January 30, 2025

Cafes and Surveys

Today started out just like a few of the other days this week as I continued my journey to create something resembling a routine. Being a part of team Biome, we have the opportunity to work remotely so after breakfast at the hostel we walked over to a new cafe that we wanted to try. It was a nice change of pace from our usual spot of Coffee Chemistry as it was well lit and airy with some interesting seating, causing my team to sit in a row-like arrangement. After some confusion with getting the wifi to cooperate, we ordered our coffees and got to work. One of our first tasks for our organization is to create a survey that we will use when interviewing local residents and farmers of Devanahalli to better understand their water usage in the area.

As we were making edits on our second draft of the survey so that it could be approved, my excitement grew at the thought of us actually revisiting the town of the project and getting a chance to meet these people. Even though it sometimes feels as though we might be off to a bit of slow start as the other teams are actively meeting with their respective organizations and participating in field trips, I couldn’t be more excited about the work we are performing. Pretty soon we will get the chance to communicate directly with the beneficiaries of our organization’s project and efforts.

This thought caused me to question the reason I joined GCIL in the first place once again. I was reminded that I came here to understand what it means to have a purpose and that an occupation can mean so much more than just making ends meet. It can mean helping others in a way that not many people can just because you care. One of the main reasons I joined GCIL was to also gain perspective on backgrounds I was unfamiliar with. Submerging myself in a completely new environment and getting the chance to interact with people whom can share what is it that makes them who they are and live the way they do. It reminds me of just how much I have yet to learn if I want to make a difference myself, just like my organization is doing.

After these thoughts I ordered a delicious chicken masala sandwich and my team headed back to the hostel.

By,
Dillon