The Power of Service: Doing Good in Delhi, India

Mahatma Gandhi, famous social activist and writer, once said, "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." These words have always resonated with me, and for years, I have had the desire to travel to India in order to help underserved women struggling to make a better life for themselves. 

There are a myriad of non-profit organizations and charities in India that do amazing work with undeserved populations in the country, and over the last year I have been researching and corresponding to find the perfect fit. When identifying organizations to collaborate with, it's very important to me that their mission align with my own, and that there is a real opportunity for me to contribute and help make a real difference in people's lives. 

My search ultimately connected me with The Business and Community Foundation (BCF) based in Delhi. The BCF responds to the needs of the most marginalized through a variety of education and outreach, an approach that immediately resonated with me. The organization supports several shelters throughout Delhi, and arranged for me to help teach sewing and jewelry making skills at a shelter in west Nizamuddin. 

My contact, Ela, was excited to have me teach the women sewing and jewelry-making skills, with the hope that they could use these skills to secure jobs or make crafts to sell from the shelter. When I mentioned that my photographer and friend, Valerie Wei-Haas, would be accompanying me, Ela mentioned how valuable it would also be to teach the women how to take better photographs to help show off and sell their crafts. 

We corresponded for months before the trip and came to learn that there would be 23 women attending our workshops. We were thrilled (and a bit nervous), and wanted to make sure we were able to help. I've learned from previous trips that one of the key aspects to empowering and teaching undeserved women like these is providing them with the tools and materials to be able to use during and after our workshops. It's rare that they will have access on their own to sewing and jewelry making tools, so I assembled individual kits for each woman, with all of the basics needed including sewing shears, needles, pins, and fabrics, as well as jewelry pliers, beading wire, beading boards and colorful beads from my collection. Carefully packed into a suitcase, the supplies weighed exactly 70 pounds—the maximum luggage weight allowed on my flight; kismet! 

When we arrived at the shelter, we got to meet with the women and learn a bit more about the stories of the people we would be teaching over the next several days. The shelter was for only women and their children. Some were abandoned by family and live at the shelter full-time, while others actually live in the surrounding neighborhood, and come to the shelter for food support and education to try and gain skills and crafts that will help them earn money to survive. Most of the women were very young and some were pregnant and the sole providers for their children. 

The shelter seemed like a very happy and safe space for the women, who were all so kind to us. Every day we arrived, they would offer us chai and a snack (usually samosas). We would take our shoes off before entering the classroom, and the floors were lined with blankets. We would all sit on the ground to work each day. Ella was our translator as none of the women spoke English, but as I've often said, the universal language is a smile, and that is what we all shared. 

The days were filled with creativity and connection. I've found totes and handbags to be a very easy to make product that can be sold. I also taught jewelry-making and Valerie guided the women in photography, helping them understand composition and lightning with their mobile phones. The transformation in their confidence over the three days was remarkable to me. They seemed genuinely excited to learn new skills and the discovery that they had the abilty to create something of value that could be sold. 

On the last day of training, each woman made two beaded bracelets. Before we left, there was a ceremony where each of the women received a certificate of participation in our classes. We had grown so close, and could tell the women were excited and everyone was dressed up for the ceremony. To both of us, these were just basic workshops, but I realized how special these classes were; it wasn't just about teaching them and what they may or may not be able to do with the skills, ultimately it was about providing them with the confidence that learning brings with it along with a break in their day to day lifes to have fun and foster community. 

This experience truly reaffirmed my belief that empowerment begins with opportunity. By providing these amazing women with the tools and knowledge to develop their own crafts, I felt that we were helping them take real steps toward financial independence and self-sufficiency. More than that, we were sharing moments of joy, laughter, and mutual respect; memories that I will cherish forever. 

As I left the shelter, I felt deeply grateful for the experience and the lessons I had learned. The women of West Nizamuddin taught me just as much as I had taught them. They reminded me of the resilience of the human spirit and the profound impact of kindness and generosity.

If you're interested, I hope you'll learn more about the BCF and their mission here: http://www.bcfindia.org/