Final Thoughts on GRAAM Project

Though my time in India is not yet over, I am now formally done with the program. As I look back on my experience this past summer, I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to come to India. I have had a lot of different experiences during my time in India, from the cultural activities such as the trips to my academic and work experiences. I know that this summer has been an experience that I will never forget.

I feel privileged to have gotten the chance to work with GRAAM. The people there are working on a lot of different projects and I really saw that they were really invested in the outcomes of all of their projects. I am glad that I got to contribute to the work that they are doing on the NREGA and people with disabilities in India. The NREGA study contains a heavy emphasis on advocacy, which means that the goal for the project is to bring about positive change in the current NREGA situation.

I will be remaining in India for 4 weeks, during this time; I hope to finalize the documents that I have been working on for GRAAM. I also hope that I can remain engaged in the project and provide any assistance that I can. The work that I have done with GRAAM has helped me to further understand the importance of the study that GRAAM is undertaking. It is clear to me from the various literatures that I have reviewed that the issues facing people with disabilities in relation to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act have not been well studied. I hope that this pilot study can help to start a dialogue about the issues affects the participation of people with disabilities in the NREGA.

A Bus Trip Around Hyderabad

I had the opportunity to travel around the city of Hyderabad with a person with a disability to experience first-hand the experiences that the person had talked about in their interview with me.  I am so thankful that SERP arranged this and for the individual I traveled with for agreeing to show me the city and taking time out of her day to do so

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First, we met at a location about 20 minutes away from the SERP office by vehicle.  We met at a major bus stop that was quite big and had a lot of people waiting.  I was a little intimidated by the sheer number of people waiting to get on buses, but luckily the person I was riding with was a great guide.

The first bus we rode on was the standard (high-floor) bus.  For me, just getting on was terrifying.  The bus doesn’t really stop, it just slows down and people are pushing and grabbing at each other to get on.  I wasn’t prepared for that, so I felt lucky just to be able to make it onto the bus to start the day.  The bus ride lasted for about 20 minutes and we arrived at another popular bus stop.

The next bus we took was a new, low-floor bus, that I have been examining as part of my project.  It was a much nicer bus and was easier for everyone to board because it was much lower to the ground.  Even though there are still accessibility issues with it, the low-floor bus makes many improvements in accessibility for passengers.

Finally, I got to cross a busy highway with the individual I was traveling with.  I got this experience because the bus stop and her workplace are separated by about .25 miles and a major road, so I got to experience what life with public transportation is like.   It was terrifying for me to cross that major road, but it really gave me a good understanding of the location of the bus stop.

I'm so glad I got to have this experience because it really helped me add insight to my project, and it's something I will remember for a long time to come.

SVYM Course Field Trip

Coffee Plantation, Elephant Camp, and Golden Temple. To the casual observer, it might seem unlikely that these three things would be listed together, but then this person obviously has never been to India.  As we set off for our trip early in the morning, we were all looking forward to the long but exciting day ahead. 

The first stop of the day was the Coffee Plantation, which was located in a rain forest like region of Mysore District, very unlike the urbanized Mysore from which we had departed. From an ILR perspective, the trip was informative because we got to learn about how the agricultural sector within India was being affected by the changes in the larger Indian labor market and also learn about the ways in which gender played a role in the division of labor on the Plantation.  We were treated to fresh bananas, coconuts, and oranges while we learned about various aspects of the Plantation’s operations. After that we took turns riding on what we came to affectionately call the “roller coaster,” as we stood on back of a flatbed and got to see more of the plantation as well as the living quarters of some of the staff at the farm. 

Following that and lunch, we departed for the Elephant Camp which was reached via a short riverboat ride. The highlight of this part of the day was being able get up close to the fully-grown elephants, some thing that we all knew we would never have been able to do in the United States. Some of the braver students took turn feeding the elephants bananas and also receiving blessings from the elephants. The trip served to reinforce our understanding variety of roles that elephants in the Indian culture.

The last place that we visited was the Golden Place, which is Buddhist Tibetan temple in the Mysore District of Karnataka.  Walking into the temple, we were greeted by three gigantic Buddha statues. The scale of the temple and its elaborate decoration really gave a sense of the importance that the Temple has to the Tibetan community of India.

Overall, the day’s activities were highly memorable and though they were varied location, they all helped to give me a better understanding of the diverse range of lived experiences that exist within India.

interview #1

Part of my project is to conduct interviews with persons with disabilities to report on the barriers that the lack of accessibility of public transportation.

 I got to do my first interview on Friday! I was really excited to be able to meet with the individual and have a conversation about the barriers to transportation that she faces every day...  her stories were really fascinating.

One really shocking thing that I learned that people with disabilities are often refused a drivers license by the DMV staff.   It shows the importance of public transportation in the lives of so many people here in Hyderabad.

I also might have the opportunity to travel with her on public transportation to see first-had her experiences with it, which I think will just make my final report even better!
It felt great to be able to complete my first interview; I learned so much from being able to interact with her.  The interview went really well, and I'm looking forward to completing many more with other individuals.

Getting into Rhythm: Week Number Two in Hyderabad

A range of emotions stirs within me as I write this post. It is now the halfway point of my internship experience with the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP). This week was filled with deeper investigations into my project and spending more time assimilating into the Hyderbadi life—the culture that makes this city standout in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Slowly but surely, I’m finding ways to make sure that I take in a holistic understanding of the community around me.

Now in the second week, I am really falling into a daily routine: wake up by 9:30pm for breakfast of tea with bread and jam (the customary idli with sambar and peanut-tasting chutney was too rich and heavy for me to be hungry enough to eat another hearty meal by lunchtime);

spend 30 minutes reading the Deccan Chronicle and the Times of India—catching up on local, state, federal and global news; then jump right into the tasks for the assignment, continuing from the day before.

 My project involves analyzing the practices of the US and other countries in regards to vocational rehabilitation and employment placement programs. Without a formalized system for assessing people with disabilities and placing them into employment opportunities, SERP is searching for a way to create an effective and efficient program. Thus, I have been researching existing tools and programs, particularly in the US, on how to evaluate and assess the abilities of people with disabilities. From this information, I will next work on developing a streamlined program to implement in SERP’s efforts to assist people with disabilities and those in rural communities.

 It has been a great experience working independently on the assigned projects--from developing research questions, to searching for credible sources and information across the globe, to analyzing and developing further questions to follow up with our coordinators at SERP. I have really enjoyed this process and it has been great to see myself grow into being capable of taking on self-directed work, being accountable with myself and with the organization directors on my progress.

With only two weeks left, I work with an enthusiastic fervor to make the most of my time here in Hyderabad and in my work with SERP.

Overview of our first week in Hyderabad

Teresa and I have now been in Hyderabad for two weeks, working with the Society for the Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) in their disability department. 

Teresa’s project involves analyzing the employment and skills assessment program for SERP. She will be creating a tool that will streamline the evaluation of persons with disabilities for potential careers.

 

My project is to interview persons with disabilities in regards to lack of accessible public transportation. I will then compile findings from the interviews into an essay that SERP can use to advocate to the government to have more accessible public transportation. 

 

 

In addition to working hard at our projects, we have been able to see a lot of the city. Hyderabad is really vibrant, and we’ve had a lot of fun exploring. 

 

We went to the Charminar on Saturday, which is an icon of the city. We climbed all the way to the top, which offered wonderful views of the greater Hyderabad area.

We also went to Laad Bazaar, which is a really old bazaar in the heart of the city. Hyderabad is the city of bangles and pearls, so we had a lot of fun picking out pearl bangles!

We’re having a great time here in Hyderabad and are very excited about our projects. It’s hard to believe that we only have two weeks left!