Thirteen Pieces of Advice for Future Fellows:
. Employ a good sense of humor… when your plans don’t work, learn to laugh.
. Slow down if you’re accustomed to US culture. Trust me, almost everything is better when you slow down.
. Come with an adaptive attitude. Everything is different here and organizations don’t need someone trying to change it all. Work with the NGO. Understand them before you start making large-scale recommendations.
. Assume the best first, until proven wrong. Assume your NGO is doing good work and that things exist for a reason unless you question it and find out differently. Sometimes something really is in place for a reason, even though it may not make sense to you at first.
. Ask questions multiple times. You will get different answers to the same question, from the same person, a lot.
. Set meetings with your supervisor frequently. Make sure you communicate with them regularly and don’t assume they will come to you; you might have to go to them.
. Sometimes, it’s ok to raise your voice; otherwise people may not listen to you. Being firm and adaptive can be a balancing act. Try to find the balance.
. Absorb as much as possible. Indian culture is truly wonderful; take it in while you’re here. You can learn a lot from the culture, society and workplace in India.
. While you’re here, be here. Don’t focus on home or your next job, be here physically, emotionally and mentally. Sit back and enjoy.
. Bring good ear plugs.
. Pack a few things that will make India feel like home, i.e. pictures, posters.
. Keep a positive attitude.
Everything that seems really crazy at first will eventually seem normal.
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