactions with beggars quick. I never took it upon myself to learn about their experiences and struggles. But, that immersion trip cultivated a strong desire within myself to serve those less fortunate than me, even if that only meant listening. <\/span><\/p>\n At the Women’s March in San Francisco with my fellow SCCAPers<\/p><\/div>\n At university, I found myself becoming deeply involved with Santa Clara Community Action Partner (SCCAP), a chartered student organization that focuses on service, activism, and advocacy for the marginalized groups. Working with our community partners, I have learned more about the daily struggles faced by senior citizens with neurodegenerative disorders, LGBTQ+ youth, and other vulnerable populations. As a staff member, I am an activist, from lobbying the school\u2019s administration to divest from fossil fuels to gathering signatures on a petition to prevent housing discrimination in the Silicon Valley. <\/span><\/p>\n First Exposure.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Last summer, I participated in a study abroad program in India, focusing on healthcare, that allowed me to spend time in rural Himalayan communities. We learned in depth about various health systems, from Ayurveda to Tibetan medicine. Also, we visited multiple community health clinics to learn about the complications of serving rural communities with limited resources. <\/span><\/p>\n Before this experience, I knew I wanted to serve impoverished communities but was unsure of what profession would be right for me. In Nainatal, everything clicked for me. We spent time with a local NGO, Aarohi, that dedicated itself to improving the livelihood of the rural Himalayan communities it served. Here, I saw a social enterprise through one of Aarohi\u2019s initiatives. After learning about the communities, Aarohi took waste products – seeds of apricots – and turned them into body products, such as soap and face scrub. Through these products, Aarohi provided jobs to the local community. As my first exposure to social entrepreneurship, I understood how successful a business could uplift a community, especially through community involvement. <\/span><\/p>\n Mangoes.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n My homestay brothers in Nainatal, Paras and Manu, have a special place in my heart. Paras is beautiful beyond words, with a diva-like personality and his bright orange hair\u2014which may be due to malnutrition because he only eats roti and ghee. Sweet Manu may be the incarnate of some demon with his mischievous smile and incoherent chatter. At first, the children were somewhat shy to spend time with my partner Erica and I, but our love for mangoes brought us together. Us four would spend the afternoons playing in a nearby playground and coming home to Munaji, our homestay mother, who would have mangoes ready for us to devour.<\/span><\/p>\n Manu and I after a flour fight<\/p><\/div>\n One afternoon, Manu and I were playing in our favorite playground, running around and yelling at each other. Out of nowhere, Manu told me that he has to go and started running home. Concerned, I gathered our stuff and followed him only to see Manu pooping in the middle of the two-lane road. In contrast to the dark asphalt of the road, his poop was bright orange as the four mangoes he ate that morning. We made eye contact and he flashed me his smile, and I started laughing so hard that I was crying. His father heard all this commotion and popped his head out of the family shop, only to start yelling at Manu to pull up his pants. Laughing, Manu ran toward me with his pants still down until Dadiji yelled at the both of us to stop. <\/span><\/p>\n My Vocation.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Stories like these always bring a smile to my face but a sense of worry in my heart. Despite wonderful NGOs like Aarohi that are committed to improving the livelihood of communities that Manu, Paras, and the rest of my homestay family are a part of, the sad reality is that the systems that allow this family, and many other, to face many social injustices will continue to stay in place. <\/span><\/p>\n I feel a strong connection to India and a desire to dedicate my life to serve others. I know now that I hope to work in the field of social entrepreneurship when I grow up. Recognizing my many privileges, I hope to use my experiences from this fellowship to achieve my goal. I am beyond excited to work with Awaaz.de, spend another summer in India, and eat more mangoes.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ABCD. As my sweet and sticky childhood memories, mangoes are an inherent component of my identity as an ABCD: American Born Confused Desi. For all who may not know, this phrase, common among Indians, refers to the new emerging group … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/nvemireddy\/files\/2017\/04\/IMG_8056-225x300.jpg\")
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