As our departure date to India rapidly approaches, our group has spent countless hours gathering data about worms, wool shawls or lending practices in Sidhbari and its surrounding communities. At the same time, we have practiced Hindi, read articles on microfinance, and listened to highly esteemed professors lecture on the history of Indian politics and economics. However, despite all that we have studied over the past four weeks, there is much we still don't know.
The reality is that no matter how much we learn about India this semester, we still don't know as much about the country as the people we are going to visit. Thus, it is vital that we approach our work in Sidhbari with curiosity and humility. Being able to listen to entrepreneurs, Self-Help Group leaders, and the staff at CORD will not only enable us to solve challenging business problems, but also strengthen our ability to work in cross-cultural environments.
As with any consulting engagement, all of our teams have wrestled with a great deal of ambiguity. Yet that ambiguity is what will make this experience as transformative as we originally imagined. So instead of trying to know all of the answers before we depart, let's try to "live the questions now," as the poet Rainer Maria Rilke once wrote. By recognizing our limited exposure to this diverse culture, I believe that we will allow Incredible India to teach us new things, both about its people and about ourselves.
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