Community Member Spotlight: Sheeba Valady

Like many women in Wayanad, Sheeba Valady seems like a person who can truly do it all.  Her seemingly endless capacity to be a skilled farmer, a strong leader, and exemplary mother is awe-inspiring. A visit to Sheeba Valady’s house allows any visitor to…

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Functional Farming: Integrated Agricultural Systems

Integrated Agricultural Systems are a sustainable practice that has economic, environmental, and social benefits. This farming technique is a “whole system” approach that utilizes existing biological relationships (Agriculture Sustainability Institute). It builds upon the concept of agroecology, which is the application of ecological principles…

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Joys and Growth: Reflections from the First Five Months in the Field

On a Saturday afternoon in January, I found myself on the balcony of the Prasanthi Cottage, my current home.  I took in my surroundings – the lush hills, the distant moos of cows, the airy dance of floating clouds.  I sat, alone, with a…

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The Wonderful World of Zero-Waste

In April, I left my Program Development Internship at Profugo to embark on a wild, wonderful, and transformative summer journey: working in Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve. Denali is a rugged land, and without a doubt the truest wild I’ve ever experienced. The…

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The Dual Season – Understanding Monsoons

The monsoon season is a dynamic phenomenon that impacts life in many areas of the world. A monsoon is a seasonal change in wind patterns, resulting in extreme wet and dry seasons throughout the course of the year. Though they do exist in parts…

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Who’s Who in Profugo?

The year is 2008. Jenny and Ashwin Koleth, along with friends, have spent countless hours on the ground and in the office preparing to launch their non-profit. They have seen the devastating effects of powerlessness in many places around the world, and they have…

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Beatrice’s Adventures in India

I will never stop marveling at the remarkable capacity of airplanes to transport one all the way across the world in a matter of hours. I completed the 10,000 mile journey to India over the course of three separate flights – starting in New…

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Ten Initiatives Making Healthcare More Accessible Around the World

Most of us take healthcare for granted. Even if we have to jump through hoops or pay an arm and a leg, we normally have access to basic healthcare necessities. In many parts of the world, called “healthcare deserts” or “medical deserts,” people go…

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