In the winter of 2011, I embarked on what I thought would be a three month internship in EduCARE India. Having just finished my Masters degree in International Development, I was looking for a challenging and innovative opportunity to learn and apply my university skills in the field. What I didn’t know then, on that fateful day when I accepted with excitement and trepidation the internship offer, is that India and this NGO would capture my heart and mind in all ways imaginable. And what was meant to be a 3 month internship in microfinance and women’s empowerment, turned into a 5 year life changing epic journey that changed both mine and my families life forever.
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| Working with marginalized communities |
It only took a few short weeks after my arrival
at EduCARE for me to know deeply that this was a place I wanted to stay, to
learn, to work, to explore. I was given
incredible freedom to develop and implement projects, share ideas and even
contribute to the development of the organisation from within. I knew almost immediately that 3 months was
just not long enough for me to really have any sort of impact, as it takes
almost that long just to settle in. So
after a few weeks of my internship, I made the decision to extend my
stay….first for 6 months, and then for one year, and eventually it became an
open ended indefinite stay. My family
also joined me, with my children initially spending half the year in India and
half in Australia. They quickly adapted
to Indian culture and cuisine, but it wasn’t without its challenges for them,
or for me. Yet despite the ups and
downs, I always knew within my heart that this was exactly where I
belonged.
Five years on and I was blessed to
experience a plethora of job roles and locations. From grassroots development worker, to
Operations Coordinator, Assistant Director and Training and Development. From
the plains of Punjab to the spectacular Himalaya’s and the wild deserts of
Rajasthan. I initiated various social
enterprises and developed an online training platform. I was given total support and freedom to try
and sometimes fail, even though I had no previous international development
experience. I worked with and
coordinated hundreds of interns from all around the world, and was honored to
work with such a dedicated, passionate and inspiring group of young
people. My children grew up, matured,
and learnt a totally new and beautiful way of living and being in the
world. India was home for all of us.
It wasn’t always easy living in paradoxical
contradictory India, and I experienced all the emotions that came with such an
intense ride. Beauty, excitement,
adventure, elation, passion, peace, love and harmony along with frustration,
sadness, devastation, confusion and chaos.
India offers it all on one big curry bowl of life. It IS Incredible India. But I learnt very quickly that openness,
surrender and bucket loads of patience is really the only way to survive in
this incredible land. And I totally
loved it…even when I hated it. India
just got under my skin and into my heart in every way possible.
After my initial year there I stopped
making plans for ‘how long’ I would stay.
I just continued to stay, one crazy moment at a time. It became my home, my families’ home and a
beautiful part of me.
And then spontaneously one monsoon evening
mid last year, I spontaneously knew, that it was time to leave India….at least for
a while. It was a deep and instant
knowing, not born from logic or reason, but came from something higher and
deeper, not unlike the knowing I felt all those years ago when I knew I just
had to stay. But I also knew that to
leave India and EduCARE would not be a goodbye, as that would not be
possible. Even though EduCARE and India
would always remain in my heart and soul and I would remain connected, I just
knew it was time for me to go on a new journey of discovery. To connect with other aspects of myself and
my passions, to learn knew things, to create new communities. I gave myself 6 months to transition before I
finally left in January 2016. It was for
the most part gentle and natural, but the final step into Mumbai airport was
deeply heartbreaking for sure. I was
leaving behind my home, my love, my life and without any real destination or
plan. But still I knew…I knew…I knew I
that this was the next step for me.
More than two months on, EduCARE is still
with me, in my heart and life. I have
been in Germany supporting a former EduCARE colleague and deep friend during
the birth of her beautiful twins. I am
now in incredible New York City and in the first two days met two former
interns with more to come. So just like
I always knew, EduCARE is and always will be within me wherever I go.
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| EduCARE reunion in NY |
Rachael Donovan
Assistant Director
EduCARE India
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