{"id":42,"date":"2017-10-03T09:12:55","date_gmt":"2017-10-03T09:12:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/?p=42"},"modified":"2017-10-03T09:12:55","modified_gmt":"2017-10-03T09:12:55","slug":"what-i-learned-after-being-in-india-for-8-weeks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/2017\/10\/03\/what-i-learned-after-being-in-india-for-8-weeks\/","title":{"rendered":"What I Learned After Being in India for 8 Weeks"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_48\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-48\" class=\"wp-image-48 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/files\/2017\/10\/IMG_7774-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/files\/2017\/10\/IMG_7774-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/files\/2017\/10\/IMG_7774-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/files\/2017\/10\/IMG_7774-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-48\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">8 weeks later &#8211; Nithya and I are still best friends<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">55 days since Nithya and I were living in India for the summer. While my life now seems to be filled with class, work, and extracurricular activities, I miss the long van rides to field visits, lunches in the Awaaz.De office, and countless interviews with friendly rural villagers.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">My experience in India was unforgettable, and over the course of eight weeks, I learned many important lessons about life and myself. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">My love for India continues to grow.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Although it had been eight years since I had been back to India, I felt more at home than ever. All of the sounds, smells, and sights came rushing back to me even after taking my first step off of the plane in Ahmedabad. There are so many things I love about the history, environment and culture of India, but it is the people that really make it special. While I still keep in touch with friends from growing up there as a child, I\u2019ve been able to develop new friendships. India will always have a special place in my heart, and I will continue to return back. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_49\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-49\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-49\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/files\/2017\/10\/IMG_1101-300x72.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"72\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/files\/2017\/10\/IMG_1101-300x72.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/files\/2017\/10\/IMG_1101-768x184.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/files\/2017\/10\/IMG_1101-1024x246.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-49\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Exploring Kumbhalgarh, a fortress in Udaipur<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Certain problems are insignificant compared to those of others.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_52\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-52\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/files\/2017\/10\/IMG_2042-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/files\/2017\/10\/IMG_2042-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/files\/2017\/10\/IMG_2042-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/files\/2017\/10\/IMG_2042-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-52\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ifran Bhai pointing out his new cotton crops after the previous ones were damaged by a pink worm<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since returning from India, I have noticed that the problems people are concerned about are little things compared to the daily of those I encountered in India. Some people may worry about or get upset over things like spilling coffee on a new white shirt or cracking their iPhone screen. While at the same time, individuals halfway across the world may not have access to a secure home or access to clean water. Some of beneficiaries I interviewed constantly needed to overcome obstacles. I remember a farmer in Gujarat named Ifran Bhai explaining that a pink worm contaminated his cotton crops causing a 30% loss in outputs and profits. We visited his farm and he showed us all of his replanted cotton crops, which were late and costly. The man explained that his family would have to make sacrifices on other things in their lives like food choices or a child\u2019s education to make up for the agricultural loss. Additionally India struggles with high rates of impoverished individuals. During our daily commute, Nithya and I usually saw a little girl in dirty and torn dress come up to our auto and beg for money. She would stare up at us, lift her small hands to her mouth, and then tap our knees to gain our attention in hopes of receiving a few rupees for food or water. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These moments puts problems in perspective<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. I am so fortunate to have the life that I do. But seeing how other people must live has shown me that I have a huge responsibility to help others in need.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Communities are stronger than they seem.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Because Bihar is known for high rates of crime and government corruption, our families were nervous upon hearing that we will soon visit it to document the use of Awaaz.De\u2019s technology by JJSS. Shortly after arriving at our hotel, the manager exclaimed we couldn\u2019t go outside because the Nepalese border was only 14 km away. Incredibly confused, we looked at each other and then back to the manager. When he learned we were American, he immediately called the police to inform them of our upcoming stay in his hotel.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Needless to say, Nithya and I got spooked about spending a few nights in Bihar. The next day before going out into the field, we dressed as conservatively as possible and brought along pepper spray and a whistle (thank you Mr. Vemireddy) for protection. But, our worries flew away after our first interview. Through our conversations, the voice messages supported a strong sense of community<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_51\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-51\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-51\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/files\/2017\/10\/IMG_3511-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/files\/2017\/10\/IMG_3511-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/files\/2017\/10\/IMG_3511-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/files\/2017\/10\/IMG_3511-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-51\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Asha Devi using her feature phone to listen to the voice messages<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A woman named Asha Devi shared a story about how a few months ago, land dispute nearby led to the deaths of two villagers from the poorest caste in front of police officers. She elaborated how a voice messages informed the members of JJSS that an organized protest will happen in response to the police officer&#8217;s\u2019 inaction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">So one of the voice messages reported that there was an organized protest against these government officials. People came from all different villages, and Asha Devi brought forty people from her village to protest together. Many of the villagers probably did not know the two people who were killed, but still they supported one another and the larger community that was mourning the loss of those lives. This story showed me that despite issues of crime and corruption, there are still strong village communities that will not tolerate injustices and will defend the safety of individuals. After hearing countless stories like this one, I felt safer in the rural villages than the urban areas. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A sparked interest in social entrepreneurship and the potential it has to create positive social change.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ever since I was little, I have had a strong personal commitment to help others in any way possible. Throughout middle and high school, service was my primary approach to accomplishing this goal. I was heavily involved in service trips abroad by raising money and traveling to rural communities in Costa Rica, Cambodia, and Indonesia to construct homes, paint hospitals, repair school buildings, and provide donations. Although I met many wonderful people, these trips lasted around a week, which was never enough time to feel fully connected to the community. Although I helped to make a positive impact through physical work and charitable donations, I felt like I was inserting myself into these people\u2019s lives for a short period before quickly leaving soon after. There were few opportunities to learn about why the social injustices existed in these disadvantaged communities.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_50\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-50\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-50\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/files\/2017\/10\/IMG_2926-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/files\/2017\/10\/IMG_2926-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/files\/2017\/10\/IMG_2926-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/files\/2017\/10\/IMG_2926-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-50\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Interviewing a woman in Assam about financial literacy and Awaaz.De&#8217;s voice messages<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, my experience with Awaaz.De and social entrepreneurship was completely different. Nithya and I conducted interviews with the beneficiaries of Awaaz.De\u2019s mobile technology platform. In talking with the end users, we learned about their daily lives, personal experience with the voice messages, and suggestions for improvement. Although people were shy at the beginning of the interviews, eventually they spoke up more and appeared comfortable sharing their opinions. I loved being engaged in the community to have a better understanding of their daily struggles and how they tackle different types of problems. Taking notes on these issues to give back to Awaaz.De will not only help individuals but larger communities in India too, so that Awaaz.De can improve the content or technical aspects of the voice messages. I think this type of research empowers people and opens them up to sharing, because they are more aware of their role in sparking long-lasting positive change. I felt like I established more relationships with people and communities. Through my experience with this fellowship, I hope to continue my involvement in social entrepreneurship in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_54\" style=\"width: 235px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-54\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-54\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/files\/2017\/10\/IMG_0614-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/files\/2017\/10\/IMG_0614-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/files\/2017\/10\/IMG_0614-768x1024.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-54\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Taking photos of a farmer&#8217;s son in Gujarat<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>55 days since Nithya and I were living in India for the summer. While my life now seems to be filled with class, work, and extracurricular activities, I miss the long van rides to field visits, lunches in the Awaaz.De &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/2017\/10\/03\/what-i-learned-after-being-in-india-for-8-weeks\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2032,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"qubely_global_settings":"","qubely_interactions":"","kk_blocks_editor_width":"","_kiokenblocks_attr":"","_kiokenblocks_dimensions":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"gutentor_comment":0,"qubely_featured_image_url":null,"qubely_author":{"display_name":"ttromburg","author_link":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/author\/ttromburg\/"},"qubely_comment":0,"qubely_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/category\/uncategorized\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Uncategorized<\/a>","qubely_excerpt":"55 days since Nithya and I were living in India for the summer. While my life now seems to be filled with class, work, and extracurricular activities, I miss the long van rides to field visits, lunches in the Awaaz.De &hellip; Continue reading &rarr;","post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2032"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42\/revisions\/56"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/ttromburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}