Dialogue.

Clicked at the NGO at an event.

Titled, 'Dialogue' meant to be a jugalbandi.

Between the Indian and Chinese musical cultures.

It was awesome. And the photo, recently discovered.

Swaraj old age home

My internship started in Mcdonalds. i was the photographer for an event in which my NGO was invited. it was Mcdonalds community service programme. meeting all the old people living in the Ashram as my old age home is known, i got the feeling of amazement. such people also exist. many of us are disgusted by old people and most of us are likely to ignore an old man trying to cross the road. but the truth wont change. These people exist and they also should get a place in this world to live as they want to. i took pictures, sang a bhajan and served the old people. and u know they are also like children in so many ways. one lady didn't want a burger and was asking for "Pakodi" and ya.. they also throw tantrums if their demands are not fulfilled. just like little children. i got a certificate by McDonald's. i made the press release, gave my card to the editor in chief of Hindustan times who was the chief guest. and all in all my 1st day in the NGO was an eye opener and was really fulfilling. and one thing that I learnt? in the end you turn back to as you were when you were born. you cant walk on your own, eat on your own or basically do anything on your own and you love to be pampered like little babies.. curious case of benjamin button? or all of us?

Two weeks in, Live from Kathmandu

“So how are your holidays coming along?”
“Oh, very nice... I’ve been interning at an NGO though, so I’ve been keeping myself busy.”
“Ah, working already? Where?”
“At ICIMOD. It’s in Khumultar.”
“That’s wonderful! Everybody knows ICIMOD – I mean, that’s very lucky for you, to get an internship there. So, how do you like it?”
“It’s good, it’s good... The people are friendly and nice to work with.”
“I see. So how’s your dad doing? My regards...”

I have had several such conversations with many people these past two weeks and I admit it’s getting to be quite monotonous. I’ve decided not to tell them exactly how my internship is going because, frankly, they don’t have the time. I meet these people at family gatherings, department stores, public events... And after each such conversation, I know I made the right choice by not delving into further detail. These aren’t the people you talk to about things like that – you are.

Working at my NGO is great for me and all that jazz, but it’s not awesome, like I expected. I think I went with an acceptable attitude while starting: concentrate on learning and understanding, not coming up with a revolutionary change; give useful ideas, do your best, and do not act like you know more than your seniors ‘cuz they’ve been working there for years, while you’re not even a college graduate who is very new to the idea of working at an NGO, or working on mountain development, for that matter.

My work involves hardly anything that I learnt in college. Film-making, poster-making, image-editing, photography – nothing would come to use. Article-writing was about the only skill needed, something I’m afraid I’d already learnt in high school, not in media school. I do research, prepare fliers, everything involved working with information – whether it is finding, organising, editing or analysing. I’ll tell you why I wasn’t given any of the tasks some of you (fellow UG students) must be working at. This is an international organisation. It has offices in other South Asian countries. Obviously, it is big. It has its own expert photographers, graphic designers, layout designers and other specialists to do everything I could have tried doing. Why, then, would they present such tasks to a mere intern who’s there for six measly weeks? This is an organisation which has money to shell out to get the highest quality of everything. By the way, interns work from six months to a year, usually, so it was quite surprising that they let me in for six weeks only. Officially speaking, I should be a volunteer, not an intern – something a division head pointed out to me on my very first day.

Anyway, so I suggest a couple of things. Tiny changes that may make a difference in creating an impact. No. That’s not possible. We cannot do that. You see, our policy is that blah blah blah and we do not blah blah blah. Turns out, this place runs like a government organisation! It’s huge with many divisions and leaves hardly any space for flexibility. We do not advertise, we do not come forward while marketing or publicising events because all our events are in collaboration with other organisations. They lead, we support. We believe in maintaining a passive existence. There are only two events we give utmost importance in celebrating. Then, too, we cannot publicise, advertise, and create the kind of hype you are suggesting. Now where does this leave me? With a big fat guidelines book and so many policies to follow, I’m trapped. I’m left no choice but to follow instructions and do my job, because any new initiative I come up with and the organisation’s darn policies ruin it.

So it’s been eye-opener, that way; I learnt the way my NGO works. It’s interesting, organised, practical, transparent – just different from what I thought, that’s all. I only want to say, your NGO is probably very different from what you thought it would be. That doesn’t mean either of you are wrong. You have entered a system which you must adapt to. By now, I’ve adapted to the way my NGO functions. I’ve understood it, I’ve learnt from my colleagues and seniors. I’m still learning, and learning is fun. But some days are good, and some days are bad. Some days you want better, more substantial work, and some days you want less work. Some days you’re working and don’t even realise that it’s lunch time, and some days you are dying to just go home.

With four more weeks to go, I could end up with a completely different point of view by the end of this. For now, I’m good. Tomorrow onwards, I’ll be busy and involved in a four-day conference (we’re one of the partners) called Innovations Asia-Pacific Symposium. With participants flying into the country, this should be exciting. Besides, it isn’t at the office; it will be held at Hotel Everest. Wonder if I’ll get good, buffet lunch at the hotel for free? Hmm... ;)

Saniaa
Kathmandu

First Day at Work

(originally written on 20th April, previously published in The Lunatic Speaks)

Cursing the NGO placement cell, I woke up at 7 in the morning to leave for my NGO, to start my internship. The place is at Salt Lake, pretty far (I would think it is some 200Rs distance judging by Pune auto meters, or the lack of them).

Well, I still got a little late. That place is where I don't usually venture to, and even when I do, I don't usually have a time to meet. So, figuring out the way and the conveyance took some time, and so did the Sector V jam. And then I got lost. I think everyone, at least once has got lost in Salt Lake. It's impossible to know the way there, every street looks the same (and not exactly in an Simon Garfunkel Homeward Bound way).

And then I found the place. I rang the bell. GC 65, Salt Lake Sector 2. The office of Prayasam.

Then I had to wait inside. There was some meeting going on. And then suddenly, this gentleman comes out and says, "You're coming with me, we're going to Baruipur where a project is going on."

I went with him. As if I had a choice!

On the way, I learnt more about this man. Amlan Ganguly, Berkley pass out, the founder of the organisation is an interesting man to know. A documentary is being made, called the Revolutionary Optimists, by the Stanford University, and among the five people, he is one. Only last week they came to interview him, and the director and the cinematographer of this documentary are the same people who made the Oscar winning Smile Pinky. Among the others, Md. Younis, Nobel Winner, features in the documentary as well.

Talking with this man was a revelation. His thought processes are a little tangential with normal people, and according to him, Prayasam has worked because, "We approach the age old problems with a different treatment." He questioned mine, and society's age old thinking about NGO's, and development.

We reached the camp at Baruipur. Me, him and two others from the NGO. I didn't have much to do, I had to just see and understand. The children were amazing! Watching them play, draw, build comradeship among each other - it was a sight which transferred me back to my childhood. The houses drawn by children are always the same - a triangle and quadrilateral roof with rectangular walls. The sky is always the same - the clouds coloured blue and the sky left blank! The innocence in the strokes is something I had not seen in a long long time mostly thanks to CorelDRAW (no offense meant to the same!).

And then to think these children are street dwellers. We see them differently because they come from a different socio-economical background than us. Yet, when you mingle with them, play with them, help them draw - it's the same. It's the same what you did when you were young. Why did we gow up and lose our innocence? And when did we grow up?

Between all this, I got to know my responsibilities as an intern. As a true Media Trainee, as our college likes to call us, I am supposed to make two short films, design their annual report and do some reporting. Well, it does seem a tall order at start, but, all of this will involve working with these wonderful children and I am sure I'll enjoy it.

These children are not deprived. We are. Of our innocence.