Plato's (an ancient Greek philosopher) Allegory of the cave is a philosophical...
Kalamaitri – A Collective Run Enterprise
In an ideal world, collectives would be catalysts for societal progress,...
Design Thinking Is A Mindset, Not Just A Skill
Design thinking is often seen as a skill exclusive to professional designers....
Dying Children And Dead Living Rooms
Until a few months back, when I saw parents coming in with really sick...
Journey Of Gulab Buffalos’ Milk
Study of Van Gujjar settlements and their spatial utilization by understanding...
Ethical Conflicts Of A Non-Profit Working On Financial Inclusion
Imagine, you are standing next to train tracks and you see a train coming....
Whom Does The Forest Belong To?
All about the game of resources and identities, understanding...
Walking In & Out Of My Omelas
'Omelas' is a fictional city described in the short story 'The Ones Who Walk...
अवसर + प्रशिक्षण = तरक्की
अभी कुछ समय पहले ही मैंने एक पुस्तक पढ़ना प्रारंभ किया है, उस पुस्तक के पहले अध्याय के पहले पृष्ठ पर मार्क ट्वाइन की निम्नलिखित पंक्तियां लिखी हुई थी, "Thousands of geniuses live and die undiscovered - either by themselves or by others" इन पंक्तियों को पढ़ने के बाद...
In Search Of Hidma
Image clicked by Sandesh (blog author) in one of his field outings in Sukma, Chattisgarh, where he is placed as a fellow with Shiksharth, a non-profit working towards education amongst tribal children. “It’s been many days now! When will he come? Can someone please...
When Urdu Felt Like Home
One of my biggest challenges until now, in the last 6 months of fellowship, has been the language barrier between the community and me. I work in the rural areas of Odisha near Cuttack and Kendrapara, where Oriya is the major spoken language. I had wanted to write...
Shouldn’t Access To Finance Be A Basic Human Right?
It’s a December morning. Vardi bai* started her day earlier than usual. 30 years of marriage has changed many things, but mornings still remind her of her mother’s house. The liberty of remaining in the warmth of a blanket for a little longer is no more hers to take....
When A Yatra Comes To Mhaswad Town
Every year, in December, Mhaswad becomes a hub of excitement. Several thousand people from neighboring towns and villages descend on this small and sleepy town on the occasion of the yatra (journey). The yatra is the largest religious festival of Mhaswad, where the...
When Ownership Came From The Community
“No one loses anyone, because no one owns anyone. That is the true experience of freedom: having the most important thing in the world without owning it” ― Paulo Coelho, Eleven Minutes Being a part of the development sector in different capacities for two years has...
What Came In The Way Of My Mobile Library
The better part of my day here in Kantain, Uttar Pradesh comes after school hours. There is immense satisfaction in helping some extremely eager students with academics as well as general awareness about the world around them. The sun sets as the children of Mishirpur...
Himachali Langar: The Unforgettable Feast
On my first day in the village of Kandbari, where I've now spent more than 4 months, it felt like I was dropped down from a soaring height. Yeah, metaphorically! The fall where you hear nothing, feel nothing or see nothing but get an adrenaline rush. Like anyone else,...
Financial Inclusion As A Human Right
“Every poor person must be allowed a fair chance to improve his/her economic condition. This can be easily done by ensuring his/her right to credit. If the existing financial institutions fail to ensure that right, it is the obligation of the state and the world...
Lessons I Learnt From Organizing A Sale
I have organised events when I was in college and have also worked with a wedding planner on a big fat Indian wedding. I always knew that it requires dealing with a lot of people, working with multiple opinions and preferences, unforeseen troubles and non-stop...
Living With Taboo And Stigma
Things that seem acceptable in urban educated society may not be the same everywhere. Until now, in my microscopic view of societal interactions, I have been living under an impression that the "normal' remains same across regions. Access to the best possible...
The Unsung Battles Of Ordinary Women
The ongoing wave of feminism seems to have taken India by storm, but has it managed to hit all the right spots yet? Indian feminism has lately drawn strong critique for being exclusionary in nature and I found my own thoughts deeply resonating with this narrative in...
Making Learning Fun, One Activity At A Time
I always found my school days boring as I never really enjoyed classroom learning, which now seems quite rigid. During my college days, I came across the NCERT books and a few websites for Creativity Learning. I found them interesting and was motivated to use this as...
Eagles Eye, Subtle Pry: A Research Study On Honeybees
Early in the morning, I left for field work, in Palghar, Maharashtra where I'm currently working with Under the Mango Tree (UTMT), a social enterprise. This was one of the designated tasks that demands to deal with orchard owners. I’m trying to find a relationship...