Namaste Aotis & Bernstea!
As I was scrolling through every page of this forum I thought, "where are all the India applicants?!" Glad I finally found a couple!
I have also applied for the full research grant for next year. Like everyone else who has submitted their applications, I'm extremely nervious and anxious for January. I feel like everyday goes so slow, and I really try hard not to think about it at all.
One thing that helps keep my mind off it is that I am currently finishing my Master's degree in Conflict Resolution at Portland State University, in Oregon. I have focused my degree on international conflict and development, intercultural communication, feminist theory, and human rights.
Last year I spent three months in India as part of my practicum for my degree. I worked at a micro finance NGO outside Pune, Maharashtra that gives loans to rural women. The NGO also has counseling centers set up for women who are have troubles in the home, mainly domestic violence. I spent two months documenting the resolution process that the counselors practice, and interviewing women about their experiences with the couselors, whether their cases were resolved, and what improvements could be made to further ensure their safety and healing.
The last month I spent in a small village in Rajasthan. This NGO was called Educate Girls, and spend their efforts increasing enrollment and literacy rates for girls living in some very remote villages. Raj has some of the lowest literacy rates for girls, and boys outweigh girls in school, especially after primary education. I spent my time facilitating group dialogues with young girls who were not enrolled in school as well as with those who were. As I was only there for one month I felt that I could have stayed with this NGO for a lifetime and have learned so much from this community.
I returned home in September 2011.
I decided, quite late in fact, that I would apply for the Fulbright Nehru grant in August 2012. One day, I just felt this rush, a push, that told me to go for it, regardless of how late in the game I was. I met with my campus adviser, and told her my experience in India and an idea for a research proposal that came to me from looking at my photos in Rajasthan. My grant proposal, The social and emotional impacts of gender disparity on young women in India, was widely accepted by the adviser and the campus Fulbright committee. I was elated and motivated. With less than two months I managed to gather all my resources, 3 letters of ref, my host affiliation (Educate Girls) and my language evaluator. Yes, I have applied to the CLEA and have already been studying Hindi since around June this year with a private, native speaker. Still very much a beginner but I can read and write!
So basically, my proposal is exactly what it sounds like. My experience from EG led up to this moment. I proposed holding group dialogues with enrolled female students from ages 13-15 for eight months (one month of establishing myself into the community) to discuss thier perspectives of their role as young women, challenges they have faced in education or their community, etc. The idea is to come up with ideas, creatively through journals, and as a group as to how they can be critical agents of change in their homes, among peers, with school, in India, and of the world.
I can't help but feel so good about this. I can't help but notice the signs that the Universe has been throwing at me that tell me this is the right direction. My love for India, my incredible time that I had there keeps my head up everyday for this. At the same time, I try hard to think about it, because of disappointment.
Aotis and Bernstea, I would LOVE to hear about what brought you two to apply for the Fulbright Nehru grant, and what your research proposal entailed. More than anything I am so excited to find others out there who share an interest in the country and have put so much time and effort into this crazy, emotional process! I'd love to read your proposals and statements, and would be happy to share mine. The "end" of January seems a milliion years away.
Have a great Thanksgiving, and I look forward to hearing from you both!
