I am at the end of my two month journey in India, having spent the last weeks of my summer internship finishing up drafts of the new standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses (SPYM). To do so, I had to curb my passion and idealism and take a step back from my initial goal to help the organization solve its major problems. Instead, I learned to work within my limitations. I saw that I could realistically only make a dent in the massive battle that SPYM is facing against juvenile drug abuse. However, if I let the frustration of not being able to win that larger battle overwhelm me, I would not be able to achieve even those smaller goals. This was an essential real world lesson in managing my expectations to make a small but important impact within a much larger picture. I retain the hope that these smaller impacts can add up to one day help SPYM win the battle against juvenile substance abuse.
The children at the centers often created their own school projects to help with their education.
I finished my project by adapting to the limited time and resources at my disposal. I met with those used to working in the Indian environment and got their unique ideas to include in the SOPs. I facilitated communication between the hospitals and the SPYM centers so they could take the first steps towards resolving their differences. When encountering an unassailable roadblock, I completed what I could and notified senior employees who could then take charge of the task. With this new approach, I ended the summer having completed numerous extremely detailed SOP revisions. They had not been implemented, but I had built the crucial foundation for future completion of the project that would occur after I left India. I am leaving satisfied with both my accomplishments and with the essential lessons I have learned about working for real-world change.
The back exit of one of the SPYM centers.