11 students and 1 faculty member from the University of North Texas (UNT) visited3 metropolitan cities in North India: Delhi, Agra & Jaipurfor 11 days.  The focus of the trip was to get an understandinginto India’s social sector with a specific emphasis on Disaster Management and Emergency Response.  The trip included various visits to and projects with social enterprises and Non-profit organizations, peer interactions, talks by experts and thought-leaders.  The group also visited a number of tourist locations and heritage sites in these cities including the TajMahalin Agra.

UNT students visited several non-profits and gained insight into their work:

•          City walk conducted by kids providing an insight into the lives of street children

•          Visit to a landfill site and meeting with scrap dealers and a non-profit which works with them

•          “River Yamuna Walk” with a youth-focused non-profit engaged in issues relating to the environment and social development

•          Water conservation service learning project

•          Visit with a non-profit which works with communities of “Rickshaw-drivers” and their families. 

•          Service project and beneficiary interaction with a non-profit that works with destitute and homeless children

•          Interactive session with one of the largest Diaspora philanthropy organizations focused on India.

Specific to the focus on Disaster Management, the group had the following interactions:

•       Met with associates of a governmental agency that deals specifically with disaster management and recovery issues

•       Visit and interactive session with a non-profit that seeks to protect the lives and livelihoods to people exposed to natural disasters

The group also participated in a number of peer-learning sessions:

•       Interactive session at one of India’s oldest and leading social work schools

•       Visit to a local university with a non-profit focused on addressing social issues through youth citizenship action

•       Peer learning session at a business school where there was information exchange with local students as well as presentations on disaster preparedness across various sectors

Also included in the trip:

•       Pre-departure and in-country orientation, providing social and cultural information on India

•       Sightseeing and guided tours to a number of heritage sites across Delhi, Jaipur and Agra

•       Cultural visit to and dinner at “Chokhi Dhani”, a replication of an ethnic Rajasthani village, offering local flavors of food, music, dance and hospitality

•       Farewell dinner, including reflection of the trip experience