While growing up, I had many close friends through school and college who have...
Let’s Talk About Sh*t (Part 2 of 2)
It was a cold, foggy Wednesday morning. I was with Jaysingh*, one of our field...
Maslow, Choices, Learning And A Library Somewhere In The Hinterland
A handful of shared sand represents the handful of choices we have and how...
How Do You Spend Rs. 200 In Your Day-To-Day Life?
What comes to your mind when you see a 200 rupee note? How do you spend it? Is...
How did the people do their ‘business’ then? (Part 1 of 2)
“What is the most satisfactory and peaceful time in a human’s life?” was the...
Silicosis: The Occupational Hazard Of Doing God’s Work
The Pindwara district in the state of Rajasthan is known for its mining...
What Bothers The Youth In Rural Bihar Everyday?
As part of an initiative to understand mental health concerns affecting the...
Understanding What Primary Health Care Means
80% of the diseases can be prevented or cured at the primary level only. And...
My Understanding Of Menstruation Routine Of Women Around Me
Asked to hide ... Those were the last weeks of summer vacation in the campus. I was excited to start shopping for the school and be all prepared to be in 3rd standard. I remember going to the supermarket to buy some groceries and school supplies. My mother had...
The Good, Bad And Ugly Of Micro-finance in Uttar Pradesh
SHGs gives these women a more inclusive space to voice their opinion The people know what is best for them, rather than the government or any external social organization. Their biggest hurdle in solving these issues though is access to capital. This idea was at the...
The Simple And Complex Things Of My Non-Profit Life
Nikhil (left) in an interaction with community members in his office-cum-home space “The social sector is for the rich” This was the reaction I got when I announced to my mom that I was going to work for a non-profit for a year; this shall remain with me forever. That...
Himalayan Springs And The Mexican Devil
A colleague and I (left) visiting a local spring. One thing about the fellowship that I like is the monthly writing of blogs, even though many people have praised me for my writing, a few have also been critical. One of the biggest criticisms that I have got is the...
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...
A Personal Account Of The Day Ladakh Became A Union Territory
Featured Image Source - Amar Ujaala We were sitting in the middle of a session by the founder of Snow Leopard Conservancy in Leh, Tsewang Namgail, when his teammate Jigmet Dadul, gave him the news about Ladakh becoming a Union Territory. In the middle of his speech,...
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...
The Minorities Of Mhaswad
While the national political discourse takes on more and more of a saffron hue, its polarising effects have spread beyond cities to small towns and rural areas.
Stereotypes, Prejudices And Discrimination : Health Of Mental Health In India
Away from the maddening crowd of the city, I was sitting by the bank of the Yamuna river in the outskirts of Delhi. She was throwing pebbles in the still water. The quaint surrounding and chirping birds added the much required charm to our away-from-chaos-picnic. That...
The Dualities Of Women Empowerment
An event full of contradictions An uneven and tardy playground of a government school, a bunch of male teachers, a female Sarpanch, a young woman as the organiser and thirty young and high spirited girls had gathered for a football match on a windy Wednesday morning....
Searching For Feminism In Rural Uttar Pradesh
About three weeks back while I was sitting in my balcony, observing the commotion on the road and thinking about the last 8 months that I have spent in Kantain village of Sitapur district in Uttar Pradesh, several thoughts ran through my mind. It was a mixed bag, of...
One Scary Night At The Prerna Tribal Girl’s Hostel In Bihar
During my second visit to the Prerna Hostel at Danapur, Patna I got the chance to be closer to Sudha ma’am and learn much more about her girls. What had surprised me in the first visit was their daily routine. They would wake up everyday to the ring of the bell at...
The Unwritten Rules For The Binary Genders
In Kanpur, six months of my fellowship has been about marketing organic products by the farmers. On a random working day, I was involved in a sales campaign, customers were coming to ask about the organic products that we were selling. A middle-aged man wearing kurta...
Kantabai: The Story You Don’t Get To Hear
One day, as I was walking via my usual route to the sabzi mandi (vegetable market), I noticed a group of people sitting in a flimsy yellow tent. I had actually been fascinated by this yellow tent for a couple of weeks, as I could see it’s movements from the window of...