View as a pillion rider From Kerala To Rajasthan Via Karnataka My story...
A How-To Guide If You Are Beginning To Understand Mental Health
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...
Abhiram: The Unsung Hero Of Agragamee
In 1996, I got a task from my night school teacher. He had asked me to write...
A Day At The Community Radio Station
A local resident with a radio set As an India Fellow, I began my journey to...
Maslow, Choices, Learning And A Library Somewhere In The Hinterland
A handful of shared sand represents the handful of choices we have and how...
Reality Of A Person Living With Multiple Chronic Diseases
It was a rather gloomy day when I had a chance to meet Lakhuna Das*. I was...
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...
Dumbing Down Development
I was in class 9 when we learnt about covalent bonds. At least this was when I paid attention. The chemistry teacher, a slender woman in a stiff sari walked into the classroom and asked, ‘What did you bring for lunch today’. We were not sure if she really was asking...
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...
Inspiration To Be A Better Human Being
Until now, I have encountered most people being primarily concerned about growing professionally. From close relatives to friends and society, I have observed a common concern towards career. Only my mother and a few books had inspired me to be humane until I met...
Towards A Peaceful Revolution To Bring Dignity to Labor Migration
Featured image courtesy Pixabay My fellowship with Aajeevika Bureau started on March, 2019. It was the time when the financial year was soon to be over. Once I joined, I immersed myself into field visits and my journey as a fellow was 'on'. I was meeting migrants...
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...
Himachal’s Self-made Naturalists
During the one year I spent in Himachal Pradesh, I met several people, during workshops, at my organization or while traveling. Two people who frequented Kandbari are Vikram and Apoorva. What’s interesting about them, you might ask. For starters, they are a cheerful...
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
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…
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)...
Life Lessons From A Year Spent In The ‘Other’ India
It has been more than 10 months since I, along with 21 others, set out on a journey to learn about and understand India at the grassroots. In all honesty, this has been one mixed bag of a year. Some expectations I harbored remained unmet while some hopes I never knew...
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...
Taniya Parveen: A Journey of Hope and Aspirations
"You need to step out to know the world outside" - Taniya From Saradhi, Bangalwa village in Munger district of Bihar, where most girls are forced to stay at home and are valued with respect to their ability to do the household chores; a young girl Taniya Praveen is...
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.
Inspiring Stories Of Everyday Heroes Often Known As Nurses
I am really grateful to have gotten an opportunity to work alongside these extraordinary women who are game changers in their own way.