Sunday, June 1, 2014

The next chapter

Today we had most of the day to rest, reflect, pack up before relocating to our new home at the Green Path Hotel on the other side of the city.
Today marks the end of another year for me and the end of our two weeks of field trips. As I reflect on my 26th year, the things I have observed and learned during this time in Bangalore have by far been the highlight.

We have seen first-hand many of the struggles that Indians face everyday. We have experienced the transportation problems associated with poor roads, lack of traffic laws, and over abundance of vehicles. We have witnessed the water, sanitation, health, and housing problems in slum communities, and we talked to these people about their struggles.

Following the trash trail through Bangalore put into perspective how the waste removal system (or lack thereof) in India is different from ours in the U.S.

Recognizing the extreme differences between upper and lower classes, organic versus non-organic farming, and empowered women with job opportunities compared to those following the "social norms" have further expanded our knowledge.

All of this, along with our many other adventures, have prepared us for the next portion of our class.

Today we had most of the day to rest, reflect, pack up, and relocate to our new home at the Green Path Hotel on the other side of the city.

The evening was spent meeting our new classmates from Cincinnati as well as universities and businesses across India. We shared our experiences, concerns, and interests and worked in teams to start taking the first steps toward creating a social venture.

For the rest of the week, we will be working through the different steps associated with fine tuning this social venture plan and better understanding the problem we are trying to solve and the goals we are hoping to achieve.