Rural Development Project

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"We are going to Mumbai and Onde (a village in Maharasthra) to build a check dam". I repeated this several times before the CAS trip because I was excited about buliding a dam! Incidentally we were also going Kayaking. It sounded great!

 We went Kayaking and Dragon boat racing on the first day. Kayaking taught me to hold on even when I was tired while the Dragon boat race yet again highlighted the importance of teamwork. I saw that one person working against the team (deliberately or unintentionally) can cause hindrance to the progress of the team. This I could see literally as I saw the dragon boat move. And merely grumbling about the person did not (and will not) help matters.

When we started working in the village I observed that I could work more than I previously thought I could. I made new limits for myself. I learnt that I could lift heavy weights and also dig. However what I found a little queer was that I couldn’t stitch very easily. In fact I thought I was quite unproductive. However if I had tried, I think I could have improved but I chose to do the more manual works. 

I had an interesting experience while carrying tubs of sand on my head. There were 2 sizes of tubs. I could carry the small ones filled to the brim and the big ones half filled. However I once mistook a big tub for the small one and proceeded to carry it. I could carry it with a little effort. However one of the locals told me that even they did not carry such heavy weights and I could potentially hurt myself. I listened to him and carried lesser sand, but I was internally quite proud of myself. In contemplation, there was more to that experience. I had heard about the power of the mind, but this made me experience it. Merely believing that the task is not difficult, makes it more doable! 

I also noticed that I found the manual work very gratifying. Since I generally think a lot and tend to have a lot of internal conversations, it was a refreshing experience to focus, but not think. I also noticed that being “productive” made me happy and it genuinely lightened my mood.

There were few other things I noticed about myself. I have bad eyesight and I feel very uncomfortable when I cannot see. This was evident when I got into the pool without my contact lens. I also noticed that I tend to talk unkindly or say things I don't mean when I am in a bad mood that can hurt others. Though I realize this later and apologize immediately, I still feel a little guilty. I am also careless and disorganized. I don't take care of my things very well.

 This RDP helped, in its small way, in utilizing the limited water available on earth more efficiently. It helped 10,000 people, of the millions suffering from lack of water globally, by extending their supply of water by a few months. Though it is a drop of water in the mighty ocean of reducing water scarcity (pun intended), it is important. Yet the satisfaction I got from this project was not limited to feel good factor I got from this. I learned to adjust, develop my stamina and improve in several ways.

Learning outcomes achieved:
1. Increased awareness of my strengths and areas of growth
2. Undertaken new challenges
3. Worked collaboratively with others
4. Shown perseverance and commitment in the activities
5. Engaged with issues of global importance
6. Considered ethical importance of my actions 
7. Developed new skills