I think the first and foremost thing critical for anyone setting on a path of social development is to approach it with the right mindset. As is rightly pointed out by experts, living with the people in their constrained environment is very important. But the significance of this experience will be lost if this is not done with the right approach - one needs to look them as not the people who need help but people who are center of creativity (most often not polluted by the time tested ideas but create their own workarounds that work well for their environment). And often such experience entails shedding off the usual way in which one's upbringing happened and expecting things to happen their way. As an example, I often see people going to rural areas urging the people (especially the minorities or those who are suppressed for example women, old people, people with disabilities) to speak up for what they want. Now how can one expect those who have been pushed to the corner for decades to start speaking for themselves one fine day at the urge of a stranger. This is well addressed by the Blue Bakery example of Jacqueline (in her book The Blue Sweater as well). Listening truly is an art, often unpracticed in the education system prevalent today. And it just does not involve listening through ears but through your eyes and through your heart as well. Another critical aspect of the right mindset is the acknowledgment that things do not change overnight. The change requires persistent, genuine effort mixed together with a lot of patience. In today's world of IT and electronics, when one is getting used to access of any information anywhere at the click of button, it is a complex task to mix this use of technology with patience that is critical to take the technology to the field.
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