I have now been in Bombay for my Commit2Change Field Visit for the past two and half weeks and the experience have been nothing but lovely. I am in no way a stranger to India, having lived here for a total of 3 years in many different areas. However this visit, spent mainly with the girls and staff at our partner Seva Sadan Society, has been unique in many ways. Not only was I shocked with the pure beauty of Bombay, a city I had spent little time in, but my experience working with Seva Sadan has been wonderful.
Throughout my time working in India, I have seen many Non-Profits and yet none quite compare to the quaintness that exists in this 100 year old South Bombay charity. Upon walking in on the first day with our country director Fatima Colaco, I was greeted by numerous faces staring down at me from the upper level windows of the home. “Hello Didi! How are you doing?” was shouted at me as we made our way into the main offices. There I met the President and Director of Programs of Seva Sadan and saw modern day facilities and clear organization. After speaking with both these women, I felt a complete transparency in understanding how the home was run and also sincere gratitude for Commit2Change’s involvement.
In addition to working with the Seva Sadan girls, my visit also coincided with the start of the C2C TechLab run by Nawneet Ranjan. This program allows girls in the 9th and 10th standard to gain key skills in Technology that will improve their livelihood abilities as well as learn Science and Math curriculum in a new and exciting way. The minute I walked into the computer lab, it was clear the girls were glued to what was being taught and I have been told that at the end of the 3 hour lesson they need to be pulled away to do their daily chores. It appears they savor this educational break from the monotony of their typical classroom. All in all the visit was amazing and I could not have asked for a better start to this two month field visit. While I am sad to leave Seva Sadan and Bombay, I know more is in store for me as begin to visit all of Commit2Change’s partner organizations throughout India!