My name is Maaya, and I am a junior majoring in Information Science with a concentration in data science and minoring in Global Health. This past summer, I had a once in a lifetime experience of working with Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement on a service learning project. Before our projects began and we traveled to our sites, we were integrated into Indian, specifically Karnataka influenced culture. We made trips to ancient and beautiful temples, saw attractions that told the history of Mysore, and as a cohort we had so much fun exploring markets and eating delicious food that Mysore had to offer. One of my favorite moments in Mysore was going to the Brindavan gardens. Everything from the auto ride to watching the fountains rise and fall was a wonderful experience.
We also engaged in classes for the first two weeks of the program. Every day I woke up excited to go to class because each lecturer made their content and presentation interesting. It was an interactive setting where we had the opportunity to gain experience from professionals. What I loved about the global health and healthcare related classes was that we had site visits as we learned about these topics in class. For example, Dr. Deepashree had a wonderful lecture on individuals affected by disabilities in India. That same day along with Roopa ma’am we had an informational tour of All India Institute Of Speech and Hearing (AIISH). We asked questions and met people who had dedicated their lives to helping children work with their disabilities.
I spent the rest of the program in Sargur, the location of my project. My project was on low immunization rates and high infant deaths among indigenous tribal populations. The best part of my project was the field visits where I went into the community with the intent to learn. My favorite one was a baby shower where I put bangles on the girls’ hands and gifted them with nutritious food. I was so honored to be a part of such a beautiful ceremony. Following this event, SVYM staff and members of the tribal community held a mother’s meeting where they discussed care for women. I listened to their conversations intently and noticed the influence of tribal traditions on expecting mothers. This information was crucial because it explained the trends in data sets with which I was provided. It was also important for the public health questionnaire I built under the guidance of my mentors. I tailored each of my deliverables towards the information I learned about the tribal population in Karnataka. For example, on our way back from the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve, my mentor and I talked about tribal people and their claim to ancestral land. The government wants them to leave the forest, but the tribal population is pushing back because this is where all their history is buried. There were many nuances that I was able to understand through my conversation with my mentor, and I believe that this made my project more applicable to modern day. In addition, the data analysis that I conducted focused on immunization doses for babies, mother’s BMI, and other factors that inferences could be drawn from. I was able to see a real-world impact of the work I did, and I felt proud turning in my final deliverables because of that.
My growth in knowledge and as a person went beyond the classroom and project. I learned about different cultures and issues in India through the connections that I formed. I often had tea breaks with doctors and nurses where we would talk about a variety of topics. I found out about the newly instituted rule where buses are free for all women in Karnataka through my informal conversations. Some people thought it was a brilliant idea, and some did not think it was fair. But I had the chance to listen and hold an intellectual conversation with them, and that was what I valued the most. The relationships that I was able to build with cohort members and SVYM staff made the whole experience priceless. I also formed genuine bonds with my roommates. My most memorable moment with them was finding mangos in our rural site and slurping them while in the canteen. It made me emotional to see the support I received from the global service learning program team, cohort members, and SVYM staff during my presentation. Almost every person I had become friends with (whether we had a language barrier or not) came to my final presentation and cheered me on. I am so thankful for this experience, and I recommend that if you are willing to put yourself out there, then this program will feel like home for you.
