Throughout our time at CORD, Rhea and I were fortunate enough to experience so many breathtaking views everyday. From the scenic fields to the insides of people’s homes, every moment was picture-perfect. Since we arrived, we were looking to choreograph and record a dance video because we are both dancers at Penn. However, as typical […]

Just wanted to make a quick overview of a typical day in the field with CORD’s Community Based Inclusion and Rehabilitation (CBIR) team!

“Maa” by Shankar Mahadevan (listen as you read)   On one of my first days at CORD, I noticed a little room called Play Therapy with moms giving physical therapy to their children. The next day, my co-intern Rhea and I learned some basic phrases in Hindi to introduce ourselves to the mothers in the […]

CORD’s Community Based Livelihood: Farm and Allied Sectors Department strives to empower women farmers to make informed decisions in their households and collectivize with other women farmers in their communities. While agriculture has been an essential part of the Himachali lifestyle, women farmers are often marginalized and are not given formal resources to learn about […]

I don’t speak Hindi. Even though I’ve picked up a few important phrases since being here, I still have the same apologetic smile when I nod my head and say “Mujhe Hindi nahi athi hai.” The women here usually respond by saying that I should learn Hindi immediately, but more importantly, a larger portion of […]

It’s been almost six weeks since I have come to India, specifically Himachal Pradesh, and even more specifically CORD. Sounds like a lot of specifics, but honestly one of the main things I have learned about rural development NGOs is to embrace the ambiguity and vagueness. My team at CORD strives to foster long-term change […]

Hello! My name is Swathi Raman and I am a rising junior in the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in Health and Societies and looking to go on to medical school. I am from Glen Mills, PA, a cute little suburb outside of Philly, and have somehow always stayed close to home during my summers and […]