What do interns do?  Roopal Patel spent 6 months in rural and tribal villages of India, hand in hand with people struggling for sustainable and just development.  She visited villages, documented programs, summarised legal data, presented research, and shared in the festivities as well as struggles of the people in the Narmada Valley.  She writes, "I do a lot of filing and typing and reviewing legal documents as well. But even the most mundane tasks feel infused with meaning here because they are a part of something so much larger. And not everything has been inspiring and rejuvenating. I fell sick several times ... But I was in good hands, as my extended family here in the office made sure I was well cared for. And of course, as soon as I was feeling better, I was expected to get back to work, which what my family in the States would expect of me as well."  Read snippets from her despatches over her 6 months (unpaid) volunteer internship.

An intern writes from the field .... snippets from Roopal Patel's despatches from her 6 months (unpaid) volunteer internship in India show how time, patience and readiness to do work - any work - helped her overcome her initial doubts and contribute her talents to an important cause.

October 7 2007
Hello, hello.
I am in the Badwani office and I have loved all the people I have met (in the office and in the villages) and have been really moved by the villages I have seen. However, I mentioned before that I don't speak any Hindi- at all. And when I asked someone if there was someone in Badwani who teaches English- someone laughed good-naturedly- which I am taking to mean that there is no one. I feel like I cannot really contribute without knowing the language- and I actually feel like I am a little in the way right now.
...  I like being in close proximity to the people who are most affected by the project, but I simply just don't want to be a burden.
... Everyone here is wonderful.
Roopal

October 26 2007
Hello Aravinda,
I have been sick for the past few days but am now feeling much better. We spent a night in Badal for the Harvest Festival and it was amazing- I can't tell you how incredible it was.
I just converted a legal document into article form for the newsletter and as soon as Clifton has time- he is enormously busy- he will take a look at it. I am still having some trouble feeling like I am contributing in a worthwhile way but hopefully that will change....
Thank you again for checking up on me.
Roopal

Nov 3 2007
The harvest festival was absolutely amazing. NBA activists brought over documentaries of the movement and we watched for a while. There was flute music and dancing all night. People from many adivasi villages came to one of the jeevan shalas to dance.  It was lovely. I honestly did not do much at the festival besides absorb all of the dancing and the strong sense of community there. I had a wonderful time.

Nov 11 2007
Updates... hmmm... I have been doing a lot of reading about SSP and resettlement and rehabilitation problems- the corruption and scandal around that. I also have been doing a lot of filing and making indexes in the office. We went to one of the villages and had a lovely meal for diwali- and also walked over to Narmada- then we walked around the villages and people pointed out the FRL stones to me indicating where submergence was going to take place.
... I also have been doing some reading on Nandigram .... We also had a motorcycle rally here in Badwani to protest the attack on Medha at Nandigram.

Dec 9 2007
Thank you for always checking in with me. I sincerely apologize for being so difficult to get a hold of but they have me busy in the Badwani office and then besiides that our internet access is incredibly unreliable. I am working on the Samachar, doing some typing for the legal work and some filing. I spent a few days in the field visiting some more of the Nimadi villages slated for submergence and just witnessing the organizing.... All is well. I think I could do a lot more if I were fluent in Hindi though...
Roopal

Feb 7 2008
I have participated in some fieldwork in Bhilkeda - both the submergence village and rehabilitation site. I was able to see how moved people were by everyone who struggles with them with NBA. Afterwards I spent some time in Indore as a researcher from TISS trying to get some information from the Director and Deputy Director at NCA- that was frustrating as neither was particularly forthcoming with information. I was also able to attend the Nandigram to Narmdada meeting here in Badwani. The Samachar on my end is complete- however a month late- and has been sent to Delhi for publication...

Feb 24 2008
I went to Dhadgaon for fieldwork but Yogini had the information on hand so I just sat with her for a few days and discussed the status of rehabilitation and resettlement there.... Further, I helped out with/attended the women's rights workshop that Suhas conducted for some of the village women in Badwani. Afterwards I was able to attend the Bal Mela in Dhadgaon again and then sit in on a meeting with Nepali activists working on displacement issues there. They also touched upon the maoist insurgency and its influence on people's movements.
Then I came to Mumbai to work on the study and went to TISS to do a presentation on a cost-benefit analysis of the dam regarding environmental impacts and R&R in Maharashtra.
Hopefully I will be participating in Gujarat fieldwork in the next day or so.

March 13 2008
I have read, re-read and offered suggestions for the base document that Himanshu and I have prepared. Then I went to Delhi.  While I was there I helped with the latest supreme court case- summarizing affidavits, rejoinders, and responses. Then I attended the Supreme Court hearing which was exciting. I am currently back in Badwani.

April 12 2008
Sorry I have been out of touch but I have been pretty busy. I spent a day doing fieldwork regarding compensatory afforestation - taking pictures etc. Then I went to Holi in Bilgaon and then spent some time in Bhadel in the tribal areas just relaxing, swimming in Narmada etc. Then I went to JalSindhi to help with food distribution there.  Then I visited a few friends in some of the Nimadi villages to start saying goodbye to folks, sometimes spending the night. In the office I have mostly been working on charts and paperwork regarding compensatory afforestation.
Roopal

AID congratulates Roopal on her work in India and wishes her well as she continues her studies.

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