Field Stories

These stories bring out the real-life narratives, moments, and experiences, highlighting the stories and voices of the communities our fellows work with

From An Idea To Execution : Plastic Gullaks

From An Idea To Execution : Plastic Gullaks

"Of the 8.3 billion metric tons of waste that has been produced, 6.3 billion metric tons is plastic waste. Of that, only 9% has been recycled. The vast majority, 79% is accumulating in landfills or sloughing off in natural environment as litter." - Great Britain's...

Who Are The Katkari?

Who Are The Katkari?

Raigad - The first capital of the former Maratha Empire, the land of captivating forts and free flowing streams; the home to picturesque Konkan belt where tribals stay dormant deep inside jungles, as if incongruous. Raigad in Maharashtra is surrounded by Thane and...

Skill Over Academic Degree

With Shram Sarathi, I have been working with migrants who have been given training on various skill-sets so that they can start their own enterprise or fetch better income using those skills. However, only a few trainees show the courage and interest to start...

Surat And Its Migrants

Surat And Its Migrants

Surat is the textile hub of India. It is also the center for diamond cutting and polishing. Most of the businesses conducted here are a part of informal sector and are predominantly owned by Gujaratis. The workforce for the diamond industry primarily comprises of...

Where Collective Strength Lies

Where Collective Strength Lies

Who’d ever want to pay an interest of Rs. 1200 on a loan of merely Rs. 500? A woman from the jungle village of Tirpania in Kharagpur, Bihar did so willingly, at least for a while. Until the concept of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) found its way to rural women in Bihar,...

Waste Pickers’ Tragedy…

Waste Pickers’ Tragedy…

This is Harsh. He helped us in distributing leaflets of medical camp in Sapera basti. Do you know where does your waste go after it leaves your home? How many hands does it change? Most us have limited knowledge about it. Either the Nagar Nigam (Municipal Corporation)...

Maheshwar: A Veiled Jewel Of Royalty

Last 3 months in Chaitanya, my host organisation, have been the most enriching ever. With alternate months spent in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, I have gotten the taste of both the preliminary stages of SHG (self-help group) formation and the functioning of...

Science Of Nuns And Sisterhood

Science Of Nuns And Sisterhood

[Aishwarya's (my co-fellow here) idea and Simran's production] She was trying to get off two tiny ants from her arm. After struggling with one, I thought I might as well help her. To me, it looked like, a better way would be to rub her hand off and make the ant roll...

The Dilemma Of The Connect

The Dilemma Of The Connect

"To have an association with somebody/something else; to realize or show that somebody/something is involved with somebody/something else" - this is the exact definition of the word 'Connect' as I Googled it to understand the formal or official meaning versus how it...

How They Push And Pull To Make The Ends Meet

How They Push And Pull To Make The Ends Meet

I once had the opportunity to travel in the general bogie of a push-pull train connecting the place I’m in (Gudupalli, Chittoor) to the Bengaluru city. It was only 5.30 in the morning and there were more than 200 people in the compartment which had a seating capacity...

The Journey Till Now…

The Journey Till Now…

Life itself is a journey and no matter from where you start, it doesn't stop, until of course it does, for the one final time. My recent journey started from my hometown - Jamshedpur in Jharkhand. As I have spent 21 years of my life there, I wanted to explore and...

Aarogya: A Game To Meet The Need For Vaccination Information

Aarogya: A Game To Meet The Need For Vaccination Information

Imagine your child getting vaccinated and you are not aware of the name of the vaccine or its use. Scary, isn’t it? Well, that's the case with majority of parents in the villages of Dalsinghsarai in Samastipur, Bihar. This lack of information often fosters negligence...

When People Became My People

When People Became My People

As soon as the first part of our fellowship program, i.e. the induction training ended in Udaipur, one by one all the fellows and the team members started leaving for their respective field areas. I was the last one left to see off everyone as I had been placed with...