The last month has been a turbulent one. I have experienced greater emotional highs and lows these last couple of week than I have since my adolescent years. Well, perhaps that is an exaggeration…but I am writing about feelings. So, here’s the story:

I spent much of December facilitating health workshops for high risk adolescent girls: a total of five. This is the type of work I love: small groups, epiphany moments, and empowering education. I gained access to these vulnerable populations through the help of my supervisor and an acquaintance of hers who runs another NGO. The first three workshops were fantastic. Groups of rescued girls sitting around on a carpet learning about disease transmission. We learned, we played, we laughed. The fourth “workshop” was more or less a disaster.

A Destiny worker and I traveled out to the Sunderbans. I was to give a workshop, or talk, I was unclear until I got there, to grade 10 adolescents at a girl’s school. My arrival seemed to throw the head teacher into a tizzy as she told me I was early. (But to my understanding I arrived as scheduled.) The teacher informed the woman who was with me that she would translate, even though I was reluctant about her English comprehension and understood there a translators was to be provided. The teacher then sent us to another building for an unusually quick tea. From there I was hurried into an auditorium full of 200 girls. It was immediately evident that my accompanying assistant would not be able to translate. I appealed to the head teacher for help. Disappearing once again, she left with a room full of tittering girls. To maintain some order we did some stretches until she reappeared with another translator.

“That’s the worst of it,” I thought. But no, it had just begun. Apparently the girls were much younger, so the translator informed me she would edit my portion of HIV prevention failing to translate back to me what she said. A few minutes later, the translator argued with me about healthy eating and nutrition, telling me they were too poor to talk to about portion size and food groups. Exasperated, I ended this workshop turn public speaking fiasco early…much to the consternation of the unfriendly head teacher. We were then marched back to the tea room and hurried through a lunch and told goodbye. We arrived back in Kolkata hours ahead of schedule.

That night my stomach revolted and put me out of commission for the 24 hours. Obviously, I had unsafely assumed the food and drinking water was clean. The next morning there was an insulting, tongue and cheek email sitting in mine and my supervisor’s inbox from the acquaintance who connected us to the school, promised to accompany me, the backed out once the date was fixed. Now what? My supervisor and I composed a professional response hoping to alleviate his anger. We were not successful. The most recent communications find us attempting to severe the relationship as he threatens us with what he calls his “international reach.”

During this same week, I learned my grandfather passed away. Something I had been expecting but nonetheless very difficult. Additionally we also received word that visa rules for tourists are changing which may greatly effect our travel plans at the end of this internship. Needless to say, I was under a great deal of pressure and stress as I prepared for another workshop the acquaintance had set up for me.

The next workshop went well. The girls were children of prostitutes. We talk about drug use and its health effects using photos and games. I think we all had fun and they all learned a little something. At Destiny during this time, the women fully discovered an embroidery machine Graham and I brought over that had been donated by his co-worker. What fun that was, watching them learn new technology and create products with an adventurous spirit.

Then came Christmas. Graham and I threw a party at our host family’s home. We expected two or three Destiny women to come and some family. But almost all the Destiny women came dressed in beautiful sarees, thrilled to celebrating Christmas with Christians. We had a great time twenty guests. We ordered Punjabi food and ended the meal with my homemade shortbread cookies and apple pie. We talk about the meaning of Christmas, then has a white elephant gift exchange. It took a little boy stealing from his father to stop the politeness and start the fun.

I believe my husband and I were stolen from more than anyone else, but somehow ended up with more than our fair share of gifts. At work the next day the women spent their morning computer training time typing in English (!) about he fun they had. What a merry Christmas!

And so, this is what I am learning: the greatest work I can do is to impact people through relationships. Sure, technically I am here on an internship to complete certain goals and projects. But really, if I am not contributing to friendships, communities, and purpose, what good will any number of workshops and speeches produce? The take home message is: people, not projects; love, not competition; development equals empowerment and development requires some heart investment.

Category: India, On location // 2 Comments »