One Month in Review: Early Reflections from India

Today officially marks one month since I arrived in India. This is my first time here and the longest period spent in one place outside of the United States. It has been a time filled with lots of excitement and learning. My goal in writing this blog is to share some highlights and reflections I have experienced so far. It feels like so much has happened in such little time and I know that there is a lot more to come. This is just a small peek into what the month of October looked like for me.

The fellowship kicked off with a jam-packed Orientation in Delhi. Sessions included a combination of personal and professional development activities as well as team bonding exercises. One session that really stood out to me was one on child protection mechanisms. It was presented by a team member from the Counsel to Secure Justice (CSJ). I was deeply fascinated by the discussion on how research and advocacy efforts can drive systems change for survivors of abuse as well as children in conflict with the law. This is something that feels very relevant to my upcoming work on child nutrition, and I plan to connect with the CSJ team again in the future to discuss what the impact of this work has been in rural and tribal settings. Outside of those sessions, I had the pleasure of getting to know many of the other Fellows. It was refreshing to share ideas and collaborate with such curious and adventurous people given that it has been a while since I participated in a cohort. The one word that described my time at Orientation was connectedness.

I felt ready to jump into my work upon leaving Orientation , but I had to remind myself that the adjustment to life in rural India and my role as a Fellow would take some time. The adjustment overall has been much smoother than I could have imagined, but it has come with some challenges. For example, while I am happy to be surrounded by dense and beautiful forests, I am also dealing with the hottest weather I have ever experienced and practically bathing myself in mosquito repellent. There is also the insurmountable language barrier between me and locals, leaving me with high motivation and the need to learn Odia. Odia is a beautiful language though it is also one of the most difficult ones I have studied. I am so thankful for the grace and patience of my coworkers. They teach me new vocabulary words daily and are so willing to share their language and culture. I felt a huge sense of accomplishment when I joined a field visit a few weeks ago and managed to introduce myself to others in Odia. I am looking forward to continuing my language study and increasing my competency by working in local villages.

A page from an Odia language book. Letters A - L are listed in English and Odia as well as pictures showing a picture of an animal or item that matches the letter. — A page from an Odia language book. Photo Credit: Author

Outside of work, I have had ample opportunity to learn more about Indian culture and traditions. I traveled to Jharkhand to celebrate Diwali for the very first time, making sure to try as many sweets as I could. I also learned, though I quickly forgot, how to wrap a saree. My birthday came shortly after Diwali. It was wonderful to wake up to birthday wishes from all of the other Fellows and then to spend the evening in the company of my coworkers, eating cake while wearing our party hats. This was not my first birthday abroad, but it surely is one of the most memorable. It is wild to think that I have already completed the first month of my Fellowship. Time flies by. I am looking forward to the many more adventures that will come, making sure to remember to take time to reflect and share my experience with others. I plan to dedicate my next post to a project-related discussion. There is a ton of interesting research and advocacy happening in the child health and nutrition space in India. I am excited to share all of my learnings with readers.

Courtney takes a photo with three other individuals during Diwali. All are dressed in red. Courtney and one woman are holding a tray of diyas. — Courtney celebrates her first Diwali with her supervisor and his family in Ranchi. Photo Credit: Anup Sharma

Author

Courtney Moore

Courtney developed a passion for improving the health and wellbeing of women and children by studying and working alongside under-resourced families across the United States and abroad. During her academic career, she independently researched topics ranging from harm reduction initiatives in Nepal to strategies for improving Black maternal health in the United States. This led Courtney to believe that the most transformative change happens at the policy level. She went on to hone her policy research and facilitation skills during her time as senior policy associate at Children’s Funding Project. There, she collaborated with state and local leaders to establish equitable, coordinated, and sustainable funding for child and youth services. Having recently come to a crossroads with a desire to expand her abilities, Courtney embarked on a journey to develop her international field experience and acquire new skill sets to more adeptly serve communities in need. Prior to the Fellowship, Courtney spent a year living and exploring Latin America. She volunteered on public health projects in Peru and Costa Rica, and is grateful for having deepened her understanding of health promotion and education in the context of those countries. She is excited to take all she knows about community-based development and policy-level interventions to her work as a Banyan Impact Fellow.

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