I was thrilled when I was accepted to the class, comprising ten students, Professor Caroline Grossman, and the course coach, social entrepreneur and Booth alumnus Sandeep Vira. I have never lived in India but have been traveling to the country regularly over the past 25 years to see extended family. I knew that this trip would take me to unfamiliar territory within India, but even I was surprised at the amount that I learned about my own country and the degree to which I was humbled by the resilience and grit of its poorest members. This humbling realization proved to be my greatest learning on the trip.
In short, the key assets to social change in India are the target populations of social change movements, in our case the slum communities. During the class, we had the opportunity to visit four different slums in Bhubaneswar. Although individuals in these communities lived in poverty, their conversations with us were characterized not by depression but by optimism and openness. There was a strong sense of community between members and each slum had a leader, often a woman. Many of the women participated in pooled investing schemes, in which they would each contribute to a shared fund that a woman could withdraw from based on a specific need, e.g. paying her child’s tuition.
Work was also a key theme – either individuals wanted more work to do, or they prioritized the work that they had and found ways to handle their other responsibilities. The individuals we met were enterprising and knew how to make the little that they had go a long way. Thus, the key to any solution that we devise will undoubtedly be effectively empowering and mobilizing these individuals.
