January 17, 2024

Community Power

Merriam-Webster defines a community as “a unified body of individuals;” yet in the United States, a deeply individualistic country, the concept of having and supporting a community is often misunderstood. Many people talk about supporting communities without truly understanding what it entails or how to go about it.

In India, a distinctive culture of communal support is evident, from the community leader at the Kokrebellur Bird Sanctuary who kindly served us food to the friendly auto-rickshaw drivers who patiently directed the way when we found ourselves lost as clueless Americans. The embodiment of this community action and support is none more apparent than at Hasiru Dala, an organization dedicated to managing and supporting 39 dry-waste collection facilities. At face value, Hasiru Dala’s waste management operations piqued my interest as an environmental engineer. However, as Bianca Fernandez, one of the head coordinators at Hasiru Dala, explained the company’s guiding principles and mission statement, I found a deeper connection. She described the importance of providing dignity to those who pick up and sort dry waste, helping them obtain something as fundamental as an ID. These IDs give legitimacy and dignity to these workers in the eyes of the public and the government. Beyond waste management, Hasiru Dala offers skills classes to enhance the financial literacy and advocacy skills of workers. The ultimate aim of Hasiru Dala is to establish fully self-sustaining community networks where workers are treated fairly (or can advocate for themselves if they aren’t). Despite Fernandez’s candid discussion about the challenges facing the workers and the organization in their pursuit of expansion, she exuded confidence in the company’s vision, deeply rooted in the concepts of community support and mutual aid action.

Reflecting on our visit, I couldn’t help but think about the sense of community within the GCIL crew. This is an aspect of studying abroad that I had been told about numerous times, but had been somewhat skeptical about. Even Julian, good-natured at times and mildly annoyed at others, mentioned how talkative our group is and how well we all seem to get along. Engaging in meaningful conversations with everyone in the program, I’ve forged real connections in a very short time. Perhaps it is our shared goals and visions, the mere proximity of eating, sleeping, and working in the same place, or the bonding that arises from the mixture of exhaustion, fear, and excitement in a new country. However, I would like to believe that our tight-knit community is as good as we make it, grounded in genuine connections and collective experiences.

By Casera