Delhi: Week 3

Week 3 was another incredible week at Ashish and around Delhi. After our weekend in Amritsar, we returned to the centre on Tuesday, when two teams of volunteers from America had arrived to spend some time serving at the centre. The energy that the teams brought was refreshing and reminded me of how short-term service trips had been such an empowering experience to me when I was younger. During high school and college, all of those experiences initiated my passion for international outreach and exposed me to the injustice, poverty, and suffering that takes place both domestically and abroad.

Having the teams here during the last week has also allowed me to see the other side of short-term missions, which is often a great cost to the organization that is, supposedly, being "served." Although the amount of work that the teams accomplished cannot be overstated, I've started to consider more of how it affects the centre and the staff. Now that I've built close relationships with several of the teachers here, I feel heavy hearted thinking about it feels to be on the "receiving" end of short-term missions. How must these teachers who are well-educated and fiercely devoted to their students feel when a group of foreigners come in with the attitude that they can "save the day?" They have been so gracious, receptive, and hospitable and we truly don't deserve it. Sure, we've traveled from far away, worked tirelessly in the heat, and strived to share our knowledge... but we're not the ones who have to show up day after day without being paid for several months, have personal investments in their students and co-workers, and dealt with the difficult financial situation that the centre has been faced with as of late. Their loyalty and generousity is outstanding.

One of the teams from the US came from Baylor University, with several of the team members having expertise in speech pathology, named Megan, Erin, and Janice. We quickly connected and were so able to collaborate on ideas for behavior plans, language development, staff empowerment, and classroom activities. It was so refreshing to be with others who share a similar vision, and to work together with them to determine how to adapt our vision and agenda to the needs of the staff and students at Ashish. I love the experience of collaborating with professionals outside of the field of school psychology (especially speech!).

In addition to spending time at Ashish, I also spent the afternoon visiting new places and meeting new people after work, since my time in Delhi is winding down. Magdalena and I returned to Starbucks, where we met with Kara, a friend of hers who is from Australia. Kara has lived in Delhi for over 10 years and it has been great to hear her experience of being a single woman and long-term missionary in Delhi. We had a great conversation about sustainable development, social progress and government systems, and health care and mental health care. It was a powerful experience for three women from around the world (Germany, Australia and US) to share about hearts for India. Kara truly characterized a selfless woman who took a leap of faith, made an incredible amount of sacrifices, and committed herself to a vocation and lifestyle that she was passionate about. Her story was so admirable.

Updates from my final weekend soon!