A Year Later

It is hard to believe that it has been a year since I said goodbye to the Sangam World Centre team and the amazing Green Tara Foundation family.   

In the Bridger-Teton National Forest

It has been an interesting 365 days since I landed back in Atlanta. There have been up moments and down moments but I think its been a year filled with mostly the up moments. I have had wonderful times with my family, my friends and my lovely Lime Green Giraffe staffers. I even spent a week this past summer helping my sister with her PHD research and survived horseback riding, bee stings and a carb rich diet. 

A year later, I am determined to stay true to the reason that I went to Sangam; the conscience desire to make deliberate decisions about my life. I have not opened the letter I wrote to myself during my final days at Sangam. It arrived here last fall. Maybe I will open it someday. Maybe I will open it when I feel that the impact of my experience as a Sangam Community Program participant has ended but then that moment may never come. 

I believe the places where your soul is still at the critical moments of your life will change you forever. My experience as a Community Programme participant radically changed the way I saw my world. I cant thank my fellow Tare, the staff at the Sangam World Centre and beautiful girls of the Green Tara Foundation enough. I owe you one. 

For more on the Sangam World Centre Community Programme click here.  

Heading Home

Today I begin my 28+ hour journey home with a four hour drive to Mumbai, then an 8 hour flight to Paris and another 8 hour flight to Atlanta.

What an incredible four weeks this has been.

I think meeting the girls of the Ramgar slum was by far the most powerful experience. I will  treasure the laughter I shared with the Green Tara Foundation women at the office during our English lessons. It is true you don’t have to speak many words of a language to really connect. Women are women all around the world.

I will also not forget the difficult moments; talking with prostitutes about their favorite movies while standing in a brothel, leading games for children orphaned by the sex industry, understanding that the reality of life for the girls of Ramgar and the slim chances they have of fulfilling their future plans.

I loved have my fellow Tare, other Girl Scouts and Girl Guides from around the world, who came to India as part of the Community Programme. They are dynamic, hilarious, warm and powerful people making change. I adore them.

I could not have thrived in the Community Programme if it wasn’t for my incredible support system. I am grateful to Sangam and its amazing staff, to my partner who cared for my cat this last month without complaint, to my sister who encouraged me to take the chance and apply to the Community Programme, to my friends and specifically to my best friend who checked in on me via email on a regular basis and to my parents who have always supported my passion that change is possible when we, as a worldwide community, invest in girls and women.

Here’s to my journey home and here’s to processing all that I have experienced.

Here’s to change. 

Photos: Week 5 in Review

Goodbye lunch with the women of the Green Tara Foundation

The ladies of my English classes

ELEPHANT!

Dance rehearsal at the blind school

A rickshaw driving lesson

Behind the wheel of a rickshaw

The AM Water Tower Climbers

On top of the Sangam water tower

Sunrise in Pune

Tare Fun Day

On Monday kids from our community partners came to Sangam for a children's day of fun. The day was great. The World Thinking Day event participants joined us in leading games and crafts for the children. The face painting station was a very popular location.

For many of the children, it was their first time experiencing a whole day where they were able to just have fun. I will never forget the look on one of the girl's face, when she saw the parachute games. She had never seen a parachute before. She was so excited.

Many girls from the Ramgar slum, where I worked, were able to come to the fun day. It was fantastic to spend the day with them, to dance with them and to make sure that they got enough of the wonderful Sangam food to eat. For them, it was like a day at Disney World. Their only disappointment was that they could not swim in the pool but they did get a chance to at least stick their hands in the water.

Photos: Week 4 in Review

Dinner with an Indian family

A classic Indian truck

A fuzzy pic of Ronja and I next to the Sangam lantern!

Preparing for Tare Fun Day

Car trip back from an unexpected project with orphans.

The 4 week Tare hail their own rickshaw!

A much need chocolate fix

Hindi Movie Time!!!

ABCD- Any Body Can Dance- even mine!

Happy Thinking Day!

Happy World Thinking Day from Sangam! For all of you non-Girl Scout readers, every February 22nd Girl Scouts and Girl Guides around the world celebrates our global sisterhood and renews our promise to make the world a better place. 

 

In 2010, I celebrated Thinking Day with Kenyan Girl Guides in Londiai. In 2011, I was at Our Cabana in Mexico with the Guías de México. This year I was with The Bharat Scouts and Guides in India! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sangam family with the World Thinking Day event participants joined the Bharat Scouts and Guides at their Scout facility in Pune. It was so much fun to celebrate with them. The events included honoring Boy Scout and Girl Guide founders, Lord and Lady Baden-Powell, recognizing the outstanding scouts from various units and a fantastic dance performance by the visually impaired scouts. The day also included an hour of activity time with the local guides and those of us from Sangam. Steff and I led the group of visually impaired Boy Scouts though building paper sculptures.

 

In the evening, Sangam invited members of the local community to join in a Thinking Day ceremony around the Thinking Day tree. I think since I was 14, I've always choked up a bit when I think about the power Girl Scouts and Girl Guides have to change the world and this year was no different.

 

The really fantastic day ended with a jump into the Sangam pool with my fellow Tare and little dancing to Ignite by the famed Melinda Carroll. 

Our way is clear as we march on,

And see! Our flag on high,

Is never furled throughout the world,

For hope shall never die!

We must unite for what is right

In friendship true and strong...

 

 

The Thinking Day Tree

 

Mail from the USA!

Today I received a package from the USA full of amazing notes, cards, pictures & cookies from my best friend and her family! She also included some much needed meds and pretzel M&Ms! I am a happy and less congested soul.

Thanks for the hug from home. xoxoxo