On our day in the field with the Undiksha students we went on a hunt for a "First Kilometer Community", or FKC for short. An FKC is a remote place that does not have adequate access to transportation, education and basic life necessities such as food and water. FKCs by definition are not easy to locate. We asked our Bemo driver to take us to any places he knew that fit the description, and with a little explaining from the Undiksha students, he agreed to drive us to a remote village in the mountains about Singaraja. We departed not knowing what to expect or even what we were looking for. After an hour-long drive, we stopped in the middle of a small village. Immediately after exiting the bus, we were surrounded by the locals who were curious why three Americans had made the trek up a mountain to talk to them. The Undiksha students spoke to a family at the top of the village for about an hour while I tried to talk to a few neighborhood boys playing soccer. We gained so much insight from these people who spend their lives fairly disconnected from the rest of the world. For them, the problems that we experience in society aren't really an issue. The issues they face are more pressing, including how they will get water during the dry season. Speaking to these people in this community was a highlight of mine and really opened my eyes to what life is like in these FKCs. I may never truly understand the struggles these people face but I will always keep an open mind and learn as much as I possibly can from their experiences.
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