Udaipur, India - the City of Lakes

Young philanthropist Dan Eldon once stated that there is little difference between exploring and being lost. Although I am not planning on being lost anytime soon at the fourth largest city in Rajasthan, I certainly understand Mr. Eldon's point of view.

One of the best ways to truly learn and be completely moved by the richness and depth of a different culture is to arrive with little expectations and a wide open mind; a mind that is vulnerable to all the little pieces that make a city or entire nation come to life.

My name is Melissa Utomo and I will be a junior at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University studying Information and Process Management. One of my life long aspirations is to one day start an international social business determined to bettering impoverished communities. I truly believe business has the potential to play a leading role in creating positive impact and exercising philanthropy.

Thanks to the Kelley Institute for Social Impact (KISI) and their collaboration with The Foundation for Sustainable Development, I am now able to make that first step into what I hope will be an exciting journey of learning and growing.

I've been placed in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India and for nine amazing weeks I will be interning with Rajasthan Bal Kalyan Samiti (RBKS). The NGO's mission is to improve the quality of life for the people of Udaipur through education, awareness, and natural resource management. Their main target groups are women and children.

All in all, I will be utilizing grants to develop and implement a project primarily focused on community development and livelihoods enhancement through ginger cultivation. I will also be assisting the NGO in the business end.

It is currently ten and a half hours until liftoff ladies and gentlemen…there’s a concoction of emotions fueled with excitement, nervousness, fear, and utter joy. But, this is probably normal. When it comes down to it though I’m ready to be blown away! Goodbye my sweet hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana and hello India!