Going Home

Well here I am at the end of my time here in India. I am back in Delhi and over the past two days have been feverishly working on my report. It is almost done I am happy to say, just a few finishing touches to put on it upon my return to New York. Trying to synthesize everything that I have seen and heard from volunteers, Pratham workers and government officials has been difficult. By difficult, I mean that I have experienced and learned so much that creating a cohesive, comprehensive narrative which encompasses everything that I wish to convey poses a challenge. I believe that for the most part I have accomplished the feat.  

During my stay I have seen many faces of this vast country, but I know that I have only scratched the surface. I once read in a Lonely Planet guidebook that India is less a country than a continent all of its own. I now fully agree with that appraisal. This feeling was reinforced when I learned recently that there are something in the range of nineteen different major languages within India. Along with this, there are hundreds of individual dialects scattered across the length and breadth of the subcontinent.  When viewed from this perspective the necessity for local volunteers and the knowledge that they hold becomes even more important. Even a highly committed NGO such as Pratham could not hope to operate on the large scale that is does throughout India without their local workers. These workers have provided some of the best moments for me. Their unceasing work both for Pratham and their communities should be an inspiration for anyone who wants to help out those who are less fortunate then themselves. My guide and translator while I was in Amritsar, Pearl, perfectly sums up this commitment. Outside of her work for Pratham as a district coordinator she also individually teaches over ninety children from the slums near her home. She works tirelessly to bring them to a level where they can attend school and excel. She also feeds and cares for 16 stray dogs.

Despite the amazing experiences I have had while in India, I will  say that I am happy to be going back to New York. It will be nice to be able to speak english to someone and not receive an uncomprehending smile as a response. I will no longer need to communicate with hand gestures to tell the cab driver where I want to go (although with New York cabbies, this may not be the case). And perhaps most importantly of all, I will be able to have bacon at breakfast, and maybe even a steak for dinner. 

To anyone who has read this blog and not visited India I implore you to consider planning your next vacation here. If you do come, do not spend your  entire time in some swanky western resort hotel. Get out and meet the people of this amazing place. Ride the trains, and if your stomach is strong enough, the buses. Eat the food, but watch out for the water. And most importantly, come with an open mind, you may just learn something. 

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www.readindia.org
www.pratham.org.uk
www.prathamusa.org
www.pratham.org