Preparing for India

Hey friends and family, welcome to my blog! I'm leaving next week to work in Hyderabad, India for 6 months, and unfortunately will often not have internet and phone access...although I'm sure I''ll be able to sneak into a Dell Support Center and call you from there. I want to keep up with all of you and I thought maintaining a blog will allow us to stay updated with each other while I'm gone.

I thought it would make most sense to further explain what I'll be doing in India for 6 months, other than star in Slumdog Millionaire 2, search for an Indian princess to marry, and learn how to dance like this kid.

I'll be working for a non-profit social enterprise called VisionSpring. The mission of the organization is to address Presbyopia, a condition experienced by 95% of people globally over the age of 35 that limits the ability to see up close to work or to read. VisionSpring has developed a model to distribute low-cost, high-quality reading glasses to those who live on less than $4 a day in developing countries around the world. They currently operate in India, Bangladesh, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico, South Africa and Ghana. India is its largest network and is headquartered in Hyderabad. They currently work in more rural areas - villages and small communities; however VisionSpring wants to expand operations to larger towns (think size of Ann Arbor) where there is a larger market. That's where I come in. I'll be spending half my time in the field assessing the opportunities in these markets and working with different team members to create a profitable and sustainable business model to implement into these towns.

When I've told people what city I'll be working in, most have not heard of Hyderabad. To be honest, I had never heard of it either. From what I've read and heard, though, the city sounds incredible. It is India's sixth largest city, home to nearly 7 million people.

It is the capital city in the state of Andrha Pradesh, and considered a part of southern India. The city is over 400 years old and is considered to be one of the best places to visit to experience the the contrasts between the old and modern India. The main languages spoken there are Telugu and Urdu; it is also a unique city because the population consists of significantly more Muslims than Hindus. Here's a glimpse of the city:

I will be living in an apartment just south of the Husain Sagar Lake in the center of the city (the city is essentially built around this lake). I still don't quite know how the living situation is all set up, but it sounds like my roommates will include American students/my age kids who are teaching English, as well as a guy from Kenya who is coordinating social enterprise internships in Hyderabad and throughout India through an awesome organization called Artemisia.

I don't think I will ever understand how addresses work in India, but so you have it in case you ever want to send me anything:

Adarsh Heights

5-9-22/67 Plot 104

Adarsh Nagar, Hyderabad, India ... (there's probably a zip code or something that i'm missing, i'll check on that)

Also, please add me to skype. My ID is benbrownie.

My email is bwbrow@gmail.com. I'll make sure to also send you the website with all my pictures once I get that set up.

I can't wait to share my experiences with all of you and also hear what you are up to! Phir Milenge! ("Farewell" in Telugu)