When we got off the Metro at Adarsh Nagar this evening (Sunday May 23rd) we noticed that things were a little darker than usual. We quickly came to the realization that due to weather in excess of 110 degrees (F) and huge demands for electricity, rolling blackouts were sweeping the area. We are crossing our fingers that we have power tomorrow to post this blackout written blog.
The past few days have been amazing. We have had the opportunity to visit three different communities throughout the city where Prayas has established integrated economic development centers. Our plan is to be able to fund one these centers in the next year. These centers provide a full circle solution to alleviate high rates of illiteracy and unemployment. They offer alternative education (to help drop out students reach the levels necessary to reenter government schools), vocational training, and self help groups where women entrepreneurs come together to gain funding (through microloans) and support for their entrepreneurial ventures. The centers seem to truly transform a community, as can be seen in the following testimonial by Priyanka, a project manager at Naya Prayas in the Singh Camp of Vasant Vihar. Each of these centers provide education for 40 school children, vocational training for 250 individuals, literacy education for 100 illiterate adults, and entrepreneurial support for 250 women. Health services are also offered at these centers. It is estimated that 1,000 members of the community benefit from the centers.

These individuals working at these centers are truly amazing and inspiring. One man we met working in a center located in the slum of Ashokvihar had previously worked with Mother Teresa in Calcutta for 15 years. His experiences included working with the poor in Calcutta, Delhi, Japan, and South Africa. He told stories of having dinner with Nelson Mandela and being blessed by the late Pope John Paul II.
After four full days of work (including Saturday), we have learned about Prayas and the specific problems the organization is facing in trying to alleviate poverty throughout India. We will use the next week to begin implementing our action plan of how UF CHI can address the immense needs of poor in Delhi. First, we would like to move forward with our jute bag social business by marketing and selling the bags in the US. This sustainable initiative will help us expand the business and employ more impoverished women. As previously stated, we also plan to fund an integrated economic development center. This week we will be meeting various Prayas leaders and selecting a site for this project. Finally, to help our students interact with students at Prayas, we are in the process of setting up a pen pal system. This will help the Prayas students with both their English and their computer skills.
We took our Sunday off to recover and explore historic Delhi. We had been avoiding bike rickshaws up to this point but after a visit to the Red Fort the heat had worn us out and we wanted a quick lift to the nearest Metro station. It was an enjoyable ride and we realized that we are much more likely to sustain serious injuries from accidently walking in front of a rickshaw, rather than riding in one.