Article on the Poor in India

http://news.yahoo.com/working-poor-india-home-parking-lot-053801006.html

This article was brought to my attention and it broke my heart just a little more. This is all so real and I can picture it in my mind. I see the women and children begging. I see the aimless wanderers. It hurts my heart that this is so prevalent in India. 

God Has A Purpose

This morning we woke up at 7 to visit the NGO School. The bus ride was about an hour and a half and took us out of the city and into villages. It was so beautiful to see the tropical countryside.  It was also neat to see the oxen pulling the plows, something we don’t see here in America. It just opened my eyes to how far behind they are in their technology.

The school was ages up to 7^th grade. It was a very rural small school with not many amenities. As soon as we pulled into the village, children started chasing our bus. At the school most kids don’t speak English. However, Karanada, their language, actually includes 500 US words that they don’t realize are English. To help the kids adjust to us they planned a segment of singing and dancing, which was really neat for us to see their culture. The oldest boy led the Morning Prayer, which was beautiful. Then 2 little girls sitting beside me sang an English counting song, which was simply adorable. “Have a pen, lucky pen, lucky number 1. 1 is sun. Sun like a sun like a sun like a sun. Have a pen lucky pen, lucky number 2. 2 is shoe. Shoe like a shoe like a shoe like a shoe…” Then about 5 girls stood up and did 2 dances with decorative sticks and ankle bells; their rhythm and talent blew me away. Their last song was about a beautiful woman who was lost.

To show them a little bit of our culture we had one of our guys that’s in Fade To Black do a dance – freestyle, and we showed them the wobble and the Cupid Shuffle. Afterwards we took tons of pictures and taught them the Gig ‘Em sign. They also knew how to play double double this this. The oldest boy also enjoyed teaching us Karanada. We found that Americans as well as Indians share a passion for dancing. I cannot explain in words what my heart felt for these children. Many seemed to have nothing but they had hope. Because of this school and their education, they will be the future India. I was amazed by their beauty and happiness. There is something about seeing children who have nothing – a mud shack, a river to bathe in, and polluted water to drink – but are truly happy with their selves and the life they live. They still have an eagerness to learn, share, dance, and rejoice. Even though there are only a few (6%) Indians who believe in Christ. He is here.

One thing that has truly blown me away is God’s purpose for this trip. He brought 20 college students together and sent us into a country that is lost and he has done work. Not in India itself, but in our own hearts. I have felt closer to Christ more in these past few days than I have in a long time. He put us trapped in a bus to share our lives and our hearts with each other. I truly believe I came to India not to see how lost India is, but to see how lost I am myself.

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, I want to thank you for all that you do. For the plans you have made for me and for the love you freely give me. I pray for these children in India. I pray that they come to know you. I pray that they always remember the times and laughter we shared and the love we poured out on them. I pray that they can one day make a difference and take a stand. I thank you for letting them make a difference in my life. Lord thank you for opening my eyes to what I am so freely given and to what others do not have. You are my rock and my salvation and I will serve you all the days of my life. In your beautiful and holy name, Amen.

After we left the school we drove to the zoo/safari drive. We got to see lions, tigers, and bears....oh my? after our drive through the safari we walked around the zoo. I was desperately searching for the elephants but they were no where to be found!!!! Heartbroken Katie and I almost gave up our search until JuJu (Dr. Gaspar) led us down a path we had missed. Standing in the distance were the elephants we had been searching for!!!! Their enclosure was under construction so they were chained to trees out in the open. Soon enough one came right up to us and we got to touch the magnificent beast. Elephants honestly astound me by their size and strength but there's a softness and an innocence to them. A pleading cry just to be loved and not feared! My day could not have gotten any better! I was beaming for the rest of the night! Leaving the zoo we had little children clinging to us, begging us for money. I continue to write about it but I have no words to describe it. It happened every day and every day my heart broke. I was disgusted at myself. Disgusted I couldn't look them in the eye. Disgusted I couldn't pour out my love on them. Disgusted I wanted them gone. These are children. Children that God is reaching out for, searching to be with. I want so badly to tell them of their savior. To share His peace and mercy but I can't. I can't save them. So I ignore them. I tell them No! It is the most despicable feeling to reject a child. 

That night we went to the India A&M Club and had the opportunity to meet Aggies that were living and working in India. Many of them worked for GE and Infosys and were originally from India. It was neat to see our University present in the ever changing business known as India.  

Karnataka Turning Components

Disclaimer: When I refer to "Americans" in this article I am referring to the stereotypical American worker. I understand there are many many exceptions to this and I don't mean to offend anyone. I hope that after reading this you too can become an exception to this stereotype.

On the morning of January 6th, we woke up and headed to our first corporate visit - Karnataka Turning Components, an auto components manufacturing plant. This was by far my favorite visit because I could relate to the company. It reminded me a lot of the company I worked for this summer - DRP Machining. Also, I would like to go into the manufacturing industry so I enjoyed seeing how these companies are run in India versus the United States. 

Karnataka is a 50 year old company with 3 plants and 175 workers at this particular one. They manufacture parts, mainly fuel injector pumps, for Bosch a German auto and appliance company. The reason why Bosch began using companies in India is because of the cheap labor costs. Their men workers tend to stay for the majority of their working life, whereas their women stay only for 5-6 years, or until they get married. A normal day is 12 hours long with 2 shifts available. They are paid 6000 Rupees per month starting out (or $120/month) and can advance up to 40,000 Rupees when at managerial level. Their pay includes benefits and they are allowed to work over time (14-18 hours) for double pay. 

Walking around the plant, I was blown away by the commitment to detail. Half of the shop was manufacturing the parts and the other half were doing inspections, quality control, and research. Each work station had multiple diagrams and reminders of specifications. Dr. Gaspar says this is a new type of work ethic in India. Before big companies like Bosch starting using India, there was no need for regulations; as long as the product worked it sold. Now that these established companies are coming to India for the cheap labor costs, they are enforcing regulations. One of the stereotypes that comes with cheap labor is a cheap product. If India is going to survive they need to break this stereotype, and quite frankly they have no choice. A misconception I had coming into this company was that Germany was using this company to make parts for cheap and then using the parts to sell automobiles outside of India. This isn't true. Only 5% of Karnataka Turning Component's parts are being exported. Mostly they are being used for the growing auto industry in India. 

After taking the tour and speaking to the manager, I came to a conclusion. "Americans" are lazy and complacent. I know many of us laugh at this, but for the most part it's true (and generally I am speaking about the younger generation, I understand there are many exceptions to this). We work because we want to have extra spending money and so we can buy the house and car we want. India works to survive. To feed their children. To have a roof over their heads. Many Americans have gotten into a routine of trying to fly by doing the bare minimum, hoping we don't get caught. We have grown accustom to complaining about our horrible working conditions and our long hours. After visiting India, I hope that I no longer am one of these people. In India these emerging companies are following regulation to the T and their workers are committed because they are trying to survive. When they go home from work many of them walk because they can't afford transportation. And when they do get home it's not anywhere I would ever want to live. I was truly humbled on this trip. I take my blessings for granted and I am ashamed of that.
Looking around at inspection line I couldn't imagine "Americans" doing their work. We would get bored, quit, and complain about not finding another job. Not here in India. They do their work and they do it with the utmost attention to detail. There was even a blind guy working at the deburring station. The manager said he was one of their best workers - rarely ever making mistakes or complaining.

So the next time I think my life is hard I'll remember back to when I visited India. I'll think about all the people who go to work everyday and only earn $4. And I'll remember their motivation and drive, and I'll try to mimic that here. There's a lot that India is still behind in or hasn't learned, but there's a lot that we can learn from them in return.

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray that in this world full of Earthly desires we can turn to you, that we can live for you. In the mindset of business we tend to be fascinated with money and some idolize it. Lord, help us to remember why we are here on Earth - to spread your love and your grace. In your almighty name, Amen!

Experiencing Beautiful Bangalore

Jan 5th, 2012 - First day in Bangalore

Our professor allowed us to sleep in to compensate for our long flight and jet lag, but there were a few of us who were up and moving early. So, of course, we decided to take a little adventure on our own! Following our noses we stumbled upon a Catholic church a street over from our hotel. We were hoping we could look inside but we were surprised to find a wedding taking place. The bride looked beautiful in a white gown and the women wore the traditional Indian Sari (picture 2). I wasn't able to get a good picture of the bride but I did snap a picture of the church. 

Continuing on our way we came to an intersection...and naturally you're supposed to cross the street. However, in India this can be quite terrifying considering there are very few traffic lights and even fewer people who follow them. The strategy is simply to start walking and make them swerve. I'm not a very trusting person though and graciously God gave us a slight pause in traffic so we could dash across (3rd picture). We continued to wonder on getting used to the sights, sounds, and smells of Bangalore. There were many things I encountered that were out of the norm such as: the police wore cowboy hats (4th picture), women were sweeping the streets with handleless brooms, trash lay in the streets and alleyways, children were sitting on streets begging for money, stray dogs lay in the shade of trees, people sold stuff in garage shops or just by standing on the side of the street (6th picture), and so many people were walking and driving around. Those are just to name a few. We drew attention everywhere we went. The men especially liked to stare at us girls, but they didn't really approach us unless to sell us something. We learned that all the shops opened at 11:30. These shops weren't what I was expecting - and to be frank neither was India in general. 

Just walking from street to street my mind began to wander to the things that I wanted to fix, laws I wanted to implement. From simple things like putting a handle on a broom, to trash service, to exterior aesthetics of businesses. Just by fixing basic infrastructure India could see a drastic change in their profits and living quality. Many of these things are taken for granted in the United States and I find almost as common sense. If I were to start a city I would automatically build store fronts, use trash cans, and implement traffic laws. In countries like India, though, these are not common practices. 

I did stumble on a few treasures in the midst of filth. There was a wall covered in what looked like chalk. It brought a smile to my face and a little hope to its surroundings (picture 5). Our first sketchy encounter came when a man approached us and tried to lead us to where there were open stores. We followed him a ways thinking that it'd be neat to shop a little, but being a girl in the streets of India I began to get nervous. I told the boys for the safety of the women in the group we should stop following the man and find our way back to the hotel. The man wasn't happy when we left, but I'm glad we did. This was the first time my eyes became open to the danger present in India. I was never put in harm's way, but I realized I could have been. The world is not safe. There are people who get abducted and there are people who live in slavery - and it is here in India. The children who sit on the streets and beg - they are not the same as the homeless in America - they are slaves; slaves to poverty. My heart breaks for this country. I yearn to comfort this nation. 

Deciding to stick with tours from Dr. Gaspar, we returned to the hotel. Our journey began with a visit to Vidhana Soudha, which is a natural rock hill with a small place of worship on top. Standing at the peak, you could look out over the city. It was beautiful. (Photo 8) One thing I wasn't expecting of India was the tropical environment. There were palm trees and green vegetation everywhere your eye landed. It was here that we encountered our first photo shoot with Indians. They are so amazed by us and so friendly - I finally know what it's like to be famous!
Getting on our golf cart things we started our drive through the rest of the Botanical Gardens. It was so truly beautiful - everywhere you looked there was green grass and leaves. Sitting on the back of the golf cart I enjoyed waving and "awwwwing" at the couples that were spending their day in the gardens. It was so cute how the women would get so flustered! 

The rest of our day was spent visiting the Bull Temple and the houses of legislature. I could go on forever about every aspect of the day but I'll end here for today. India has been full of beauty and adjustments! I am constantly learning of their culture and practices. 

My prayer - Lord, please continue to watch over us and protect us. Help us to do your work here and help me to be a messenger of your love - here in India and every day of my life. Thank you for bringing me here to open my eyes to your existence in the least expected places. With love, Amen.

First Impressions

Ending of Jan 4th, 2012
Our bus becomes dead silent as we turn down some dark alleys. We come to a stop in front of a four story cement hotel surrounded by run down buildings. This is it. We all hesitantly unload looking around in shock. Two stray dogs trot up to check us out. An old man stands outside his "house" watching us file into the street. A student behind me whispers, "Well surely the inside looks better than the outside." All of us try to fake a smile. She is right though. The inside is modernly decorated and our rooms are clean. In the morning we will see India in the light. Nervously and anxiously we all go to sleep.


Jan 5th, 2012 at 9am
I am awakened by people in the hallway. I lay staring at the ceiling wondering what time it is. Slowly my eyes fall to the window. An excitement rises within me as I hear cars laying on their horns below. I dig around, find my camera, and slowly approach the window. Pulling the curtains aside I see two concrete buildings, similar to the one I am in. A pigeon flies in front of my face and lands two stories below me on a ledge with shoes, flower pots, and clothes hanging to dry. 

Bangalore - A City Under Construction

Written Jan 5, 2012 at 2am
We arrived in Frankfurt with a 2 hour lay over. We attempted to change currency but the lady didn't exactly know what she was doing. So instead, we walked around and looked at the shops which were a little over our budget. And of course, when in Germany, do as the Germans do - drink beer!!!! It was light beer and cost $7 - I enjoyed it!

The flight to India seemed never ending and we all decided we would never fly to the opposite side of the world again! haha.  We met several interesting people on our way that gave us all sorts of advice and stories. One lady was an MIT grad working in India for the year. She helped us a lot - don't stare into a man's eyes, make the rickshaw use their meters, and don't eat at extremely fancy places. She also told us of her love story with her Indian boyfriend, which we found fascinating. In the end, we all got to India safely with our luggage - WHOOP!
India has been full of surprises so far. The men at the airport dress like guards. The air here is humid and smells almost of citrus.
My best description is: Bangalore - A City Under Construction. Everywhere you look there are construction trucks, metal shacks, half demolished buildings, stray dogs, bumpy roads, trucks with wood, grass, and covered in burlap. There's no organization to traffic - cars beep and push around our bus. As far as I can tell India has no lanes. As I sit in the bus bumping up and down, I wonder - How could this place ever pass the US economically? Where is the hope? As we drive down the empty silent streets I can't picture a bright future. I see a place that needs a bulldozer and a dumpster. I see depression, filth, and poverty. Maye the light of day will change my perspective, but I can't see how. I find myself wishing we had military escorts.

Leaving for India

Written Jan 3, 2012 at 3:40pm

I drove to Houston International Airport with Katie and Jenni after a minor set back when Jenni's suitcase and pants ripped. Soon we would find out this would be one of the many minor blips to come in our stay in India. Our journey began by getting to know one another - asking questions about each others future, boy drama, and of course how nervous we were - and I soon decided these two girls would be a big part of my life, even beyond India. We arrived to the airport and were given a nice shuttle ride by Sean who seemed to prefer AirFrance passengers to Lufthansa passengers - we were not given any help with our bags! The lady at the counter however was extremely sweet to us and I tried to convince her to join us in India but she refused my offer. I don't blame her though because our 24 our trip was not exactly ideal. Walking into the plane I was astonished at how far apart the seats were, and the personal tvs, and then I kept walking and realized that was first class. The next section I came to I was still pretty impressed with the comfortable looking seats and leg room until I noticed that was the business class. Needless to say I was not very happy with the economy class seats. They sure do a good job of making you feel poor and inadequate.

Right now we are directly over the Atlantic Ocean with slight turbulence. I'm freaking out a little because the Captain just told us to please stay seated - I'm beginning to imagine Cast Away. Our trip to Frankfurt, Germany is supposed to take 9.35 hours, but we've crossed so many time zones I'm not quite sure what time it is or even what day. A few of us more nervous ones are contemplating getting lost in the Germany Airport and taking our vacation there. I hear the toilets are a little more domestic. HaHa.
Nothing too exciting has happened quite yet. The food wasnt the best. None of the music stations are English. Crazy Stupid Love was a surprisingly hillareous movie. I am quite jealous of the kid behind me who has a legit looking blanket fort. Oh, I also couldn't figure out how to open the restroom door in the plane...embarrassing moment #1.

My Prayer: Lord, Please keep us safe as we continue our travel to India. Carry us in your arms. Please calm the hearts and minds of our loved ones back home during our stay. In Your Almighty Name, Amen