So here was my first trip to Mumbai... or rather, just India in general. It was definitely extremely different than my trip to Kenya or Guatemala. I suppose part of it was a result of going with more of a student-run group, instead of a larger NGO (non-governmental organization).
I have been preparing for this trip since September, I suppose. I had taken a DeCal (a student-run course recognized by UC Berkeley) on Technological Innovations for Under-served Communities. It turns out that this class was run by Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW). There was project centered in the slums of Mumbai, India, and they were working on a safe water treatment technology that was coupled with sanitation and hygiene education, Haath Mein Sehat (HMS). We had meetings to discuss what we were planning to do there. I was interested in both education/outreach to the community, and on technology development, with an emphasis on testing the equipment and doing water quality testing. I was hoping up and geared up for everything to work out perfectly.
Apparently I forgot that things tend to run differently in different countries.
Okay, that was a partial lie. Before leaving, I was actually extremely nervous about planning anything because I had no idea what the situation was going to be like there. I was told that I should still plan each day, and unfortunately, this made me extremely ambitious. One would think that being overly-ambitious is better than nothing, but I feel that I set myself up for disappointment.
It was definitely an interesting experience. I was immersed into the chaos that was Mumbai completely lost and without any idea of where I was going and what I was doing. I didn't know a lick of Hindi except how to count to five, everybody looked the same, everybody's name sounded the same, and each street looked like the next one. Unfortunately, when I have no clue what I am doing, sometimes I revert back into my shell, and I become too nervous to go out there and do things on my own. Unfortunately, we all supposedly had our own agendas and places to run. My problem is that I can push forward and be extremely ambitious of what I accomplish, but I need time to adjust and understand my surroundings before I am comfortable enough to do so. Also, getting sick with a 105 degree fever didn't help. Oh well. I'm not sure if I really want to go back, but we'll see.
And so here are some pictures from India.
Emily and I arrived at the airport in the middle of the day. Anu and Arvind helped pick us up and showed us where to go. Here was my first taxi ride in India.
A cow walking the streets as we walked to dinner that night.
We went to go visit Behrampada, the slum that HMS had started out working in. We went to visit the women in the community that we had worked with. Behrampada was nothing that I had imagined. It was extremely different than the slums of Kenya. The "houses" are piled and stacked up so high on top of each other, that even on a sunny day, when you are walking through the garbage-infested alley-ways, no rays of the sun actually hit the ground.
My first time to the trains in Mumbai.
One of the women we went to go visit. Her daughter does amazing mahendi (otherwise known as henna).
This young girl looks like she's in her mid twenties, but she is really only 12 or so.
Behrampada was a very different experience than other slums that I have been to. I think part of the difference is that, in Kenya, the slums were picture-perfect scenes of abject poverty. However, in Behrampada, everybody had cells phones, and many people had televisions. The level of education varies greatly, and not many people have to dig through the garbage to find dinner for the night. I guess population explosion and high property values is the issue.
Pigeons in a temple courtyard where we lived.
This picture wouldn't usually seem so amazing, but if I title it "Mumbai, India," it brings in a whole different feel to it.
Mannequins with half-eaten heads. (And who the hell dresses their child like that in India anyway?!)
And then we had some of our wonderful education meetings!
(Photo courtesy of Arvind)
This is Ajit, one of the people working on water quality testing.
We went out for fun sometimes, too. I believe that night we went clubbing at the Marriott at Juhu Beach.
On the streets, taken from a rickshaw.
Kitanu! (germs)
(Photo courtesy of Anu)
More meetings.
Apurav and his attempt at a germ.
We were trying to put together a coloring book. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll be using tanks and violence, especially when we're putting it together for a Muslim all-girls elementary school.
Cards for "Memory!"
We went to go watch a play with some guys that we met when we went clubbing at the Marriott. Then we had dinner. Then we came across a group of homeless children, and we ended up playing with them on the beach all night.
(Photo courtesy of waiter in restaurant)
(Photo courtesy of Nirav)
On our last night there, it was Erin's birthday, so we went out to dinner with Arvind.
(Photo courtesy of Anu)
Arvind and I.
(Photo courtesy of Emily)
And that's all for now. We'll see if and when I head back.
