“The mantra for the social worker is be passionate and be with the community,” says Lukka Thurayil, Profugo’s Field Director in Wayanad, India. We had the opportunity to interview him to find out what keeps him motivated and inspired regarding community development. Hopefully it…
As we gear up for the holiday season here in the US, it is just winding down in Kerala, where the Profugo Center of Development is located. The biggest holiday of the year falls right after the rainy season, somewhere at the end of…
After coming in from the snow on a gloomy winter day, there is nothing better than getting cozy under a warm blanket with a hot beverage, the steam warming your face and the mug, your hands. There are a variety of hot beverages to…
We live in a world that is continuously getting more and more connected, we are no longer confined to our own local community; our communities now transcend geographical boundaries. There is a global economy and culture, a global neighborhood. Events in one part of…
For many months now, the question of how to enter the local market in Wayanad has been weighing on my mind. It felt a bit like a hiking trip I took a couple years ago. In the wilderness, out of my comfort zone, so…
I’m sitting in a jeep, bumping and twisting along the roads on the way out of Valad. I sit and listen to 4 of the women from the tailoring center chatter excitedly in Malayalam as the village disappears behind us. Where are we headed?…
Teamwork. Whether playing a sport, working in an office, playing in a band….it is imperative to be one harmonious unit. While Jenny Koleth, Profugo’s Executive Director, was in town, we had a day promoting teamwork within the tailoring center. Jenny began the day using the…
Onam is the biggest and the most important festival of the state of Kerala. It is a harvest festival and is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm all over the state by people of all communities. According to a popular legend, the festival is celebrated…
“Think moonless, think midnight, think darkness… the star spangled sky, against a stark blue-black background. This is what ajrakh, meaning blue in Arabic, is likened to.” This line from an article in the Hindu, gives a fitting visual for someone who is unfamiliar with…
Quality of life, these three words have different meanings depending on whom you ask. For some, this may imply material wealth, how big one’s house is and the size of the LCD platinum TV that adorns the living room wall. For others, it may…