Claire is a budding documentary filmmaker from Maryland who is putting her video journalism skills to good use through her volunteer placement in Bangalore, South India. Claire studied studio art with an emphasis on film in Saratoga Springs, New York. After college she decided that she wanted to work with a non-profit organization. Claire had spent some time studying in Europe but this is her first volunteer placement abroad and first experience of India. Through Leave UR Mark, she found this opportunity to work for an organization working in the field of micro finance, which fits in well with her personal interests. “While I was a freshman in college I read about micro finance and women’s rights in the developing world and was interested in working with women in a place like India,” she says. “As part of my work here, I get to meet people and make my own films which is a great experience for me.”
Claire’s job has been to document how the organization she’s volunteering with is making a difference in the lives of the women it supports. She takes her camera into the slums of the city, and along with another Leave UR Mark volunteer and an interpreter, meets women who have received micro finance loans to start businesses. Most of these women have set up small businesses which allow then to earn a livelihood through tailoring, embroidery work, jewelry making or by setting up small shops. When Claire’s not in the field meeting people and documenting their stories, she’s busy on her laptop editing rushes and uploading films on the organization’s website. With the footage she’s collected so far, she’s working towards creating a full-length documentary.
Claire thought she knew what to expect from a city she had read a lot about, but there were a few things she had not anticipated. “It was hard to know what to expect but I was a bit surprised about Bangalore,” she says of her first impressions. “I had read about it being very metropolitan and the IT center of India, but when you come here you see it’s still India and that there are problems like pollution and poverty. Everyday life has also presented a few challenges like the language barrier and traveling around a city that’s unfamiliar.” Her personal experience after having spent three months in India has however been a rewarding one. “The experience has been very fulfilling and interesting. It has made me realize that there’s a lot of work to be done. It’s definitely been an eye-opening experience. I see that poverty has to be attacked at every angle. It’s not enough to offer loans, there’s also a need to focus on education and health care.”
Claire has also been able to greatly benefit from this unique experience on a professional level. “I want to be a documentary filmmaker and do video journalism so this experience has been very relevant to what I want to do,” she explains. “This has been a great experience because I got to make my own films and travel and meet people. I’m also excited about a project I and the other volunteer have initiated. We’re busy developing a business management training program for the borrowers. We’ve found that often these women don’t know how to use simple business techniques like monitoring expenses and income and could really benefit from training. We’ve connected with another non-profit that trains people to train others and explained the needs of these women to them. We really hope it will take off.”
For Claire, the best part of her experience in Bangalore has been meeting people. “I have really enjoyed traveling around the city visiting the different branches of the organisation and meeting people and seeing how they live. I’m impressed with people’s capacity to get by and make the most of things despite the challenges they face.” Claire’s plans for the future are to do a film internship in New York City and have the chance to work with a documentary filmmaker to learn the ropes. She definitely wants to go abroad again and would love to come back to India. Her experience in India has also inspired her to continue working for a cause. “This experience has made me more interested in working with non-profit organizations and advocating for human rights in the developing world. We can easily live in our own little worlds and not be aware of what’s going on.”
To apply for this internship, email info@leaveurmark.com
To apply for this internship, email info@leaveurmark.com
