Jugaad
My uncle told me that no one who goes to India comes back the same person, and as I reflect on my time there, I realize how true his words ring. In the five weeks I was there, I learned much more than anticipated: about India, about social enterprise, about women’s rights and about the world as a whole.
As we heard from different social entrepreneurs and interviewed local people, I began to understand that entrepreneurship is not just a business model. The local people call it “jugaad” – a hack, a way of making it work. And this mindset is completely embraced by the people of India. No matter the situation, they always seem to figure out a solution.
“Jugaad” is how one more person can always fit into the train and how premium leather is made in the largest slum of Mumbai and how mothers in rural villages find ways to get clean water and food for their children. It may not be pretty or easy, but it’s usually creative and definitely gets the job done.
Although I do not plan to enter the business world, I know this idea of entrepreneurship, or “jugaad,” will stick with me as I enter the next phases of my life. Thinking outside of the box and always seeking solutions rather than obstacles is key for success in any career or goal.
Further, as we explored the streets and spoke to the people for the storytelling part of the course, I discovered much more commonalities than differences between India’s reality and the world I grew up in. Although everyone is united behind a nationality, each person has his or her own unique background of religion, environment, socioeconomic status, language and culture. Sometimes the diversity is extreme, and controversy arises between different cultural groups, but at the end of the day, people are just trying to make better lives for themselves and their children.
As I took pictures and wrote down the stories, my passion for journalism was validated. The people – particularly the women – inspired me to share many of their stories with my family and friends, and I believe that through this sharing, we can increase the understanding between people and cultures.
My uncle was right about coming back a different person: my skin is now a little darker; my Hindi abilities now somewhat exist; my social circles now expand across the world. But other than the material differences, I now have many more experiences behind me, many more views I encountered and many, many more stories to tell.