In my internship this week, I felt great privilege for the opportunity, confronted by the harsh living conditions of the communities I work, and grateful to the people of Mandala who have opened their lives and hearts to the organisation and me. Working with the Zahra Hasanaat clinic, I was able to help with the…Continue Reading Art needs no language…
The six weeks of the PMSA-Mumbai scholarship have taught me so much. Firstly, I couldn’t be more grateful for all the lessons it taught and the life-long relationships I’ve banked during this process. Meeting people is one thing, but making lifelong friendships and creating memories and bonds is a whole new different thing. It started…Continue Reading My Beautiful Journey – Time To Say Both Goodbye And Hello
Mera Hindi Kahani As soon as I learned I was accepted into this amazing trip, I immediately jumped onto Duolingo to try and learn as much Hindi as I could. At the start of the trip I had a 110 day streak, but disappointingly, this didn’t magically mean I could speak fluent Hindi with the…Continue Reading Blog 4: People and Language!
It’s the final week, and I feel like I have barely touched the surface of India whilst also having had so many adventures and opportunities that I cannot wait to share with friends, family, and anyone who will listen upon my return to New Zealand. I don’t have any words good enough to express my…Continue Reading Where did all the time go?
“Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua” “I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past. This whakataukī or ‘proverb’ speaks to Māori perspectives of time, where the past, the present and the future are viewed as intertwined, and life as a continuous cosmic process.” The final week is here! The time went…Continue Reading Times flies make the most of it!
“He aha te mea nui o te aoWhat is the most important thing in the world?He tangata, he tangata, he tangataIt is the people, it is the people, it is the people” Coming back home has undoubtedly been a reverse cultural shock and a new beginning in the sense that we have all changed so…Continue Reading Dhanyavād! (Thank you!)
This title was inspired by this week’s experiences of meeting women similar in age to me but with completely different life experiences. Again opening my eyes to all the privileges I have had throughout every year and stage of my life. Whether it be the privilege of the things I had, people around me, opportunities,…Continue Reading Same age. Different life.
“Ko te pae tawhiti whāia kia tata, ko te pae tata whakamaua ka tina.” “Seek out distant horizons and cherish those you attain.” The Mon-Fri rundown is going to be short and sweet. It was quite rough. Delhi belly got me good. Yet, I have some very important new appreciations. The week was quite challenging…Continue Reading You don’t truly appreciate it until it’s gone!
This title was inspired by my supervisior Seema. Her and the team at Aastha Parivaar have faced so many obstacles to keep the organisation going. Yet, despite all of this they persisted and continue to do such essential work for the sex workers and their children in the community. This idea is encapsulated in the…Continue Reading What if you didn’t give up?
Disaster strikes Man down this week (well, for 3 days)… During my first 4 weeks, I was very fortunate to maintain good health, even when my peers were becoming unwell. However, the start of week 5 was when disaster struck. Tuesday morning started off like any other morning, there was a touch of tummy cramps,…Continue Reading Disaster, Desserts, and the Desert