We’re not in Bangalore anymore…

After traveling away from Bangalore for the first time since landing in India, waking up at our new temporary home at RASTA was beautiful. It’s located in the hills of green Kerala forests, paddy fields, coffee plants, and winding roads at a peaceful NGO home base. RASTA seems possibly even more of an oasis than Visthar since it’s surrounded by farms and not the city.

Soon after breakfast, served by our welcoming hosts the first day, we learned that RASTA stands for Rural Agency for Social and Technological Advancement serving the Wayanad District in the state of Kerala. They work with a wide range of issues ranging from agricultural to women’s self-help groups. Some of the things they try to educate the community about and provide aid for include plot designing experiments for farmers, bio-fertilizers, rain water harvesting systems, composting projects, women’s development programs, and much more.

Overall, our time in Kerala at RASTA proved to be an unforgettable and enriching experience. Seeing a different side of India, outside of Bangalore City, was valuable and left everyone with a new and fuller perspective of the issues we’re studying.