I had vague ideas of what an Indian slum would be like. On one hand, some of these notions turned out to be frighteningly real. I saw shanty buildings lining disused railway lines, boars foraging in the piles of debris alongside. I saw a community next to a suffocating, sulphurous grey drainage channel, with the walking paths mainly consisting of shards of plastic and rubbish.

However, there were aspects of the slums which didn’t meet my expectations. For one thing, the sizes of the communities varied. From the roadside consisting of approximately five households, to the riverside communities consisting of around 20 households, none of the communities I visited were overwhelmingly large. Instead, they retained their own unique character and community spirit.

Some communities revealed various industries that people within the slums work in; diesel stains and tyres, mountains of crushed sugar cane and bags of recycled plastic suggested an industry of mechanics, vendors and waste pickers. Other communities were more like villages, growing fruit and vegetables in small patches, their houses blending in with the surrounds, made of bamboo and clay. Another community situated peacefully next to a fish farm had more modern buildings with tiled roofs; each proudly displaying a satellite dish.

Our task was to review the Pollinate Energy worker incentive system by interviewing the people living in the communities — the ‘Worker Bees’ that assisted the Pollinators to make connections and therefore sales within their community. Or, as one Pollinator put it, the Worker Bee is the anchor which allows him to sink into the community. Often, the Worker Bee was the first customer to purchase a solar light in the community, or a prominent person within the community.

Speaking to the Worker Bees revealed their community-minded nature and resourcefulness. We found people welcoming and caring, and extremely generous. Sitting down at a Worker Bee’s roadside tea shop, she offered us chai and deep-fried food while we discussed how she helped the Pollinator make sales in the community, and what motivated her to do so.

In such communities, people rely heavily on each other and good relationships, and prefer receiving ‘gifts’ for their assistance. They also gave gifts freely. Even for just visiting the community, we received gifts — delicious mangoes.

While our time on the Fellowship program is almost done, the research we have been carrying out and the experiences I’ve had within these communities have changed my perspective on social impact and what a group of determined people can achieve.

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There’s nothing quite like walking along a moving walkway to a soft mechanical hum in air-conditioned, sterile surrounds. Of course, the airport environment is the complete opposite of my first impressions of India – an assault of heat and car horns.

We are in Kolkata, with its samosa-laden streets and majestic colonial past. Colour is everywhere; in the pink saris worn by the women gliding down the street, the crumbling blue wall paint peeling in the sun, and the bright orange flower wreaths adorning temple idols. We’ve sipped chai out of recyclable clay cups on the street, attempted to haggle for spices at the New Market, and I even had a henna tattoo drawn on my arm as part of our ‘Amazing Race’ challenge – with the word ‘ENERGY’, of course!

This is what we are here for – energy (not henna). As a participant in the Pollinate Energy Professional Fellowship program, I have journeyed from Melbourne to Kolkata with 10 other young professionals from around the world, including two fellow colleagues from ArchTam. Together, we’re on a two-week intensive program to observe and assist slum communities facing the challenges of energy poverty.

Pollinate Energy is a social business that brings life-changing products to people living in India’s urban slums. Founded just four years ago, its work provides sustainable energy products to communities while supporting local staff – ‘pollinators’ – to build their own businesses. The flagship product being sold is a solar lamp, which provides families with clean, safer and brighter light, thereby improving productivity and quality of life.

We’ve already had our own minor challenges in the Pollinate Energy office, where the international fellows are bunking. A blackout, plumbing issues and, perhaps not unexpectedly, the rat running around the kitchen, have all kept us on our toes so far!

Our home, though, is a mansion compared to conditions in the urban slums, where access to electricity and clean water is severely limited or, in many cases, non-existent.

We are going to be the last fellowship group in this city after two years in operation. Today we finalised our work assignments and teams, and tomorrow, we head out into the communities to see local life and the business in action.

It’s all ahead of us; join us on the journey!

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