Before launching off on how everything's going, I should probably tell you a little bit more about what I'm doing, and why.
On the 2nd September 2013 (visa permitting... more on that later), I shall be jetting off to India for 6 months. I'll be spending the first three weeks with the DAAN Foundation (daanfoundation.org) in Udaipur, doing a Cultural Exchange. After that, I'll move to Lucknow for the next four months to work with Asha Parivar (ashaparivar.org), a charity who works to ensure that the government's Welfare Programmes are carried through to grass-roots level. For the last two weeks, I'll be travelling up to Assam with my parents.
So, why am I doing all this?
Aside from working with two very good causes, there are a few reasons for doing this trip:
1) I've spent the last 4 years studying Indian pre- and post-colonial history (with an emphasis on gender studies), so want to go and be part of post-colonial development in action.
2) I come from a pretty colonial background and want to firmly bring it to a close. My mum was born in India when my grandparents were living out there and had the whole servants and ayah shabang. My great-great-however many times grandfather was Pretorius, who founded Pretoria in South Africa and so I imagine was pretty instrumental in a lot of shizzle that went down there. I'm not ok with that.
3) I'm a linguist and fancy learning something non-European, and the best way to do that is always in situ. That means living and working with local people, so why do not do that while doing something worthwhile?
So, I'll be doing my best to keep you updated with what goes on up to and during my trip!
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