By Hallie Wunsch ’06
It was during a Gustavus Social Justice, Peace, and Development Semester in India that Mary Duvall realized she would someday return to India. That day came soon after graduation. While many 2005 graduates went on to attend graduate school or enter the American work force, Mary caught a plane to India.
“I knew within the first two weeks of being in India the first time that I needed to return,” Mary said. “So, after I returned to Gustavus, and as graduation was approaching, I was constantly faced with the desire to return to India, but plagued with the questions: why and how? I was filled with doubts, like what can I really do in India to make a difference?”
Despite concerns, Mary is finding much to do to help others. Currently, she is working on a child-focused community development program run through Visthar, a non-governmental organization. Mary interviews village families and writes their stories in order to get the families approved for participation in the program.
Mary is also developing a program for at-risk girls. “My role in all of this is very broad,” she said. “I will be doing everything from implementation and execution of the program, acting as a ‘dorm mother’ to the girls, teaching classes, planning recreational activities, and putting together a peace studies course to be taught to the girls.”
In addition, Mary is working at a school created for children who don’t have regular school access. But that’s not all. She is facilitating the studies of the current Gustavus and Concordia College students who are participating in the Social Justice, Peace, and Development program.
“I realized that by spending my post-graduation year in India, I was never going to be able to ‘fix’ everything” Mary acknowledged. “I was not going to be able to make a huge difference in the country. But I knew that going to India would teach me so much and I was going to try my hardest to make a difference within the organization I worked for and the surrounding communities.”
Read more about Mary’s social justice experience through her online blog:
http://maryinindia.blogspot.com
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