Week 1: A Woman’s Place is in…

What defines a woman’s place?

I’ve heard the commonly thrown-about insult, “go back to the kitchen!” more times than I can count.

But the kitchen is where scrumptious chemistry occurs,

and it is the best place for dancing.

My first week at the S M Sehgal Foundation has been so full of curiosity and adventure. Although I was incredibly sleep-deprived when I arrived in Gurugram at about 9:00 pm, I will never forget the surreal feeling of realizing I was 7,620 miles from home.

I was incredibly excited to meet my mentor and get started on my research project, but I took the first day off to meet all the wonderful people who call the Sehgal Foundation home.

Pooja, who is the literal definition of work mom, even took me to get a vaccine I was unable to get in the US due to the chaos of my visa issues and summer travels. I’m still quite impressed at how efficient the hospitals are here, 10/10 experience.

The office felt like home. My dorm felt like a room I was coming back to, rather than one I was inhabiting for the first time. And the food? Absolutely amazing. Ram, I’m gonna need your recipes before I go back home and have to endure the spiceless dining hall food at ISU.

It’s hard to be homesick when you are surrounded by such fun and kind co-workers. My fellow interns are from all over the globe, and I have had so much fun hanging out at the mall and indulging in some very flavorful KFC.

I was assigned as a mentee under the guidance of Richa, a brilliant and gentle researcher with extensive knowledge and expertise in understanding the experiences of rural women.

I definitely scared her on my first day of work. I have just discovered the wonderful

possibilities of research in public health and sociology, and I am itching to draft my project proposal and begin conducting interviews.

But before all of that, I had to do a tremendous amount of literature review.

So on day two, I was placed in a tiny conference room with two other interns to read, write, and immerse myself in the many publications and books on nutrition, WASH practices, and life in the Nuh region of rural Haryana.

While doing so, I came across the story of a young woman in rural Haryana named Sarla.

Sarla is the definition of a leader to me. I learned of her incomparable spirit and dedication to encouraging her fellow villagers to participate in Project Vriddhi, a collaborative effort by the S M Sehgal Foundation and Nestle to improve WASH, nutrition education, holistic development, and wellbeing in 5 villages in the Nuh district of Haryana.

To me, Sarla is a superhero.

Marvel movies don’t depict this kind of thing when telling the tales of big, strong men in capes carrying a train full of civilians to safety.

But it is women like Sarla that carry a whole village.

Through her, I have come to understand a new definition of power.

Nourishment.

But only through encouragement and empowerment can an individual harness this in their community.

Some say that a woman’s place is in the kitchen, but I think humanity’s place is in the kitchen.

Sometimes my saving grace is cooking a meal with my friends after having a rough day. The kitchen is a place to rejuvenate oneself and to express love for others.

During my first week learning about sanitation practices to prevent illness, clever ways to improve your intake of greens, and the different ways that these practices can be perceived, I have learned just how crucial domestic work is to the field of public health.

So what defines a woman’s place?

That is an impossible question to ask, especially knowing so many women all around the world doing a countless number of wonderful things.

I do believe, however, that wherever a woman finds herself, that medium of human practice, whether it be the kitchen or the laundry room, should be seen as a place of value.

Getting ramen with the other interns!

Ambiance Mall is huge!

Jalebi is my new favorite sweet treat 😋