I am Delia and I am coming from Romania. For a 19 years old girl, travelling the world, alone, up to a country which has nothing in common with my usual environment seems the biggest craziness. And not quite travelling, but living in an Indian city like Dhanbad, surrounded by dirt, thrown garbage on the streets, poor-quality air that I could barely breath in my first days.
But leaving the body to adapt biological and psychological to these natural conditions, how is a young girl in a country where women haven’t the same acces to education as men, where 70% of women are victims of domestic violence and another significant percent confront malnutrition? Seems insane to leave my European comfort for this world? Even if it’s just for almost 2 months?
I came here keeping in my mind the idea that this is one of the places that stands up for a change. I came here wishing to see with my own eyes the issues that this country faces and how these are handled. I came here putting my hopes in youth generation and I came here trying to bring an Impact in order to educate and empower others to make a difference in their way of living.
You don’t realise how huge is this experience here… maybe… untill somebody stops and tells you that people scarcely travel from Delhi to Dhanbad and instead you travel 6391 km from your hometown to Dhanbad; or untill children stops you and ask where you are from (…then they hear for the first time the name „Romania”); untill they show you their astounding science projects or drawing papers with their vision of a new Dhanbad; you really don’t realise untill you meet people opened to a change and ready to accept this big challenge and make Dhanbad a sustainable and equitable place irrespective of gender.
In nearly 15 days, India already broke all my European stereotypes and it proved me these people are ready to step forward, the young ones are here to take the future in their hands and to make it matters. Well, the right time for a change is just now!
I dare to dream Dhanbad as a green and clean city. I dare to dream Dhanbad as a place where women have the same facilities and opportunities as men. Dare to dream with me, dear person who read this!