A Glimpse of Rural India

Guest Blogger: Wendy Reynoso, 2nd-Year MSW Student

Namaste Tuljapur! We have just arrived to the rural campus of Tata Institute, which took us an overnight train to get to. What a refreshing morning to be greeted with the clean air of this city along with the beautiful greenery on campus. It is a complete difference from the congested area of bodies, structures, fumes and loud horns that overwhelm Mumbai. Now don’t get me wrong, Mumbai was fabulous but it was time to slow down and parallel myself to the tranquility of a rural environment. With the cultural presentation and tourism behind us, it was time to attend lectures this morning and what impacting sessions they were! Let’s just say that my perspective about social work was blessed with an alteration.

“So what is a social worker anyway?” Believe it or not, American social workers are not the only ones who get asked this question. Dr. Sampat Kale, who is professor at the TATA institute, admitted to being asked this question years ago by highly intellectual people- mechanical engineers, doctors, and lawyers. He remembers not having a clear answer to the question and instead asked himself the very same thing. "How exactly do I define myself?" Dr. Kale told the class that his answer can only be understood by defining what it means to be a professional.

The general population defines “professionalism” as a career that outputs predictable orientations, outcomes and practices. However, social work is not that. It is not predictable nor is it obvious. It is complex but it is doable- especially in beautiful India, a place in dire need of social workers.
Now let me paint a picture for you. Take 26 million people and give each person $2/day to live off of. Oh and by the way, buying a cup of rice costs more than $2. Take a minute to let that sink in.

I write this not to depress my fellow social workers, or soon to be MSWs, but instead it is to help others reevaluate the field we are in. Sometimes we desire so much to be considered "professionals" worldwide and be recognized as important agents in society the way doctors and lawyers are perceived. Dr. Kale reminded us that what makes us social workers is our ability to connect with people, to listen and to evaluate their needs based on what we learn from them. We should not need to be validated by others who have the “authority” to say we are “professionals”. Instead, the hopeful smiles and increasing capability of an individual to continue on living decently is enough validation to make our profession not only dignified but admired and respected. We SHOULD be PROUD to be who we are.

Now here is a question: What does social work in India look like?

Place yourself in RURAL India. The ground moves. It does not stop and suddenly....Disaster!
What do you do as a social worker when asked to provide disaster management to a rural area suffering after an earthquake? Food is scarce, people have lost their homes, and the community appears to be in shambles. You’re told to provide counseling and some relief and your intention is to do just that. But wait a second. You ask an individual what he or she needs and you expect the answers to command some type of support from you. Preparing yourself to use your social work skills, you receive an answer that leaves you speechless.
Dr. Kale spoke candidly about this exact experience and he will never forget a villager’s response to the disaster. “We’re just used to it.” The villagers acknowledged their vulnerability to such natural disasters and adapted coping methods to continue living. Dr. Kale feels that relief can paralyze these individuals, making villagers dependent on external resources and hindering a community’s progress. They are fully capable people so why should he be there? How can a social worker help?

By the way, these villagers are from the lowest caste system. Next question: Why does that matter?
Understanding the caste systems, the abundance of different tribes, class schedules, and gender roles in Indian society, I began to comprehend the meaning of social exclusion. It is difficult to help someone from the lowest castes when provisions and political and social opinions exist that prevent these people from receiving proper assistance. Provisions and social opinions from those in control decide who gets what in reference to whom gave birth to you. It was painful to hear such truths and our classmates did not stop asking questions during session when exposed to this reality. We all agreed that this really needs to change. Therefore, the place to help begins at the structual level.

In India, social workers need to work outside of the system and align themselves with the client to ask for better treatment. A social movement that encourages change to oppressive structures may be the strongest way to stop the downward spiral of a rural community stricken by disaster, be it natural or man-made. Now this makes sense! The person is not the problem, the structures are. This expanded our understanding of social work in India and our experience with profound lectures continued on throughout the afternoon.

Our days are always a non-stop obstacle course at times and once we finished lunch we got ready for our field visits.
The class visited the Wadgoan Lakh Watershed project and the Wadgaon Lakh Village. The project helps community conserve water for the year and educates them about effective agricultural techniques.The villagers were taught how to properly and effectively cultivate their land to help the village sustain themselves. We spoke with the villagers who use the water from the project and visited their homes. We were taught about how the power structures are not only deeply rooted in historical and political tradition but also how it is present in the way homes are placed in the villages. People from the higher castes were located at the inner most part of the village and the lower caste villagers were located in the outskirts of the village. Around the city, there are flags pinned on the ground that were either green (representing the Muslim population) or orange (representing the Hindi population-think of the color of saffron). In this case, the village had an orange flag.

The class was split up into 5 groups and each group visited a particular family to ask questions and see their home. The interaction was invaluable! They informed us about the self-help group and its effectiveness in their community. The group is held by 15 female villagers and according to them, their husbands are very supportive. After our discussion, we reunited with the rest of the group, grabbed some delicious peanuts the villagers grew themselves, hopped in the car and watched the energetic and enthusiastic children run behind our car waving good-bye.






Days like these make me want to stay longer...I absolutely love India and its people.