Hi Everyone,

This is Aishwarya, and I’m one of the Research Assistants at M{A}P journeying through the neighborhood, interviewing residents and users of Malleswaram with our questionnaires. This past weekend was my first entry into MVM for the project, and it went really well. It was such a MOTIVATING experience. Initially, I thought people might just slam their doors in my face, thinking I’m disturbing them in the evening, but it was just the opposite. The residents of Malleswaram I came across throughout the weekend were so warm and welcoming. They treated me and my fellow RAs like their guests! We spoke to elderly people who have lived in Malleswaram ever since their birth. They had so many fascinating stories to share. We built such good rapport with the family members that at one house all the members sat with us to discuss over delicious, homemade coffee their perspectives on accessibility, mobility, and the social and cultural richness of the neighborhood. Quite a few of the survey participants came up with good suggestions and are interested in volunteering with M{A}P! On the whole, for the first two days of being in the field, I must say it was a good start!

Aishwarya Swamy