By scarsonnn
My name is Sarah Carson and I am one of the Commitment to Community blog contributors for Spring 2013. At GW, I study International Affairs, concentrating in Development. More than anything, I love to serve--whether it's as a volunteer English teacher in Thailand, a Staffer for Colonial Inauguration, a leader of Alternative Winter Break Nicaragua, a volunteer intern at the Peace Corps, or Vice President of my sorority. In eleven short days, I will arrive at my new home for the semester, New Delhi, India, bringing that same spirit of service to a completely new environment.
Growing up with two Indian best friends, I have a somewhat unique knowledge of Indian culture. From these experiences, I have learned the names and stories of a handful of Hindu gods, acquired the ability to distinguish between mutter and saag paneer, and felt firsthand the tremendous warmth and hospitality of Indian people. India is also a fascinating academic case study in International Development. While in many ways, the world's largest democracy is incredibly modern, India is also home to some of the world's poorest and most underprivileged groups. For me, there is nowhere else that better epitomizes these contrasts while also tying in to my own personal experiences and interests. The program I selected, IES Abroad Delhi, fit each of the three criteria I wanted in my study abroad program: the opportunity to live with a host family, Hindi language courses, and a service learning component. For the next five months, I will live with Mr. and Mrs. Sikka and their 8-year-old daughter Kavya in Greater Kailash-II, an affluent neighborhood in South Delhi. My coursework will be a combination of IES classes focused on India, a course at Delhi University (a well-regarded Indian women's college), and a service learning course that will allow me to put my academic work into practice.
Although I won't receive my official service learning placement until orientation next week, I applied to work in either education, social/women's/children's welfare, or community development. Examples of organizations I might be placed at are Pratham (an NGO that promotes literacy and education for Indian children), a girls' outreach program, or Dastakar (an organization for the development and support of Indian craftsmen). While in India, I also plan to continue the academic project I embarked upon this past semester as a research assistant for Professor Churchill, a philosophy professor who is working on a book examining violence against women. With the recent tragic rape case in Delhi just last month and the resultant public outcry, this is an especially pertinent and timely issue to examine, and an important factor for India's future development. At this point, I am not yet certain what shape this research will take, but am looking forward to seeing how both my research and service learning placement develop during my time in India. Wish me luck!