India - Day 4
January 10, 2019 | 11:59 PM
Alexia Helmer, Communications & Web Content Coordinator
It’s day four in Ahmedabad, and the first thing we did today was visit a nonprofit called “Shataya.” Shataya, which is Sanskrit for “Live 100 Years,” focuses specifically on Organ Donation Awareness in India, and we took this opportunity to discuss the differences in awareness in organ donation between India and the United States. The students found out that different religions here can stop people from pledging for organ donation and that, at the end of the day, it is the family’s decision whether or not to donate their loved one’s organs, whereas in the U.S. it is the individual’s decision.
From there we visited another nonprofit called “Vatsalya”, which in Sanskrit means “Love and Affection.” Here we saw those with disabilities learning various tasks on the computer, like typing on a keyboard and using a data entry program. This organization’s goal is to teach these students the skills they need on computers so that they can earn money by working online.
After visiting Vatsalya, we were able to try another Indian street food called “Pani Puri.” There were various different kinds of Pani Puri, including those that were spicy, sweet or a little of both. The last event of the day was exploring a curbside market where we were able to buy souvenirs and students had the chance to practice their bartering skills.