During the second week of February, the 2024-2025 cohort of Banyan Impact Fellows gathered together in Guwahati, Assam for the Midpoint conference. This gathering was an opportunity for the fellows to assess challenges being faced at host sites, share knowledge that has been gained over the initial months, and engage in a number of professional development sessions. The five days went by in such a flurry of excitement as we were so thrilled to be with each other; therefore, it is important to pause and take a moment to reflect on key learnings from the week. Rather than remembering this time as a jumbled happy memory of growth and camaraderie, I want to ensure the knowledge and joy that were shared are preserved for the next class of fellows.
Day 1 – Monday, February 10, 2025
As our fellowship class trickled into breakfast on Monday morning, there were endless smiles and warm embraces as we excitedly greeted those all around us. While there was an exciting schedule ahead of us, the initial joy of getting to see each other brought a liveliness that would sustain our energy and enthusiasm for the week.
Our initial session set the tone for the week, where we were welcomed by the Program Team, who had been tirelessly working on creating a great conference for us. There was a tangible excitement in the air as we were all gathered in the same room for the first time since October 2024 when we had concluded orientation.
Our first activity based session was held by Thoughts to Action, who gave us the space to reflect on the initial four months of our fellowship experience. As we all gathered in a large circle on the floor, we were tasked with drawing a river that represented our time so far. Some fellows used bridges or rainbows to represent times of breakthrough and rain or sharks to show moments of hardship. Then, we gathered in small groups to discuss our drawings, and by extension, our reflections on major learnings over the past few months. Although I am not the most artistic person, I really enjoyed this activity as it gave us a means to express very complicated and detailed experiences in simpler terms. Additionally, it was so nice to see a visual representation of other’s thoughts. These spaces help give me the room to express my ideas as I outwardly express ideas with those who are experiencing similar circumstances. The most significant takeaway for me on this activity was acknowledging the power of taking time to reflect in creative ways. If I am always going at projects full speed and not taking time for reflection, I will not always come away with the key learnings that will allow me to continue growing in the future.
We were very lucky to receive two workshops from Asma Batool, who coached us on developing our leadership potential. One of the points that particularly stood out to me on this was determining your key value systems. In a field as ever-changing as the development sector, there are a million factors pulling you in different directions. Within the workbook that was given to us, she gave us a list of values that we could identify and reflect on how this would determine our guiding principles moving forward. This is an exercise I have engaged in before, and I find it particularly relevant as we are all at such a pivotal point in beginning our careers. Wherever our careers take us after the fellowship, as long as we are guided by our key values, we will be on the right track.
One of the greatest gifts to us throughout this fellowship is the presence of Senior Fellows. Each individual is assigned a mentor, who oversees our professional development over the course of the ten months. Disha Arora and Dilip Surkar gave a presentation on fundraising and grant writing. While the specific presentation provided a wealth of concrete knowledge, the overall take-away for me was a feeling of gratitude when you have seasoned professionals in the field so invested in our growth. I have not experienced a mentorship so intentional and meaningful before, and I have to remind myself that it is not something to take for granted. As these incredibly intelligent and achieved individuals are taking time to share their wisdom with the fellowship class, it is important to keep questioning how you can utilize this expertise for both your project and your professional development.
Without question, the biggest highlight for me at midpoint was the Secret Santa gift exchange that was coordinated freely amongst the fellows. It is a testament to the deep bonds that have been forged outside of our professional responsibilities. We independently decided to set up a Secret Santa to fend off some of the home sickness that was setting in around the holiday season. Prior to beginning the exchange, we discussed and realized that not a single person knew who had them. For a group of twenty-three people, this is a major accomplishment. Rather than just setting the gifts in the center and having everyone take their respective present, we had each person give a description of the person they had and allude to why they had got the gift for them. We started with Namrah, as her birthday will not fall within the fellowship. For example, she had bought a gift for Yumin. Prior to presenting the gift, she spoke about how, “This fellow is the biggest ‘Yes woman’ and brings so much energy and spirit to the cohort.”. Then Yumin unwrapped her gift, and went on to describe Julien without naming him as we all tried to guess who she spoke about, before then presenting her gift to him. There was so much thought and love put into all of the gifts, and there was so much joy in the air. An overarching theme of the gifts was lots of local art and representation from the localities where fellows are placed. This created such a supportive environment, where everyone was so excited to cheer each other on and see what was hidden under the wrapping paper. It really felt like Christmas morning, and as the gifts were so accurately curated to each fellow, it spoke to the power in being seen and uplifted by the group.
Day 2 – Tuesday, February 11, 2025
After traveling through Meghalaya in the days leading up to Midpoint and hiking every single day, my body was facing more severe exhaustion than I had realized. Monday night, I had gone to bed early as I had started feeling ill, but Tuesday morning is when I woke up truly feeling under the weather. A migraine had taken hold, my muscles were intensely aching, and I was deeply exhausted and dehydrated. I quickly realized that I would not be making it to the first session, so I contacted the Program Team to let them know of this. I figured I would miss the first one or two sessions at maximum, and then I would feel well enough to make it for the rest of the day. I ended up taking rest for the entire day, and I was unable to attend a single session. It felt as though my body could not get enough rest or water. At first, I was disappointed to have missed an entire day of Midpoint, especially one that included two fellow-led presentations. Yet, I had to reflect and come back to the guiding principle that health must come above all else. If I keep pushing myself, there would be nothing for me to gain. All that would be achieved would be the performance of appearing to be present. There would be nothing cultivated for myself. In a sector where there is constant activity, it is critical to be tapped into your own personal health, both physical and mental in order to understand what is best for you personally. It is difficult when there is only five days of midpoint, and you want to seize every moment, but it is about taking the space to listen to what you need at each moment.
Additionally, the Banyan Impact Fellowship is structured to create an abundance of opportunities for its participants. From the Professional Development Grant to language classes, it is easy to jump headfirst into all of the experiences at your fingertips. I think that initial enthusiasm is a strong positive; however, it is important to remember that this experience is a marathon, not a sprint. The fellowship is about developing lasting skills and relationships, and your project will not benefit from you burning yourself out. Even if your body is not physically ill, it is important to recognize the importance of rest, even in very exciting periods such as Midpoint.
Day 3 – Wednesday, February 12, 2025:
The day started with Ms. Anurita Hazarika, Executive Director (in-charge) and State Coordinator, Assam at Northeast Network giving us an overview of her work and experiences working in the region. As this was my first time in Assam, I was very grateful to learn more about the challenges unique to the Northeast Region of India. As we were given further information on the work that is being done by this NGO, this talk personally served as a reminder of the ever-present need for lifelong learning. While I may begin to feel that I am gaining a significant understanding of my project jurisdictions, I am constantly reminded that there will always be so much to learn about. This could feel intimidating, but rather I choose to see this as a positive. It is a gift that there is so much knowledge and that there are individuals who are willing to share it with those willing to learn. As long as we keep an open mind, we will be able to keep growing long beyond the confines of the fellowship.
We were taken on a site visit where we had the privilege to visit two Bal Raksha Bharat (Save the Children) sites. The initial location introduced us to participants who had gone through skills development training to open more career pathways. As we were able to hear from these individuals who had gone through these programs directly, it was a beneficial session where we were able to learn about challenges of program implementation. Many fellows could relate to these barriers regardless of location. On the opposite end of the spectrum from the previous paragraph, it serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of the challenges and institutions that we work within. While the overall parameters can be different, there is so much that can be learned from varied experiences. On the surface, there may not be many similarities, but it is clear that by paying attention to the heart of the work, we are able to derive many key lessons that we can carry with us.
Day 4 – Thursday, February 13, 2025:
Thursday was a day that was packed with fellow-led presentations. It was extremely empowering to have the space to speak about the larger thematic topics surrounding our projects. Namrah, Nupur, and I gave a presentation talking about the use of communications within the development sector. The opportunity to present gives us ownership over the work that we are doing. Of course, there are challenges and pitfalls that we are all running into; however, this is part of the learning experience. Acknowledging the flaws and creating the space for reflection allows us the room for growth and to not repeat mistakes moving forward.
Additionally, this is an extremely accomplished and ambitious group of people. It can be easy to discredit yourself when you are placed next to such talented individuals; however, speaking about a topic that we have been working on for a significant amount of time serves as a reminder of how much we actually know on the subject. Similar to the Senior Fellows, it is so special to have a group of people who are invested in what you have to say. Our presentation was centered around creating a more participatory conversation which we incorporated into the larger points.
We were given the special opportunity of getting to speak to AIF CEO, Nishant Pandey, for over an hour. As he shared his knowledge from two and a half decades in the development sector, everyone was eager to hear what advice he had for us. Learning the right questions to ask is a skill that I am currently working on fine tuning. With individuals who are so advanced in their careers, often much information can be gleaned about their professional background online. It is worth investing in taking the time to do the background research in order to ask questions that lead to more insightful conversations. As time is so valuable, it is great to have an existing starting point that allows you to maximize learning within opportunities such as these.
Day 5 – Friday, February 14, 2025:
There was a special energy in the air on Friday. Not only was it Valentine’s Day which called for heart shaped balloons adorning the hotel walls, but it was also one of our fellow’s birthdays! Joey was turning 23, and this called for countless iterations of the happy birthday song, beginning first in the lobby as the clock struck midnight, throughout sessions, and of course, before cake.
The last day of activities started with the final fellow-led presentation. Through an alumni-panel and small group conversations, we were able to gain invaluable insights from those who know what it is like to be a fellow. It is a strong reminder that our greatest asset is each other. Our other fellows in the cohort are the only individuals who have a semblance of idea of what our experience is like at the moment, and it is important to invest in these relationships. Additionally, alumni are walking a path that we will soon find ourselves on. With questions such as what life will look like after the fellowship and how we can incorporate key learnings in future positions, it is important to build relationships within the larger alumni network.
Alumna Bijoylakshmi Bhagawati led us in an art session where we were able to paint and decorate a coaster. While this was an incredibly fun exercise in expressing ourselves creatively and seeing the talents of those around us, the real takeaway for me was the symbolism behind the activity. Bijoylakshmi spoke about how we are at an ever-changing time in our lives, with our twenties moving us to a number of locations, leaving us to make homes wherever we find ourselves. She talked about the importance of creating intentionality in the spaces we occupy and investing in our places of rest. As an American fellow living in Delhi NCR, it is weird to think that all of the kurtas and posters that are being acquired throughout this time may not fit so neatly in my life once I leave India; however, I am putting value on their place at the present moment.
The last exercise for us in the fellowship was to take a piece of paper, which had a fellow’s name written on it and write them a letter. This fellowship goes to support us both professionally and personally. It is an all-encompassing experience that requires you to give your all to. This allows you to build deep and powerful relationships that are forged through the passion of social change. I couldn’t have imagined a better ending to the programming as it felt like a tangible piece of the magic that was captured during our gift exchange written down that we were now able to carry with us back home.
Looking Forward
There is so much wisdom within our class, and within such a short period of time, we all have complemented and uplifted each other in such endearing ways. I feel very lucky to be a part of this group of young changemakers. As we have had time to feel rejuvenated by the excitement of being together, I am more than thrilled to see where all of our projects will lead. The next six months will allow for so much learning, and I cannot wait to see how we all grow during this time.
