Raising a Heartivist Generation: Humility is the Cheat Code
Penn Global Seminar: Compassionate Leadership: “The Power of Love, Service, and Inner Work”: Experiencing the Life of Mahatma Gandhi and other Compassion-based Leaders
Mariama, one of the Fall 2025 Penn Global Seminar Correspondents, shares her experience abroad during the Winter Break. Follow along with the group of correspondents on our blog and look out for their images on the @pennabroad Instagram feed.
As an FGLI student, I’ve grown up fairly aware of the limitations imposed on those struggling financially. I have seen the ways in which money–or the lack thereof–shapes the opportunities, visibility, and health of those all around us. Still, it was not until I came to Penn that I realized just how vast the global wealth disparity was. However, because of my experiences, I never thought that there was just one way to live and be happy. For some, a roof over their heads and enough money to feed their families would suffice, and for others, a three-story home with more bedrooms to count defines success. Who’s to say which one is better?
While we spent the past seven days in Gujarat, I found myself stumbling upon a recurring thought that made me uncomfortable: Can this lifestyle really be enough for someone? While there is so much beauty and adoration in these photos, I would be remiss not to highlight the many infrastructural disadvantages that burden so many families here in Ahmedabad. In looking at the smiles on these children’s faces, it may not be apparent that many of them live in housing units that simply do not offer adequate resources. In visiting some of their homes by invitation of the families, we saw plenty that did not have lighting, enclosed restrooms, or the square footage you would think a family of four or five would need. However, when we talk of service, is it only through the lens of projecting our standards of modernity and development onto others? Is the task of defining what’s “enough” only given to those who are entrepreneurial and “successful”? What I’ve learned is that rather than imposing ideas onto communities based on what we perceive to be their desires, we should inquire about them and see what we can do to meet them where they are. Many times I’ve had to humble myself on this trip. I’ve reminded myself of that.
As someone with a fleeting memory, it’s documenting my senses that allows me to remember how much experiences mean to me. This faculty of feeling creates a permanent connection between all my lived experiences, no matter where I am in the world. I remember all of the faces we came across in the Ashram, the murmuration of birds humming above us at the crematorium, the chills I felt listening to the Adhan under the willow tree, the smell of roti as it was brought to our table, and the feeling of fuzzy ear muffs given to me by the little girls at Manav Setu.
In reducing any and all expectations, we open ourselves to gaining so much knowledge from others.
To all 20 members of this class, thank you for being like family to me these past few months, and for sharing your stories with each and every class.
To Nimo, thank you for your dedication to serving those in need and for allowing us the opportunity to learn from each other. Thank you for creating an atmosphere that invited authenticity, vulnerability, and courage. Thank you for keeping it together when the rest of us couldn’t. You’ve changed my life forever.
Last but not least, thank you, Kelly, for always looking out for me and being the best roommate ever 🙂