From Waste To Weave

From Waste To Weave

In the menace of plastic in Bhuj, lies livelihoods of many weavers of Kutch. Upcycling plastic has proven to not only be a livelihood initiative, but has morphed into a culture of love, protection and well-being of the planet.

Bringing About A Much Needed Change In Rural Odisha

“Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and the world better than you found it” – Martin Wright Edelman Across several districts in Odisha, the kids rise and shine much before the school bell rings. They are all excited and...

In A Fight Against Tuberculosis With AMRIT Clinics

"TB ke marizon se milne ya unke ghar jaane mein khatra hai kyunki isse aapko bhi TB ho sakta hai.” “TB toh ek halki bimari hai jisme khansi aur bukhar hota hai. Ise kisi ilaaj ki zarurat nahi." “TB toh keval un purshon ko hota hai jo bidi ya cigarette peete hain.”...

Selfish Or Selfless In The Social Sector?

Aavishkaar and Nari Gunjan, the two organizations I got to work with, are complete opposites of each other and yet, they co-exist as change-makers. While the founders of the former come from the background of exposed realities, where they got their inspiration and...

First Impressions From Mhaswad, Maharashtra

When I first arrived at the office of Mann Deshi Foundation in Mhaswad, Maharashtra, I was genuinely taken aback, mainly because of my idealised notion of NGOs: minimal infrastructure, basic amenities, a committed and close-knit group of employees and a strong...

A Walk Into Mukta Gyan Kutir School [A photo story]

Welcome Enthusiasts. Before we go any further and you get awestruck with innocent smiles and their uncanny stories, let’s go back 35 years in time. A group of thinkers and activists started a social institution in south Odisha, an NGO which will fight against hunger...

Welcome To The Learning Space In Tamarind Tree

Hemant, the co-founder of Tamarind tree was clear when he said, "Usma, this year you must take back at least one concrete digital skill with you, which you can apply in your life after one year of experience here". This was after our discussion about my aspirations...

Masti Ki Paathshaala – Amidst Hills of Uttarakhand

As I've written earlier in my previous blogs, I am currently working with a school in a remote village of Uttarakhand, as an India Fellow. Due to summer holidays at school, I was free for a month and could use this vacation with my family and friends to hangouts and...

People’s Action Group For Inclusion And Rights: PAGIR

From the starting of our fellowship, there is this one time for which everyone eagerly waits. The Design Thinking Workshop! For this, the 2017 India Fellow cohort collectively raised funds and went to Leh, Ladakh – perhaps the only place where one can see water, sand,...

What’s Happening ‘Under The Mango Tree’ [A Photo Story]

NO Bees, NO food. At Under the Mango Tree, we provide sustainable livelihood opportunities to low-income farmers, alongside solving a worldwide issue of decrease in the number of bees. With no bees, we’ll be bereft of one in every three bites of food consumed and the...

An Evening at an Urban Slum of Kanpur

I recently got a chance to visit Shramik Bharti, an organization majorly working in urban and rural areas of Kanpur, on integrated development including micro-finance, livelihood, energy, agriculture as well as sanitation & hygiene. Co-incidentally, the day I was...

A Ray of Hope in Sukma

After 16 days of initial training in Udaipur, I was informed that I will be placed with ‘Shiksharth’ in Sukma, Chhattisgarh. Moving to a place like Sukma gave me a mixed feeling of excitement, curiosity and a bit of fear. One of the major tasks before I could set out...

The Land Settlement Collision at Swasthya Swaraj

One of the greatest hurdles to overcome while working in a tribal predominant area is to secure a land for running day-to-day operations. According to Forest Rights Act 2006, forest land cannot be sold to anyone. In case there are villages that are completely occupied...

उत्तराखंड के पहाड़ों में मेरा जीवन

मैं 23 साल का हूं और इन वर्षों में 20 से अधिक स्थानों पर रहा हूं। आजकल मैं उत्तराखंड के नैनीताल जिले में अवस्थित एक छोटे से गांव सुयालगढ़ में हूं। मुझे उम्मीद है कि आप सब नैनीताल को भारत के एक प्रमुख पर्यटन स्थल होने के नाते जानते होंगे। झील, पर्वत, मंदिर एवं प्राचीन...

Visit to Kshamtalaya, an Inspiring Organization

As a part of the India Fellow program, I am working with Centre for Social Justice in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, to use communication for Social Change. As all the fellows get placed with different organizations across the country, we have this opportunity to know their work...