Loving my Job, Loving India

In the afternoon, we took the bus out to the rural areas and met two mothers of devadasis, a young boy who was in bonded labor, and a young boy who by choice had dropped out of school and was working for an income. I love the chance that I have had to hear so many peoples’ stories and to experience India. I especially love doing it with the students, and using my “experiential learning cycle”-style questions to process our experiences with them later.

On the bus after this final meeting today, Roshen came to ask me how I found our conversation with these boys. I hope he wasn’t disappointed, because while yes I found it heartwrenching and frustrating that these boys were being robbed of a childhood and forced into work, but this isn’t the conversation that impacted me the most – my mind was still on the defeated devadasi that we met a few days before. It did, however, change Julio’s life, and it was a joy for me to be able to listen to him process our encounter when I asked him this very same question later that day.

What this conversation did do, however, was connect another heartstring to India; a heartstring that is strengthened with understanding and compassion, and a heartstring that I know will never break and will make it very difficult to return to America. A few of the Bandhavi girls came with our guests, and they came to sit by me saying, “Hi, Jen aunty.” I was shocked. I had met them 3 days ago, they had met me along with 19 other people, yet they remembered my name, leaned on my shoulder and sat on my lap. As we drove back to Visthar, James asked me, “Jen. What would you say is the #1 thing that you are constantly thinking about, that is always on your mind?” And, as I turned from watching the sun set against the Indian countryside, my very first response was, “That I never want to leave India.”

I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to come on this field visit to Koppal. It has truly been a growing experience both personally and professionally. Personally, to really experience India, to grow closer to my students and staff [sometimes bonding just comes easier when you're traveling]. And professionally, to be able to facilitate some of the learning process, to have conversations, to observe field visits being conducted, to question ethics, everything. I loved it. The other day Sid said, "I can't believe you and Roshen want to do this for a living. It's exhausting." Which yes, true, it is. But it is SO rewarding!