here, there, everywhere.

OK FOLKS. little komal is back from a big trip west of jaipur. SIT took us on a week-long excursion to jodhpur, jaisalmer, and bikaner to visit NGOs and spark ideas for our month-long indepenent study that will take place from November to December. the trip was over 2,000 kilometers in total and we caravaned in 4 small cars, aka if anyone on our program wasn't close before, they are now.

jodhpur was our first stop. it's a really beautiful city that reminds me a lot of jaipur. lots of history, lots of big markets, lots of activity all the time. on the night we arrived, we had a candle-lit dinner on the roof of this massive fort. SIT rented out the entire rooftop and we had an exclusive view of the city-- we were basically looking down on all of jodhpur. i hate to be so dumb and touristy, but this was one night that i really never will forget. you can't even make up in your head what the view from our dinner tables was like. we could see all of jodhpur below--buildings and neighborhoods were sprawling and stretching all the way up to the edge of the night's dark blue horizon line. everything was lit up and alive and twinkling. moreover, there was a religious festival going on, so fireworks were everywhere in the sky. i feel safe saying that it was the most beautiful thing/view/setting that i've ever seen.

jodhpur also offers several well-established NGOs that are doing wonderful work. in association with the GRAVIS organization, we visited a slum filled with indians who had lost all of their rights when the border between pakistan and india was created. essentially, these people commuted or lived in pakistan for work but held indian citizenship. when the border was set up without any warning or notice, these people were labeled as pakistanis, denied their rights as indian citizens, and ostracized to the outskirts of town. their story is heartbreaking and frustrating and illustrates the vast amount of human rights work that needs to be done here.

the next stop on our trip was jaisalmer. this small town is straight up in the desert, and what were we to do but RIDE CAMELS. that's right. camel safari through the desert in your face. our group saddled up on a herd of these large, lumpy animals and headed into the sand dunes of the thar desert. i felt like indiana jones minus fighting robbers of ancient archeological artifacts. yes, after the ride, i did smell like i had been living in the butt of a camel for a few months, but that lingering aroma was well worth the desert sunset that i witnessed.

our final destination was bikaner, and while, in my opinion, this was the least attractive of all the cities, the NGO experience i had here was the most affecting. the URMUL organization started as a dairy cooperative that expanded into a group of smaller, local community run buisnesses that work to acheive self-sustainability, empowerment of local people, and empowerment of women. URMUL had so much to offer-- from textile manufacturing to an impressive eye clinic-- but the aspect of this NGO that i was most moved by was the girl's "camp" it had established.

basically, the URMUL trust provided the financial backing to set up a school in a village near bikaner. attended by only females, this school provides an education for girls who would never have the opportunity to receive schooling because of their rural, remote location, the financial burden of getting an education, or because their parents didn't want them to go to school. believe it or not, it is such a fight to get girls in the classroom. india is a male dominated society where women are constantly undervalued and unappreciated, especially in villages and rural areas. many village families see no need to send their female children to school because a) they don't value them enough to do so, and, b) they need them to stay home and help the family make some monetary profit by doing manual labor. URMUL staff and recruiters basically go into villages, inform families of the camp and all of it's benefits, and convince mothers and fathers that it's worth it to send their daughters away. at the camp, the girls stay and board there for 7 months and their families only have to pay 300 rupees (about $6) for housing, food, and education. it's just a liiiiittle less that sewanee.

when we arrived at the school's small complex, we immediately sat down on the floor of a large classroom that was filled with the entire student body. there were 16 of us facing 150+ of them. they were all so young and happy and excited. their faces were about to break they were smiling so hard. we had a quick question and answer session during which the girls told us how fortunate they felt to be there and how much confidence they've gained from being in school. one girl stood up and talked about how at first, she missed her village and was homesick for her family. but now, this was her family-- these girls were her family. and while she cried in the beginning because she had to stay, she would now cry at the end of 7 months because she has to leave.

as if this wasn't touching enough, the girls then sang us a song. 6 individuals came up to the front of the room and started the group off-- it was kind of a "repeat after me" song where the 6 girls in front facing the crowd would lead off with a verse and then the crowd would answer that verse with another verse. 150+ voices in one closed room is an incredible sound. the crowd was in unison with their responses and they would pump their fist together in the air as they sang. it was beyond moving-- all of these underprivledged girls coming together as one loud voice, singing at us, speaking to us, with white-toothed smiles and bright eyes.

even before our teachers could translate the song, all of us here crying hard, happy tears. literally, streaming down my face. it was worse than when i saw "free willy" for the first time. our teachers then told us that the song was about women's empowerment and how no matter what obstacles the girls face, no matter what setbacks they encounter, no matter how many times they are told they're inferior, they will succeed, they will keep learning, they will be somebody.

YEAH. CRYFEST 2009.

the entire thing seemed from a movie. it's so amazing that a school like this can exist because some people decided to defer a portion of their dairy profits to the greater good of the community. what an idea.

also, visiting the girl's school reminded me a lot of rockbrook. in setting like this, you realize how important it is for girls to experience being in a safe place surrounded exclusively by other females. they became a system of support, a source of information, and a reliable group of friends for each other. just like at the school, girls who go to rockbrook find themselves away from their homes, families, and circles of comfort. initially, the transition might be difficult, but when it comes time to leave and go back home, girls find themselves wondering where the time has gone and can't imagine their lives without this experience. the impact that a setting like this has on young women is so, so positive-- building confidence and promoting great personal growth.

so, i guess you could say it was a good week. i guess.

i won't be posting again until at least thursday. we're going on another excursion with SIT to ranthambore. hope all is so, so well with you.

miss you, love you, mean it,
ccf