Weather. Rain. मौसम| Lots Of It.

Monsoon. It has a looming and frightening ring to it, doesn't it? I couldn't have picked a better time to go to India. Just a hint of sarcasm there.

This season has been notoriously associated with floods in urban cities, wiping out villages, destroying crops, creating health issues and sickness, and more importantly, causing many deaths. Well, this is for the most part true, but there are some positive sides to this feared rain.

First, a little background on what exactly monsoon really is:

Monsoon, or मौसम (pronounced mausam in Hindi), means weather, and usually begins around June 1 lasting until September. The first state to get hit with the rains is the southern state of Kerala, making its way north to Maharastra and then Delhi by the end of June. The entire country is saturated with rain by July. The rains build up over time slowly, and when the downpour hits with intensity and vigor, that is the official monsoon announcement for wherever it is.

After the monsoon has made its appearance known with booming thunder, piercing lightning, and chaotic rain, the weather begins to calm down by producing rain that lasts a couple hours here and there. The sun can come out one minute and then be hidden by dark clouds the next. The humidity levels begin to rise during this time.

There are places that receive more rain than others such as Mumbai, Kolkata, Darjeeling, and Shillong. The last two that are listed get some of the most rains in the world because they are located in the Himalayas and get so much moisture from the Bay of Bengal.

From what I have read traveling during monsoon in India can have its perks. The lands are lush, vibrant, and green throughout the country. A good monsoon means that farmers will have plentiful crops to harvest once the season is over. The country is often hot during the other parts of the year, and heavy rain provides water to many communities. Many people travel to other cities to get fresh water and this can be deadly because of the heat.

Whats even better is that so many communities have holidays and festivities that are just for the monsoon season. For example, Teej celebrates the onset of the monsoon and all the great things it will bring for India in the coming months. There is also Aadi Perukku that is celebrated by the Tamil people which basically pays homage to various water properties in India such as lakes, rivers, wells, water basins, and where ever the water level rises.
When I've told people who have been to India the months I will be there they all have gasped! and remind me to be safe. It seems pretty crazy, but I am not scared just nervous to experience it. The way I look at it I have been living in a state that is known and associated with having loads of rainy days throughout the year. It's really not that bad. Who wouldn't love all the green that Oregon has to offer? I think I can manage just fine. Although, there is the humidity and that can be dreadful. To help prepare myself I just reflect on the fact that I lived a majority of my life in the central valley of California where temperatures can reach the 100s on a daily basis and average temps of 90 degrees is just the norm. I can deal with it. No prob. No pain, no gain.

Monsoon is definitely something to look forward to as part of my experience.

Looking Forwad to an Indian Summer

Hello All! This is my official blog for my trip to India. It will serve its purpose to track my preparation for India, my time spent there, the work I participate in, the people I will learn from and will never forget, and also for academic purposes that will contribute to my final thesis project.

For 2 1/2 to 3 months I will be spending a summer in India to complete an internship for my graduate degree in Conflict Resolution at Portland State University. I will be leaving around the end of June or beginning of July and will return mid-September.

So far nothing is set in stone as to where I will be, but my hope is to land a position at Educate Girls for 4 weeks in the state of Rajasthan, and 10 weeks at Chaitanya in Rajgurunagar, Maharashtra. I should find out within a week or so from my internship coordinator just where my future will be.


A little about the organizations I am interested in:

Educate Girls
http://www.educategirls.in/progressreport_intro.html

Young girls are at quite a disadvantage in India simply because of their gender. Many are illiterate and have no opportunity to get an education. "The national literacy rate of girls over 7 years is 54% against 75% for boys. In the Northern Hindi-speaking states of India, girls literacy rates are particularly low, ranging between 33-50%" (www.UNICEF.org/India/media_2673.htm)

At Educate Girls the mission is to encourage and empower families to enroll their female children in schools. Girls who become educated will have more of chance to stay out of poverty, live a healthy life, reduce gender discrimination, and pave the pathway for other young girls. The organizations visits local villages around the state, going door-to-door, to meet families with female children.

Once girls are in school the organization keeps up with their academic improvement and areas of need. It is also just as important to have the community and family engaged in the child's education and become involved with their attendance.


There are many social, cultural, and political barriers that limit a girls education and even the work that Educate Girls participates in. Many girls are expected to work on their families farms once it is the season for harvest. This means that girls are not able to go back to school and continue their studies. The government has even ignored that there are high numbers of girls who are not in school and have taken their time to get funding for them to attend.

Educate Girls has a long road ahead of them in their mission to close the gender gap. This is an inspiration to me as woman because I have had the opportunity to be educated as a young girl. I did not have to worry about a gender gap or not being able to attend school because I am female. Because of my education I have been able to accomplish a lot of things in my life, and also look after and support myself in a positive way. It would be meaningful and humbling if I were to help the young girls of Rajasthan by empowering them to accomplish the same.

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Chaitanya
http://www.chaitanyaindia.org/

The work done at Chaitanya is similar to that of Educate Girls, but instead with the focus of rural adult women. Their vision is to create a society in India in which women have equal access to resources and have control over their finances. The goal is to empower women and youth to build communities that are self-reliant and sustainable in order to improve their quality of life.


The organization provides trainings and information that pertains to reducing poverty for women and awareness about the government and its policies. There are also counseling programs for women who have been physically abused by their spouses and how to prevent it from happening to others. Much of this work happens in group counseling with other women. There are also pre-marriage counseling options for those about to be married.

Health is a focus and concern for Chaitanya as it looks at the needs assessments of villages around the state. The communities are encouraged to become involved in the health needs of the population and to prevent poor health for women and children who are most susceptible to disease.

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To me, it would be interesting and worthwhile to see how these two organizations, which are in different parts of India, who have common goals and interests regarding women and girls of India work to improve conditions for the community as a whole. I would like to see how young girls are educated and empowered to live a healthy and meaningful life, and then to see how women carry out this vision by improving their communities.

All I am doing now is waiting to see what happens next...