Lessons learned from EduCARE

Even after 1 1/2 years of EduCARE, I have laughed, cried, been thoroughly stressed, and also overjoyed many times in what feels like a blink of an eye throughout my internship. Now that it is time for me to move on, reflecting on what I have learned has showed me that I am leaving EduCARE as a completely different person than the girl I was when I first arrived.

I wanted to first join EduCARE because I wanted community development experience and I wanted to ‘help’ people. I have learned that we all come to do service work for our own reasons but we are not here to merely work for the poor. Yes, most of the communities are marginalized, and many of the people do not have huge financial incomes, but in no way are we doing poverty relief. Everyone I have met in the communities, especially the women, are strong, powerful, capable people, with ideas and opinions on how things should work. This doesn’t mean we can’t come with our own ideas and knowledge of how to improve their lifestyles, but my approach is no longer to help poor people, but instead empower people that maybe haven’t had the same opportunities as everyone else.

Playing with the kids from the migrant camp in Paro

During my induction when I first arrived with EduCARE I had a workshop on sustainability. I took my sustainable living index and ranked horribly. If everyone lived like me, we would need 3 planets! Never have I ever had the opportunity to not only become aware about environmental issues, but actually make real improvements in my life to make a difference. Organic gardening, water conservation, reusing grey water, and managing waste were all foreign concepts to me before but have become an integral part to who I am now. I want to take what I have learned in doing my small part to help the world and inspire others in my own country.

I now have so many more couches to crash on during my travels and I have made lifelong friends. Living and working with so many people from all over the world has broadened my horizon of how the world operates and I can now go home with a whole new repertoire of international culinary dishes I have learned from my roommates. In many ways EduCARE is like a family away from home. You would be amazed at the level of comfort and kinship that can arise from living with people in such close proximity in a foreign land. These people have become my family and helped me truly embrace that home is where the heart is.

Paro Center members

India is a challenge, no doubt about it. Nothing is done on time, and we must face a language barrier in everything we do. On top of that, EduCARE doesn’t make it any easier. It was definitely a challenge at first to work in an organization where everything could change from one day to the next. As an Operations Coordinator it can be a major challenge when trying to organize meetings for the organization. Now that I have adjusted, I have learned to roll with the punches; meaning change is a good thing. When we are stuck in our ways we fail to see the potential in a different outcome. Yes sometimes the chaos can cause temporary confusion, but in the end it all works out for the better. It always does.

Me with Sundar in Hariana, Punjab

Of course there have been many moments where I have been frustrated, homesick, or even unhappy. But whenever there has been a challenge I have always had wonderful and supportive people around me to help me push through. Sometimes all it took was for me to go for a walk in my community and see the sheer beauty of what lies around me. I mean, I’m in India after all, a country very far and different from my own. It is bound to be difficult at times, but I would just have to remind myself I came here for a reason and the strength and courage that brought me here is the same motivation that will pull me through.

Me with Geeta and Sonia, girls from the migrant camp in Paro

All in all I have fallen in love with EduCARE, the philosophy, and the people involved. EduCARE has given me so many opportunities that I will carry with me for a lifetime. When I signed on to become a fellow one year ago, I wasn’t fully sure how it would be, and one year later I feel that it was one of the best decisions I ever made. There are no guarantees in life; we all have to be objectively selfish. Your experience and your life are what you make it. Learn, be happy and be free. Always be an intern, gaining knowledge and awareness about the world. Make you mark and make it count. And make sure when you have to go, go without having any regrets.

Me and Shannon with Simu and Nancy during Girls' Club

Thank you Mr. B, Rachael, COM team, the community and all the interns. You have made my experience amazing and you will be greatly missed.

Margaret Arzon - USA

Operations Coordinator,  Maiti (Himachal Pradesh)

A Garden for the hungry tummies

I did not have a definite idea as to what I was going to be working on initially when I started my internship at EduCARE. My longtime wish to work on rural development projects like waste management, alternative energy or forestry in my country has brought me here but still not knowing where and what to begin with. To work with the migrants, the needy, the poor or kabadiwalas (trash pickers) as labeled by the society, was the apt platform for me to put in my thoughts and efforts to work on something that would help this migrant community in their everyday lives.

The migrant community of Paro

Since the day I started visiting the migrant camp here in Paro, Punjab, it was quite conspicuous that the community struggles to meet their daily needs. Some days they would not even have enough money to buy their aata or cheeni for their roti and chai for the day because Nanku, the head of the family could not accumulate enough trash to sell or the trash buyer did not show up for the day, or even if he did he was shameless enough to cheat these vulnerable people in their basic mathematics right in front of my eyes. Who is to be blamed? Is it their ignorance, illiteracy and poverty or is it that some people are too heartless to swindle these poor people off their daily bread. Hence, I decided to settle down with a project that would at least be of use in their food supplies: a community garden.

Preparing the plot for the garden

Initially we were planning on making the garden organic but it seemed to be a strenuous task as it would be a lot more time and money consuming to buy the organic seeds which were not available locally, to build a nursery, to shelter it, to get the organic fertilizers and pesticides and also the maintenance. However, after discussions with the community about all the important factors such as their necessity, plot for cultivating, ploughing, fencing, watering, sustainability, etc., we decided to go ahead with the locally available hybrid vegetable seeds. I had no prior experience in gardening so I had to do some basic research online. Also, by discussing with a few people about the soil here and the seasonal crops that can be cultivated during this time of the year, we finalized on eight vegetable seeds which included coriander, spinach, cabbage, peas, cauliflower, carrot, radish and turnip. Thus, with very little knowledge and hoping for the best outcome for the community, we commenced work by marking a plot at the camp with the help of Nanku and Gulshan. Since the community was very excited about it, things started moving pretty fast in the beginning. I would not say that we had to put in excessive effort and time in making this garden, but without Nanku’s involvement from ploughing the soil till sowing the seeds, it would have been arduous. Perhaps the hardest part was to motivate Nanku every day to get work done as he would be tired after his day job or he would be busy with some meeting at the camp.

The main structure of the fence for the garden 

We started by cleaning the plot and as we began the initial ploughing, we had to collect manure (animal waste and compost) to mix it with the soil and then we had to let it set in the following couple of days while we started working on the fence, which was the most labor and time consuming part in this whole project. Aurelien and I had to collect plenty of bamboos from the nearby jungle and carry them on our shoulders back to the camp. Some days it had to be early mornings and some days it had to be late evenings. The bamboos were put together and the fence was made by pushing them deep in to the ground to make it sturdy and also make it dense enough so that the dogs and chickens cannot penetrate. Even at this point, I was skeptical about the outcome of this project; not knowing if we were doing things the right way or how beneficial this whole thing would turn out to be for the community. Nevertheless, we were highly motivated to persevere by the little kids at the camp, who repeatedly questioned us every day when were we going to sow the seeds.  

The bamboos are ready to be placed! 

One of the kids of the camp observing the process

The garden fence, made of bamboo, was quickly finished

After the completion of the fence it was all ready, the soil looked fertile, the fence looked sturdy and the seeds were waiting to be sown. Thus, with a couple of days of re-ploughing to loosen and level the soil and dividing the plot into many sections for different seeds we were all set for sowing. The seeds were scattered considering the three important factors of gardening, the depth of sowing the seeds, spacing between the seeds and watering, all the seeds were sown in the following couple of days. I visited the garden everyday to water the soil and peep over the fence to check if a leaf was showing up from the ground and one evening within the next three or four days there it was, a few cotyledons popping out from the soil. The excitement and happiness running inside me was immense to see something grow from the seeds that were planted with my own hands. 

The first cotyledons in the garden!

I cannot forget to mention that this whole process wouldn’t have been possible to be completed in such a short span of time with no cost involved, without the contribution of all the other interns (Aurelien, Amelie, Madeline and Breanne) who were involved from day one. Now all I can wish for is a fruitful garden to fill the hungry tummies in the community.

Rizwan Ahmed - India

SWASH Project Manager, Paro (Punjab)

In the migrant camp you will always be welcomed with happy smiles

My experience at EduCARE has been a wonderful one with its own ups and downs. For some their expectations are served, for some they aren’t but for me I stood right in the middle of the bridge. This one month has been a glimpse of an independent life that lies ahead of me. I have learnt things I couldn't get my head at in a year. When I first started off, I was really skeptical. Being away from home isn’t easy for anyone after all. Even so, it whelped a sense of enthusiasm and curiosity of what lays ahead.

I started working from the very day I arrived at the centre and on the first day itself I knew it was going to be an experience worth a lifetime. I managed the migrant camp and at first I felt disconnected. It was later in time that all the kids became a family to me and I would look forward each day to see them. Wherever you go, you will find imperfections but what matters the most is that part of the day which makes you overlook them all. For me, going to the kids was that part. Whenever I arrived I was welcomed by a huge hug from Rajesh followed by Suman’s laughter and Sonyabathi’s smile. As I left, I was departed with kisses. If this isn’t worthy of all the work then I don't know what is. 

This country has vast amount of difference among cultures from state to state thus there’s adaptation required by everyone who doesn’t belong here but it's only a matter of days until the community flings their arms wide open to welcome you into their home and in their lives. It's a milestone to know that you can change someone’s life for the better. I understood my aim of being here from the very day of my arrival. Like any other person, all the people at migrant camp might seem disinterested at first due to constant changes taking place but with time, they adapt to you. Its nice to know that however your day went at the centre, you will always be welcomed with happy smiles in the mid of your day which sets the tone of your day right. 

The fellow interns at my centre made the house at Rait a home. I am taking back a handful of great friends with experiences I will never forget. EduCARE has a strangely nice way of working which I began to admire by the last week I had left here. There is no delegation so you assume responsibilities and learn the importance of self initiative. It works by such a flexible way that even when the managers and the owner itself is with you, you don’t feel challenged. My centre was like a chamber for all animals to reside in, be it a tiger or a deer, all resided in one spot. I am going to miss the thought of “I want to go to Rait” on my weekends. EduCARE is a very unique organisation and the experience is all a mix of bitter and sweet. This was the tale of my one month here and I hope I come back next time for even a longer tale.

Ashna and Puja with the children of the migrant camp in Rajol 

Ashna Nain - India

ASP Project Manager, Rait (Himachal Pradesh)

The magic of a smile

A month ago I had the chance to visit the different centers of EduCARE and when I arrived to Paro, in Punjab, and we walked by the migrant camp, I instantly fell in love with Yjoti, a little boy of one year and a half that was crying in the arms of his young mother. When we approached to the tents made of bamboo and plastic, all the children run to us to introduce themselves with big smiles on their faces, even though they barely spoke English. One of them got my attention when she pretended to be angry and crying with a tousled wig on her head and asked for a photo. Two seconds after clicking the button, Paravati was laughing. 

Paravati pretending that she's crying for the photo

The migrant community in Paro works as trash pickers and wake up really early in the morning to collect plastic bottles that can be sold in order to get some money to buy food for the day. The girls, unfortunately, do not go to school since they are needed in this arduous task. While other children are running on the schoolyard or learning Hindi, math and English in high school, girls like Paravati work everyday under the Punjabi sun, carring big bags of trash and suffering the unbearable humid heat of the region. I frankly have to admit that, despite coming from a hot region in Spain, the heat in Punjab was too much for me. I was sweating through every single pore in my skin during the whole day and the only thing I wanted was to lay down under a fan and work from there. 

Yjoti, Sonia and me

So when the next day in the afternoon the children from the migrant camp welcomed us again with a big smile and willing to do some activity, I felt grateful and it made me realised that heat cannot be a reason to hold us back, because it was not holding them back from spending some time with us. That day we did mhendi, henna tattoos, with the girls and we took thousands of pictures with our cameras. Yjoti, the little baby, was also there with his mom, Sonia, a young girl of 19 years old. I decided to start playing with Yjoti so Sonia could participate in the activity with the rest of the girls and do some henna to the younger girls. Probably, they do not have access to henna every day and that is why they were all so exited about it. 

The girls happily showing the henna design

And then I realized, looking at those girls and at the little Yjoti, that I was also smiling, a sincere smile that I hadn’t shown in a long time. And then I realized that it’s true, that you can be happy with less and that happiness is not the fancy cars that go around the wealthiest neighbourhoods in Delhi or all the clothes that we can afford to buy back in Europe. Those kids without anything were happy because we were there, because we were all having fun and because for a couple of hours they were not thinking about the unbearable heat and the arduous job of the next day.

Me with Yjoti while the girls were doing henna

Laura Sabater Zamora - Spain

Communications coordinator, Maiti (HP)

Health insurance project

On a rainy Monday, Harmonie and Maddy boarded the crowded blue bus bound for Dharamsala. Their mission for the day was to unearth information about health insurance policies that the internet could not provide. As the bus sped down the mountain they reviewed the plan for the day. First, they would visit the Zonal Hospital to research the RSBY Health Insurance Scheme. The Indian government provides a variety of programs that address health issues, but often citizens in poor, rural areas are not aware of these programs. EduCARE acts as an intermediary link between the government and community members to provide information and find beneficiaries. Second, they would visit New India Assurance, the insurance company designated by the government to provide health insurance to families living below the poverty line (BPL) in Himachal Pradesh.

These visits were the first step in finding affordable health insurance options for community members in Naddi. The health insurance project combines the project goals of Women's Empowerment, Health, and Microfinance. Providing affordable health insurance encourages regular visits to the doctor. Currently, in most homes, men's health is prioritized because they are the breadwinners. This means that many women suffer from chronic health issues that go untreated, because treatment is expensive and viewed as nonessential. Health insurance is not a traditional Microfinance endeavor, although EduCARE India does not take a traditional approach to Microfinance. Within EduCARE, Microfinance refers to small scale, community based enterprises, often focusing on financial inclusion. Affordable health insurance plans are a method of financial inclusion. Financial inclusion refers to increasing a person's documented financial activity and increasing their awareness of financial options available to them.

They entered the main doors of the hospital and explained they were looking to speak with Saroj Kumari about RSBY. This request began a fifteen minute race through the hospital from one room to another. As their guide led them at top speed through hospital hallways, patients looked on curiously, no doubtably wondering what the westerns were doing there. Though the hospital was crowded and there were patients waiting in all the halls, the two western interns waited no longer than three minutes to see anyone. They spoke with Ms. Kumari, a nurse responsible for RSBY patients. She explained that beneficiaries of RSBY would receive free health insurance if they were a BPL family. Next they travelled to a separate wing of the hospital, which was hot and humid with open windows and the distinct smell of cleaning bleach. The interns were rushed into an air-conditioned room to visit several doctors and important hospital personnel. The purpose of these visits were unclear and mostly involved chat about the weather. Eventually the interns found themselves sitting in the office of Dr. Gupta having a chai discussing EduCARE's mission, rural health, and the importance of health insurance. Dr. Gupta was very kind and answered all their questions in detail. They stayed to discuss India, France, the United States, and visas. After swapping visa stories, Dr. Gupta declared "In my experience, India is easy, a simple government and simple procedures for those who are honest". The interns disagreed.

As they walked out of the hospital, they felt fully prepared for their meeting at the insurance company responsible for insuring BPL families under the RSBY scheme. Soon they found themselves in the New India Assurance office listening to a story about a woman who had come to Kangra years ago working for an anti-deforestation NGO. This woman was Muslim and Caucasian, a detail that seemed to be the most important fact of the story, according to the teller. Roughly half an hour later it was revealed to them that there was no new information regarding RSBY that the office could provide.

All in all, the day was a mixed success, as is the case with most projects that set out to navigate and conquer Indian bureaucracy. It was encouraging to learn that NGOs have an important role built into the RSBY scheme, meaning EduCARE can positively effect the health of BPL families. Although, it was learned that BPL is a designation given by the head of a village and the government, which often means it is a relative title and excludes many families who are also in need of affordable health insurance. On the one hand, many of their questions were answered, but then on the other hand, with those answers come additional questions. At the end of the day, on the winding road back to Naddi, Harmonie and Maddy planned the next phase of their project, the mission to find affordable health insurance continues.

Maddy Kennedy - USA

Microfinance project manager

New vegetable garden for the Adampur Trash Pickers!

On Wednesday, September 7^th ViKAS Centre interns had the exciting new assignment of initiating a farm plot in the migrant community in Adampur. We have been working with the migrant community of 31 members since April 2011 on various issues of health, nutrition, hygiene, sanitation, economic sustainability, waste management and education.  They face a complex range of social, health and environmental issues that we seek to address in a holistic and integrated way to improve their overall living conditions through building a partnership of trust and respect. One of the main problems faced in this community is poor or inadequate nutrition.  Many members only eat once a day in order to save money and their level of awareness on a balanced diet is limited.  Therefore, as a first step at improving their nutrition levels and awareness we helped them clear the land for planting of a range of vegetables.

The Land before cultivation

To start the job, Interns took turns cutting grass and weeds in order to clear a square plot of land located just behind the community. This task was at times challenging due to the heat but everyone persevered.

Mr B, Dan, Yvan and Hiroki all hard at work

 Once the land was cleared interns began planting vegetable seeds. Some of these included radish, spinach, peas, and chili.

Gulshan,Alex,Suzy and Dan planting seeds

Unfortunately, our organic farming team was away at a workshop and unable to give their advice, but the rest of the interns came together and used their collective knowledge to plant successfully.  However, our organic farm team will be visiting the plot later this week to give their inputs and advice on companion planting, organic pest management and weed control.

                  The next step for the land is to shield it from unwanted animals. Even while the interns were planting seeds, a heard of water buffalo tried to intrude, but we made sure that they got the message and scared them away, as well as spoke to their owner about keeping them off this plot of land.

The current crop of EduCARE interns after a hard days work
Names from back row left to Right, Yvan,Dan, Liz, Nick, Julia, hiroki, Alvin, Rachael, Alex,
middle row: Rieke, Tono, Yuki, Shantie,
front row: Gulshan, Suzi

             Overall, the day was a success and if the community tends to the land with our help and guidance, it should thrive with vegetables for them in the future. This is a first step to help improve their diet and nutrition levels as well as save them money for the future. We hope also in the coming weeks to extend this plot to include more vegetables. We will be sure to keep you updated on the progress of this project!