Summer in South Asia

This program allowed me to achieve my goal of expanding my global horizons through an immersive, international internship experience. It expanded my knowledge on international perspectives of sexual and reproductive health, practices used in rural medicine, and operations of international businesses. At the same time, I developed comfort in adapting to unpredictability and gained a deeper appreciation for Indian culture. The diversity of work I was exposed to during my time with FPAI gave me a glimpse into the grassroots…

Read More Read More

I was fortunate to visit India in a period where I could see three holidays take place. With the celebration of India Independence Day, Eid, and Ganesh Chaturthi, I was lucky to see the different public celebrations that occurred for each event including a parade on Independence and a quick visit to the largest Ganesh idol in Hyderabad. My favorite holiday was the 11 days of celebration for Ganesh Chaturthi. This is a Hindu festival that celebrates the god Ganesha,…

Read More Read More

There is no doubt this past summer will have a special place in my heart. It played a huge role in solidifying my passion for research and introduced me to some of my now closest friends. Looking back, one thing I did not really touch base with on these blog posts is how my experience in India as an Indian-American was different from some of the experiences of the other SiSA Fellows. India was an obvious choice for my first…

Read More Read More

*Supposed to be posted June 22nd I look around my empty room. This tiny studio apartment with the little kitchenette and cube like bathroom lays empty and my bed is bare. I’m exhausted as I spent the previous night and much of the early morning trying to fit my life her in Goa into my tiny blue suitcase. My flight to Varanasi is in three hours and I can hear the cab driver downstairs honking his horn to let me…

Read More Read More

*Supposed to be posted June 15th This is my last weekend in Goa and luckily I had a visitor to share it with me! Brianna is also a student from the university of Michigan who is conducting an internship this summer in India at a PHC in Delhi. She flew down to Calangute to stay with me for the weekend and we went out to a great local restaurant right on the beachfront. Souza Lobo is a famous restaurant located…

Read More Read More

*Supposed to be posted June 27th Today I woke up 3 hours before I usually do to catch a ride with my coworkers into a rural community in northern Goa. This was my first field experience since coming to Sangath and even though the sun was barely up, I felt excited that I would finally be able to see mental health work in action in the field. Three of my coworkers who were also trained lay health workers were tasked…

Read More Read More

* Supposed to be posted June 2nd I think one of the most poignant things about my internship is how at home I feel at Sangath. Everyone has been so welcoming and warm to me since the day I got here.   They’ve made a place for me at the office with my own desk space and have provided me with two mentors to help guide me while I conduct research here. I’ve gotten to know my coworkers here through shared…

Read More Read More

*Due to technical issues could not post on the correct date – supposed to be posted May 19th   My first few days of my internship have ended and I reflect on how I arrived here in this tropical wonderland of villages. I had landed in India May 8th and stayed with my cousins in Mumbai before we all decided to make a family road trip down the western coast to Goa. It was an estimated 10 hour car trip…

Read More Read More

I’ve been back in Michigan for about 3 weeks now but it seems like parts of me are still left behind in Goa. I think about all this fellowship has provided me with this summer from the chance to travel half way around the world and live independently in another community, to that fact that I got to hands-on experience in the field what I hope will become a very big part of my future career. While at Sangath, I…

Read More Read More

Yesterday morning, my first full day back home post-fellowship, I took a steaming hot shower for the first time in two months. I exfoliated, I washed my hair with coconut-scented shampoo, I shaved, I scrubbed in between my toes. And – I’ll admit – I just stood there under the hot water and inhaled the steam that swirls around the bathroom when the water is hot. It felt like an outside layer of skin melted off my body and slipped…

Read More Read More