When asked to teach a Summer Art Camp at Profugo’s Center of Development for the kids of the Prashanthagiri village, I was excited, to say the least. At the time, I knew that this opportunity was going to be a complete 180° change for me; although I had lived and worked in India for nearly a year prior to my time in Prashanthagiri, I spent the majority of my time in Calcutta, one of the
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An existing problem with Wayanad’s farming community is not a lack of crop success; rather there is success…of the same crops! Cash crops such as rubber, black pepper, and coffee are three of Wayanad’s principle crops. These usually yield economic growth for the developing farmer; however, Wayanad’s farmers favor these crops to such an extent that the market is saturated; thus leading to reduced profits. In other words, too many farmers are growing coffee, rubber,
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By 10 am on February 18th, the Profugo house was filled with people from nearby areas. Some of them came walking a long distance. Our first public program on agriculture, a farmer’s training in collaboration with Kerala state agriculture department was being held. At 10.30 am we started the inaugural session with a prayer song and Program Manager Aneesh welcomed the gathering. Mr. Jose, a ward member, presided over the function. Mr. Alex Mathew, the
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Four college students traveling to an unfamiliar place halfway around the world with no understanding of the indigenous language, Malayalam, might seem a bit nerve racking to some; but not to these travelers. We were willing to fully immerse ourselves in the Indian culture, and we did just that. After being greeted at the Bangalore airport by Villanova alumni and current Profugo field fellow, Tyler Casteel, this group of four Engineers Without Borders members
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Water is life giving. It is an amazing molecule that makes life as we know it possible. Clean water means a healthier planet and a better quality of life for us all. Working alongside the Center for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM) from Calicut, the Headmistress and staff of the Edathana School, and engineering students from both the Government Engineering College (GEC) of Wayanad and Villanova Engineers Without Borders (EWB), Profugo hosted two collaborative
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