Snapshots of our Indian Summer

Now that Erika, Ignacio, and Roshan have shared their initial thoughts, I’m afraid that my own reflections would be a bit redundant. Instead, I’ve put together a photographic chronicle of our time at Chintan (to provide you with a true picture...haha...of what we've been up to). Enjoy!


Part One: Orientation

During our first two weeks at Chintan, we were given an orientation to all of the organization’s sites and initiatives. This was a wonderful learning process for us, as it allowed us to acquaint ourselves with Delhi (though there’s still so much we haven’t seen!) while seeing aspects of Chintan that we wouldn’t have as part of our independent projects.

Chintan’s vision is to create “sustainable environmental social justice,” and in pursuing this vision its initiatives are organized into four pillars: Advocacy, Capacity-building, No Child in Trash (an educational program), and Scavengers to Managers . During our orientation, we were able to catch a glimpse of all of them. The following are some photos of what we saw along the way:



A photo of one of Chintan’s employees speaking with a Chintan-affiliated waste picker, who uses the rickshaw shown to collect trash from the households in the Door to Door program.




A meeting in Lodhi Garden with Chintan’s cycle kabaris, who ride around neighborhoods purchasing recyclables from households (rather than collecting all waste and later segregating it, as do waste pickers). During this meeting, they voiced concerns about police harassment – a common problem for people working in the informal waste sector. Their bicycles are frequently confiscated, and they’re often forcibly removed from neighborhoods despite having permission from the New Delhi Municipal Council to work within them.




A photo from one of the bureaucratic neighborhoods in which Chintan operates. A resident we interviewed explained that while the fenced-in area is supposed to be for compost, it goes mostly unused. Instead, people often burn their green waste.




One of the workers at Chintan’s recycling unit, who specially requested a photograph. Large quantities of waste are brought here to be segregated and then prepared for either the landfill or recycling plants.




A shot of some children who attend one of Chintan’s schools. It was a good thing that class had been dismissed by the time we arrived, as we (and our cameras) caused quite a commotion.




Game time at Chintan’s school in the area beside the Ghazipur landfill, where over three hundred waste pickers live. When these students aren’t in school, they work alongside their parents. It’s difficult to retain these students, as families suffer in compensating for the lost labor.




A photo of some homes near the landfill. Because the recyclables collected need to be segregated before they’re sold to junk dealers, the waste pickers are forced to bring the trash they gather each day back to their homes. The relationship that exists between these people and waste is a complex one; while it is the source of their livelihoods, it also a source of contamination and hardship. They are dependent upon it, and they cannot escape from it even when they return to their homes after a hard day’s work.


Part Two: Travel

In addition to our time spent working with Chintan in Delhi, we’ve also been able to take a few weekend trips to areas outside the city. The following are some snapshots of Haridwar (a site of religious pilgrimage, where the Ganges River originates), Jaipur (Rajasthan’s famous “Pink City”), Agra (the site of the Taj Mahal), and Corbett National Park (a beautiful wildlife reserve north of Delhi).




A view of the ghats in Haridwar, where people bathe in the Ganges River either for its healing powers or simply for an escape from the heat.




A shot of the Penn interns from outside Haridwar’s mountain temple.




Jaipur’s famous Amber Fort – one of our favorite sites so far.




Ignacio jumping front of the Taj Mahal…and someone else marveling at his enthusiasm.




Three quarters of the Penn group, also at the Taj Mahal.




Ignacio, Roshan, and Jeremy (another Chintan intern, from SAIS) riding an elephant toward the buffer zone of Corbett National Park. We’ve had an amazing time getting to know the interns from other schools as well as each other.



Part Three: Day to Day at Chintan

Since finishing orientation, we’ve settled into the day to day routine of working on our individual projects. Though our goals seem overwhelming at times, all of the challenges we experience while here make us better able to pursue them. In the meantime, we’re enjoying the incredible opportunity that is working with Chintan and spending the summer in Delhi.




A shot of Chintan’s office from the outside.




Roshan and Erika setting up shop for the day.




Amanda (another intern from SAIS), Jeremy, and Erika enjoying one of our favorite aspects of working in India: dabbas! Every day, homemade lunches are brought to the office by a dabbawaala in reusable (so eco-friendly!) containers. He then returns to collect the containers, which are always empty. Needless to say, the food is delicious - and at Rs. 25 a meal, it’s also the best bang for your buck.


And on that tasty note, I’ll sign off. Hopefully all those interested have gotten a peek into our time so far (though I’m not sure any number of photographs would be enough to demonstrate how fascinating and awe-inspiring this country truly is). Please let us know if you have any requests for future posts, and thanks again to CASI for making this summer possible!