My traveling companion and I had just survived our first voyage by sleeper bus upon arriving to Jaipur, an experience not exactly for the faint of heart.  Crammed into one of the last ‘coffins’ at the very end of the bus, every bump and savage swerve of the 16 hour journey was magnified as the double decker careened madly down the highway.  Between the maniacal honking and Grand Theft Auto-esque driving that dictates road decorum in India, I was never able to sleep too deep or for too long on these rides, anxious and on edge until our eventual arrival at each respective destination.

A former roommate and good friend of mine from Jaipur had suggested Wanderer’s Nest hostel to us, connecting me with the owner prior to our arrival.  When we reached the hostel that morning in a zombie-like state, we were welcomed warmly by Nitin and his wife Deepti, the former asking if we’d be interested in taking a tour of his ‘project’ sometime during our stay.  Sleep deprived after a night spent anticipating imminent death in a fiery bus/cow/scooter collision, I would’ve agreed to pretty much anything at that point to collapse in a bed, offering a drowsy and half-hearted assent.

The first day of our stay was spent in complete hibernation, the second a blur of royal cenotaphs, ancient palaces and temples, and artisan textile shops.  Nitin caught us as we walked through the door that evening, asking again if we’d want to go check out the aforementioned vaguely-defined project the following day.  We hesitantly agreed, more out of courtesy than any real intention to follow through. 

“What is this project anyway?” I groaned as Kevin stood over me the next morning, having come to rouse me at Nitin’s request.  India is not a country known for subtlety, and it seemed our polite evasion tactics had been lost in translation.  Whether Kevin had been faithful to our commitment or merely cornered while eating breakfast downstairs, Nitin was very eager that both of us be present for the tour of this mysterious project.

“I dunno, something to do with children’s education and women’s empowerment,” Kevin replied casually.  “Seems kind of like something you’d be interested in.”

As we drove to pick up a few couchsurfers from his home, Nitin elaborated further on the breadth and scope of the non-government organization he’d started—programs for the education and empowerment of impoverished women and children living in the slums of Jaipur. Intrigued and inspired after listening to him on the ride to our first destination, I asked if it’d be okay to take some video footage while we followed him around for the day. 

I’m extremely grateful for Nitin’s persistence–it was truly an honor and a privilege to see firsthand the wonderful things he’s doing for the betterment of needy women and children in his community, and was one of the more enriching and satisfying experiences I had in six months of travel.

Below is a video I put together together to highlight the commendable work he and his wife are doing in their city, my best attempt to shed a little light on an extremely worthy cause.