Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle

Before leaving for India, I was asked how I felt about the trip and my response was "I am very excited but nervous since I have never traveled anywhere like India/Southeast Asia." To my surprise India reminds me of many places I have been before, and furthermore countries and cities I never would have predicated.  Parts of Mumbai remind me of Los Angeles, specifically the juxtaposition between skid row and the gentrification that has occurred in Downtown and Little Tokyo.  It brought back the overwhelming feelings I experienced during our cultural immersion of "Is it even possible to fix such a monumental problem?" Visiting DNA and speaking with Yogesh Pawar helped to mitigate some of these disheartening feelings through his explanation of finding one's niche within the profession and utilizing your specialized skills.  He also emphasized the power and reality behind taking small steps to reach a larger overall goal, which has helped to offset the feeling of helplessness. Seeing the strength in the organizations we visited, specifically the strength and  resilience in the women was inspiring and also helped to decrease these feelings of helplessness.

Overall, Jawhar made me forget I was in India and I felt I was back in Costa Rica, because of the beautiful landscape, the contrast between simplicity and complexity of life in a rural area, and finally the genuine positive human nature in the people.  I realized that I did not expect to see such beauty in the landscape in India, especially  after the over crowded streets of Mumbai, and the general consensus of my friends and family's somewhat pessimistic views that they relayed to me.  Jawhar was a pleasant surprise and a necessary relief after being in such an over stimulating city.  The relationships we were able to form with the villagers and Ugewall provided us with a deeper connection and understanding of India that I was not expecting, but will always be extremely grateful for.  This genuine nature does exist in Mumbai as well, as people will come up to us without being asked to help us locate our destinations, as we pathetically attempt to ask rickshaw drivers.  This has happened many times, with no intention of something in return.  It is also endearing to see the locals become protective of us, and make sure we are safe and not getting cheated on prices.

India has also taught me even more about seeing past life struggles and appreciating beauty in various situations.  I was surprised that I did not feel as sad or affected by the extreme situations we experienced, and I attribute that to the resilient and happy spirit of the people.  This gives me an even greater respect for the organizations that are empowering others, because they are able to achieve such great things, with almost nothing. Despite  the conditions they live in, they continue to live, strive, and find happiness everyday.  These aspects have put things into perspective and has made me more optimistic of our conditions in America. I have learned that a smile goes a long way here, and is truly a form of universal communication.  When one of us smiles at a local, they almost immediately return that smile (This surprised me since this same interaction is not returned a majority of the time in various parts of Los Angeles). Although most Indians never smile in posed pictures, when we are able to capture candid photos, their eyes light up and their happiness is extremely evident.

Identifying Strength

What stood out to me the most while in India was the resiliency of the people. At a glance, it is difficult to look past the poverty, living conditons, and shock factors such as children begging on the streets. Although, these are all serious social justice issues there is another side of the Indian people; which I feel so fortunate to have seen. They are strong and true survivors. They have an incredible ability to make something out of nothing regardless of the circumstances. They are able to accomplish this while also finding some form of happiness in their lives.

This was the most evident to me when we visited what is considered the "largest slum in Asia." During this experience, I was initially shocked with the living conditions people endured in this slum. However, as we visited LEARN, Upcykal, and walked around the slum I began to see something else. I observed a functioning community filled with big and small enterprises and support networks. People were working and surviving.

As a result, my perspective regarding the Inidan people began to shift. I moved away from focusing on themes that victimized and pathologized people and began to see their potential for further growth. By acknowledging their strenghts I felt like I was in a better position, as a social worker, to actually start thinking about  the process of social change. The contrary was just to overwhelming and seemed to revolve around feeling sad for people; which really isn't all that productive or helpful to the target population. Therefore, during the course of the trip I pushed myself to see the strengths in the people and community and how these could be leveraged to promote a greater wellbeing for poor.

Through this strengths-based perspective, I observed Indian people to be: welcoming/ friendly, community/ family oriented, and resourceful to name a few. These strenghts can all be leveraged to form grassroots efforts to being the process of change and empowerment. For instance, the community/ family orientation of the people enables them to come together as a team in order to produce mutual benefits. The micro finance program is a great example of this. Whereas, a group of women comes together as collateral for one an other in order to take out loans. In this process women take responsiblity of one an other to pay back small loans which they would otherwise not qualife for. In turn these loans help to imporve health, education, and livelihood conditions for all involved parties. These strengths are powerful and have the potential to affect change in marginalized communities on larger scales.

It was also interesting to see how our culture in the United States varies from that here in India. One of the things that struck me the most was the sense of a collective identity that exists in India. It is a result of collectivism that numerous social change programs are able to function here and not necessarly in the United States. For example, the concept of micro finance is successful in India as a result of the collective and supportive identity that women are able to form. Meanwhile, in the United States it is difficult to replicate this sense of collective identity and support system. This is mainly due to the great emphasis on individuality in the United States and beliefs that one should "pull themselves up by their own boot straps."

Overall, my time in India has reinforced and hightened my ability to adopt a strengths based approach. I don't mean to say that the negative should be ingnored but instead to look at what can be done within the means of the community/ client to make a positive impact on the quality of their lives.  

I attended the UPC and City Center campuses for the COPA concentration. I graduated in the spring of 2014. 

Where's the beef?

I came to India with a bad attitude and in a dark place. Of course, part of me still thinks I’m in my 20s and impervious to the rigors of international travel, but I’m not. The older I get, the more I realize I’m tethered to the comforts of home. I admit I’ve become complacent, and in some ways my world in Los Angeles is small and insulated. I have my life, and I get into a rut with routines, people, restaurants, and perspectives. Time ticks by. Relationships end. Parents die. Life goes on.

I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I just forget.

In many ways, being in social work school has not broadened my worldview. It’s had the opposite effect. I have become more introspective, critical of the decisions I’ve made and rue the apologies I can never make. Thus, I’ve been struggling over the past several months to navigate grief and regret I thought I’d sidestepped. This was the shape I was in when I stepped off the plane in Mumbai during the wee hours of the morning nearly three weeks ago.

Unfortunately, being here in India most days did little to lift me out of my emotional malaise. More introspection. More questions. I try to hang on to the notion that the universe is benevolent, but my experience in India has challenged this flimsy, perhaps naïve grasp of spirituality. The constant and vivid montage of poverty, filth, oppression; the parade of sick, injured, and stray people and animals makes me wonder why, if there is a god, it would allow such suffering. And why was I chosen by whatever divine act of providence to live in the United States, swathed in luxury, opportunity, and relative equality? What did I do to deserve it?

It doesn’t make sense to me. I have often found myself wrangling with pangs of guilt. Guilt over my big, comfortable, quasi-single-occupancy king-sized bed. Guilt over all the good food I waste. Guilt over the clean water that swirls down the drain. Guilt over TP and a toilet that flushes. My life is so abundant, and I don’t even know it. Paucity? I have no concept of it. I have been less inspired by the sights, sounds, and smells of India, and exceedingly troubled by my already guilt-laden, self-serving conscience.

And then I came to a realization, thanks to Deepa’s profound words in Pune. Instead of allowing my feelings of guilt, shame, and impotence to immobilize me, I should embrace these internal conflicts and allow them to inform my relationships with others and my personal approach to social work practice.

I have heard the word “unity” mentioned frequently during our time in India. It’s an overarching theme of Hinduism that reminds me we’re all in this together. I may pity someone who, despite his or her tangibly scant circumstances, is actually more self-actualized than me, a privileged white girl whose needs are comfortably met and exceeded.

I always refer back to Maslow’s hierarchy. The truth is, if everyone is struggling to lay the foundation of the pyramid—securing basic biological and physiological needs—who would be available to help? On the flip side, if we’re all self-actualized then what’s left? What would be the purpose of life?

This experience in India has shown me that unity supersedes survival. One doesn’t have to be fully self-actualized to transcend his or her environment and circumstances to be of service to their fellows. Unity seems to be a  more powerful motivator than the human need to secure the basic necessities. Togetherness here in India is a way of life.

We met people who don’t even have a decent roof over their heads, clean drinking water, plentiful, healthy food, a comfortable sleeping space, and a safe place to live. Even so, they are banding together to help each other attain these things, and so much more.

India through the Lens of Social Work and Motherhood

I uniquely experienced India simultaneously through the lens of both social work and motherhood. Thus my total experience, though paradoxically dynamic in nature, proved both incredibly inspiring and profoundly painful. All five senses were immediately assaulted upon landing in Mumbai. Any previously held notion as to what constituted an ‘India experience’ was replaced straightaway with an intense reality of the pure and utter chaos to be found everywhere.
As a social worker, the breakdown of and a complete lacking in systemic structural order was palpable. Trash litters streets, storefronts, streams, rivers, and oceans; structured and unstructured familial dwellings house the masses. Far too many areas where children and families work, play, and conduct business are prolifically littered with trash. Sanitation conditions proved sorely lacking, while safe, clean areas where children can play are scarce.
As a mother my heart breaks to the point of tears as I look into the eyes of these children: distant, pained with the struggle, and all too often apathetic and resolved to their station in life. There exists a palpable absence of hope. These children—at far too young an age—are working too hard, and under the worst of circumstances and in the most deplorable of conditions. As I’ve watched these children and mothers at all hours of the day and night in the streets, my heart inevitably turns to my own children, who face none of the harshness with which these families of India confront. Conversely, they have been born in a world of privilege and excess, far away from destitution, exploitation, poverty, and socioeconomic disadvantage. Overwhelming guilt inevitably ensues as I also recall my own childhood and subsequent motherhood. As a child I was reared in a loving family, with kind and loving parents and siblings. I participated in whatever activities and sports I chose, irrespective of the associated costs. My life has been an exercise in self-determination: I went to the college of my choice; I married the man of my choice; and I also filed for divorce, and even that was my choice. As a mother I was fortunate to provide a similar existence for my own children. They have enjoyed the comfort, peace, and safety of a life attributed to those who have the extreme fortune to reap the benefits of financial security and opportunity. As young women, my daughters have the ability to determine for themselves which path to take in life, irrespective of gender, religion, and caste and in the absence of an overtly oppressive patriarchal system. We indulge in so many luxuries daily—the opportunities are ours for the taking. How profoundly these children in India suffer, while so many American youth live in such a diametrically opposite paradigm. Contemplating such divergent realities brought me quietly to tears on many, many occasions.
Following the initial guilt that I felt, anger set in. Initially, what struck me was the voluminous amount of trash strewn everywhere. My immediate thought those first few days: “Where are the trash cans? How can one not see the filth and unsanitary conditions in which life must be daily lived?” Nevertheless, as the days waxed on, I began to see the people more, and the trash, less. As I looked deeper, I saw collective faces of brilliance, courage, resilience, and strength. I found the people of India to be a kind, helpful and endearing. In our visits to many diverse agencies, I saw action. I saw a purposeful commitment and passion in these agencies from educated, uneducated, impassioned, and focused women and men. I felt inspired to the point of wanting to be more deliberate and purposeful in how this experience can further shape my own future work experience in the social work field. The lessons learned from the value of social entrepreneurship, sustainable livelihood, examples of microfinance as evidenced in the model executed by Annapurna Pariwar provoke repeated reflection on how these models translate generally to the United States, and specifically improve the lives of those at the micro level vis-à-vis clinical practice. The aforementioned anger I felt was replaced with hope as I saw these amazing examples of strength and resilience around me. I am forever changed through these experiences. I am renewed. I feel impassioned to bring the lessons of tragedy and triumph during my time in India to my personal and professional life.

I am currently a part-time student, entering my fourth and final year. My concentration is mental health, and I also have a military subconcentration. I currently study at the Orange County Academic Center.

Verdict still out....

When learning about various organizations that focus on women empowerment, the President of LEARN, spoke of herself and of the other women in her field in a way that made me think of how grateful I am to be able to be myself. She spoke on her need to look at people directly, without a veil to cover her face. She wanted to connect with people and show that women are equal to men. This experience reminded me that I am able to voice my concerns without the fear of being kicked out of my home or being the victim of violence or worse. The idea of not being able to look someone in the eyes without a veil, really made me see India in a different light. I knew of patriarchy, but for some reason hearing that, and having a mental picture of it put things into perspective. I was able to visualize what exactly goes on and what these women endure, while trying to provide for their families; at times being kicked out of their home for the night because they get home late from a meeting.

I did not know what to expect when visiting the slums and learning about UPCYKAL and LEARN. I pictured the worst conditions possible and in a way was impressed with the organization of the slums, at least where everyone was working. When we took turns visiting where the embroidery was happening, a moment that made me upset was when someone asked about the selling of the bags. Vasundhara quickly mentioned that the women making the bag took no part in the selling and would not know the pricing behind the bags. After hearing about women empowering each other, I noticed that this was still a business, and someone would always be the boss. There will always be the women making the bags, who stay in the slums, not seen, and those that are selling them, those that show their face. This made me feel like some things were contradictory and that even when empowerment is happening; there will always be some a hierarchy.

I learned that empowering women is one thing, but educating them is another. One of the women mentioned that she did not even know that what she did on a daily basis was a job. She did not know that she could ask for a certain amount of money or anything while working. Educating her on her rights goes hand in hand with empowering her and allowing her to make her own choices. I had never heard of the term social entrepreneurship. After reading articles and finding out that it is a merging of social work and the business world. I can see how this thought can affect the poor in India in a way that will teach them a new trade and allow them to make some profit for the benefit of themselves and their families. I struggle with the idea of there always being someone higher than those doing the labor. I feel there will always be a hierarchy and at times can sound contradictory with the emphasis being placed on empowerment.

Verdict is still out on lessons I have learned. While processing and finding out what I wanted to blog about, I was told by a friend that maybe I was processing or looking at things in a different way. Because I have not had an “A-HA” moment, I feel like I may be missing out in something. Maybe it will hit me when I am back home and am surrounded by enormous amounts of people that will overlook me and not smile back when I look at them. I may long to be back in India or will just jump back into the routine of daily living. At least I have enough pictures to remember what I did and experienced here to remind me.

A Light to Domestic Violence

Domestic violence, a reality that was put to light by many women here in India, especially the women from LEARN (Labour Education And Research Network). As they shared their painful experience, I could not help but cringe and swallow my own memories. Yet, I was so interested in how they have been able to defend themselves and fight against it. I could not help but to remember my own experience growing up in a household where the tactics of domestic violence controlled my family’s upbringings. I was deeply in awe. I must say that I truly respect the strength the women demonstrated while they shared their stories.  I greatly admire how they have been able to come together to create an escape for the violence and at the same time empower themselves through employment to establish sustainable livelihoods. I am very proud of their dedication, hard work and passion to address the issue of domestic violence at a grater level. 

Hearing their stories, particularly Atmadevi’s brought the chills to my body as she described the pain she bared while her husband physically and emotionally battered her. On top of that, he as well as her in-laws forced her to wear a ghungat, a face veil that kept her away from the clarity of the world around her and suppressed her from her self empowerment. Her aspirations to live a different reality only intensified. She described a desire to show her face, connect with others and even a desire to be looked at. All she craved was being noticed and treated as the human she was. I could only imagine how difficult it must have been to feel as of she was trapped in a cage without doors and abused. Additionally, it was just as traumatic for her children to witness such abuse; as I recall how miserable it was for me to witness the abuse in my household. 

Before I left the facility, there was no way I could leave that day without personally thanking Atmadevi for sharing her story and describing as she threw the veil apart once she was empowered. I had to notifying her that she had instilled a sense of hope for a better tomorrow. So I did. I told her her that I would share her story with my mother and the many women in my family who are also in domestic violent relationships.  She agreed and suggested for me to work with them to help strengthen the sense of  empowerment within them.  I told her that I personally felt empowered through a strength hat I was craving to hear. I  hugged  her and told her I appreciated her. As she continued to hear me share my experience with her, she began to cry. Her tears demonstrated an accepted connection that words cannot even describe. A human connection that we both shared. I am forever thankful to her as she made me realize the power within myself as an agent of change. 

Hope and Social Work

One does not inculcate hope in the clients that social workers serve. For social change to be significant and lasting, it must come from within people. This is the mantra of Annapurna Pariwar; this organization subscribes to the Chinese proverb that giving fish to a person feeds them that day but teaching them how to fish feeds them for life. Annapurna Pariwar is owned by and serves the most vulnerable residents of Pune and Mumbai's slums. In this way, the organization's programs and priorities are dictated by and constant needs assessments and the members themselves. This stood out to this author because it is unlike social programs in the United States where too often programming is done at the top rungs of an organization which may or may not include input from the clientele. The difference is stark as one sees the ownership and enthusiasm members of Annapurna exhibit. 

There is much to be done for the urban vegetable sellers, seamstresses, domestic workers--among others--of Mumbai and Pune. Their vulnerability is unlike anything this author has observed elsewhere because their lived experiences are compounded by the effects of globalization, the caste system, patriarchy, language differences, and political inaction. Their plight is disheartening to see but stokes a fire within oneself to want to help. 

From an American perspective, slum living conditions and quality of life is at least dismal if not revolting. At first look, it is difficult to see order in the chaos of everyday life and even harder to conduct a strengths-based assessment. However, it takes only a few minutes of reflection before the beauty of community togetherness surfaces.  People here, though may be hungry and wanting of shelter, are grateful and happily interact with the people around them. Their lives are not constrained to accumulation of material goods but rather they develop and foster relationships with each other and visitors to their homes and neighborhoods. It is refreshing to see this type of happiness especially because it does not carry American need for material things to be happy and content. 

TED Talk here: http://youtu.be/LtslFAMvZEU

Dr. Media Purao-Samant, the chairperson and long-time leader of Annapurna, reminds us that complicated problems such as those faced by slum-dwellers require complicated solutions. Her background in finance, statistics, and social work lent themselves to the success of this organization. An interdisciplinary approach is necessary in this type of work. It reminds oneself not to limit oneself to any single discipline or framework. Social workers can benefit from economists and entrepreneurs in working to alleviate societal ills. Moreover, the comprehensive schemes facilitated by Annapurna is indicative of the need to tackle social problems at multiple levels. Though micro practice is important, social workers cannot ignore the mezzo and macro levels of intervention. While Annapurna provides microloans to its members, it simultaneously takes care of their family and community by also providing access to day care centers and health insurance. Additionally, the research arm of Annapurna works to influence research literature and dissemination of information through regular scholarly publications provided to scholars, policy makers, politicians, and others. 

It is clear that social problems require not only traditional interventions but also new approaches such as social entrepreneurship, and women empowerment especially in patriarchal cultures. Moreover, it is not enough to only deal with an individual client's needs, workers must also work to ensure that they have a sustainable livelihood. A piecemeal approach ignores the intersectionality of social problems and oppression and limits oneself to interventions that are limited in scope. Social entrepreneurship, as opposed to charity, works among poor people because it gives them the tools and skills necessary to live their lives according to their own wants and needs. 

Despite the deep troubles experienced by the slum residents, there is plenty of hope because of organizations like Annapurna Pariwar and its members who tirelessly work to better not only themselves, their families, but also their communities.