Ahemdabad Retreat 2010...

I was in Ahemdabad for 3 days for a retreat...it has left me with so many things to ponder on. Let me take you on a quick ride through what I saw and felt...We did quite a number of things at Ahemdabad...We met people from other NGO's like Manav Sadhna, Indicorps and Gandhi Fellowship...Each of these are unique in their own ways and has left me thinking there is so so so much work to be done around to make the world a better place. It has left me being a much more humble person who feels no work is big or small. It is your intention towards the work that makes it big or small. It took me back to my first meeting with Teach for India people where Rebecca asked us "When is the best time to plant a tree?" Her reply to which was "it was either 10 years ago or it is right now!" This whole 3 day experience has made me realise the kind of work I am into may not show immediate results and this fact should not bog me down...but 10 years from now or may be 20 years from now it surely will grow like a tree...
A lot of my take aways from the retreat were from the community stay I had in Ahemdabad. I spent a night and about a day in an urban slum with a family. It was the first time in my life that I was walking through what looked like an endless slum with tiniest and darkest of rooms but with the brightest and loveliest of smiles to welcome us in their homes. I was assigned to stay with Puriben who lived with her husband. She also had her two year old grand daughter Pooja staying with her as Pooja's mother was expecting another baby soon. Puriben lived in a two room house which was lit using a small yellow bulb. Come in she said and I sat feeling extremely hot, realising there were no fans and the house had a tin roof. Puriben was in the middle of cooking dinner. I offered to help but she said rest today and you can help me tomorrow. The evening passed by having the most amazing food of my life, meeting Puriben's relatives and playing with Pooja. I did feel a little uncomfortable earlier but in about an hour I felt as if I knew all these people since long. They all looked like a family. I had one of the most peaceful sleeps under that tin roof which seemed to be boiling earlier. The next morning started early at 5.30 when I walked towards an open land with Puriben to answer natures call. Puriben and a lot of other families did not have their own toilets and they used open space. Puriben shared how it was so difficult especially for women to manage without toilets. It did feel awkward but I was open enough to experience what most of them went through their everyday life. Puriben was treating me more like a guest initially. She wanted me to eat the best, sleep on the best mattress and watch TV. But I switched off the TV and asked her for some work. I wanted to join her husband with his work which was distributing tiffins around the city. But it was not feasible for some reason and I stayed back helping Puriben with her daily chores. I swept and mopped, washed utensils, cooked on a kerosene stove etc. When Puriben and I went out to get vegetables for lunch I realised they lived literally hand to mouth. She bought oil and spices that were enough only for cooking one vegetable. She bought flour that was enough only for one meal. The sweetest thing she did was also buying a little ghee to make some sweet as I was going to leave that afternoon. The day ended faster than I thought it would and it was time for me to leave. In a hurry I forgot to exchange numbers with Puriben. I was pleasantly surprised to receive Puriben's call on one of the volunteers phone asking for me and my number. I may have not learnt as much about life in slums in one day. But one of the things I learnt was these people are so happy and content. They live in the most challenging situations, their homes get flooded with water in rains and they move to a secure place in tents, they have enough food only for a day and yet they are so enthusiastic about life! They give their 100% and take pride in the work they do. Most important of all they have hearts of gold filled with selfless love...
Last 3 days have made one thing clear for me. I really look forward to staying in the social sector in some way. I absolutely do not know where my life is heading in terms of career and where I will be after my fellowship ends. I loved what Jayeshbhai from Manav Sadhna said in his talk "take your work like a torch light. You will see only up to a distance but, when you cover that distance the torch light will guide you further." I am so glad I am a part of Teach for India...yet again! :)