During my group semester here in India I was very homesick, but between this being my third time in Dharamshala and living in my own apartment this place definitely feels like a home away from home. There is never a dull moment here in India but it’s great being back. Since I’ve been here I have been working with a woman named Elise who started a hand-made, fair trade, kids clothing business. She works with the women in the village I am living in, Gamru, and makes sure they are getting paid fare wages. Outside of the business part of what Elise is doing she has also created a self-help group with the woman where a portion of the profits made are invested back into community projects which the women chose. While being here I’ve helped with a variety of things such as taking videos of the women to make an about us video for the company and help organize meetings with all the women.
Unfortunately, Elise has had to go back to the U.S due to an emergency back home so I am now on a hunt for a new placement. Looking for a new placement has been a challenge and somewhat frustrating but I have learned a lot about NGO’s while doing so. I’ve learned that just because an organization is considered a NGO does not necessarily mean they are doing much good for the community. Aside from working with Elise and searching for a new placement, I’ve kept busy with going on walks through the Himalayas, going to the Dalai Lama temple, and socializing and building relationships with people here in the village. I was also lucky enough to be here for Holi, an Indian festival where you throw colored powder at each other, which was absolutely amazing to be a part of. I played Holi with the kids in the village and by the end of it was covered from head to toe in colored powder. As I continue to be in India I continue to grow, living on my own for the first time while being in a foreign country has definitely made me grow up a lot, and working with the women here and talking to people from all over the world has definitely made me learn a lot. I am looking forward to my next two months here and learning from all that India has to offer.
Namaste!
Hannah