February 14, 2023

Trust the Process

With 3.5 weeks left to come up with a viable plan and solution, this week our group spent the first half finalizing our initial report. In hopes to help with the trash problem in Bangalore, we decided to focus our attention on black spots and beautifying them. With more than 1,200 illegal dumping sites in the city, we think that an app which allows people to report black spots and offers beautifying services will encourage people to join the movement. While the initial report took a lot of brainstorming, at times even causing heated debates on what might or might not work, a lot was learned throughout the process. One big thing for me was learning to trust the process and how to effectively communicate with my teammate. When dealing with real life problems that peoples lives are affected by, it was hard at times to accept that whatever we’re doing needs to get done and that our problem and solution will most likely not be the thing we focus on for the second and final report. Once I accepted that, which took time, we started to make progress. I’m excited to hear the feedback on it and start working on our final. We also had the privilege of hearing Deborah’s story. From the many places she’s traveled to for research to help people improve their lives to learning that she was only a 20-minute drive from Jackson, a town I spent time in as a child, to now working with inmates in rehabilitation, I found her story quite inspiring. She also mentioned the sacrifices people make when traveling away from home for long periods of time. Being away from loved ones and isolation stuck with me. We’ve all made some sacrifices, big or small, with coming here, but the lessons I’ve learned during my time here and going through the process are things that I value and hope to be with me for a long time to come.

I’m excited to see where the next 3.5 weeks takes us, to learn more about Bangalore, and to work together with people.
By Carmen