Departing to India

For the next ten months, I will live and work in Hyderabad, India as an IDEX Fellow in Social Enterprise. Fellows, sponsored by Gray Matters Capital, work on sustainable market-based solutions to poverty throughout India. I will primarily work on capacity building for an Affordable Private School. This is quite a significant shift from my previous experience and knowledge, but I am eager to learn more about innovations in the educational and social enterprise spaces in India. I will also use my previous experience capacity building and creating partnerships for non-profits in DC to inform my work in India.

Though this is a risky move—personally and professionally—it does not feel like a risk because I am certain that it is the best and right decision. I truly could not be more excited to embark on this journey.

As I’ve been busy finishing work and moving across the country to now move to India, I haven’t been able to blog or read as much as I’d like. Between moving into my new apartment in India, the temporary lack of wireless connectivity, and starting a new job, posts may remain infrequent for the near future. Once settled, I hope to blog frequently about the experience of working with social enterprises in India.

In the meantime, below are some of the things on my India reading, music, and movie list.

Read:

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo

The Beautiful Tree: A Personal Journey into How the World’s Poorest People are Educating Themselves by James Tooley

Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation by Tim Brown

In Spite of the Gods: The Rise of Modern India by Edward Luce

The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh

Listen:

The Dharohar Project with Mumford & Sons

Lagaan Lagi Re from Trishna

Jal (Urdu)

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan (Urdu)