Friday, August 7, 2009
NY Times Article
Bharati Chaturvedi, Chintan's director and founder, recently wrote an editorial that was published in the New York Times. It's a great peek into how the recession has affected wastepickers all over the world: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/05/opinion/05chaturvedi.html. Enjoy!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Snapshots of our Indian Summer
Now that Erika, Ignacio, and Roshan have shared their initial thoughts, I’m afraid that my own reflections would be a bit redundant. Instead, I’ve put together a photographic chronicle of our time at Chintan (to provide you with a true picture...haha...of what we've been up to). Enjoy!
Part One: Orientation
During our first two weeks at Chintan, we were given an orientation to all of the organization’s sites and initiatives. This was a wonderful learning process for us, as it allowed us to acquaint ourselves with Delhi (though there’s still so much we haven’t seen!) while seeing aspects of Chintan that we wouldn’t have as part of our independent projects.
Chintan’s vision is to create “sustainable environmental social justice,” and in pursuing this vision its initiatives are organized into four pillars: Advocacy, Capacity-building, No Child in Trash (an educational program), and Scavengers to Managers . During our orientation, we were able to catch a glimpse of all of them. The following are some photos of what we saw along the way:
A photo of one of Chintan’s employees speaking with a Chintan-affiliated waste picker, who uses the rickshaw shown to collect trash from the households in the Door to Door program.
A meeting in Lodhi Garden with Chintan’s cycle kabaris, who ride around neighborhoods purchasing recyclables from households (rather than collecting all waste and later segregating it, as do waste pickers). During this meeting, they voiced concerns about police harassment – a common problem for people working in the informal waste sector. Their bicycles are frequently confiscated, and they’re often forcibly removed from neighborhoods despite having permission from the New Delhi Municipal Council to work within them.
A photo from one of the bureaucratic neighborhoods in which Chintan operates. A resident we interviewed explained that while the fenced-in area is supposed to be for compost, it goes mostly unused. Instead, people often burn their green waste.
One of the workers at Chintan’s recycling unit, who specially requested a photograph. Large quantities of waste are brought here to be segregated and then prepared for either the landfill or recycling plants.
A shot of some children who attend one of Chintan’s schools. It was a good thing that class had been dismissed by the time we arrived, as we (and our cameras) caused quite a commotion.
Game time at Chintan’s school in the area beside the Ghazipur landfill, where over three hundred waste pickers live. When these students aren’t in school, they work alongside their parents. It’s difficult to retain these students, as families suffer in compensating for the lost labor.
A photo of some homes near the landfill. Because the recyclables collected need to be segregated before they’re sold to junk dealers, the waste pickers are forced to bring the trash they gather each day back to their homes. The relationship that exists between these people and waste is a complex one; while it is the source of their livelihoods, it also a source of contamination and hardship. They are dependent upon it, and they cannot escape from it even when they return to their homes after a hard day’s work.
Part Two: Travel
In addition to our time spent working with Chintan in Delhi, we’ve also been able to take a few weekend trips to areas outside the city. The following are some snapshots of Haridwar (a site of religious pilgrimage, where the Ganges River originates), Jaipur (Rajasthan’s famous “Pink City”), Agra (the site of the Taj Mahal), and Corbett National Park (a beautiful wildlife reserve north of Delhi).
A view of the ghats in Haridwar, where people bathe in the Ganges River either for its healing powers or simply for an escape from the heat.
A shot of the Penn interns from outside Haridwar’s mountain temple.
Jaipur’s famous Amber Fort – one of our favorite sites so far.
Ignacio jumping front of the Taj Mahal…and someone else marveling at his enthusiasm.
Three quarters of the Penn group, also at the Taj Mahal.
Ignacio, Roshan, and Jeremy (another Chintan intern, from SAIS) riding an elephant toward the buffer zone of Corbett National Park. We’ve had an amazing time getting to know the interns from other schools as well as each other.
Part Three: Day to Day at Chintan
Since finishing orientation, we’ve settled into the day to day routine of working on our individual projects. Though our goals seem overwhelming at times, all of the challenges we experience while here make us better able to pursue them. In the meantime, we’re enjoying the incredible opportunity that is working with Chintan and spending the summer in Delhi.
A shot of Chintan’s office from the outside.
Roshan and Erika setting up shop for the day.
Amanda (another intern from SAIS), Jeremy, and Erika enjoying one of our favorite aspects of working in India: dabbas! Every day, homemade lunches are brought to the office by a dabbawaala in reusable (so eco-friendly!) containers. He then returns to collect the containers, which are always empty. Needless to say, the food is delicious - and at Rs. 25 a meal, it’s also the best bang for your buck.
And on that tasty note, I’ll sign off. Hopefully all those interested have gotten a peek into our time so far (though I’m not sure any number of photographs would be enough to demonstrate how fascinating and awe-inspiring this country truly is). Please let us know if you have any requests for future posts, and thanks again to CASI for making this summer possible!
Part One: Orientation
During our first two weeks at Chintan, we were given an orientation to all of the organization’s sites and initiatives. This was a wonderful learning process for us, as it allowed us to acquaint ourselves with Delhi (though there’s still so much we haven’t seen!) while seeing aspects of Chintan that we wouldn’t have as part of our independent projects.
Chintan’s vision is to create “sustainable environmental social justice,” and in pursuing this vision its initiatives are organized into four pillars: Advocacy, Capacity-building, No Child in Trash (an educational program), and Scavengers to Managers . During our orientation, we were able to catch a glimpse of all of them. The following are some photos of what we saw along the way:
A photo of one of Chintan’s employees speaking with a Chintan-affiliated waste picker, who uses the rickshaw shown to collect trash from the households in the Door to Door program.
A meeting in Lodhi Garden with Chintan’s cycle kabaris, who ride around neighborhoods purchasing recyclables from households (rather than collecting all waste and later segregating it, as do waste pickers). During this meeting, they voiced concerns about police harassment – a common problem for people working in the informal waste sector. Their bicycles are frequently confiscated, and they’re often forcibly removed from neighborhoods despite having permission from the New Delhi Municipal Council to work within them.
A photo from one of the bureaucratic neighborhoods in which Chintan operates. A resident we interviewed explained that while the fenced-in area is supposed to be for compost, it goes mostly unused. Instead, people often burn their green waste.
One of the workers at Chintan’s recycling unit, who specially requested a photograph. Large quantities of waste are brought here to be segregated and then prepared for either the landfill or recycling plants.
A shot of some children who attend one of Chintan’s schools. It was a good thing that class had been dismissed by the time we arrived, as we (and our cameras) caused quite a commotion.
Game time at Chintan’s school in the area beside the Ghazipur landfill, where over three hundred waste pickers live. When these students aren’t in school, they work alongside their parents. It’s difficult to retain these students, as families suffer in compensating for the lost labor.
A photo of some homes near the landfill. Because the recyclables collected need to be segregated before they’re sold to junk dealers, the waste pickers are forced to bring the trash they gather each day back to their homes. The relationship that exists between these people and waste is a complex one; while it is the source of their livelihoods, it also a source of contamination and hardship. They are dependent upon it, and they cannot escape from it even when they return to their homes after a hard day’s work.
Part Two: Travel
In addition to our time spent working with Chintan in Delhi, we’ve also been able to take a few weekend trips to areas outside the city. The following are some snapshots of Haridwar (a site of religious pilgrimage, where the Ganges River originates), Jaipur (Rajasthan’s famous “Pink City”), Agra (the site of the Taj Mahal), and Corbett National Park (a beautiful wildlife reserve north of Delhi).
A view of the ghats in Haridwar, where people bathe in the Ganges River either for its healing powers or simply for an escape from the heat.
A shot of the Penn interns from outside Haridwar’s mountain temple.
Jaipur’s famous Amber Fort – one of our favorite sites so far.
Ignacio jumping front of the Taj Mahal…and someone else marveling at his enthusiasm.
Three quarters of the Penn group, also at the Taj Mahal.
Ignacio, Roshan, and Jeremy (another Chintan intern, from SAIS) riding an elephant toward the buffer zone of Corbett National Park. We’ve had an amazing time getting to know the interns from other schools as well as each other.
Part Three: Day to Day at Chintan
Since finishing orientation, we’ve settled into the day to day routine of working on our individual projects. Though our goals seem overwhelming at times, all of the challenges we experience while here make us better able to pursue them. In the meantime, we’re enjoying the incredible opportunity that is working with Chintan and spending the summer in Delhi.
A shot of Chintan’s office from the outside.
Roshan and Erika setting up shop for the day.
Amanda (another intern from SAIS), Jeremy, and Erika enjoying one of our favorite aspects of working in India: dabbas! Every day, homemade lunches are brought to the office by a dabbawaala in reusable (so eco-friendly!) containers. He then returns to collect the containers, which are always empty. Needless to say, the food is delicious - and at Rs. 25 a meal, it’s also the best bang for your buck.
And on that tasty note, I’ll sign off. Hopefully all those interested have gotten a peek into our time so far (though I’m not sure any number of photographs would be enough to demonstrate how fascinating and awe-inspiring this country truly is). Please let us know if you have any requests for future posts, and thanks again to CASI for making this summer possible!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
DELHI-rious
I have been in India for the past month, and the time I have spent here has already demonstrated to be incredibly rewarding, as well as full of surprises and challenges. During the first weeks of adjustment to the new environment, city and culture I kept my mind open to anything that came up, proving to be an excellent strategy to enjoy even the sometimes frustrating things that came up. Then as my weeks of orientation came to an end, I felt more comfortable and closer to the community and to this “new life” I am living in Delhi for 10 weeks.
India is an enchanting nation! Filled with paradoxes, in India you can experience in the same day the heartbreaking reality of poverty as well as the travel in time to learn about the luxurious lifestyles of the maharajas. The diverse forms of cultures and traditions have merged in this land for centuries, creating the richest and most interesting history I have read about. Everywhere I go, wherever I see, I have something to learn. The history of the cities and watching how daily life takes place in India is hypnotizing. The blend of the chaotic traffic, the beautiful ancient architecture, the mouth-watering smells coming from out from the street restaurants, and the undecipherable Hindi words beings spoken, make each walk down the street an exciting adventure.
My work experience with Chintan has been truly exciting. Being able to work with a local NGO I have seen some places that few Indians have access to, and tourists don’t even know about. Visits to the field might be exhausting due to the heat, but there is always time to enjoy, sit and regroup energies to focus back on the summer project. Cassidy and I are developing a sustainable business plan to revamp the door-to-door trash collection system Chintan has organized. We have designed maps of the bureaucratic neighborhoods where the service is provided and we are currently conducting surveys to analyze the household’s satisfaction level. After collecting all the necessary quantitative data we will continue to draft our analytical recommendations to make the program more effective and more beneficial for waste pickers.
To end with a fresh note, I must say that the monsoon is here! I don’t think I have never been happier of watching raindrops, or should I call them buckets, of water fall from the sky. It is much cooler now and it makes life easier in some ways, but harder in others: it is not as hot as it was in June, but streets get flooded and life just gets messy. I will be commenting more on the progress of my work with Chintan, my life experiences and the rains on my next post.
Namaste, Ignacio
India is an enchanting nation! Filled with paradoxes, in India you can experience in the same day the heartbreaking reality of poverty as well as the travel in time to learn about the luxurious lifestyles of the maharajas. The diverse forms of cultures and traditions have merged in this land for centuries, creating the richest and most interesting history I have read about. Everywhere I go, wherever I see, I have something to learn. The history of the cities and watching how daily life takes place in India is hypnotizing. The blend of the chaotic traffic, the beautiful ancient architecture, the mouth-watering smells coming from out from the street restaurants, and the undecipherable Hindi words beings spoken, make each walk down the street an exciting adventure.
My work experience with Chintan has been truly exciting. Being able to work with a local NGO I have seen some places that few Indians have access to, and tourists don’t even know about. Visits to the field might be exhausting due to the heat, but there is always time to enjoy, sit and regroup energies to focus back on the summer project. Cassidy and I are developing a sustainable business plan to revamp the door-to-door trash collection system Chintan has organized. We have designed maps of the bureaucratic neighborhoods where the service is provided and we are currently conducting surveys to analyze the household’s satisfaction level. After collecting all the necessary quantitative data we will continue to draft our analytical recommendations to make the program more effective and more beneficial for waste pickers.
To end with a fresh note, I must say that the monsoon is here! I don’t think I have never been happier of watching raindrops, or should I call them buckets, of water fall from the sky. It is much cooler now and it makes life easier in some ways, but harder in others: it is not as hot as it was in June, but streets get flooded and life just gets messy. I will be commenting more on the progress of my work with Chintan, my life experiences and the rains on my next post.
Namaste, Ignacio
Summer so far
I have always wanted to work for developmental issues and working in Chintan has actually provided me the platform to see how things work. In that sense, working in Chintan has been a gift and more than what I could ask for being a freshman. The weather is as hot as it gets, which gets me very tired. Nevertheless, it is unbelievably comforting to see hundreds of smiles of little kids whose lives have been transformed by Chintan’s work in educating the children in waste picking communities. Indeed, the project that I am working in Chintan relates to the further education of these children and provides these under privileged communities with role models in the future. So far, Chintan only assists in mainstreaming the children (in primary school level) who otherwise would not go to school. My project aims at selecting some children amongst these children to prepare for an exam; the exam, when passed, assures them free education until they finish high school in a system with highly qualified teachers. I can connect well to these children because my family also had problems in funding my education and I appeared for this exam and was selected when I was in grade 6th. Since my selection in the school, there was no looking back and life presented itself with many opportunities, which would otherwise be, literally, impossible. It was making use of these opportunities that I went to UK and then came to Upenn. Subsequently, I am preparing a manual to help Chintan equip these children for those exams. In order to make it fair for under privileged students without sufficient books and teachers, these exams only test the mental ability and mat ability of the students. I firmly believe that there are children in these communities who have the potential to be successful, regardless of their socio-economic conditions. My project is to make this belief a truth in the years to come.
This summer has been one of my most adventurous ones. Though, the arrival in Delhi was not as eventful due to housing issues (which got settled last week only, hahahaha), I only love the internship more and more each day. Just to add a little more, I am very happy and proud to be part of the amazing intern group. Everyone is eager to help and ready with invaluable advice. Moreover, they are all very funny, which comes as a boon when we are stuck in traffic for hours and the temperature makes sure not to be anything below 110° F. Apart for eagerly waiting for our delicious tiffin-boxes for lunch, we are eagerly waiting for the monsoon!!!
This summer has been one of my most adventurous ones. Though, the arrival in Delhi was not as eventful due to housing issues (which got settled last week only, hahahaha), I only love the internship more and more each day. Just to add a little more, I am very happy and proud to be part of the amazing intern group. Everyone is eager to help and ready with invaluable advice. Moreover, they are all very funny, which comes as a boon when we are stuck in traffic for hours and the temperature makes sure not to be anything below 110° F. Apart for eagerly waiting for our delicious tiffin-boxes for lunch, we are eagerly waiting for the monsoon!!!
Friday, June 19, 2009
What A Difference A 'Fro Makes
Today I decided to let my ‘fro breathe. I have been wearing my hair in a ponytail for three weeks and I thought it was time to do my real ‘do. This afternoon I headed to one of the sites outside of Delhi proper to use the GPS to track points of a site. Two of the staff members, another intern, and I got out of the car and grabbed my GPS and while I was fiddling with it, a crowd of over thirty children had surrounded us. I am used to standing out, and Ignacio gets some looks too, but today the commotion was about my big curly afro. The kids were going nuts and screaming and jumping around and cheering. “They are quite intrigued with your hair,” my supervisor says. So as we navigated alleys, corners and recycling areas, we were accompanied by a band of youngsters. Every time I stopped to write something down, some of the kids behind ran into each other. Two guys would lead me through the alleys (+ the crowd) and then we would all stop when one would say, “point!” Everyone would run into each other, I would press down on the GPS button and Ignacio would record the coordinates. I felt a few little hands in the bottom of my hair, and one little girl stopped to shake our hands. There were a few goat sightings, and a couple chickens. What’s funny is that when we stepped out onto the road, I realized that I was on the same road that I wrote about earlier in the “Rickshaw Adventures,” where we were lost and everyone was staring at us.
We Have Arrived in Delhi
I woke up at 5:45 am today, which is how I know that I am still jet lagged. I don’t even know what time my body thinks it is. There is definitely an adjustment from the US. I am trying to remember all the things that people told me, but I remember some stuff after I already make the mistake! Delhi is like sensory overload and I am trying to take it in without being obvious (even though, I clearly stand out, so I might as well look around).
They definitely have the shared road concept going on here and it totally works. It may appear to be chaotic, but the buses, cars, motorbikes, rickshaws, auto rickshaws and people are so organized. Each mode of transportation knows it’s place, and everyone is maneuvering for their small space on the road. It may be too early to call it, but auto rickshaws are my favorite! You get to see everything and the wind feels great. I have to figure out a way to take some pics from the rickshaw soon.
In terms of food, I have been eating plane food for the past two days (Virgin Atlantic food is actually good!), and my first meal yesterday was at 8pm (geeze, no wonder I felt so out of it an overwhelmed). I am sure the novelty of the food prices will wear off soon, but I was pretty psyched to only drop $2 for dinner and it was SO good! I don’t even know what it was called, I just picked something from the vegetarian menu and got rice with it. I am working up to street food. I know they said to avoid it, but I keep seeing signs for Momos and they smell so good.
Me dumping money in skype was a waste of money. The internet is finicky here so far, and scheduling a time to talk to someone on the phone in an internet café is going to be a pain, so I have a cell phone!
They definitely have the shared road concept going on here and it totally works. It may appear to be chaotic, but the buses, cars, motorbikes, rickshaws, auto rickshaws and people are so organized. Each mode of transportation knows it’s place, and everyone is maneuvering for their small space on the road. It may be too early to call it, but auto rickshaws are my favorite! You get to see everything and the wind feels great. I have to figure out a way to take some pics from the rickshaw soon.
In terms of food, I have been eating plane food for the past two days (Virgin Atlantic food is actually good!), and my first meal yesterday was at 8pm (geeze, no wonder I felt so out of it an overwhelmed). I am sure the novelty of the food prices will wear off soon, but I was pretty psyched to only drop $2 for dinner and it was SO good! I don’t even know what it was called, I just picked something from the vegetarian menu and got rice with it. I am working up to street food. I know they said to avoid it, but I keep seeing signs for Momos and they smell so good.
Me dumping money in skype was a waste of money. The internet is finicky here so far, and scheduling a time to talk to someone on the phone in an internet café is going to be a pain, so I have a cell phone!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)