Julia Neubauer
Namaste! After having graduated from the Mahindra United World College in 2003 I am now studying at Princeton University in NJ, USA. I am majoring in the Economics department with certificates in Finance and Political Economy. Besides, I am studying Hindi, knowing that (given my involvement in AIC and my frequent trips to India) it may prove to be very useful in the future.
My home country is Austria, where I grew up in a small town called Rohrbach. I left Austria at age 16 in order to study at Mahindra United World College in Pune, India. Given the sheltered, privileged childhood I had, going to India meant giving up much of the security I was used to. It turned out that taking this step was the best thing I could have ever done - it led me to grow up and completely changed my values and point of view on life.
During my two years in India I had the chance to do social service in an orphanage called SOFOSH. My initial shock about the circumstances under which the children are brought up in the orphanage slowly turned into feelings of respect and appreciation for the people who provided these children with food, shelter, education and a future. The time I spent at the orphanage not only fortified my love for children but also showed me that even rescuing one child from living a hungry life full of violence and vulgarity in the streets can make a difference.
When Elizabeth told me about her idea of founding an NGO to open a home for street children I was deeply enthusiastic about the project. Together with Elizabeth, I spent some time at a home for street children in Vikhroli, Bombay in summer 2004. The children at the home as well as the street children we bonded with in railway stations were an enormous motivation to get involved in AIC. I feel a strong commitment to helping AIC achieve its goal of providing our children with the sheltered, joyful childhood that every child in this world deserves.