In so many ways, we are asked to conform. Whether it be to laws for the greater good or social norms, we are raised with certain expectations. For the most part, this is for our own security, but it is just as much for the comfort of those around us.
Indian Girl in Bihar, India.
I know what it’s like to be born outside of those boundaries and to stumble into a culture where language is a very important part of being accepted. By the time I was 6 years old, I had lost my ability to speak my native language in favor of learning English. My mother wanted all the best for me, and thus I lost half of my heritage in order to become more American. To credit her decision, this has been fantastic and today you can’t even tell that English was not my first language; the only accent I have is a southern drawl.
“… the children, who could read, were reading aloud to the elders, who couldn’t read but spoke excellent Angika.”
However, working on our Crowdseed project has had a powerful effect on me. It is immensely rewarding, yet it reawakens a feeling of loss for my own history. I’ve been able to see the excitement amongst villagers in rural India who cling tightly to their heritage and the privilege to speak their mother tongue. Today, Zach shared an experience that gave me goosebumps. It makes Crowdseed so much more than a crowdsourcing application and brings the reality of the peoples’ connection to the forefront:
A Group of Indian Children Excited to Use Crowdseed.
“There was a small group working pretty diligently and when I went over to find out how things were going Amit told me that the children, who could read, were reading aloud to the elders, who couldn’t read, but spoke excellent Angika. They were correcting the children’s Angika, which got put back into the system.”
What we’re experiencing is a passing of the torch as Crowdseed is bringing generations together. For a village language that isn’t written, this is the opportunity for the children to embrace their heritage with pride and learn from their elders so they can contribute to the elevation of their culture.
Read more in this series: “Crowdsourcing and Community Building in Rural India”:
- Part I: Crowdsourcing and community building in rural India
- Part II: Challenges in rural user experience design
- Part III: Lessons learned from usability testing in rural communities
- Part IV: Integrating SMS into high-touch communication platforms
