“The best part of being a simultaneous interpreter is that you get a world view on things. You come to understand and appreciate that not everyone thinks like you. You become more tolerant.”

Meet Graziella DeLuis.

Graziella ( Gachi as she is commonly known ) was born in Mexico but spent most of her early years in Cuba. She claims that one’s culture is often defined by the food you eat as a child. So while she felt “ Cuban” , her stomach was in Mexico! The family had a nomadic existence for a number of years, living in Mexico, Spain and the United States as her father looked for work.

At the age of 12, she was sent to Switzerland to a private school where she met other students from different parts of the world. “ I learned how to think during my three years in Switzerland,” and she started to learn other languages. By the time she completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Miami, she could speak 6 languages fluently. She didn’t care much for the commercialism so prevalent in Miami and, against the wishes of her parents’, she “defected from the United States to Florence” to study at the Academy of Fine Arts.

Her parents weren’t impressed with this decisions as they hoped that she would settle down, get married and have children. Up to this point, her education had been paid for but in what Gachi says is a typical Latin American approach, the money supply was immediately cut off when she headed to Florence. She discovered political activism as she and her friends felt like revolutionaries as they decried dictatorships and politicians. During this five year period, the most important lesson she learned was how to fend for herself. “ Having the money supply cut off was the best thing that could have happened to me, “ she says.

In order to make ends meet and pay for her schooling, she busked in Scandanavia in the summers. While lucrative she confesses that , to this day, she cringes every time she hears “ Guantanamera” as this was one of only three songs she ever sang on a street corner!

She moved to Barcelona to find “ real work” translating literature for a publishing house. While there, she met an interpreter who convinced her to study interpretation. Her father approved of this career move and turned on the tap once more as Gachi studied at the Sorbonne in France for two years.

“ When I did my first professional interpretation job I was terrified. In the beginning of one’s career, it seems impossible to interpret with 100% accuracy.”

Her work has taken her to many parts of the world and she has had the privilege of working with some of the most famous world leaders, including Pope Francis on several occasions. “ Pope Francis is the greatest thing that has happened to the Catholic Church. He speaks plainly from the heart and he knows what’s going on around the world. He has a sense of humour, and he is humble and patient.

The greatest speaker that she has worked with?  “ Hands down, it is President Obama.” She has had the privilege of working at the Beijing and Athens Olympic Games.

And what is the toughest part of the job? “ It is very difficult for an interpreter to do their job well when the speaker is reading at the speed of light who do not want to communicate. You can tell that they are reading from a script and they don’t really care if people are listening. However, my job is to interpret, not judge.”

Taking time off to recharge the batteries is very important. “ An interpreter has to get back their own identity. When I’m out of the booth,  I can say what I think and feel rather than say what other people think and feel.” She loves to cook which she feels is therapeutic.

“ I have enjoyed my life so far and would like to think that I am a happy soul. It has been a privilege to meet so many interesting people.”

Just don’t ask her to translate Guantanamera… in any language!

A big man with a big heart

“ My greatest wish is that we can give our children the skills to better their lives.”

Meet Balaraju.

The youngest of three siblings born to Narsamma and Veeraiah in Gagillapur, India, hard work has been the hallmark of Balaraju’s life,  starting at a very early age. His parents weren’t all that interested in educating their children. Chores around the family home took precedence. A teacher by the name of Rachael encouraged him to enrol and through his own initiative, he began his educational journey.

In the eleventh and twelfth levels, his focus was mainly on sciences: biology , physics and chemistry but deep down, he knew that this wasn’t the direction he wanted to go. He was profoundly affected during his eighth level by the Mandal president at the time, Gnaneswar Mudiraj. He was enthralled by his speeches and his community activism. Balaraju even volunteered to assist the president for a number of years.

He entered the Bachelor of Arts program  at Osmania University as he now had his sights clearly set on community development and local politics. Regrettably, he had to drop out of the program in the 13^th. level due to family problems and a lack of money.

For six years he worked as a milk vendor getting up at 3:00 in the morning to go area farms to pick up milk and deliver it to the depot. The hours were long and the work was hard. In 1996 , he married Pushpa and the couple have two children: a son, Pavan and a daughter, Sowmya.

 Even though the milk business provided a steady income for the family, politics was in his blood so it was no surprise that he decided to run for the office of village president in 2006. Despite being outspent by a margin of three to one in the election campaign, Balaraju came out on top.

He realized that his community needed a lot of help to raise the standard of living. He knocked on a lot of doors of companies doing business in the area. He managed to secure money for a water storage sump. He also realized that these same companies were also contributing something else that was far less desirable: pollution. He made his case, stood his ground and extracted commitments from these companies to improve air and water quality.

He recognized that  a healthy community contributes to a prosperous community and so he worked very hard to improve health standards. This required a great deal of public education. His bold, dynamic personality and strong work ethic made him a well respected leader in the village.

When his term of office expired, he stayed involved in the community and remains so until this day. He is quick to point out that in order for the village to continue to move forward, that interventions from organizations like MAS are crucial. “ Our people need to be empowered to speak up for themselves and MAS is giving us the necessary tools to do this, “ he commented. “ Mas has helped in so many ways including oversight on infrastructure projects and working closely with groups in the community to build capacities. At the end of the day, we must become  masters of our own destiny.”

Balaraju is a social worker  at heart and continues to fight for basic amenities that many places take for granted. “ My big dream is to see the day when we have a modern sewage treatment plant, “ he said.

Don’t be fooled by his warmth, his firm handshake and his easy smile. Behind that veil is a man consumed with passion to make his community the best it can be.

M. Sujata

“ My dream is to someday be able to purchase an acre of land which I can call my own.”

Meet M. Sujata

She and her two siblings were born in Sampalli, India. The family were farmers and owned three acres of land and a couple of cows. She attended school , completing the seventh level but that was the end of her education. Her parents couldn’t afford to send her to another village. She was very disappointed that she couldn’t further her studies. Her dream had been to graduate and get some kind of government job that would provide a steady income and security for the family.

She spent the next few years helping around the house and the farm and at the age of 16, she married , which was not uncommon at the time. Today the minimum age to get married for a girl is 18 and a boy, 21. Her husband is a tailor and alternates his time working on the road and from home as well. The couple have two daughters, ages 9 and 11. Sujata feels that education is crucial if her girls are going to make a better life for themselves. Once they reach the 10^th. level, in all likelihood their formal schooling will end,  as the cost to continue would be prohibitive.

These days, Sujata spends her days as a laborer on farms. She is considered a “landless” farmer and is subject to the whims of the market and her employers. Currently, with tomato prices very low, she has no work and worries daily about how to make ends meet.

In 2012, through the auspices of APMAS, Sujata and ten other women formed a group. The objective was to provide them with some of the tools necessary to improve the quality of their lives. The hope was that this would empower the women to take charge of their own affairs. To that end, they started a regular savings program of 50 rs ( rupees ) a month each. Now, when a member of the group needs financial assistance, they can borrow from the fund.

Sujata is quick to point out that MAS ( formerly APMAS ) has been instrumental in giving her new found confidence. She is the elected leader of the group and is no longer intimidated when she goes to a bank, a government office or to her children’s school. “ MAS has made a big difference for me personally and for the group as a whole. They have provided us with knowledge and also practical things like seeds for crops.”

But life is still very challenging. While she enjoys being the spokesperson for her fellow farmers, she is constrained by the practicalities of everyday life. “ It is hard for me to take time away from work and I want to spend as much time as I can with my daughters.”

With the seeds of knowledge, she has become a potent spokesperson for other women farmers. But more importantly, she is a strong voice for her daughters.

There’s  an old saying that says, “ reap what you sow.” Sujata is hopeful that she is planting the seeds of success for her family and her community. The yield should be impressive.