I first
heard about Destiny Reflection in my introductory health sciences class at SFU
about 3 years ago when my prof talked about some of her students doing an
internship in Kolkata. There was also a huge poster advertising working at
Destiny Reflection as an international coop that I would always pass on my way
to the bus stop. It sounded like everything I was interested in: education,
women’s rights, non-profit work, and analyzing the social determinants to
create healthier communities. I was hooked.
I think
that being so determined to make it here to Kolkata so early on in my degree
shaped a lot of my choices and decisions over the last three years. I joined
the coop program to get experience in health sciences fields. I took a course
on Indian History and a course on Gender and International Development. I Volunteered
with a non-profit that focused on doing educational workshops on different
issues of social and environmental justice. In my social media accounts, there
have been increasing numbers of posts related to feminism and women’s
empowerment. In general, I talked about wanting to go to India and intern at Destiny
Reflection. A lot. And, possibly most importantly, I got involved with BAGS
Inc. as early as I could.
Better
Alternatives for Girls’ Survival (BAGS) Inc. is a non-profit organization based
in Vancouver that works in partnership with Destiny Reflection to support
survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation in India. BAGS was
started by a group of young women after their return from their internship at
Destiny Reflection in fall of 2011, the same group of students who my prof had
been talking about in my intro class a few years ago. Inspired by their time in
Kolkata, these women have committed themselves to the issue and found a way to
stay involved and make a positive impact.
BAGS is
regularly in touch with Destiny Reflection in order to import Destiny’s
products, sell them in Vancouver, and return the profit to Destiny. They are an
essential link for Destiny to reach the North American market and expand their
organization. This is important: the more products the Destiny sells, the more
money they make, the more money they are able to hire to work at the production
center for a liveable wage. Creating dignified employment and opportunity for
these women is huge.
The ladies
at BAGS do exceptional work and I am inspired by all of them as people and by
the effort they have put into their social entrepreneurship. Having the
opportunity to be part of BAGS and volunteer at markets with them was huge in
preparation for coming to Kolkata, even if I didn’t realize it fully at the
time. Moreover, it’s nice to know that there is something in place for me to
continue to stay connected to the work I do this semester once I return home.
In no way does the 4 months that I spend in Kolkata have to be in isolation.
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