Krupa- KCC (Krupa Community College) and Arunodhaya project
13/9/12
This has been one of the most challenging areas of my experience here, so far. I think it is safe to say this. Earlier on, I was completely overwhelmed with the barrage of incoming information flooding all of my senses. Therefore, I felt it was necessary for me to work in the headquarters for awhile, helping to organize materials and to do some clerical work for them. They'd needed this done for a long time, and it just happened that I could help them complete the huge task of converting 800 or so addresses from an address book to an Excel sheet on the computer. The thought makes me laugh now, I really had a time, struggling with the handwriting of some of the addresses, not to mention all of the difficult Tamil names of the streets and towns which were still unfamiliar to me. But, in the end, I really benefited from this, and find myself pronouncing Tamil words much easier and most of this is to the credit of the addresses.
Finally, I began getting assistance from the first-year MSW (Master's Social Work) students and two were placed with me. At this point, I felt I was able to handle the demand of working at KCC where I had been originally placed. This is the community college, where dropout students from high school come and are given an education so they can hopefully function in India in the future.
The MSW students know Tamil, and thus were giving me hope that I could communicate with the faculty and students there better.
Even with this tremendous help, I found myself struggling with other barriers. Culturally, I had some lessons to learn. The SW department expected us to outline goals to fulfill at placement and to work on these. At the end of the semester we are then expected to give a presentation on our accomplishment of these and what we've learned and overcame. We are also required to complete a report each week of each day's activities and experiences.
The struggle came out of this and the cultural barrier I had yet to cross. I was having a hard time there because I would prepare for lessons for classes or for group projects to help in counseling the weaving women or the tailoring group... However, Indian culture is pretty spontaneous and lax. This has been one of the hardest concepts for me to come to terms with. It made me very anxious and nervous not knowing what would be coming next and not knowing if I was going to be able to think on my feet. I was even feeling as if I was not qualified to be doing the things I was given opportunities to do. In the end, it came down to me becoming so overwhelmed with feeling like I was doing what I was there for and not working hard enough, as in working on the goals I had set.
This all had to be blatantly explained to me- I was too stubborn to realize the cultural norms in front of me. I was thinking in U.S. field placement/internship practices. Instead of having a quantitative way of measuring how much "work" is being done, as in the U.S., with strict guidelines to follow, here is actually almost completely opposite- or at least how I see it.
We do work, but as social workers in the Indian context, we are supposed to be completely flexible and apply ourselves wherever needed. And no matter the smallest conversation, the smallest or largest act of ours, we are regarded as still learning and helping the organization. Furthermore, I am an international student (which I forget sometimes... how??) and not even expected to be doing a lot of the things that are required of the Indian MSW students. I still am able to apply myself, but they recognize that I am from a completely different background and allow me to observe... By simply doing this, I learn so much the way it is!
Okay, so after I was set straight with this, life at placement has been so much, I can't say relaxing, but a lot of the stress I was feeling have just dissolved. It is so nice to go and feel like I've enjoyed myself. I even have students coming up to me and telling me how well I'm doing and how much they like me. And that in itself is confirmation enough.
Today and Tuesday were some of the days when I just felt like this is where I'm supposed to be now, and that God is working through a plan for me.
Tuesday, I led the second, a review, session of Conversational English: Unit 5, Effective Criticism. Now, this is a lesson that would be good anywhere, but to be taught in English? I thought this was a tremendously difficult topic to understand, especially in a new language for the students. However, with the syllabus and some translation through other teachers, I was able to explain the concepts pretty well. Next was Spoken English class taught by another MSW student. Classes got done and we had break. During our break, one of the teachers came in and asked if the other MSW student or I would like to take this other class, one of the other teachers hadn't showed up.
Here's that spontaneity... I agreed to look at the book. Before long, I was standing in front of 8 young nursing students, teaching them the basic parts of cells, with the help of some translation. I am certainly getting a lesson in rephrasing! :)
Today, we started in on the Arunodhaya project. We are reviving a very recent program that last year's MSW students began. Our supervisor had a vision that young people who are shunned by communities due to their mental and physical disabilities could be reached by Krupa and have some lessons on school or social experiences, and teach them some skills that they can use to help earn money or just keep them active.
We visited four homes today, and this was an experience I won't forget for a long time.
Our van took us to a village only 10 minutes or so from the community college.
The first family we went to meet was a mother and her two daughters. One is in the 10th standard and the other we got to meet. Lavanya was a pretty girl of 18 years. She was permanently disabled and was forced to sit on the floor. She had education through the 5th standard, but after getting a serious fever, was unable to walk at all. She had an operation, and it failed, so she is permanently unable to walk at all. Instead she will scoot on the floor, or I suppose someone will carry her.
She was the sweetest, though. We walked in, and she smiled like it was Christmas! We were able to spend nearly an hour talking with she and her mother. To me, it seemed like the mother was so happy to just be talking to someone new and sharing her story. She was grateful to have someone caring of her and interested in her life. Through conversation, we learned that her husband left 5 years ago and they don't know where he went. So, she is working when she can, when she finds someone to be with her daughter for the day.
We spent time with another girl and her parents, a mother of a boy who is mentally handicapped, and visited one girl who lives with her father. The last, we've already visited once. Krupa helps them out with an amount of rice too, because the family is struggling pretty badly right now. The girl's mother passed away over half a year ago, and they're getting by.
Then we made it back to Krupa. It was 2:15 before I was eating, and then at 3, it was the students' favorite: games period! This is a special treat, they only get it once a week for an hour.
I enjoyed a lesson in hitting a ball in cricket, then spent time with the girls group. I learned three new games: one of strategy and running, one of pure luck (sitting and guessing who had a handkerchief), and Kudi, kudi. The last involves two groups. One player crosses to the other side, and says, "kudi, kudi," really fast, repeatedly and tries to tag someone and get back to her own side. Meanwhile, the others try to avoid getting tagged and try to catch the girl. It's a crazy, pretty fun game!
And even as this was one of the most difficult and trying experiences thus far during my stay here, it's turned out to be one of the most rewarding.
A few examples:
-leading group of tailoring girls getting to know them. They all described their emotions at that moment to be happy, simply because they were doing something different, drawing, meeting with me, and I think being able to be heard was really neat for them. We'll have to do something like that again.
-One girl coming up to me after class and telling me that her brother (in KCC with her) is finding it easier to understand me and my English. She thinks I am picking up more of an Indian accent. (I think so too, but it comes out most when I am teaching the students...)
-Seeing the smiles on the two girls faces we visited today, breaking up their day and giving them some (much needed) attention.
-Teacher's Day program
-upon arrival to Krupa, one girl in particular loves to come up to me and give me a big hug! And they are all so excited to talk to me, whenever. It can be in English or Tamil, they just like talking. Sometimes I understand... sometimes I don't. (Secret: smile and Indian-nod my head... :) )
-Tuesday before I left, a girl grabbed my hand- common in any Indian friendship setting, between boys or girls- and looked me straight in the eyes... "I like you."
So, I'm getting along. Getting along pretty well I'd say.
God has been doing some great things in my life, and I've been experiencing some major changes- lifestyle-wise and through my everyday thought process. I've been getting lessons every day, none probably as important as: never take for granted the things you have, and make the most of every moment. I suppose these two kind of sum up the feelings I've had most frequently during my stay here. It's amazing, how something so completely different as a new environment (like India), surrounded by new people, new food, new culture, can really stimulate so much change.
Thank you all so much for thinking of me and supporting me as much as you have. I can feel it here, stronger than ever, and it means so much!
13/9/12
This has been one of the most challenging areas of my experience here, so far. I think it is safe to say this. Earlier on, I was completely overwhelmed with the barrage of incoming information flooding all of my senses. Therefore, I felt it was necessary for me to work in the headquarters for awhile, helping to organize materials and to do some clerical work for them. They'd needed this done for a long time, and it just happened that I could help them complete the huge task of converting 800 or so addresses from an address book to an Excel sheet on the computer. The thought makes me laugh now, I really had a time, struggling with the handwriting of some of the addresses, not to mention all of the difficult Tamil names of the streets and towns which were still unfamiliar to me. But, in the end, I really benefited from this, and find myself pronouncing Tamil words much easier and most of this is to the credit of the addresses.
Finally, I began getting assistance from the first-year MSW (Master's Social Work) students and two were placed with me. At this point, I felt I was able to handle the demand of working at KCC where I had been originally placed. This is the community college, where dropout students from high school come and are given an education so they can hopefully function in India in the future.
The MSW students know Tamil, and thus were giving me hope that I could communicate with the faculty and students there better.
Even with this tremendous help, I found myself struggling with other barriers. Culturally, I had some lessons to learn. The SW department expected us to outline goals to fulfill at placement and to work on these. At the end of the semester we are then expected to give a presentation on our accomplishment of these and what we've learned and overcame. We are also required to complete a report each week of each day's activities and experiences.
The struggle came out of this and the cultural barrier I had yet to cross. I was having a hard time there because I would prepare for lessons for classes or for group projects to help in counseling the weaving women or the tailoring group... However, Indian culture is pretty spontaneous and lax. This has been one of the hardest concepts for me to come to terms with. It made me very anxious and nervous not knowing what would be coming next and not knowing if I was going to be able to think on my feet. I was even feeling as if I was not qualified to be doing the things I was given opportunities to do. In the end, it came down to me becoming so overwhelmed with feeling like I was doing what I was there for and not working hard enough, as in working on the goals I had set.
This all had to be blatantly explained to me- I was too stubborn to realize the cultural norms in front of me. I was thinking in U.S. field placement/internship practices. Instead of having a quantitative way of measuring how much "work" is being done, as in the U.S., with strict guidelines to follow, here is actually almost completely opposite- or at least how I see it.
We do work, but as social workers in the Indian context, we are supposed to be completely flexible and apply ourselves wherever needed. And no matter the smallest conversation, the smallest or largest act of ours, we are regarded as still learning and helping the organization. Furthermore, I am an international student (which I forget sometimes... how??) and not even expected to be doing a lot of the things that are required of the Indian MSW students. I still am able to apply myself, but they recognize that I am from a completely different background and allow me to observe... By simply doing this, I learn so much the way it is!
Okay, so after I was set straight with this, life at placement has been so much, I can't say relaxing, but a lot of the stress I was feeling have just dissolved. It is so nice to go and feel like I've enjoyed myself. I even have students coming up to me and telling me how well I'm doing and how much they like me. And that in itself is confirmation enough.
Today and Tuesday were some of the days when I just felt like this is where I'm supposed to be now, and that God is working through a plan for me.
Tuesday, I led the second, a review, session of Conversational English: Unit 5, Effective Criticism. Now, this is a lesson that would be good anywhere, but to be taught in English? I thought this was a tremendously difficult topic to understand, especially in a new language for the students. However, with the syllabus and some translation through other teachers, I was able to explain the concepts pretty well. Next was Spoken English class taught by another MSW student. Classes got done and we had break. During our break, one of the teachers came in and asked if the other MSW student or I would like to take this other class, one of the other teachers hadn't showed up.
Here's that spontaneity... I agreed to look at the book. Before long, I was standing in front of 8 young nursing students, teaching them the basic parts of cells, with the help of some translation. I am certainly getting a lesson in rephrasing! :)
Today, we started in on the Arunodhaya project. We are reviving a very recent program that last year's MSW students began. Our supervisor had a vision that young people who are shunned by communities due to their mental and physical disabilities could be reached by Krupa and have some lessons on school or social experiences, and teach them some skills that they can use to help earn money or just keep them active.
We visited four homes today, and this was an experience I won't forget for a long time.
Our van took us to a village only 10 minutes or so from the community college.
The first family we went to meet was a mother and her two daughters. One is in the 10th standard and the other we got to meet. Lavanya was a pretty girl of 18 years. She was permanently disabled and was forced to sit on the floor. She had education through the 5th standard, but after getting a serious fever, was unable to walk at all. She had an operation, and it failed, so she is permanently unable to walk at all. Instead she will scoot on the floor, or I suppose someone will carry her.
She was the sweetest, though. We walked in, and she smiled like it was Christmas! We were able to spend nearly an hour talking with she and her mother. To me, it seemed like the mother was so happy to just be talking to someone new and sharing her story. She was grateful to have someone caring of her and interested in her life. Through conversation, we learned that her husband left 5 years ago and they don't know where he went. So, she is working when she can, when she finds someone to be with her daughter for the day.
We spent time with another girl and her parents, a mother of a boy who is mentally handicapped, and visited one girl who lives with her father. The last, we've already visited once. Krupa helps them out with an amount of rice too, because the family is struggling pretty badly right now. The girl's mother passed away over half a year ago, and they're getting by.
Then we made it back to Krupa. It was 2:15 before I was eating, and then at 3, it was the students' favorite: games period! This is a special treat, they only get it once a week for an hour.
I enjoyed a lesson in hitting a ball in cricket, then spent time with the girls group. I learned three new games: one of strategy and running, one of pure luck (sitting and guessing who had a handkerchief), and Kudi, kudi. The last involves two groups. One player crosses to the other side, and says, "kudi, kudi," really fast, repeatedly and tries to tag someone and get back to her own side. Meanwhile, the others try to avoid getting tagged and try to catch the girl. It's a crazy, pretty fun game!
And even as this was one of the most difficult and trying experiences thus far during my stay here, it's turned out to be one of the most rewarding.
A few examples:
-leading group of tailoring girls getting to know them. They all described their emotions at that moment to be happy, simply because they were doing something different, drawing, meeting with me, and I think being able to be heard was really neat for them. We'll have to do something like that again.
-One girl coming up to me after class and telling me that her brother (in KCC with her) is finding it easier to understand me and my English. She thinks I am picking up more of an Indian accent. (I think so too, but it comes out most when I am teaching the students...)
-Seeing the smiles on the two girls faces we visited today, breaking up their day and giving them some (much needed) attention.
-Teacher's Day program
-upon arrival to Krupa, one girl in particular loves to come up to me and give me a big hug! And they are all so excited to talk to me, whenever. It can be in English or Tamil, they just like talking. Sometimes I understand... sometimes I don't. (Secret: smile and Indian-nod my head... :) )
-Tuesday before I left, a girl grabbed my hand- common in any Indian friendship setting, between boys or girls- and looked me straight in the eyes... "I like you."
So, I'm getting along. Getting along pretty well I'd say.
God has been doing some great things in my life, and I've been experiencing some major changes- lifestyle-wise and through my everyday thought process. I've been getting lessons every day, none probably as important as: never take for granted the things you have, and make the most of every moment. I suppose these two kind of sum up the feelings I've had most frequently during my stay here. It's amazing, how something so completely different as a new environment (like India), surrounded by new people, new food, new culture, can really stimulate so much change.
Thank you all so much for thinking of me and supporting me as much as you have. I can feel it here, stronger than ever, and it means so much!
No comments:
Post a Comment