CENTER DAY #2 and #3

Rusheel Nayak

Gurudev's Samadi

The 29^th and 30^th were both center days.  I worked in the play therapy (CBR department), and helped with data entry.  Because of the reports being written by all the departments, there is a tremendous need for data entry.  Therefore, all of us helped type up information and important data for CORD. After the workday, we visited the Sidhbari ashram and Pujya Gurudev's Samadi.  It was amazing being at the ashram during aarthi.

Meera Parat

These two days I did a lot of the same work as the last center day. This time, I edited another intern’s work. It was all the information about the Yuvti Samuh’s of different villages. I also translated another Legal case from Hindi to English, and did a little data input about a specific Panchayat. Trying to decipher the messy Hindi writing was definitely the hardest task!

Krishna Narra

For the center days I played with the children in the play therapy and encouraged them to do their exercises. One child, Abhai, loved nothing more than receiving applause. Every time he did something, we had to applaud him. His mom would also be there, and make him push himself in order to help himself stand on his own feet and walk. He also had a very responsible older sister, Ankita, who was nine years old. She took care of him as well as their youngest child, Sredha. I was astonished that someone, her age, was able to do so much without complaining.

Gurudev's Kutia (home)

Sonali Nayak

As a group, we do not have much work on center days because we do not belong to a specific sector within CORD. So, finding work that I could do was difficult, but finally, I was able to help input data on an Excel Spreadsheet. On the 30^th, we went out to dinner at Center Point, a hotel in Dharamshala. The food was delicious, and it was a nice change of scenery.

Gowtham Raja

For the center days I usually stayed with Rakesh and Sanjeev in the computer room and assisted them with various tasks. Also, I went to the room where the Mahila Mandal groups were meeting to and helped with data and logistics.

OUR FIRST DAY OFF

Rusheel Nayak

The Jwalamukhi Temple

            Today was our first day off, and so we decided to do some sight-seeing.  First, we visited one of the most famous temples in Himachal Pradesh, the Jwalamukhi Temple.  This temple is believed to be built over one of the places where Sati’s body parts fell.  Instead of an idol, there is an ever-burning flame, which is considered by many to be a miracle.  There was over an hour wait to see the temple.  However, it was inspiring to see the bhakti (devotion) of the pilgrims, who repeatedly broke out into devotional chants.

            After this, we went to the Kangra Fort, which was originally built in the 1100s.  This fort, which has been rebuilt repeatedly, was really fun to visit because it was relatively quiet and had tons of history.  We also visited a Buddhist Monastery in Yol, which was built in 1993.

Krishna Narra

Group photo at the Kangra Fort

Today was a very interesting day. Due to it being our day off, I got to see how the lifestyle of the people were outside of our CORD circle. I saw how the people selling goods on the street were constantly trying to lure people into their shops. However I was really intrigued by the long and clustered line we had to go into in order to receive darshan in the Jwalamuki Temple. As a matter of fact, someone had fainted in the line. I offered water to help awaken him. I also saw a little child crying to his mom about his thirst. I helped them out by offering them water as well. But what really intrigued me was that none of the signs were written in English. I found this odd since we were in a tourist attraction and no one cared to have anything written in English. Although the temple was interesting, I still believe that there should be more entrances for people to go through instead of having them clustered in a long, curvy line. However, I did enjoy the Kangra fort and the Buddhist monastery. Both places were really interesting as well as peaceful. I especially enjoyed the vast room of the Kangra fort and how much there was to see.

Sonali Nayak

Today, we explored the surroundings. We went to Jwalamukhi Temple, and seeing the fire come out of the ground was really cool. Though the line was long and tiring, the temple was worth it. Also, we went to Yol, a city near the CORD center. We walked around the town, and then, we enjoyed walking back to the CORD center through the rice paddy fields.

Gowtham Raja

Today we went to Jwalamukhi temple, and waited for nearly an hour to watch a natural fire that came from the ground. As we were leaving, Krishna nearly got his camera taken away as he didn’t realize that taking a picture in a temple was prohibited. Later we went to Kangra fort and stood near the edge and looked down upon what seemed to a not so nice fall. We finished the day by going to Celebration, a local restaurant in Yol and enjoyed the local food.

CENTER DAY #1

Center Day Meeting

Rusheel Nayak
           Today was the first of four center days in a row.  During center days, all CORD workers from all over Himachal Pradesh come to the CORD center to discuss problems, get up to date on protocol, and write reports.  Also, all new volunteers are introduced to the CORD workers via the “hot seat.”  Each new volunteer sat in a chair next to Dr. Kshama Didi and talked about themselves.  Also, Dr. Metre asked us all various questions, such as “Why are we at CORD?” and “How are we affiliated with CORD?”

           I helped all day writing a report on the Mahila Mandal.  I had to research the Mahila Mandal and realized the importance of this program for CORD operations.  It was nice to see how the women are becoming more outspoken about village issues.

Meera Parat

 I helped out an intern working in the Legal Cell today. She had to translate 8 Domestic Violence cases form Hindi to English. Since her English wasn’t the best, I got to edit all her cases. I also ended up translating one case from Hindi to English myself. It was really interesting to hear these stories! All the ones I was involved in were about how a wife received thrashing and abuse form her husband and in-laws soon after marriage. She would report her case to the police who would transfer it to CORD. CORD does counseling classes with the husband and wife and usually they live happily in the end, but sometimes the fighting still goes on.

Krishna Narra

Today Kshama Didi, or “Doctor” Didi, as some people call her arrived to meet all the members of CORD Sidhbari personally. Although I was unable to understand Hindi, I felt exhilarated by her presence. I really admire how she has chosen to devote her life to CORD. I remembered how Narenderji mentioned how she puts in 20 hours a day for CORD. Getting to sit next to her, even though it was very brief, felt like a true blessing.

Sonali Nayak

Center days are definitely more relaxed than field days. Today, I was formally introduced to all of CORD. I had to sit in front in the “Hot Seat” with Kshama Didi to talk about my experiences. It was very nerve-wracking because I was at a complete loss at what to say. Also, most of the field workers did not understand my English, so Doctor Didi had to translate my words for them. Though it was fun telling the workers my reasons for wanting to do seva and what I hoped to gain from this trip, I was relieved when I was able to go sit down next to my fellow volunteers.

After work, we all went to the Ashram for aarthi.  The aarthi in Gurudev’s Samadhi was wonderful because the chanting from the vibrations was truly a special experience.  After dinner, we played mafia while a terrible lightning-filled storm raged outside.  We were scared to go back to our apartment during the lightning, but we all made it back in one piece.

COMMUNITY BASED REHABILITATION

Community Based Rehabilitation

Rusheel Nayak

            Because everyone enjoyed working in the play therapy department during the center day on Day 4, we decided to see how CORD works with the disabled in the community.  Overall, it was a great experience because we saw a spectrum of cases and disabilities.  Many of the children we visited had cerebral palsy and some children had a variety of syndromes as well  The main role of the community based rehabilitation is to make life comfortable for the disabled by giving them avenues to function in society as well as they can.  CORD also works to reduce discrimination against these kids.

            Although most of the children have difficulty interacting with others, we were all encouraged by one of the children with cerebral palsy.  Through hard work and support from CORD and the family, the child is able to go to school, walk, talk (haltingly), and is currently ranked #1 in her class.  This experience turned out to be excellent because it showed us the difficulties involved in having a disability in India.  However, through CORD’s work, everything is slowly beginning to improve in the rural villages.

Meera Parat

Meeting with the 5 disabled children was a whole new experience for us. We learned about how their disabilities came about. Many were born with Cerebral Palsy, or some other disease, but some also had an incident early on which caused them to have a disability. It was nice to see that the families had accepted it and now they were just trying to make the best out of the child’s life. Some cases were mild while others were worse, and this came about from how early on the child was diagnosed and started treatment. Our last stop was at a boy’s house, whose left leg got burned in a fire when he was young. Ever since, he has been walking around with a crutch or with a fake leg. He is in 11^th grade, and is a star player on his cricket team. He has high hopes for the Special Olympics in Shimla. Even though he only has one fully functioning leg, he still works in the field and lives like a normal high school boy.

Krishna Narra

Despite our lack of knowledge in the exercises regarding the disabled children, our group made a great effort to try and interact with them.

Sonali Nayak

Working with the CBR department was very interesting. We worked with kids with all types of disabilities. Some kids had cerebral palsy, a physical disorder, while others had autism and extreme forms of mental retardation. Two cases were very encouraging. In the first case, a young four-year-old girl had cerebral palsy. This condition was developed because she did not cry for five minutes after birth. However, because she was diagnosed early, she was able to walk and talk relatively well. She had greatly improved after just a year of treatment, so it was reassuring to know that she would continue to get better with CORD’s help. In the second case, CORD’s work was very evident. This girl was eight years old with cerebral palsy. She was able to walk well, with only a slight limp/weakness on the right side of her body. Because of all the treatments, she could also talk. She attends school, like all the other kids, and she loves to watch Bollywood serials. These cases gave me hope that conditions such as cerebral palsy could be improved so that kids of all ages could live normal lives.

Gowtham Raja

            Working with these disabled children was an experience that didn’t fail to amaze us. We watched as these children who had such a barrier in their life were able to enjoy little things like meeting us. One of the girls we met was surrounded by family the whole time as the CORD worker was guiding her through exercises. Her cousin brother was whispering things into her ear to make her laugh and treating her very lovingly. Watching him care for her and try to make her happy was quite moving for me as I saw how these children who lacked physical health as well as financial support were able to smile and laugh through the love that they felt from other people.

THE ANIMATED MAHILA MANDAL

Dancing at the Yuvti Samuh

The Mahila Mandal

Rusheel Nayak

            The Mahila Mandal and Yuvti Samuh we visited today were located in Sartori.  We also visited 3 self-help groups, and it was encouraging to see the group members earning money from their trade.  The Mahila Mandal we visited today was extremely talkative and they all wanted to come to America with us!  They were all surprised that there are no dirt roads in America and very little dirt enters the house daily.  One elderly woman was particularly feisty and spirited since she wanted to learn American phrases.  When we talked about the use of farming machines in America, the woman responded that the villagers are tougher than Americans because they do the same tasks as the machines we rely on in America.  It was so much fun talking with the woman and listening to her problems.  She even got into a verbal spat with another woman over some difference in opinion!

            After the Mahila Mandal, we went to the Yuvti Samuh.  The girls were very shy and we tried really hard to break the ice.  Eventually, the girls started to smile and talk with us.  We played a small game with them to teach them English, and by the end of the session, they wanted to dance for us.  All the girls danced very well to Bollywood music.  When we got back to the CORD center, all the volunteers started an intense game of Pictionary, which was fantastic! 

Meera Parat

Today, we got a whole tour of the village, all the way from seeing women working for their Self-Help groups to women in the fields. We learned that one woman makes clothes and pillow covers for about 10 rupees but she can sell them for about 50 rupees, and on top of that, the Guru Dhara keeps an additional 20 rupees. This is how the Self-Help groups work and the women get the income. The next group of Yuvti Samuh girls we met were shyer than the day before, but they were still fun to interact with. We taught each other Hindi and English, and they even danced to Bollywood music for us! It’s amazing how much they can pick up on their own.

Sonali Nayak

In the Mahila Mandal meeting, I met a woman who was truly inspirational. She is elderly, but the passion to live and to learn has not left her. She really wanted to learn to speak English, so we taught her some simple sentences. She is also very humorous and witty. I could tell, even though I do not speak Hindi, because every time she spoke, the other women would start to laugh. We told her that we use machines in America to harvest crops. She grinned and replied that her arms are her machines and that they are the best tools. The Adolescent Girls were very shy today. We taught them different emotions, and later they danced for us, Bollywood style!

Gowtham Raja

Today we met a different Mahila Mandal and a group of young girls. The girls seemed happy to meet us, but they were hesitant to discuss various issues. However, we eventually got through to one of the older girls and they began talking to us about different things that made them happy, and one of them was dancing. We watched them dance various dances that they learned in the village and even the younger, shy girls participated!

BACK OUT IN THE FIELD

Rusheel Nayak
This morning’s discussion during Swadhya was extremely interesting because we compared and contrasted the basic tenets of Hinduism to other major religions around the world.  We set out for Jadrangal, another CORD village, where we learned about the local agriculture and farming techniques.  It gave us all perspective because we understood the effort the farmers put into growing crops and the difficulties they face daily in providing their families with food.

            Although that day’s Mahila Mandal was interesting, the main attraction was the Balavihar children, who were so much fun to play with.  Initially, we just introduced ourselves, but they all were so excited to introduce themselves as well…in English too!  We taught them a few body parts in English, and when they were experts, we tried to reinforce these concepts by singing and acting the game “head, shoulders, knees, and toes.”  Also, we played “Gandhiji says,” a spin on “Simon Says” with the same body parts.  The children understood the game immediately, and everyone had so much fun!

            In addition, we also played “duck, duck, goose” with the children.  All the children were begging to become the “goose” so they could run around and be cheered by the rest of the crowd.  After all this fun, we gave the Balavihar kids a small lesson in hygiene.  We talked about constantly washing hands, sneezing into one’s sleeve (instead of one’s hands), and brushing teeth.  We gave everyone stickers before leaving.  Our favorite part of the day was when one small child gave us all a flying kiss as we were leaving the village!

Meera Parat

This was by far the best day of them all! Interacting with the Balavihar and Yuvti Samuh kids was a lot of fun! They were a lively bunch and they opened up a lot to us in the end. There was a mix of boys and girls. They all introduced themselves in the proper manner, and then we got into teaching them some health and hygiene issues, body parts, and then played games with them. They learnt quickly and we hope they will follow most of the things we taught them! Playing “Duck, Duck, Goose” was a big hit, and we could tell that they were becoming more and more comfortable with us strangers. In the end, at least 5 kids had asked us to come to their house. Unfortunately, we had to leave, but it meant so much that they respected us and had opened up to us so much in just an hour and a half.

Krishna Narra

Although these kids weren’t able to understand us as easily, they showed great enthusiasm in learning what we had to teach or introduce to them. They did a great job in understanding “Ghandi says” as well as the “Head and Shoulders” song. They also listened patiently as we explained hygiene.

Sonali Nayak

Playing with the Balavihar kids was so much fun because they were so innocent and eager to learn. We taught them about body parts and hygiene. After learning “head, shoulders, knees, and toes,” Ritu, Vishal, and Abu bravely volunteered to sing the song. All the kids were so sweet and happy. Despite only wearing “flip-flops” the kids did not hold back while playing “Duck, Duck, Goose.” They dove, skidded, and lunged. I had as much fun watching them as they had playing the game. At the end, we took a group photo, and passed out animal stickers. By the time we actually left, each child’s shirt, arms, face, and hands were completely plastered.

Gowtham Raja
The day started off with me being extremely sick, and when we got to the Mahila Mandal I took rest while the rest of the group toured the local agricultural methods that were implemented by CORD workers that ensured a higher crop yield. After this, the group met with the women of the Mahila Mandal and it was somewhat difficult for us to interact with them due to our language barriers. However, later the Balavihar kids showed up and this proved to be the highlight of my trip. They were so eager to learn about us and where we came from and they were so happy just for us to interact with them. 

Group photo with the Balavihar Children

Teaching the Balavihar children about the India and the United States

Playing "duck...duck...GOOSE!" with the Balavihar children

      

DOIN’ WORK AT THE CORD CENTER

Meera in the play therapy department

           We woke up to torrential rain this morning before Swadhyaya, and we got to the CORD center wet, but completely awake from the downpour.  Instead of going to the Mahila Mandal today, we stayed in the CORD center to help in the various departments.  Each of us took part in different activities and here is what we all did:

Rusheel Nayak

            Today, I worked in the play therapy section of the physical therapy sector of CORD.  It was eye opening experience for me, and I enjoyed my work immensely.  Children with mental disabilities learn to interact with others and improve basic life functions through fun exercises in this department.  Himachal Pradesh has a higher rate of children born with cerebral palsy, and although the cause of this disability is unclear, most of the children in play therapy had this syndrome.  I worked and interacted with a spectrum of cerebral palsy children today, ranging from mild to severe cases.  Some of the children have most of their mental faculties intact, but are unable to convey their thoughts because they have difficulty speaking and moving.  I helped the children strengthen their muscles by playing catch with them and helping them to learn how to walk without external aid.  Although it was difficult to see the children in distress, I was heartened whenever they were able to improve or complete an exercise.  Due to CORD’s support, many of the children are slowly getting better!

Meera Parat

Since we stayed at the center today, I ended up working with the special education kids in the Play Therapy room. Most of the kids there come every day with them moms and other siblings. This was my first time interacting to this extent with special education kids, or kids with disabilities. It was a real experience! I got to help one kid practice walking while he held onto two parallel beams on either side of him, and I also played with another kid as he practiced standing with the correct posture in a Standing Box. The stories behind how they got these disabilities surprised me a lot.

Krishna Narra

What I loved most about the play therapy was how children with disabilities were able to appear much happier than people without disabilities. Many people often complain about their problems but the smile in these kids made me wonder who was really disabled.

Sonali Nayak

The center day was very interesting because we were able to get a complete idea about all the different operations at CORD. I worked at the Special Education department where mentally disabled children were taught basic concepts such as the alphabet, numbers, grouping on similarities, and identifying pictures. I observed the CORD worker teach a nine-year-old boy with hearing impairments and mental retardation write numbers. Though he had problems, he was doing a great job, and upon being questioned, he was able to point to the correct number. After a while, another little boy came. He has cerebral palsy and mild mental retardation. He is such a cute little boy. Each time he would get an answer correct, we would all clap for him. Having everyone around him cheer him on made him extremely excited and happy. I spent the rest of the afternoon in Play Therapy where kids with physical disabilities did exercises to strengthen their muscles. Because it was a totally new experience, my work in these sectors of CORD was gratifying and interesting.

Gowtham Raja

            Today I spent time getting to work with the people in the computer section. One of the people I met, Rakesh was very helpful in getting me internet. While he was doing so, he had various office tasks that he had me do while we chatted. He introduced me to the concept of “tea time” in India which is basically a break from work where you can sit and relax while enjoying a cup of “chai” for 15 minutes. He told me about his life and how he grew up in his rural village and how working for CORD was a big accomplishment for him, in that being able to partake in serving the community meant a lot to him. I began to appreciate the simplicities of life, and enjoyed discussing various issues with him.

JOURNEY TO A MAHILA MANDAL

Morning Swadhyaya Session

Rusheel Nayak

            Our discussion during Swadhyaya, from the text We Must… by Swami Chinmayanda, discussed the importance of living a just life.  The book stated that we cannot control anything but our own thoughts and actions to live a good life.

            Today was our first visit to the Mahila Mandal!  Although we will participate in other sectors of CORD, our main project is to interact with the village women and adolescent girls.  We brought various laminated posters from America explaining sanitation, hygiene, the earth, body parts in English, and the five senses.  Our job is to interact with the local people and teach them basic skills such as English, geography, and the information we have on our posters.

            The women from the village of Jamanabad were very hospitable.  Although all of the villagers speak a dialect of Punjabi and Hindi called Pahadi, they all understand and speak Hindi fluently.  All the women came to the Mahila Mandal dressed in their finest clothes and whatever jewelry they could afford.  They began by singing bhajans (religious songs), and we began to discuss our planned topics with them.  They were fascinated by the American dollar we showed them and everyone loved having their picture taken. 

             Next, we went to the Adolescent Girls Group (Yuvti Samuh) where we taught them basic American words.  Because of CORD, the girls have learned to assert themselves, value education, and marry at an older age than before.  They also loved having their pictures taken! The day was awesome because we loved interacting with the local women!

Meera Parat

In the Mahila Mandal meeting, we witnessed their agenda for meetings. They sing bhajans first, and then discuss some social topics, and then break up into their Self-Help groups and eventually take roll and mark down who has given the 10 rupees donation. We also met with the Yuvti Samuh that day for the first time. Around 15 girls came in and all introduced themselves. They were extremely shy! A main topic they stress in their meetings is women empowerment, and with that comes confidence. We tried to encourage them to talk, but that is still a huge issue among the girls and women of this part of India.

Krishna Narra

Something interesting that I noticed from the adolescent girls is how they all planned to be either teachers or doctors. I later realized it was due to their mindset of believing that those were the only two high professions for women. I also realized that this community also encouraged women to study and not marry until they were 25. Through this, I understood the influence CORD has played in improving lives of the people.

Sonali Nayak

I was nervous but excited because I did not know what to expect in the field. However, there was no need for my anxiety because the villagers from Jamanabhad were extremely generous and amiable. Because the women were working in the field until noon, we waited for about an hour. The leader of the Mahila Mandal graciously offered us her home to rest in, and she politely offered us cold Fanta. Though I really wanted to drink the delicious, refreshing soda, I had to decline because the cleanliness of the water was questionable. In the meeting, the women began to sing bhajans, including the Chinmaya Aarti. It was nice to sing with them because, though we lived in two separate worlds, we still had a common bond in CORD and Chinmaya Mission. Soon after, we went to the Adolescent Girls Group meeting. The girls were all very shy, but with encouragement, they began to open up a little bit. All the little girls were very cute. Muskaan, a small girl dressed in purple, smiled, so she was accurately depicting her name. Muskaan means smile in Hindi. As we were leaving, an older girl called out in English, “Bye Didi,” and it made me want to spend more time with them because I really wanted to help the girls support themselves.

Gowtham Raja

Due to the dilemma concerning my health, I took bed rest and opted out of the first day of work. When the group got back they told me about the great time that they had with all of the new people they met.

ORIENTATION

Rusheel Nayak

            We begin each morning by attending Swadhyaya at 6:00 A. M. where we practice Surya Namaskar (sun salutations), and meditate.  Also, we began the text We Must… by H.H. Swami Chinmayanandaji.  Today, we discussed the importance of perseverance to achieve success in life, and it was an excellent discussion.

            After breakfast, we met with Narenderji, who familiarized us with the projects currently active at CORD (Chinmaya Organization for Rural Development).  The main tenet of CORD is self-empowerment, or giving power to the people so that they can support themselves and improve their lives.  Originally, CORD started as a training center in rural Sidhbari (Himachal Pradesh in North India) for nurses, but it soon expanded under the guidance of Dr. Kshama Metre to encompass all parts of village life.  In 1985, CORD Sidhbari began their most important project: the Mahila Mandal (women’s empowerment group).  Before the Mahila Mandal, women’s issues were only discussed in hushed tones in private quarters, but this program has taken great strides to achieve gender equality.  After the founding of this program, other programs such as self-help groups, micro financing, and improved agricultural techniques were installed in the villages.  This session was informative as well as interesting for all of us.  Based on our  discussions with Narenderji, we decided to work with the Mahila Mandals (women's empowerment groups), the Yuvti Samuhs (adolescent girl's groups), the Balavihar children, and the Community Based Rehabilitation sector.

            After this session, we went to Mcleodganj. Because it was our first excursion outside of the CORD center, it was fun to explore the city that is so vastly different from any American city. After fleeing from China, the Dalai Lama settled in Mcleodganj.  It was very interesting to see his residence and to get a sense of the strife he has been through since Tibet was overtaken by China. His story made me reflect on the discussion we had during Swadhyaya about the value of persistence and determination. Despite the great mountain of obstacles that stood before him (literally-Himalayas), the Dalai Lama was able to successfully remain the head of the Buddhist community.

            After seeing the monastery, we went to a Devi Temple where, according to mythology, Arjuna, from the Mahabharata, did tapas (deep meditation) in the surrounding scenery.  After an eventful day, we returned to the CORD center. 

Sonali Nayak

Today was our first official day as CORD volunteers, so it was great exploring the center and making friends among the other volunteers. I learned about the CORD’s mission to empower the villagers, which was incredibly inspiring and interesting. So much work is done by all the dedicated CORD workers, and it is hard to truly comprehend the positive affect CORD has had on the rural villages of India. Back in the flat, it was very difficult to resist succumbing to jet lag, and I enjoyed a two hour nap.

Meera Parat

Behind the temple, there was a river flowing down through the rocks. This was a beautiful sight, special to the Himalayas! The water was cool and refreshing!

Gowtham Raja

We woke up bright and early (come to think about it, it wasn’t so bright) to do Swadhyaya under the instructions of Kusum Didi. This was my first real day at CORD, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was a delightfully enjoyable experience. We began by doing Surya Namascar, an ancient yoga technique that is performed as the sun rises. This marked the beginning of quite an intriguing day. Later, we met with Narenderji as he discussed the values that CORD embraced in their rural development programs and asked us what personally motivated us to join CORD in their mission to develop communities within India. After this session, the jetlag hit and when the group went to Mcleodganj I embraced a beautiful subtlety of human life: sleep!

The CORD Center

CORD center this way

The Dalai Lama's Residence

The entrance to the CORD center

          

ARRIVAL

Left to Right: Sonali Nayak, Meera Parat, Gowtham Raja, Rusheel Nayak, Krishna Narra

   The first day we arrived at the CORD Center where we were greeted with tea and snacks. Originally, we believed that we were going to be the only volunteers from the U.S. But soon, we met a number of volunteers from the U.S. who had traveled individually. These volunteers were each working on their own specific project that tied into CORD's overarching goal of rural development.  These projects ranged from the implementation of agricultural procedures to the advancement of women within their communities.
    Because our stay at CORD was for only two weeks, it would be unproductive to join a department and leave without completing the project. Mithra Nayak and her kids, Rusheel and Sonali,  from Los Angeles presented various posters that they had bought at a teachers store that discussed topics such as the brushing teeth and washing hands. Tomorrow, we will be talking to Narenderji to discuss where we will be working during our stay at CORD.

INTRODUCTION

CORD (Chinmaya Organization for Rural Development) USA is the secular service wing of Chinmaya Mission.  This year, the organization formed a group of high school students from various Chinmaya centers to participate in a service trip in Sidhbari, India.  CORD was first founded in Sidhbari by Dr. Kshama Metre and has since expanded to various centers in India.  The organization stresses the importance of self-empowerment for the villagers and we hope to make a difference by spending two weeks in India.   The dates of this service trip are from June 20, 2011 to July 4, 2011.  The following people are members of the trip:

Sonali Nayak-Los Angeles,CA
Rusheel Nayak-Los Angeles,CA
Krishna Narra-Houston, TX
Meera Parat-San Jose, CA
Gowthamram Rajaprabhakaran-West Palm Beach, FL

Parent escorts: Mithra Nayak- Los Angeles, CA
                       Ruchita Parat- San Jose, CA

The link for CORD USA is cordusa.org