I’ve always been lectured on what it’s like to be in the field and have cross-cultural discussions, but I’d never before had the chance to experience it. Sehgal Foundation allowed me to experience and observe grassroots women’s empowerment firsthand. I was able to listen to women gather around issues directly affecting their communities and come to conclusions on how to address them. I was able to observe the curiosity of children at the sight of foreign students coming to their village. I was able to hear Hindi and, despite my linguistic gap, continue to understand the passion these women had through universal gestures and emotions. I saw laughter, and I saw community.