A group of American students, who travelled to Gujarat recently to conduct water survey in the state, say they have gained an unforgettable cultural experience and want to connect children in Michigan with kids in India.
The students from Michigan University, who called themselves, the BLUElab India team, departed in early May to begin the water assessment project that will help them design filtration and storage technology in Gujarat.
"It involves going to different villages and mapping their water needs. Where does the water come from? What are its uses every day and how is it disposed?," said Mike McGahren Clemens, team co-leader.
BLUElab India got started a year ago after connecting with College of Engineering alumnus Harish Sheth who encouraged the students to think about a project in India, a University statement said.
During their visit the students experienced the Indian general elections, attended weddings in the village and also got used to the music.
The university said a key component for the survey was building relationships with the local townspeople.
"We had to overcome a language barrier. Even their English was different," said Jon Minion, a sophomore in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts.
They spent time with the village kids playing Frisbee and even picked up some cricket skills along the way.
"This really helped us to be seen less as a novelty and more as a member of the community.
They also met plenty of inspiring villagers, including Moongo Behn, a widow who built her life as a small businesswoman after her husband died.
When the students organised a town hall in the village, she was the first one to welcome them.
"She is an incredible force and a positive role model for the women of the village," Dombro said.
The generous villagers invited these students to various mango farms where they had their fill of mangos.
"It was so delicious, we couldn't stop eating them," added Zoha Momin, an economic major, who speaks Hindi and Gujarati and has been helping the team navigate the language barrier.
In the fall, the students will regroup in Ann Arbor with the analysis and conclusions from their survey.
After they decide which problem to focus on, they will spend the next year building on a concrete technology and implement it in the summer of 2015, the university said.
According to the university, the group also has another plan, connecting kids in Ann Arbor with children in Gujarat.
"We also want to expose kids to different cultures and have them interact with each other," Dumbro said in a university release.
