Would you remember me? #ibmcsc #india 26

I believe that every time you travel -if you are lucky-, there will be a few moments that are worth the trip: those would make your heart smile, or as my grandmother used to say, it would feel like a feather moving softly in your chest.   

While in India, that happened to me at Kuppam town. During our last weekend in Bangalore, we were invited to Agastya´s Campus in Kuppam -a rural area in Andhra Pradesh State-, to discover a Science Center where hundreds of children were daily exposed to basic concepts in physics, biology, chemistry and ecology. During the afternoon we visited all campus facilities, and joined a "creative teaching" class for volunteer teachers, who were young men and women from the rural villages committed to help children in their communities through education. So far, so good. But the magic was to come at night.

Operation Vasantha was our final destination. We were picked up at 7:00pm to join the night teaching lessons in the community center located in a surrounding village. After a twenty-minute drive through the country side, we arrived. The children ran to the entrance to welcome Jason, Ankur and me with flowers and lots of drawings they had done for us. There was also a welcoming message in the classroom board, and lots of confetti! We were given paper huts and collars while the kids explained to us what the drawings were: lots of dolphins, boats, dinosaurs and flowers (that I have right next to me now, in my home office desk, as I type this blog from Buenos Aires). 

The program coordinator introduced me to the volunteer teacher assigned to that community, but I had actually met her before, in the creative-teaching classroom earlier that afternoon. When I said so, the young teacher smiled, pleased that I had remembered her.

We had talked and played for a while, before the real party started! We were invited to a "dancing show" as the children interpreted some Bollywood music (I have to admit I was truly impressed by their dancing skills!!).

After a few songs, students had to go back to study, meaning our time there was coming to an end: our drive was waiting for us to take the three of us back to the campus. 

As I was saying goodbye, I held so many hands I could not count them. Some of the children asked me if I would visit them again, when I would go back, and please come back... Before I left, the young teacher grabbed my hand and looking me in the eye asked "Would you remember me?". I looked back at her and smiled, and right there I felt the feather in my chest... How wouldn't I?

The rain started when we were leaving. We got into the truck and drove back through the country road as the rain became stronger. The night was upon us. I smiled looking out the window pane, thinking there are some events you would never forget.

Mappa Mundi #ibmcsc #india 26

IBM Community Service Day. Saturday, 4th April. 

We had planned an activity for approximately 80-90 children at Samarthanam Residential School. Our plan was to split the IBM Team in four classrooms, split the kids as well in groups of 20, each one assigned to a room, and play some sort of learning games with them. After 30 minutes, they would  rotate from one room to the other in order to attend all classes. I was assigned to the “culture room” where we were playing music from different countries (Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, US, UK, and India, among others)  and students were supposed to guess where did the song come from. We were using some colorful world maps to help us as we did not expect all of them to know the countries by hard. The prize: if they guessed,  we would all dance.  My IBM Team for the assignment –Dora, Kare & myself- seemed to be ready.

But upon arrival, I discovered it was not really a “school”, but a home for children between 2 to 12 years whose parents could not look after them, or did not want to… Some of them were disabled (this we knew). So what I thought were classrooms without proper desks were really bedrooms without beds. We were told that the English level was good enough to understand the activities, but most of the children would not speak any of it. Still, all of them were very happy with our presence.  So after a quick introduction, we let the games began.

My friend Kare warned me earlier that week that having 20 children dancing in a room was going to be tough work, especially when calming them down. Of course, being as stubborn as I am, I did not listen….

So the combination of music, dancing, wigs and children made it very difficult to have them quiet! But we ended up finding the way: adapting a little the activities in the room, creating a rule that would mean “silence”, another rule to have them sharing the wigs, and learning that the word “bazinga” would make them sit in a round.

At the end of the day, we were all very thankful for being part of such a nice experience. When I was leaving the building I saw one of the 3-years-old girls with whom I had danced before, having a nap in the floor of the girls’ bedroom.  Having no bed was the least of her problems, I would say: she was also missing her legs and her parents. In the way back to the hotel I could not help thinking how much I complain sometimes about things I lack of, when I do have sooooo much.

I guess that understanding the mappa mundi requires more than being familiar with all regions and countries, but it is the people who really matters: people around you, people away from you, people so different from you.... And knowing who you are, where are you standing and where you want to go.

From Bangalore, I am sending a big big –huge- hug to my family and my friends (all of them): I love you so much!!! And I am very grateful for sharing my life with each of you.
Coni.

Hands-on Agastya!

It´s been a week already since we arrived to Bangalore. My #ibmcsc #india team has done a lot of progress collaborating with our partner, Agastya International Foundation, a Bangalore based NGO that seeks to transform and stimulate the thinking of economically disadvantaged children, through innovative science education in government schools. "Sparking curiosity among students, to create confident children", they said. And I was impressed. Earlier this year while I was thinking about my personal and professional objectives for 2015 I came to the conclusion that "becoming a confident grown up" was top on my list, and here I am now, supporting an NGO which mission is to transform children´s attitudes from"fear" to "confidence" through education... Not a coincidence, is it? Every single day in India seems to be a learning opportunity to me.
Our project aims to build a roadmap for a Donor Management System deployment, to support the administration of current and future donors, specially from a fund-raising perspective. Recently India´s government has approved a new regulation to enforce private sector´s commitment to local development, having companies above certain revenue level giving the 2% of their net profit to NGOs, which will definitively increase their budget, and therefore non-government organization´s activities in-country.
We were invited to an event in a the Engineer Institute in Bangalore, where we got to see a science lab (and played a little too!!). It has been amazing. I am attaching some pics below!
Coni Caorsi.

Ready to work@ #ibmcsc #india

I can´t believe it´s Sunday night!! After a long flight (over 40 hours) and a bit of a panic attack after being told my luggage was missing -and Emirates had no record of it being checked-in!!- it seems  weekend is up and we are getting ready to meet our partner tomorrow!
Bangalore is a beautiful city: full of trees, flowers and plenty of tuc tucs*!! Our hotel is next to Ulsoor Lake, a very nice area. We have visited a palace, a local park and a very crowded "commerce" street yesterday. It is hot but usually windy, so the heat is not that bad. And food turned out to be great!!I have had not only Indian food, but also Vietnamese and European!
But what I have enjoyed the most during the last few days is the time spent with the #ibmcsc #india 26 team. It is such a beautiful group of people! Everybody is happy to assist you as family would at home. Smiles 24/7.
Today we attended a workshop to become more familiar with Indian society, culture and politics, among other topics. I could not avoid thinking how many things we take for granted at home, and I am so happy to collaborate in a project to improve children opportunities through education. What a great challenge to come...
After our first team dinner tonight, I came back to the hotel to find my dear dear (so dear) luggage waiting for me in the lobby. So now YES, I´m ready! Meeting with my sub-team for breakfast tomorrow to prepare for Monday´s agenda.

*tuc tucs are the local taxis, I am attaching a pic below! 

Getting ready for #ibmcsc india: first challenge, trying not to miss my dog so much!

I have always been some sort of homesick. As a child, I remember my first night away from home at my godmother´s: it was all fun until bedtime, when I realized my mother was not there to kiss me goodnight. I was crying so hard, that my godmother had a tough time trying to put me to bed. After a while, she succeeded.
I am thirty now, will definitively text my mother, but my dog Buda will be the one I really miss at night. As he has epilepsy & hydrocephalus -causing him seizures from time to time - it will be hard on me dealing with the fact that if something happens to him, I will be just too far away to help.
But the truth is Buda will be in good hands, and I trust God (give it any name you´d like) will support us both during this journey.
Before going to bed I will try thinking about him so hard, that he can feel my hands rubbing his floppy ears, despite we would be over 9, 300 miles away.

Only two weeks for arrival@ #ibmcsc india!!

I am very excited about this opportunity to participate in a program to develop leadership skills while addressing economic challenges in emerging markets!!!
It is going to be my first time working in such a different culture from mine, collaborating with a team of twelve IBMers from Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Mexico, Netherlands, UK, US & myself from Argentina! I already had the opportunity to work with some of them, and everybody seems very nice and respectful... Being engaged with such a group of top talented professionals will be indeed a true learning opportunity for me.
Upon arrival, adapting to Bangalore culture may be a real challenge!! I have so many thoughts about how Indian people will be like, from everything I´ve read, watched in movies, heard from former visitors... everything comes down to this idea about India being so special! I will keep my eyes and heart open to this extraordinary experience! I am positive I will be delighted =)
From a food perspective, I am a little concerned as I heard no salads at all, but all cooked vegetables! (gosh! I need to work this around with my nutritionist as I am on a diet!! LOL). But to be honest, as long as there is some cold beer I am opened to try any type of cuisine! I am sure it is great too!! And I do think it is part of the #ibmcsc india challenge!!
I will keep you posted!!!