bagnoli

Where you send your kid to school matters for educational equality

Posted on June 11, 2016 by bagnolils

The Grinnell community recently considered introducing a private school as an alternative to the town’s public school system. An advocate for the public school system, I questioned how community members I admired for their commitment to social justice could also advocate for an institution that experts warned would lead to an intense dip in resources for the public school and segregation of the Grinnell student body.

Even as I bemoaned and fought against the hypocrisy of our traditionally socially just community, several town discussions revealed the inevitable– that the parents’ choice to support a private school was motivated by an intense desire to give the very best to their children. Their fear of a sub-par educational experience drove them to fight for the good of their child, period. Most of the time, these were also the parents who could afford the hefty private school tuition that would effectively bar low income students from attending. As our Grinnell College student group Students for Equality in Education (SEE) wrote in a letter to the editor,

The current private school model being considered is the Scattergood Friends School in West Branch, Iowa. Annual tuition is $29,850 and even the most generous scholarship awarded by the school leaves a balance of $7,462.50 for families to pay out of pocket. The Iowa Department of Education reported that in 2013 to 2014, 36.9 percent of Grinnell-Newburg School District students were eligible for free and reduced lunch—a proxy indicator for economic need. Most families within Grinnell would not be able to afford a private education at this cost, making a private school education possible for only the most privileged members of the Grinnell community.

When I brought these points to the foreground with the support of the student group I formed called Students for Equality in Education, we were met with significant resistance and the unsatisfying response that a private school would not have an impact on the public school. As we continued to advocate for the public school we were asked, “How can you blame me? My child isn’t challenged enough/given enough attention/accepted by their peers at the public school. Wouldn’t you do anything to find a better option for your child? And how can you judge me? You don’t even have a child.”

This article by Nikole Hannah-Jones beautifully articulates a parent’s decision-making process in making the difficult choice of a school for their child. Hannah-Jones writes honestly about her own reservations in selecting a school for her daughter and her insistence on becoming part of a solution to improve the New York educational system rather than perpetuating the racial and economic inequalities that plague the lives of many of its students.

Individual children, families, and communities play an active role in creating an educational system whose effects– good or bad– are literally life-changing for students. I urge families to remember that the decisions we make while enrolling our children in school play a specific role in perpetuating or changing the status quo. Unlike many other ideals we hold, we are forced to test the extent of our commitments to educational equality when we send our children to school. We must weigh the consequences of our childrens’ individual experiences against the necessity of institutional change and make the just decision– for the benefit of our children, children’s children, and communities–to be a part of the solution.

Post-Grad Plans

Posted on May 28, 2015 by bagnolils

I am excited to announce that I have been selected for the William J. Clinton Fellowship for Service with the American India Foundation (AIF)! AIF catalyzes social and economic change in India through investments in partnerships with local organizations, high-impact interventions, and a 10-month fellowship completed annually by 35 Clinton Fellows. Their work is admired for its focus on the local context of places they operate, emphasis on sustainable development initiatives, and a commitment to scaling up successful programs through targeted investment and sharing of knowledge. You can read all about their work here or watch the informational video below.

aif.org

Clinton Fellows are partnered with an organization to complete a specific project based on a Fellow’s technical skills. Fellows serve for a period of 10 months and have the opportunity to attend three conferences with the cohort of Clinton Fellows throughout the year to share experiences, provide feedback, and generate fresh ideas.

I have yet to receive my placement but anticipate that I will work as a Livelihoods Fellow in the areas of employment opportunity and economic development. AIF utilizes a market aligned skills training (MAST) approach that provides skills training to young people in order to help them secure formal employment opportunities (see video below). Past Livelihoods Fellows have worked with a broad range of organizations ranging from large-scale operations like babajob.com to smaller-scale organizations in rural areas.

aif.org

I am overjoyed to be returning to India and can’t wait to be a part of the AIF community! I will post on my personal blog here and will also be writing monthly updates through the AIF Clinton Fellows blog. I can’t wait to share my experiences with you! Please feel free to ask questions and provide input on the projects that lie ahead. As always, I write to start conversations and will do what I can to help our conversations move forward.

Here’s to a great year with exciting challenges ahead!

Lilianna

Learning about Development in Small-Town Iowa

Posted on March 30, 2015 by bagnolils

My interest in development and international affairs took me to Ghana and India in 2013-14 searching for lessons in how to successfully bring about change in the developing world. In the spring of 2015, however, my studies brought me to my hometown in Grinnell, Iowa, where my local community and alma mater were struggling to build bridges between the College and public school system. As a member of a task force charged with developing a plan for ongoing partnership between the College and public school system, I took away important lessons about how to facilitate effective decision-making and representation in local communities.

In November 2014, an administrator of my college suggested that he and a group of concerned parents were looking into the possibility of bringing a private school to our small town of approximately 10,000 residents. Citing their frustration with the local school district, incompetence of teachers, and failed communication that led their kids to sometimes fall through the cracks, the administrators and parents declared that they had had enough. It was time to give families more choices about the schools their children attend.

Of course, the “choice” these parents were talking about is really a question of privilege. The Grinnell public school system serves an increasingly poor student body, with 37.9% of students eligible for free or reduced cost meals in 2013-14 at the public middle school, a proxy indicator for poverty. Many parents in the Grinnell area struggle to make ends meet, sometimes working multiple jobs or sacrificing time with their families to secure their household’s income. The private school model recommended by the concerned parents would cost $29,850 a year, with a maximum financial aid package of 75% of tuition, leaving an unpaid balance of $7,462 per student. For almost 40% of families in Grinnell, and certainly many more, the “choice” of a private education was out of reach, with the full cost of tuition equaling or exceeding their annual income.

Perhaps most unsettling in the debate about a private school was the indifference of the concerned parents and administrator to the impact of declining enrollment on public school funding. The state of Iowa provided $6,446 per pupil in 2015-16 and small school districts such as Grinnell are heavily reliant on this funding for their programs. The proposed private school would enroll approximately 40 students, likely leading to a reduction in enrollment by 40 students and a loss of $257,840 in per pupil funding. Furthermore, withdrawing 40 of the most affluent students and their families, whose parents are among the most involved in the public school system, would lead to a loss of parent voices whose advocacy is critical for providing constructive criticism and meaningful change within the public school system.

While the private school discussion eventually faded due to major backlash from Grinnell community members, Grinnell College established a Task Force to catalog pre-existing relationships between the College and Public School and develop solutions for increased collaboration between the two entities. The Task Force was comprised of approximately 20 members appointed by the Grinnell College President, among them teachers from each of the local public schools, the superintendent of the Grinnell public school system, retired public school teachers, parents, professors, Grinnell Chamber members, and Grinnell College students (of which I was one). A Task Force leader was hired to lead the group, collect information, and guide the Task Force’s efforts towards creating a series of recommendations to strengthen relationships between the College and School System.

Though I recognize the good intentions of the College in creating a Task Force, the proceedings of the Task Force itself left much to be desired. Serving on the Task Force taught me these important lessons about development that certainly extend beyond the county lines of my local Iowan community:

Do not mistake events for being isolated when their impact leads to significant change for the community.

The concerns of parents advocating for a private school option were valid. Bullying, ineffective instruction, and poor communication require attention and resources to be corrected. However, the pursuit of a private school option was often discussed as being an isolated event rather than the beginning of a chain of events with serious implications for students and families remaining in the public school system.

Pay attention to the power dynamics at play when selecting a group of stakeholders to represent the views of the local community.

This problem set the groundwork for future challenges for the Task Force: All committee members were nominated by the College. From the very beginning, the dynamic of the group and the power to represent the interests of diverse parties was hand-picked by only one of the stakeholders.

Involve local community members and diverse stakeholders in decision-making processes as much as possible. Yes, this takes time. And yes, it is worth it.

Despite the relevance of our Task Force’s discussions to the broader community, there was distinct resistance to sharing the minutes of our meetings or opening up our discussions for community input. The Task Force’s leadership declined to involve the broader community, arguing that the inclusion of too many voices would be “chaotic,” “ineffective,” and may require more time than the Task Force was able to give. There was also concern that parents, students, and teachers would not show up to the meetings if given the opportunity. These concerns seemed irrelevant to me. It was our responsibility as voices for the broader community to provide open forums to discuss community issues, whether or not those forums were used as much as we hoped.

Be transparent about conversations had, resources shared, and decisions reached.

In the event that an open forum is not possible, it is important to at least make sure that what is said behind closed doors is later made accessible to interested parties. Beyond the critical questions being raised by members of the committee in regards to the public education system, the task force spent several sessions cataloguing pre-existing programs that facilitate partnership between the College and local community. Rather than converting this catalogue into a resource to be used by community members, it was kept as a private document by the leadership of the task force. Furthermore, the final output of the task force’s discussions– a white paper advising the College on how to facilitate a successful partnership between the school entities– was not shared widely with the local community.

Recognize that in small communities, one person is likely to wear many hats and represent multiple stakeholder interests.

For many of the Task Force committee members, the expectation that they would express the viewpoint the College had appointed them to represent was frustrating. For designated “professor” committee members who also had children in the public school, their roles as parents certainly colored their contributions to the committee. Likewise, “Grinnell College student” committee members who had previously been Grinnell College public school students or who had siblings in the school were also similarly torn between views.

Quotable

Posted on February 22, 2015 by bagnolils

I am often struck by the impact of a phrase or quote in giving clarity to the way I think about and analyze the world around me. Anyone who knows me well would tell you that the following quote, taken from a lecture in a Behavioral Sciences class I took at Berea College as a senior in high school, has shaped the way I approach the world:

“It is better to understand those things you don’t believe in than to believe in those things you don’t understand.” -Dave Porter

Read it once or twice more. It’s so true, isn’t it? It is better to understand someone or something– be it a religion or cultural practice or theory– even if we don’t believe it, than to believe in a stereotype or image of the same without a true understanding of its meaning. I am reminded of the popular press’ portrayal of Islam in recent media coverage, and of the discrimination Muslims face out of ignorance about their religious practices and beliefs and, furthermore, their own association with and opinions about extremist groups. It would be better for us to understand Islam, even if we do not subscribe to the religion, than to believe in the press’ story of Muslims as one extremist group of people.

Another quote I ran across in a reading recently has also been on my mind:

“Ways I had been taught to think about the problem subsequently proved to be the greatest obstacle to understanding” -Jeffrey Race, War Comes to Long An: Revolutionary Conflict in a Vietnamese Province, Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1972, pp ix-x.

How many times does our own previous understanding of an idea or concept prevent us from opening our minds to new ways of thinking? Is preserving our ego or sense or righteousness really worth the lost opportunity to learn something new or to think about an issue in a new light? As I am immersed in new theories this semester that oppose the way I have been taught to think about the world– and development in particular– this quote is an important reminder that I can be my own obstacle to learning. It is my responsibility as a student to reduce this obstacle in whatever way possible.

Settled and Back to Academia

Posted on January 30, 2015 by bagnolils

I’m starting to feel settled after a semester back at Grinnell and I’m really excited about the progress I made in the past semester. I participated in Diwali at Grinnell, worked on philanthropy education initiatives and the Senior Class Gift with the Student Alumni Council, and reconnected with a lot of friends I hadn’t seen in over a year. It was a fun-filled semester!

On an academic note, I took courses in Development of Sub-Saharan Africa, the Political Economy of Developing Countries, Corporate Social Responsibility in the Developing World, and Geographic Information Systems. Each of these courses provided a new perspective with which to view my own experiences in Ghana and India and also theoretical frameworks for analyzing development patterns as a whole. Some of my favorite papers I wrote last semester were:

“Institutions, Land Rights, and Women Empowerment in Bangladesh”

This paper analyzed the role institutions such as civil law/family courts and traditional inheritance patterns influences land ownership for women. I argued that while Bangladesh has made significant improvements in health and education indicators, formal access to land is a necessary prerequisite for empowerment of women in four spheres including the State, Market, Community, and Household. Lack of land ownership prohibits women from accessing these spheres and detracts their ability to be full participants in social and economic activity. (See Bina Agarwal for more about South Asia and land rights for women)

“The Companies Act, 2013: Institutionalized Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Strategy in India”

This paper built off of field work I did in India during the summer of 2014 while working with a corporation’s CSR department. I analyzed India’s Companies Act, 2013, which marks the first ever mandated corporate spending on social responsibility efforts (In this case, Indian corporations must spend 2% of net profits over a three year average on CSR activities). Based on my internship experience and a thorough reading of Indian corporate culture, corporate strategy, and socially responsible business literature, I recommended changes to the Act that would: ensure greater accountability for corporations to fulfill their spending requirements; require incorporation of environmental and social considerations into corporate strategy as a part of the Act; and creation of an independent department to oversee professional development and appropriate practice for development interventions. I submitted this paper to the Central States Anthropological Association and will hopefully be presenting my research at a conference this coming spring.

“Mapping Resource Ownership and Access in Kibera”

This was my final paper for my seminar in Development of Sub-Saharan Africa and focused on mapping resource ownership/access in Kibera– an informal settlement in Kenya. The assignment asked us to design a research proposal that would answer a question we had about a specific topic or community. I chose to focus on patronage/political affiliation in Kibera and its impact on resource ownership and access. In an attempt to incorporate my skills from Geographic Information Systems, I decided to take a spatial approach to the study and designed a project that would show the effect of patronage networks. By taking samples of households and administering a survey that captures information about household assets, political affiliation, social connections, ethnicity, and ease/difficulty of access to resources, I would develop a picture of the distribution of households according to these variables throughout the settlement. Then, I would overlay survey information with a sample of resource points (such as schools, hospitals, and drinking water taps) and the corresponding rates of difficulty of access identified in household surveys. In areas where a specific political or ethnic groups had the most influence, I could see if household affiliations and social connections had a significant impact on their ability to access resources. (Now, to get the money and resources to complete this research!)…

I also dedicated a lot of time to crafting my research proposal for the Fulbright Full Research Grant in India. I have proposed a project that would study the informal sector and its systematic relations to the formal sector/middle and upper class through qualitative and quantitative research of the domestic labor industry. I was recently selected as a finalist (yay!) and will know more later this spring about my Fulbright scholar status.

This semester I am tackling classes in the Design and Analysis of Experiments, Advanced Geographic Information Systems, Class, Sociology of Development, and Teaching Writing. I’m also writing my senior thesis on India’s Informal Economy. I’ll disaggregate census data from 1983-2011 to show how service labor in the informal economy has grown over time. Look for more soon as I post updates on my research!

Coming Home

Posted on September 29, 2014 by bagnolils

When I was struggling with culture shock in Ghana and India many people told me that as hard as it was to leave home, coming back would be even more difficult. I definitely have experienced days when this is true. Coming home is not difficult because anything about home is different (in fact, I was surprised about how little had changed). It is challenging because I have grown so much that the environments and relationships I left behind no longer fit my interests and perspectives in the same way they once did. In some ways, coming home feels like a compatibility crisis. Why did I ever think I needed so many outfits? Are these conversations (whining about winter when we have central heating in all of our buildings, complaining about the “shortcomings” of our unbelievably outstanding college experience, getting frustrated when we have to wait five minutes for hot water– hello! you can wait 5 hours in Ghana but cold water is all there is!) really what I used to engage in? Did I really exist in a state of mind where I was so privileged yet unaware of the blessings bestowed on me for winning the “birth lottery” by being born in the US?

Coming back to school and textbooks feels like a reversal of my education. I was finally in the field getting the hands on experience I craved, drawing conclusions from text that was supported by my experiences living in a developing country. I finally understood the vast gap between much of development literature and debate and the needs of people on the ground. I was getting extremely comfortable in a new environment that stimulated my desire to learn and participate in new activities that enhanced my understanding of the world. I have days where I sit in development seminars– high level classes!– and two hours will pass without mention of the poor. We can spend hours debating technical terms and categories and politics, but our conversations seem to be so high above the masses of exploited and poor I wish to serve. At a time in my academic career where I should feel extremely close to development, I have never felt so far from the cultures and people I love.

I miss having time to think and to process. Being back in the academic world is all about thinking, but about specific texts and projects and committees and work obligations. My year abroad was a time to pause and reflect on my surroundings and my biases– to step away from my own preconceived notions and to try to make sense of what I was experiencing. My year abroad was, importantly, a time to think about things unrelated to myself! There was less “I am so busy” and “I have so much work to do” and “I have to be here or there” and more “Wow! I love that cultural practice” or “I wonder how much this little girl makes every day through her trade of selling balloons on the street.” I miss the quiet I found in a dense crowd of shoppers at a market or on a noise polluted rickshaw ride home from work. I long for the calm I found amidst the chaos and noise of India where I felt permitted to allow myself to be stimulated by my surroundings and to just think.

Most of all, I long for my everyday life back home in India. I miss sipping chai with my host mom in the early mornings, gossiping about Bollywood movies with my friends, sneaking to the cafeteria for egg frankies during breaks, having chaat at roadside stands, eating roasted corn along the coast of Mumbai, visiting temples on the weekends, exploring markets looking for bangles and kurtas, attending weddings and poojas with family friends, hailing rickshaws in huge crowds of people, the look on peoples’ faces when I spoke to them in Hindi (Hindi aati hai?! Arrrrevwah!), crossing streets and feeling like a glorified video game of frogger, feeling at home in my environment.

Ah, India. I miss you! Maybe coming home is hardest because I created and left a new home in India. I’ll be back soon.

India Makes Me Feel

Posted on July 24, 2014 by bagnolils

It struck me today that I don’t often take the time to write about how living in India makes me feel. While scrolling through my blog I felt that in my efforts to be informative and descriptive, I forgot to be vulnerable. I somehow overlooked the amount of emotional growth and deepening that India has helped me achieve. I’ve neglected to really talk about the way India makes me feel alive and passionate and concerned and infuriated in a way I’ve never been before. Maybe, then, I’ve not talked about much at all.

Part of why I don’t talk about this a lot is that my emotions are constantly changing and multiplying and layering upon each other. I’ve decided that that’s okay- this is why I came to India in the first place! Instead of focusing on one of my emotions as being dominant or superior, I hope to reveal each one and its place within my exploration of self and India in this year abroad. While I hold my own critical judgments about my emotions- selfish and shallow as they are at times- I think writing honestly and openly might be the best way for me to grasp my feelings about living in India.

Anger

I am writing about anger first because I am most ashamed to admit that it is present on my palette of emotions. But many days, I come home angry. I am often angered by groups of wealthy individuals- Indians and tourists alike- who walk in groups gossiping together past the outstretched hands of children, mothers, and elderly people. I am even angrier on the days I interrogate these people about their complacency and receive the reply “We don’t give to beggars because they are owned by the mafia, so whatever money we give them doesn’t really go to them”. Okay, fair enough. Your money may not go into their pockets. But what about food? How about dignity? Had you ever thought to stop and talk to someone and ask what they need or want? To make eye contact or conversation? I am angered by the desensitization of the middle and upper class to the want- physical, monetary, mental, and emotional- that surrounds them. And some days, I am angry at myself for this same reason. I can become frustrated by not having enough time to get ready for dinner or an ATM not working and suddenly I become less giving to those who ask. I somehow allow myself to feel that the “struggles” I endure of extreme heat or lack of water for two hours warrant frustration and self-pity. I become too entangled in my own disappointments to look up and out and be thankful that these “struggles” I have are petty. In these moments I wonder- angrily- Have I become desensitized, too?

Confusion

Why isn’t there an uprising in India? Why aren’t people MAD? The minimum wage promised by many state governments is far below the international standard of poverty line. The amount many earn in a month is enough to pay for one meal at a mid-scale restaurant. Almost 50% of children are malnourished. Women and children are severely anemic. The money and programs promised to serve the poor and deserving are shoved deep into the pockets of corrupt men and women while the promise of the “trickle-down effect” drifts farther and farther out of sight. And the absolutely daunting part is…many of my peers know it. I took a 4 month long course with students my age at a top Indian college about the Indian economy. While we covered issues of economic, educational, and health inequality my peers seemed unperturbed by the stark inequality we discussed and observed in our texts. This became blatantly apparent to me during one of our small group discussions about monthly incomes in rural India. When I asked, red faced and almost in tears, how they were not angry about this situation- about the situation of their relatives and their friends and their fellow citizens…and furthermore their schools, hospitals, and infrastructure- they simply replied “It’s always been this way. We are used to it”. I don’t understand. I am confused and I feel helpless. If people know of severe inequality and are educated…but don’t use their power to help others or even to feel angry for others, what will become of this nation I love so much?

Passion

In my confusion and anger about India lies an unrelenting and burning passion for the hope I see in India- particularly, its youth. I came to India to study the education system and the potential it has to thrive as a democratic nation. In my work with students from a school in Pune I watched as they discussed issues of tradition, culture, caste, discrimination, and inequality with their peers and families. I had the chance to see how education- presented in the right way and with a strong team of teachers and administrators- has the power to change attitudes and thinking and tradition. Even better, these students were from homes in slum communities and were part of a corporate social responsibility initiative that is really working to deliver quality education. I am passionate about the potential each student has and the hope they give their families through gaining their education.

Fear

I do not leave my house after 8:00pm without a friend, and I will not travel at night unless a boy can accompany me. Despite my caution I was followed home one night by a group of drunk men who called out to me and my friend. Though we were near our apartment our neighborhood was dark and illuminated only by one light pole in the distance. As they closed in on us I was sure that I would be assaulted and the butterflies in my stomach turned to stones as they dropped to the bottom of my cold stomach. “We’re not going to hurt you” the leader sneered- laughing at the fear he knew he caused- tossing a cigarette at us as he lead his pack of culprits away. My night could have ended very differently.

On a sleeper train from Pune to Kerala a man laid in his bed across from one of my friends masturbating openly while he stared into her eyes, continuing even when she expressed discomfort. When we reported his behavior to the police he was beaten bloody then bribed for 15,000 rupees- USD 150- a sum he obviously did not have. If he didn’t give them the bribe, the police informed him that he would be thrown off the train at the next stop. In the end he was allowed to remain on the train with us- in the same car- after being beaten and bribed and threatened. We laid with scissors that night, breathing heavily and afraid to sleep.

Exhilaration

White water rafting in the Ganges in Rishikesh, touching the feet of gods and goddesses in the temples of Varanasi, bathing in the holy waters of the Ganga, savoring the tastes and flavors of centuries old recipes, swimming through crowds of excited children and parents and adults during the festival of Ganapati, covering my friends with bright powders during the festival of Holi, learning best practice farming techniques at Baramati agricultural learning farm, gazing out at the South Indian countryside through the bars of a sleeper train, riding atop an elephant, throwing pottery for the first time in the largest slum in Asia with a man whose life work is pottery, holding an entire conversation with a street vendor in Hindi…

Pride

I sometimes zoom out of myself, my city, this country, and try to see myself as a pin on the map of the world. I look at where I have been and where I plan to go and what it took to come here. I am thankful and proud of the footsteps I have walked in the shoes of those who are different from me. I have pushed myself to learn new languages and cultures and traditions and- often, I think- I have succeeded. I have somehow done what it takes to get out of my small town and college to soak up the rest of the world around me. And that feels good.

Guilt

I catch myself in bad moods or feeling homesick and as I look around me I am daunted by my own selfishness and feeling of self-importance. I wrote a post about this a while ago and continue to feel a sense of guilt for my unceasing ability to forget my own privilege- be it in India or back at home. A ride home from work in the afternoon or to class in the morning jolts me awake and reminds me that wherever I am in the world, and whatever I am experiencing, my grief should be short-lived and then forgotten. Because, man, look at all there is to appreciate. And- wow- how lucky am I that I get to experience it?

Independence

I am in India. I am away from home for a year. I have a finite budget. I must get to where I need to go on my own. No one is watching me or telling me what to do. I am free to do with this experience what I will. These are my memories and experiences and I get to shape them. I am living in my first apartment. I have internships…I have classes…I have responsibilities.

Dependence

Not so fast independent Lilianna…These are experiences I may not have without the generosity, kind-heartedness, benevolence, and good humor of those around me. I rely on strangers to help me find my way. My friends and host mother are a constant source of support. Sometimes Vijay’s chai and a masala omelet are what get me through the day. I need my roommates who ride with me to the hospital in the middle of the night. I have no idea where to go for class or how to study for my test unless my peers message me to let me know. I would have never figured out the Commissioner’s office without the wisdom of my program staff. I have so many good people on whom I depend for support, guidance, and love. And no, I couldn’t do it without them.

This list of feelings isn’t exhaustive and I’m sure I will come back to this post wishing I had included more, but for now it is a glimpse into my heart and mind. Feel free to ask questions or to criticize or comment on my thoughts. I have written candidly and with an open heart (and without revision) to be as honest and vulnerable as possible. My feelings are tangled and layered and, of course, colored by my own experiences. Feel free to add your own.

Travels with Mom! Pune –> Mumbai –> Calcutta –> Agra –> Jaipur –> Delhi

Posted on July 24, 2014 by bagnolils

As some of you may know, India welcomed to its heart and its markets my mother at the end of December. For 10 days my mom and I traveled, saw, and shopped more than I think (and hope) I will ever do again in 10 days!

Our trip began in Pune where my mom had a chance to meet my host mom, host family, and program staff and take her first rickshaw ride ever around my cozy little town. She tried idli, sambar, pani puri, SBDP, and sev puri all in one day- wow! My Aai made sure to feed her just as well as she has fed me this entire semester and was extremely welcoming to my jetlagged and excited mama.

After our day in Pune we ventured to Mumbai where Mama tried her hand at street shopping. We had lunch at Café Mondegar (butter chicken, yum!) and then shopped the Colaba Causeway shopping strip, an iconic tourist destination. She picked up some beautiful scarves, knick knacks for her preschoolers at home, and some cheesy Indian tourist t-shirts that we just loved. Since she wasn’t used to bartering yet, we tag-teamed the shopping and while mom picked out the items, I bargained down the shopkeepers (some of which told me I must have been in India for a long time because I am sassy). It was a blast! After we wore ourselves out shopping we took a walk to the Gateway of India and Taj President Hotel. We finished off our evening with a dinner of chicken biryani, papad, and chicken tikka and then slept like princesses in one of the softest beds I’ve experienced in India.

The next day we had breakfast at Candie’s Restaurant (one of my favorites featuring the only salad bar I’ve found in India), sampled sweets at an Indian sweet shop, wandered through a fruit market, and went shopping at a market on Linking Road. Mom picked up some kurtas, had a saree wrapped for the first time, and tried Natural’s ice cream, a must-have if you are visiting Maharashtra. We also had the chance to visit dhobi ghaat, a huge laundry washing center in Mumbai. We had a great day walking around together and ended the night with a quick visit to Mount Mary Catholic Church and drinks at the rooftop restaurant Dome Restaurant on Marine Drive, which overlooked the Queen’s Necklace on the Mumbai sea face.

The following morning we took an early flight to Calcutta, the destination in India my mom had been waiting for since she was my age! We got extremely lucky with the location of our hostel (which left much to be desired and should really be called a convent) and had the chance to walk around Park Street, one of the main streets in the city. We visited the Mother House and saw many of Mother Teresa’s belongings, read her life story, and prayed at her tomb, which is located in the house. Her work was extremely inspiring and selfless and entering her house was a quiet, serene, peaceful break from the outside streets and alleys in which she served. On our way back to our hotel we ran across a man with two pet monkeys dressed in fancy clothes. He charged 20 rupees for a photo of the monkey pictured below, and wanted 20 more for the other monkey. Mom decided one photo was enough for the memory!

After visiting the Mother House my mom and I experienced what tops my list of never-do-again experiences: We rode in a man-powered rickshaw through alleyways. Essentially, our rickshaw was a narrow bench attached to two wheels and two wooden handles which were held by a man much thinner than me as he wheeled my mom and I through town. It was one of those things I wanted to do once, but once I did it was sure I would never do again. I was absolutely uncomfortable with a man pulling three or four times his weight while we were hooped and hollered at. Ah! A picture below shows our view from the rickshaw.

We spent our second day in Calcutta sightseeing. We first went to Victoria Memorial, a gorgeous building surrounded by beautiful gardens and ponds. We took a long walk around the grounds and mom photographed a lot of the stray dogs that were lounging around in the sun. We then took a taxi to Howrah Bridge, one of the busiest bridges in the world that features sidewalks on both sides and welcomes the feet of approximately 150,000 people a day. The bridge didn’t meet ours, however, as we zipped (crawled through traffic) over the bridge in our taxi. Next, we went to Kali Temple, which was on the outskirts of Calcutta. The ride to the temple was extremely hot but every bit worth it when we arrived. The temple was strikingly beautiful and featured stairs which led down to a river in which people who travel to the temple bathe. Monkeys dotted the premises of the temple and mom and I waited in a very confused line of Indians in order to bow at the idol’s mandal. We ended our afternoon shopping at New Market, a market packed with 2,000 stalls, way too many people, and persistent market staff members who follow you around in order to ensure you don’t leave. After a full day of exploring, bargaining, and shopping we headed back to our convent, showered (haha, look at the bathroom photos below), and ate KFC to feel at home.

The following morning we took an early flight to Delhi. From Delhi we went to one of the sketchiest bus stations I’ve ever seen early in the morning to take a bus to Agra. We arrived in Agra early afternoon (on Christmas!) and ventured out to see one of the world’s seven wonders: The Taj Mahal. I don’t know why I assumed the Taj Mahal would be a serene and surreal experience- I guess because anyone who visits India has “that solo photo” of themselves with the Taj looming beautifully in the background. Visiting the Taj Mahal was intense, especially on the Christmas holiday! All along the entrance to the monument there are vendors- many of them children- begging for you to enter their shops. There are men telling you to follow them, people offering you their services as a tour guide, beggars asking you for money, people handing you pieces of paper with their products and services listed, and everyone giving you directions about where to go but no one agreeing on who should get to take you. Whew! Once we got through the hustle and bustle of the entrance gate, our next task was to take our cheesy tourist photo. This was a challenge! Many Indians that come to visit sites in India are also equally excited to see foreigners. I told my mom jokingly that we are just as exciting as the monkeys at Kali Temple. In many of our photos you can actually see children and men standing next to us posing for their own pictures in which we are (unwilling and uninformed) guest stars. Check out the kid below for an idea of what it was like. His dad congratulated him on getting a great shot! Haha.

After seeing the Taj Mahal we went to the much less crowded and beautiful Agra Fort. Positioned on a hill overlooking the Taj, the Fort has beautiful orange-brown buildings and extremely detailed architecture that can only be explained in photographs, which I have included below.

Our time in Agra was short but sweet, and we headed to Jaipur the following morning by bus. We arrived in Jaipur and made our way to Vinayak Guesthouse, a quaint and charming guesthouse inhabited by an extremely sweet and caring family. We hired a rickshaw to take us around for the day and went sightseeing at the watchtower in the center of Jaipur and the Monkey Temple at the Sun Gate of Jaipur. There were hundreds of monkeys lining the pathways of the temple! It was apparently birthing season, because lots of youngsters were trotting around and playfully fighting. It was amazing to be so close to these animals!

Mom fell ill on this night and we ended up calling a doctor to the hotel. To give you an idea of how medical practices differ in India, I’ll give you a short run-down of how the evening’s proceedings went:

Doctor determines mom is dehydrated and prescribes an IV
Doctor quotes price of INR6,000 for his services
Mom and I bargain him down to INR4,000 (hey, this is India)
Doctor asks me to hang a roll of gauze for him from the light fixture above the bed, which will serve as the IV stand for the night
Doctor ties rubber cord around mom’s arm to find a vein and insert the needle
Doctor proceeds to place 7 or 8 medicines in the IV fluids, which he coined as the “Medicine Cocktail” method
Doctor instructs me to place hot water in a bucket and hold the IV cord into the water in order to heat the fluids before they enter mom’s bloodstream
Mom takes multiple pictures of Dr. Gupta and we get nervous laughter from the experience
Gupta finishes his work, removes the needle, and leaves without cleaning anything up!

The good news is that mom felt like a million bucks the next morning and we were able to press on with our travels! We met our rickshaw driver early in the morning and headed to the Amber Palace, which we reached by riding an elephant from the base of the palace to the main courtyard. Mom did this in style while wearing a turban which she purchased from a boy while sitting on the elephant’s back! On our way out of the Amber Palace we even got to see a live cobra being charmed by a man. After walking around the palace which was lined with intricately carved windows and walls we went to the Floating Palace, which sits in the middle of the water. It was exactly what it sounds like! We then finished our sightseeing with a visit to the tombs of the family which ruled Jaipur and mom had mehendi done in the parking lot of the tomb site. We spent the rest of the day shopping (Jaipur has some of the best jewelry, clothes, fabric, and handicraft shopping in the world!)

Our travels ended with our ride to Delhi, where I am studying for the semester. Mom wasn’t feeling well so the rest of our trip was spent recuperating under the careful care and watch of my cook, Ashok. With lots of chai, water, and rest mom started feeling much better and I started my semester in Delhi- the capital of the most beautiful country I’ve visited. It was so sad to say bye to mom at the airport- but I know I’ll be home soon! My visa expires in the end of June, so it seems that I have no choice but to be back in the US in less than 6 months- so I’ll see you soon Mom! And everyone else, too. Come visit me in India!

Interning with the Akanksha Foundation

Posted on January 10, 2014 by bagnolils

For the months of November and December I was a student intern at the Akanksha Foundation’s Model School in Pune, the KC Thackeray Vidya Niketan English Medium School (hereafter referred to as KCTVN). My experience in the school was challenging in many ways but also extremely rewarding, informative, and humbling.

The Akanksha Foundation is part of Thermax Corporation’s Social Initiative Fund, which supports education of low-income students in Mumbai and Pune, Maharashtra. The KCTVN School is a public-private partnership between the Akanksha Foundation/Thermax Corporation and the Pune and Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporations (the local governing bodies). KCTVN School enrolls children from third to tenth standard (roughly equivalent to the American third of tenth grade). Students at KCTVN School are only eligible for admission if they studied up until second standard at a government school. Given the large gap in quality and price between private and government schools, this ensures that students gaining admission are from backgrounds which do not permit them to attend increasingly elite and expensive private schools. Despite purposefully selecting a statistically lower-performing and lower-attending group of students, KCTVN School students have achieved impressive attendance and learning outcomes. In the 2011-12 school year, KCTVN School students achieved 94 percent attendance and 99.5 percent retention. The time I spent in school provided anecdotal evidence that supports these statistics. Students were rarely absent and when they were teachers contacted them at home to ensure that everything was okay. Students were passionate and excited and driven about their studies.

A rangoli made by ninth standard students

KCTVN School- and all Akanksha Foundation schools, for that matter- achieve these results through a methodology called the Six Pillar Methodology. The six pillars: Excellent Educators, More Time, Scalable Costs, Focus on Results, Parents as Partners, and Progressive Pedagogy, seek to address pitfalls in the traditional Indian primary school system and to provide students with the academic and holistic support necessary to succeed. KCTVN School is an inspiring case study of the ability of students to succeed and to fall in love with learning if they are only given the opportunity to do so.

I was lucky enough to be welcomed into the ninth standard class first as an observer, then as a judge for a class debate, and finally as a guest lecturer for an American History course. For the first week I sat in English and History courses to gain an understanding of teaching style, classroom etiquette, and expectations in the ninth standard class. While a few things were unsettling at first given my upbringing in the American school system, by the time I left KCTVN I couldn’t help but wonder if school wasn’t meant to be this way. Students are not forced to sit still and be quiet every second of a class. A teacher will continue to lecture, seemingly unperturbed, even if students are mumbling in the background or roaming around the class. Students give verbal rather than physical responses to their teachers. Whereas students in America are expected to make eye contact and nod in order to display their attentiveness, students in this class offered “Yes, sir” or “Right, sir” or “ I understand, sir” often throughout lectures. Lectures were much more conversational in this way than I have experienced in other classroom settings. Students were also reprimanded more openly and publicly than I have experienced in American classrooms. Rather than sending a child into the hall or to the Principal’s office, teachers will discuss with students openly their disruption or misbehavior.

These observations were startling at first but made more sense as my time at the school went on. Teachers at KCTVN School seemed to understand that children have a tough time sitting quiet and still for long periods of time, so if they are going to chat a bit or stand, why should that be a problem? If verbal communication occurs freely and naturally during lectures, students are more comfortable participating and asking questions despite a louder classroom environment. Isn’t this trade-off worth the cost? Children waste time if they are punished by sitting outside of a classroom or in a principal’s office. If the issue can be handled in class and in a manner that is culturally appropriate, why should this be considered a bad thing? These are questions I had to ask myself and answer critically throughout my internship.

After my observation period in the ninth standard I was asked to serve as a judge for the class’s Nature vs. Industry debate. Students were asked to use their knowledge of the industrial revolution and nature to argue about which issue should take precedence: Nature and the environment or Industrial growth? It was fascinating to hear students vocalizing their views on this matter and exciting to see how enthusiastic they were about the debate. I was then asked to prepare a presentation for the ninth standard that introduced students to American history, politics, and culture. I created a PowerPoint presentation that featured photos of my family, a timeline of important events in American history, and a review of recent politics and events. I have never had a more attentive and respectful audience in my life- and boy, were they excited to see photos of my family!

In addition to my interactions with the ninth standard I conducted interviews with teachers, students, administrators, and parents related to the Six Pillar Methodology. Through personal interviews I asked each stakeholder to review the pillars which applied to them and their experiences with KCTVN School. Their responses were incredibly humbling, overwhelmingly encouraging, and emotionally compelling. Students took great pride in their studies, their teachers, and their ability to interact with students on a personal level. Parents were extremely grateful for the support of the administration, deeply caring about their students’ performance and success both in and out of the classroom, and excited by their students’ success. Administrators worked diligently to ensure the highest quality of teachers, pedagogy, and resources for their students to encourage success both during school and in the future. Teachers made themselves available during breaks, after school, and on weekends to meet with students struggling with work and completed home visits to almost 100% of students’ homes in order to understand their backgrounds. KCTVN School is a shining example of a school at work, a school at play, and the type of school that will change the world.

One of my last days at KCTVN School was spent attending Ankur, the annual school-wide showcase that featured projects from each student and class in the school. The theme of the show this year was “Magic” and students were asked to prepare presentations and projects that demonstrated the magic they found in their studies. Students focused on topics ranging from patterns in nature to electricity to technology to math. Students found magic in everything.

This tree was made from recycled water bottles by the ninth standard and displayed for visitors during the Ankur annual showcase

I was deeply touched by one class’ presentation on superstitions. Indian society is full of superstitions which range from harmless beliefs about always keeping salt and milk in the house to more serious superstitions influencing the prevalence of child marriages and dowry. Third standard students planned a performance that spoke about the science behind superstitions and how science shows that superstitions are wrong and that superstitions which are often harmful are often untrue. The drama was performed multiple times throughout the showcase for a crowd of parents that stood captivated by the lessons their children were teaching and the myths they were dispelling. The students later performed the drama in front of their communities in order to reach out to even more people about the science behind superstitions.

I have always been passionate about education. I have always been passionate about learning. And I have always been passionate about understanding each other, the world around me, and those things which I do not understand. My time at KCTVN School, however, solidified for me that I am destined for a life in which I do what I can to ensure that other students experience the love of learning, of logic, and of expression that I witnessed at KCTVN School.

The future of our world is children. Some sit in private schools amongst shiny textbooks and laboratory equipment and lockers. Some sit in unheated and unairconditioned buildings copying lines from textbooks while their teachers, absent, have somewhere more important to be. Some sit outside with shared books, no electricity, no running water, and no facilities. Some don’t sit at all but work in streets to sell food, to sell toys, to sell stickers, to the people whose own children have the privilege of sitting in a classroom. But the future of our world is not reserved to one of these categories. The future of our world is ALL of these children. I believe that our responsibility as global citizens is to ensure that all have the chance to learn and to grow as individuals, as citizens, and as leaders. Each child deserves the skills to change their lives and the lives of those around them for the better. Education is not an option. We must do what we can, in whatever capacity we have, to create a world in which each child realizes their right to learn. We must.

Journey to the South (Kerala and Tamil Nadu)

Posted on January 10, 2014 by bagnolils

Namaste everyone…Sorry I’ve been so terrible about updating my blog!

In November I had the opportunity to travel through South India with a group of students from my study abroad program. Despite a smelly and uncomfortable 38 hour train ride, communication difficulties with our driver, and a last-minute scramble to arrange flights home, I had one of the most amazing trips of my life with a group of wonderful people.

First thing you should know: Never ever take a non a/c sleeper train for any distance or period of time if you can avoid it. Especially if that distance is halfway across India over a period of 38 hours in the humid heat. Hindsight is our hardest teacher, isn’t it? For those of you who haven’t seen an Indian sleeper train car, I’ve included some photos below to help you visualize the setup. Basically, there are train cars divided into seating booths that seat and sleep six people. During the day, the middle “bed” (term used lightly) folds down to create a backrest for the pew-like seating accommodations. At night, it folds up into what can only be described as a picnic table hard bed. Each person theoretically gets a bed, but often the train station will allow people onto the train without a ticket and if you’re not careful (we weren’t) someone will snag your bed. If you need to use the bathroom at night, be ready to dodge people sleeping in the aisles who haven’t paid for tickets and try your hand at a balancing act while squatting over an Asian style toilet. And don’t forget to bring your hand sanitizer!

Inconveniences aside, the train ride was amazing. While a flight would be comfortable and short, I had the opportunity to see a number of South Indian states and their countrysides. We rode through Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala all in one trip. I had a chance to see what my host mom calls “Real India”: agricultural laborers, farmland, untouched fields, and a wide variety of foliage and natural landscapes. 38 hours after what I will forever call one of my greatest adventures (and some of the best chai I’ve ever had), we finally reached Kerala!

Upon arriving in Kerala we met up with our driver, Ratheesh, and proceeded to our guesthouse in Trivandrum. After some MUCH needed showers and a few rounds of brushing our teeth, we geared up to go to our first stop: The Trivandrum Zoo. I’ve never seen a zoo like this before! At home I often feel like zoos are just walks through planned gardens that have random photos of animals and maybe, if you’re lucky, a few bored otters or deer in the background. Not here. I was literally inches away from alligators, feet away from tigers and cheetahs, and surrounded by species of birds. As my roommate put it, you probably could have paid a little extra to see a dinosaur. It was that good.

We also visited a Hindu temple in Trivandrum. It was beautiful from the outside but unfortunately non-Hindus and foreigners are not allowed inside the temple. One of my friends (who is neither Hindu nor Indian) passed for a legitimate Hindu and was allowed inside the temple, which was apparently an amazing and surreal experience. His experience came with a price, however! In order to enter this particular temple men had to wear lungees, a South Indian garment for men which closely resembles a skirt or cloth diaper. Photos below prove it.

From Trivandrum we made our way to an elephant reservation. After spending a couple of hours in the feeding zone of the reservation, we had our chance to ride these wonderful animals (my favorites). The experience was short but sweet! I thought it would be a once in a lifetime experience, but read on…I get on an elephant again!

After our day with elephants we headed to Ponmudi, Golden Village Resort which was located at the peak of a mountain. After days in the humidity and heat of Kerala, the cool and crisp air of Ponmudi was wonderfully refreshing. The clean air was well-deserved after a lurching safari of a ride up a mountain peppered with no less than 22 hairpin turns. 22! We hiked up to a rocky tip of the mountain and later enjoyed strolls through the beautiful wooded area. Ponmudi was bliss!

The next day we called it quits on the mountain and headed for the beautiful backwaters of Kerala. We boarded a houseboat to one of the best meals I’ve had yet in India. Our rooms were fully furnished with soft beds, air conditioning units, rain showerheads, and hot water. If it weren’t for the gorgeous view outside, I could have stayed in my room for days! After a few hours of cruising we docked the boat and went for a swim- my first swim in a long time! In the evening we had a dinner of fresh prawns and fish and then celebrated with a makeshift houseboat party complete with Kingfisher beer, sparklers, and outdated American party music (courtesy of never having wi-fi).

The next morning we loaded up our van to make the drive to Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu- the southernmost tip of India. At Kanyakumari each of the three seas surrounding India meet around one of the most beautiful peninsulas I’ve ever visited. We had a chance to walk through the town of Kanyakumari, watch some of the local fishermen at work on the beaches, and run through the surf as the sun set. It was a beautiful way to end our trip.

If you are looking for an international vacation that is both tropical and culturally enriching, consider visiting South India. The scenery is beautiful, the food amazing, the culture rich, the people friendly, and the temperature pleasant. It is a wonderful place to both relax and explore and I feel lucky to have been to Kerala and Tamil Nadu!

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