Yuva for Sewa 2009, by Sonia Gosain
Bharat Kusuma and Nirbhay Dhapodkar pictured at a local boy’s school in Pune, Maharastra.
This summer, five undergraduate students from all over the US dedicated their time for the Sewa USA service internship program, Yuva for Sewa. Yuva for Sewa (YFS) is a unique opportunity that encourages young adults to volunteer their time and effort, while using their area of expertise and interest, to help the disadvantaged. Projects throughout the US, India, and the Caribbean are designed for personality development, building leadership and team work, empowering visionaries and providing first-hand experience in helping the community.
The 2009 YFS interns come from different parts of the US as well as diverse backgrounds. Each intern spent one to two months on various projects ranging from microfinance to teaching English that have in turn uplifted the communities they have volunteered. Nirbhay Dhapodkar and Bharat Kusuma, undergraduate students at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign studying finance and mathematics respectively, worked together to research microfinance and self help groups in Pune, Maharashtra. Their project lasted around two months, and they focused on how these techniques could be implemented to help with the financial needs of the less fortunate. Apurva Kaushik, a philosophy student at Case Western Reserve University, volunteered in Bangalore, India and in Guyana teaching English and Vedic Math respectively. She describes her internship as an extraordinary experience and she feels fortunate to have been given the opportunity to volunteer in these communities.
Aparna Garg pictured at Nivedita Nele in Bangalore, Karnataka: a home for girls who previously lived on the streets.
Aparna Garg, an undergraduate student at Boston University majoring in economics and journalism, spent 2 ½ months documenting the success stories of slum development projects of various NGOs in Karnataka. The projects include health clinics, self-help groups, and free tutoring for children in government schools among all others. Her YFS experiences have given her a deeper understanding of India. Vijay Swamy, a junior at Carnegie Mellon studying business and law, spent one month researching the legal needs of people in slums, as well as brainstorming fundraising ideas for the local NGOs. The sixth YFS 2009 intern, Vincent Woods, will be starting his fellowship this month in Maharashtra, India. Vincent graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a degree in English. After graduation, he had dedicated one year as an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher in Chicago and will continue teaching English through his YFS project.
The experiences gained through the YFS internships have made a lasting impact on each YFS participant. Moreover, the dedication and immense effort put in by each fellow, has created a lasting impact in the disadvantaged areas the volunteers have worked in empower the local community and the future generations. Each year, Yuva for Sewa brings together passionate and devoted young leaders to bring positive change in society. For those of you who are interested in applying for Yuva for Sewa 2010, please visit www.sewausa.org/yuva-for-sewa in February 2010 for more details about this amazing opportunity.
This report was written by Sonia Gosain. Sonia recently graduated from the University of California, San Diego. She helped coordinate last year’s Yuva for Sewa internship program.
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