Carmody returning joyfully from a game of cricket with a group of boys from HOINA. Photo taken by graduate of York College of Pennsylvania, Patricia Crider.
“We are all humans but for some reason we have decided that the piece of land that we live on separates us indefinitely. But as far as I am concerned, I think we should help the people in the greatest need no matter what borders they live,” said Caitlin Carmody, a York Suburban alumna who graduated in 2010, regarding her recent mission trips to India.
Due to her demanding schedule, Carmody never quite expected that her first mission trip would take place during college. She explained that she was in need of three more geography credits, and by chance, she discovered a class entitled “International Service Learning.”
By taking this course, she was able to travel to India in January of 2014 with her classmates through the HOINA organization (Homes of the Indian Nation). The class was able to absorb the geography and culture, and then devoted the second half of the trip to volunteer work.
Of course Carmody was intimidated at the thought of living in India for an entire month, but she knew that it would be remarkably beneficial to take the opportunity. She had no regrets during this initial service trip; in fact, after the conclusion of her visit, Carmody knew that she had to soon return. She said, “We were accepted and loved the second we came through the gates, and we created relationships and memories that no amount of community service could ever repay. That is why I had to go back in August.”
And she did just that, but this time, without her classmates. Carmody traveled to India with HOINA yet again where she exclusively concentrated on service work.
Carmody described that the conditions in India were quite harsh; in fact, she witnessed some severe situations during her visitation such as an overlooked dead body and a man suffering of Gangrene without help on the streets.
She also explained that the health of India is quickly declining due to the fundamentals of the Hindu principle. The principle states that whichever position one is in currently is a result of the way he or she acted in a life previous to his or her present life; therefore, “trash piles get higher, sick get sicker, poor get poorer.” People often do not get the help they need because those on top believe that those on the bottom of the social status system belong there.
Carmody’s experiences are not the only pieces of evidence that demonstrate the struggles that Indians face. According to The World Bank, the poverty rate in India in the year 2012 was at a soaring rate of 21.9 percent, and the life expectancy was just a mere 66 years old.
Although some may believe that Carmody is a bit modest in regards to the service work that she has completed, it is clear that she made quite an impact in HOINA. Some of her duties included working in children’s hostels, repairing public schools and playgrounds, helping in various kitchens, tutoring adolescents, creating activities for students, attending business trips in several parts of India, and fulfilling paperwork duties of the organization.
Carmody initially expected to be helping others that were in need, but what she did not recognize was what she would be receiving in return. She traveled to India with the intention of making a difference for people who were living in this poverty and distress, and came back with an everlasting notion of love and respect for another culture and population.
She said, “I went to HOINA to provide a service but I feel like in the end, what I actually did was microscopic in comparison to what they did for me. They taught me what compassion and love feels like, what hard work really looks like, how to take any situation with grace and integrity no matter how bad it may seem, and what it truthfully means to do good. Never had I met children who are more respectful, considerate, kind, intelligent, and honorable that the HOINA kids. They have all taught me the most meaningful lessons of my college career and I can’t wait to go back to learn more from my HOINA family.”
Carmody will be returning to India in the near future because she believes that it is her duty to serve those in need and is eager to learn more about the people and culture in India she has come to love so deeply.