How it began
The past two months as an AIF Banyan Impact Fellow have been a whirlwind of experiences, growth, and gratitude. I smile as I write this blog post, I can’t help but reflect on the unexpected path that brought us all here. Truth be told, the idea of being selected for the fellowship might have seemed like a distant dream 4-5 months ago, but here we are, reading my blog together!
This journey kicked off with an orientation conference in early October. Besides forming connections that would now last more than 10 months, the orientation week can be described as the right mix of learning sessions and fun exploratory activities, where each session taught us something new about the development sector, about each other, and most importantly, helped us transition well into our host organizations.
Well within the first month of the fellowship, I have realized what I am equipped with: a supportive network where individuals contribute to others’ journeys, the resources for enhancing our work, a platform for continued learning, and the realization of our collective impact. Personally, I find that my will to serve in the development sector has only become stronger since.
Among the many learnings I have had, I have also come to understand and appreciate the work that my host organization, Pudiyador does, not only as part of Playquity, but also in the communities in Chennai.
Sports and Gender Equity
Pudiyador, my host organization, is based in Chennai and dedicated to empowering disadvantaged communities in India by providing opportunities for children to break the cycle of generational poverty through participatory and community-focused interventions.
Playquity is a Pudiyador initiative that develops female leadership and confidence and builds equity through sports by inverting gender roles. Girls in multiple locations form cohorts playing ultimate Frisbee, led by Coaches in Training (CITs) who organize regular outdoor and indoor practice sessions. With women empowerment as a point of focus, Playquity goes beyond sports to achieve gender equitable outcomes.
My experience with sports has been largely limited to moments of joy and leisure, and bonding with my friends. Although I have never ventured into competitive sports, the confidence and sense of well-being derived from these recreational pursuits remain undeniable. Yet, now, as I contribute to Playquity’s mission, I’m inspired by the belief that every individual, regardless of competitive achievements, deserves the opportunity to experience the personal growth and empowerment that sports can uniquely offer. This aligns perfectly with Playquity’s vision of using sports to build female leadership, confidence, and equity. I have also been fortunate to visit the learning centers a few times here in Chennai. During my visits, I witnessed Pudiyador’s mission statement come alive as children engaged in learning sessions, colored on maps, picked up small skills, participated enthusiastically in group activities, including Children’s Day programs and much more.
Some Insights
I have had many conscious and subconscious learnings that I have come to realize only recently. The following are 5 insights that I would like to share:
- Value your supportive network: Actively recognizing the significance of available support in your project and growth, does lead to a morale boost. Celebrating small milestones, completing time bound tasks, dealing with stressful deadlines, and being encouraged to take more initiative is now slowly fostering in me a sense of belonging and confidence in my contributions.
- Learn consistently: It is in recent times that I understand the importance of keeping an eye out for any sort of learning opportunity. Everyday is a learning experience, and I believe my 10 months here will provide me lessons for life. Self reflecting, learning new things, and being more proactive is what I hope to do in the coming months.
- Documenting: Documenting work and personal learnings and experiences can be valuable. It can serve as a reminder for progress, and help appreciate how far you have come.
- Develop cultural sensitivity: Understanding and appreciating local contexts and developing cultural sensitivity is important and always useful. Spending time understanding the local culture, building deeper connections, appreciating the diversity in backgrounds and experiences is helpful.
- Battle self-doubt: I was surprised to discover that my perception of my skills and areas of improvement differed significantly from how others viewed them. While on-going battles with self doubt emerge as a challenge, recognizing it can become useful in ensuring it does not get in the way of giving your best.
As I look forward to the months ahead, I hope to incorporate the above lessons and more, to gain new experiences and learnings, and I look forward to playing ultimate Frisbee.
