February 27, 2023

Bird Set Free

As of today, we have 11 days left of the program before we are released from the class and free to travel wherever we please, including home. Today is also my last blog reading, making this the final words that I will contribute to the GCIL archives. As I’m reflecting on my experiences of the past nine weeks, I realize that I have no idea how to put my thoughts into words to describe what has happened. It feels like these weeks have flown by and been stagnant at the same time, and that I have experienced more than I could ever truly express out loud. But, I can think of one thought that ties up some parts of my trip nicely.

Last week I realized the importance of my courage. My team and I spent the beginning of the week developing an interactive interviewing tool (which we have also been calling a game at the great annoyance of some people) to implement in our Dry Waste Collection Center (DWCC) visits with Hasiru Dala. The game was supposed to lead workers through the process of thinking about their workspace and how it could meet their needs and wants better. To start workers thinking about this, we developed a flat board surface where workers could use pipe cleaners and small game pieces with pictures to create a birds-eye map of their center. Then, with the help of our amazing translator, Pri, we showed the workers the remaining tiles and asked them what elements they wanted to add or take away from the board, like taking out all the flies and bugs and putting in an outdoor seating area. We then were supposed to take pictures of the resulting board throughout the activity and record both our findings of what workers liked/disliked and how effective the “game” format was.

The day before our first visit, I was surprisingly nervous, even for my standards. Our last round of interviews had been less than optimal, and the thought of really putting ourselves out there and approaching the busy workers just trying to make a living for their families to participate in our little “game” seemed really daunting to me. Plus, the next day had a lot in store for us, as we had multiple center visits planned that were hours apart, which I could already predict was going to be exhausting. That night, I went up to the roof top of the hostel to get some fresh air as I was dreading the next day. As I looked out at the city, I thought of home and how it had been a long time since I had seen the Seattle city skyline. Of course, the buildings in Bangalore are different in many ways, but part of the whole point of making the trek all the way out to Bangalore for ten weeks is to see these differences, appreciate them, and learn about making a difference in a foreign environment. I realized that if I was not here to take a leap of faith and put myself out there with a hospital-bed-looking “game” board with my team, then what was I here for? I left the roof still nervous with uncertainty about how the game was going to go, but also giddy with the thought that I was about to have an experience that I would learn from and always remember, whether our idea worked or didn’t work. This courage carried me through to the next day when we started our first visit.

Thankfully, our idea did work, and we had an amazing time! After breaking the ice with the workers and supervisors, the “game” commenced, and we immediately saw the energy and excitement everyone was putting into the activity. Looking at the chaos of everyone crowding around the board and hearing the enthusiastic comments like, “We need an office square! And a music player! And a water tank!” and quickly making new game pieces for them was exhilarating. While we were laughing among these people, I could feel my nerves melting away and being replaced by sky-high spirits that were like a bird set free. After an engaging hour of work, the workers disbanded, and we set off in a pair of autos to our next destination, where we were to try to replicate this experience. Even though I felt like I had just run a mental marathon, I found myself more giddy than nervous about testing our idea again.

Now when I think back on that day, I remember how my courage enabled me to do something I never even imagined myself doing. I have a feeling this will be one of those core memories that I cherish when I am in need of some courage.

By Margot