A Train Journey From Kesinga To Cherthala On The Dhanbad Express
December 15, 2022, 2:30 AM The Dhanbad Express arrived at the Kesinga station. Along with everyone else on the platform, I ran towards the sleeper-class section at the far end of the train. The moment I stepped foot into the coach, is exactly when I understood the...
A Year In The Gojri Calendar
Winters are here and at the start of December, all the colorful kambals (coarse woolen blanket or shawl) are out. Days are short and people get done with their dinners early. More cups of steamy tea are consumed while sitting arond the fireplace. During the evenings,...
Rehan And Patwan – A System of Mortgaging Agricultural Land
In rural India, where a significant portion of agricultural land is cultivated by tenant farmers, the practice of renting farmland is illegal. As a result, tenant farmers face limitations in accessing government assistance and farming markets. However, an informal...
Diploma In Community Health Practice (DCHP) – A Case Study For Human Centered Design Approach
On any given day, at any clinic of Swasthya Swaraj (SSS), you would be welcomed by a couple of strong, determined young women clad in pink coats. You will find them near the doctors on Out Patient Department (OPD) days. They will be translating what the patient says...
The Art Of Spinning : My First-Time Experience
It's a flower. A flower unlike anything you and I have ever seen. Within it something white in colour and made of the thinnest of strands all held together in a ball with strength that's a mere suggestion. You can pull it from one side and it stretches further and...
Understanding Value Chain Analysis For Driving Social Change
As an India Fellow, I got a chance to understand the value chains of ropemaking, tomatoes, ground nuts, and potatoes in Southern parts of India. I have realised that, if we are working towards enhancing the income of a group of people, it’s crucial to understand...
भोपा और गाड़िया लोहार समुदाय
भोपा समुदाय भोपा समुदाय राजस्थान भारत में लोक देवताओं का गायन करने वाला एक समुदाय है। यह मुख्य रूप से राजस्थान में ही है। भोपा शब्द पुरुषों के लिए प्रयोग करते हैं तथा भोपी स्त्रियों के लिए प्रयोग किया जाता है। भोपा राजस्थान में पाबूजी की फड़ और देवनारायण की फड़ में...
Gender And Masculinity Intervention In Kushalgarh, Banswara
Kushalgarh is a block in the Banswara district of Rajasthan. 80% of its population migrates to other adjacent states for wage labour. I work with Aajeevika Bureau at a women resource centre to nurture women's collective in the district. We recently conducted a 2-day...
Garment Construction: An Overview
Fun Fact: The piece of apparel you are currently wearing was potentially put together using a formula. Have you ever wondered about how different pieces of fabric of different sizes come together to be built into a single piece of garment without any flaws?...
Understanding The Complexitites Of Labelling
In a recent group conversation, a colleague lightheartedly asked something along the lines of, “How talkative do you think Adya is?” The other colleague responded with, “Yeh toh expert hai (She is an expert)”. And I dreaded what I thought would follow next. Because...
RRR And India Fellow Social Leadership Program
Well, it’s not the Golden Globe award-winning song from the movie RRR that I am talking about here. It is my take on India Fellow Social Leadership Program. And how it is Refreshing, Reassuring, and Radiant (RRR) for me. Happiness, however, is a personal experience,...
![The Downtrodden [A Poem]](https://indiafellow.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Ann-Peom-1-e1683449226387-400x250.jpeg)
The Downtrodden [A Poem]
This was penned to portray the voices of those amongst us who are downtrodden. While writing this, the visuals in my mind were that of migrant laborers, who were struggling to get back home during the mega lockdown. They did not have any avenues for their voices to be...
Lessons From A Workshop On ‘Introduction to Libraries’
What is a library? Six months ago, I would have given a completely different answer to that question. I was unaware of the depth and possibilities libraries hold despite having access to them since childhood. It became clear only when I began working as a fellow with...
On Curiosity and Why It Matters
If all objects eventually reach an equilibrium temperature in a closed and static environment, why do metal chairs feel colder than wooden chairs ? In a virtual learning session held by Sandhya ma’am and Sarit sir, the founders of Aavishkaar, we were invited to...
Reflections From The Work On Tuberculosis
I have been working for 18 months with Innovators In Health (IIH). The organization has been actively working on the ground for over 12 years now. They work to address public health issues like tuberculosis (TB) and maternal health. To understand IIH's work in detail,...
The Lack Of Access To Education For Children Of Migrant Workers In Kerala
11-year-old Habil* is engaged in an intense mobile game. Gunshots echo in his dimly lit room. Alone, he sits the entire day waiting for his parents to come home in the evening. His mother works at a plywood company half a kilometer away. While his father is a daily...
How Caste Continues To Take A Center Stage In Panna, Madhya Pradesh
A year and a half ago when I boarded a train to Panna, I was sharing a berth with a middle-aged lady. She was keen to know where I was going. When I told her I was going to Panna, her response was, “Acha, tiger reserve ghumne ja rahe hai aap?” What started as general...
Center For Entrepreneurship Development, Gujarat
The Center for Entrepreneurship Development (CED), Gujarat is a government-run organization that aims to promote entrepreneurship in the state of Gujarat, India. In their 12 days of CED training, they focus on providing practical and theoretical knowledge in the field...