IMPACT
BY BIG BETS
BY BENEFICIARIES
BY BIG BETS
Anamaya-
THE TRIBAL HEALTH COLLABORATIVE
To improve the socio-economic conditions of particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs), Pradhan Mantri PVTG development mission will be launched. An amount of ₹15,000 crore will be made available to implement the mission in the next 3 years
NIRMALA SITHARAMAN
Finance minister
Today our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji has given all of us the mantra of Vikas and Virasat. With this vision for Vikas we are ensuring that the poorest of the poor receive the benefits of development and with Virasat we protect our wonderful heritage
SHRI G KISHAN REDDY
Union Culture Minister
Our practices and knowledge must be nurtured to be used for the coming generations and for that we are happy to work with you both for knowledge documentation as well as for research
SEETARAM JI
tribal healer, Gariyaband, Chhattisgarh
ASPIRATIONAL BHARAT COLLABORATIVE
We are living in an era of immense possibilities which in turn creates opportunities. We need to identify existing aspirations in the districts and channelize them to create a ripple effect for transforming Aspirational Districts. The development of every village of these 115 districts is vital to our commitment to social justice
Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi
January 5th, 2018 at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi
We are strong believers that it's not possible for government to transform everything. It's not possible without working in partnership with civil society organizations. The Piramal Foundation has positioned a team of three to four fellows in each aspirational district and they are working closely with the administration in education and health.
Amitabh Kant
Former CEO, NITI Aayog
Great intervention carried out by Piramal Foundation in Narmada district. If this level of commitment being maintained in district, I am confident that social indicators show positive movement.
DR. S JAISHANKAR
Minister of External Affairs
Content quality of Pratham Book Library kits are rich, comprehensive and gradual in proficiency level.Such interventions of Piramal Foundation are highly admirable and inspirational
MR KIRIT PATEL
Principal, Jalat Primary School(Dahod,GJ)during an orientation session for Pratham Book Library kits to help children read and discover the joy of reading.
DIGITAL BHARAT COLLABORATIVE
It was very special to hear my unborn child's heartbeat through Fetosense and to have the CHO support me as I went through parenting. Many thanks to Piramal Foundation and Niramay.
NASIMAN BEGUM
Mother, Darrang
My diabetes is under control now as I am exercising regularly.Now I feel have overcome issues with Diabetes and have found the way to sustain my life ahead with healthy habits. I am thankful to the SPARSHA Team for their services in our village
SANJIB
Assam
I am thankful to SPARSHA MMU Team specially to Dr. Bijay Tirkey who walked an extra mile to save me by guiding the PHC Doctor because of which i was able to get good treatment in the hospital during my delivery
DIPA GARH
A 25-year-old pregnant woman,Ushapur Chakalia village,Charaideo District, Assam
I am thankful to MO Dr Rajkamal Das who treated and guided my child for 9mths to live a healthy life. My son was diagnosed with hydrocephalus when he was 3mths old and i desperately called the 104 helpline for seek help.
RITU MANDAL
Mother of one year old baby
Piramal School of Leadership
We need to pledge for educating all students of the state under any circumstances. Parents, principals, teachers, school management committee and government have a significant role in ensuring the quality of education in the state.
SHRI HEMANT SOREN, HON. CHIEF MINISTER
Government of Jharkhand
Whatever you are experiencing personally has an impact on your work…I appreciate the Piramal Foundation for organising this event and choosing this place as the location
MR YOGENDRA SINGH, (IAS) DISTRICT MAGISTRATE
Samastipur, Bihar
The PIRAMAL ACADEMY OF SEWA
Karuna Fellowship is the example that inspires us as a woman and focus us to be strong in any circumstances of life. This is helping us in enhancing our skills like Spoken English, Computer MS skills, finance management, etc. Thanks to the Fellowship program, I learnt the significance of women empowerment and I would also like to contribute to empowering the women around me.
MS. NISHA DAS
Joined Karuna Fellow Batch - 1 In Health From Guwahati, Assam
My community takes inspiration from my success and encourage their own children to expand their horizons and undertake such self learning opportunities to escalate their careers. Karuna Fellowship trains us not just for a job but for contributing towards a more liberated and better society, starting from ourselves.
DURGA SARKAR
KF Batch 1. Works In A Non-Banking Finance Company And Proudly Supports Her Family
Through the Gandhi Fellowship, we develop ourselves first, then our communities, and finally, our nations, which is how we become nation builders
RIHANSH ASAWA
Gandhi Fellow, Batch 14, Karoli , Rajasthan
As a nation builder & change maker we need to work on our soft skills; focusing on self awareness , thinking like an entrepreneur, building innovation skills because that is what is need on the ground for field. And ofcourse we need to believe in ourselves and trust ourselves that as a youth we can be the change and we can bring the change that we need or expect or want to see in the society.
ANANYA SHARMA
Gandhi Fellow, Batch 14, Karoli, Rajasthan
BY BENEFICIARIES
KEY STAKEHOLDERS
The Panchayat Raj members, community members, and youth volunteers have come forward and supported Aashwasan Campaign. This campaign was able to reach 10,000 TB cases from over 1000 communities. Let us take a pledge to involve more youth in order to achieve TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan by 2025, in line with the Prime Minister’s vision.
SMT DROUPADI MURMU
The President of India
We are living in an era of immense possibilities which in turn creates opportunities. We need to identify existing aspirations in the districts and channelize them to create a ripple effect for transforming Aspirational Districts. The development of every village of these 115 districts is vital to our commitment to social justice.
HON’BLE PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI
January 5th, 2018 at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi
We are strong believers that it's not possible for government to transform everything. It's not possible without working in partnership with civil society organizations. The Piramal Foundation has positioned a team of three to four fellows in each aspirational district and they are working closely with the administration in education and health.
Amitabh Kant
Former CEO, NITI Aayog
Great intervention carried out by Piramal Foundation in Narmada district. If this level of commitment being maintained in district, I am confident that social indicators show positive movement.
Dr. S Jaishankar
Minister of External Affairs
Piramal Foundation is engaged in the improvement of quality of education and in professional development of teachers, in coordination with the School Education Department, Madhya Pradesh. The organization is actively working across the state, in schools towards quality education. Congratulations to you for the remarkable work.
Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Hon. Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh
I would like to thank Piramal Foundation for successfully enabling a digital learning infrastructure through 'Mission Buniyaad' in 6 districts of Rajasthan so that students can access information through digital media. Enabling the programme in all 33 districts of the state will help students with a high-quality education.
Hon. Dr. Bulaki Das Kalla
The Education Minister of Rajasthan
It's encouraging that the Mission Buniyaad programme is going to be accessible by 20 lakh children in Rajasthan now.I am anticipating the programme's success.
Mrs. Zahida Khan
Minister of State for Education
We need to pledge for educating all students of the state under any circumstances. Parents, principals, teachers, school management committee and government have a significant role in ensuring the quality of education in the state.
Shri Hemant Soren
Hon. Chief Minister, Government of Jharkhand
This program will help in developing personally and acquiring greater confidence, in addition to assisting government initiatives in effectively reaching the general population. Our partner Piramal Foundation is collaborating with us to support this program.
Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Hon. Chief Minister, Government of Madhya Pradesh
It is a very great and rare opportunity to have such a wonderful foundation which has initiated the capacity building for leaders of organization and institutions, especially in education sector...Piramal Foundation’s contribution to the various sectors of society has been tremendous that cannot be put enough into words.
Sri. V. N. Masthanaiah
Director, SIEMAT, Andhra Pradesh
The three day workshop on capacity building was very enriching. There was a positive outlook, mindset and atmosphere all around. Special thanks to the management of Piramal Foundation….We will carry our learnings from here forward to make better efforts at SIEMAT.
Smt. Uma Sharma
Associate Professor, SIEMAT, Rajasthan
We learnt a lot of things...this have empowered us to reimagine the education landscape in the state and to develop a road map to bring transformation in our classroom practices.
Lipika Sahu
Assistant Director, State Council of Education Research & Training (SCERT), Odisha
The experiences enabled me, as a DIET Principal, to rethink the training design for the school heads, teachers, CRCCs and all the educational administrators of my district. The insights will help me reflect on my leadership skills and develop the same among others.
Dr Tapas Kumar Nayak
Principal, DOET, Khurda
We now need to improve our skills in management and leadership because the transition from academics to administrator is a tough phase. I am thankful to Piramal Foundation for extending their support in this transition phase.
Dr. Ravi Shanker Sharma JKAS
Directorate of School Education, Jammu
The overall purpose of this workshop was to re- establish HOI's (Head of institutions) thinking about school reformation, as times have changed, and we must align ourselves with this changing system. We must have a vision for working together to co-create a peaceful and supportive environment that will enable us to provide high-quality education for everyone.
Shri Hem Raj Pakhroo
Joint Director, SCERT Divisional Office, Jammu
Whatever you are experiencing personally has an impact on your work. Results will be good when the workplace is improved. I appreciate the Piramal Foundation for organising this event and choosing this place as the location.
Mr Yogendra Singh
(IAS) District Magistrate, Samastipur, Bihar
We all know the importance of Sewa & kindness; we have always been taught to be kind & to do good deeds. This Bhaav required a wake-up call because we were able to do it temporarily. Piramal foundation’s workshop has helped us truly internalise that.
Vijay Chandra Jha
Hospital manager, Sitamarhi Sadar Hospital, Bihar
I had a wonderful and distinctive experience at the Piramal Foundation workshops. We have acquired great knowledge from the session and have never before encountered a platform like this. It was amazing to see doctors, medical staff, and ASHA employees all seated on the same platform, eliminating distances between each other.
Mr. Arvind Kumar
Operation theatre assistant, GGS Hospital, Patna
Fellows from the Chief Minister's Young Professionals Program, together with fellows from the Piramal Foundation and Nehru Yuva Kendra and others, are dedicated young individuals who are working at the district level to strengthen it and achieve 'Sushasan', which is another word for good governance.
Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi
Vice Chairman, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance and Policy (AIGGPA)
MATERNITY AND NEW BORN CARE
Healthy mother is a pillar of a healthy family
Anganwadi worker
Parteli, Rojipur, Katihar, Bihar during celebration of Poshan Maah
It was very special to hear my unborn child's heartbeat through Fetosense and to have the CHO support me as I went through parenting. Many thanks to Piramal Foundation and Niramay.
Nasiman Begum
Mother, Darrang
My diabetes is under control now as I am exercising regularly.Now I feel have overcome issues with Diabetes and have found the way to sustain my life ahead with healthy habits. I am thankful to the SPARSHA Team for their services in our village.
Sanjib
Assam
I am thankful to SPARSHA MMU Team specially to Dr. Bijay Tirkey who walked an extra mile to save me by guiding the PHC Doctor because of which i was able to get good treatment in the hospital during my delivery.
Dipa Garh
A 25-year-old pregnant woman, Ushapur Chakalia village, Charaideo District, Assam
I am thankful to MO Dr Rajkamal Das who treated and guided my child for 9mths to live a healthy life. My son was diagnosed with hydrocephalus when he was 3mths old and i desperately called the 104 helpline for seek help.
Ritu Mandal
Mother of one year old baby
WOMEN/GIRLS EMPOWERMENT
We are really very happy for receiving this training to make and sell products.It makes us feel so empowered.
COMMUNITY WOMAN
Sukma, Chhattisgarh
Empowerment of girl child begins with dissemination of correct and timely information in local language to the masses. Piramal Foundation is doing miraculous job in this direction.
Principal
Kheda Faliya varg Primary School(Dahod,GJ)during celebration of National Girl Child Day.
Karuna Fellowship is the example that inspires us as a woman and focus us to be strong in any circumstances of life. This is helping us in enhancing our skills like Spoken English, Computer MS skills, finance management, etc. Thanks to the Fellowship program, I learnt the significance of women empowerment and I would also like to contribute to empowering the women around me.
Ms. Nisha Das
Joined Karuna Fellow Batch - 1 in Health from Guwahati, Assam
My community takes inspiration from my success and encourage their own children to expand their horizons and undertake such self learning opportunities to escalate their careers. Karuna Fellowship trains us not just for a job but for contributing towards a more liberated and better society, starting from ourselves.
Durga Sarkar
KF Batch 1. Works in a Non-Banking Finance Company and proudly supports her family.
I was trained in conducting water quality tests by using Field testing kits. Now, we take lead in safe water practices at home and community.
Anita
She walked miles to get water for her drinking and household needs and was unaware of the risk of unsafe water. An awareness drive inspired her to become one among 80+ Jal Saiyas across 10+ villages who are trained in the use of Field Testing Kits to monitor and assess water quality in their communities.
I received ample support in arranging all mandatory documents to open a bank account so I could get my compensation under the scheme.
Renu
A 24-year tea garden worker could not avail of the state's wage compensation scheme benefits during her pregnancy and post-pregnancy. Thanks to the campaign efforts, she and 720+ other beneficiaries could avail of the scheme benefits. Golaghat, Assam
CHANGEMAKERS
Through the Gandhi Fellowship, we develop ourselves first, then our communities, and finally, our nations, which is how we become nation builders.
RIHANSH ASAWA
Gandhi Fellow, Batch 14, karoli, Rajasthan
As a nation builder & change maker we need to work on our soft skills; focusing on self awareness , thinking like an entrepreneur, building innovation skills because that is what is need on the ground for field. And ofcourse we need to believe in ourselves and trust ourselves that as a youth we can be the change and we can bring the change that we need or expect or want to see in the society.
Ananya Sharma
Gandhi Fellow, Batch 14, Karoli, Rajasthan
Only when schemes translate into reality, you can see the smile of happiness on people's faces- if my struggle with systems can get water flowing from their household tap, their smile would be mine.
Deeksha Gurjar
A batch 14 fellow from Uttar Pradesh, comes from a water-scarce district and has seen her household and community women struggle. She campaigned for Jal Jeevan Mission’s, ‘Har Ghar Nal Se Jal’, mobilizing women, raising awareness of government programs and giving them a voice through increased participation in pani samithis.
Gandhi fellowship helped me understand the real meaning of influence. Now I work on changing the mindset of waste generators and encourage source segregation using the principles of influence without authority.
Surendra Yadav
A batch 10 Fellow and founder of Earth Rakshak Foundation, established the Foundation with a vision of environmental conservation and management on the lines of ‘for the people, by the people’. He shares how the fellowship inspired him
VOLUNTEERS
I conduct weekly tests for my students and also reward those who perform well with prizes like stationery. I love to see these students improving through my efforts.
HADI ALI
A class 12 student is one among 120 enthusiastic volunteers who conduct community classes during the winter break to prevent learning loss among students, Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir
EDUCATION
It was a good learning experience for us in the organising the book fair for all the children
HEAD MASTER OF PIRMARY SCHOOL
Nandurdar, Maharashtra
Content quality of Pratham Book Library kits are rich, comprehensive and gradual in proficiency level.Such interventions of Piramal Foundation are highly admirable and inspirational
Mr Kirit Patel
Principal, Jalat Primary School(Dahod,GJ)during an orientation session for Pratham Book Library kits to help children read and discover the joy of reading.
HEALTH
I felt inspired to work as a TB Champion and help people in my community after interacting with the Anamaya team during my treatment. I want to keep doing this work and help people as much as I can.
RESHMA
Mother of three, recently recovered Pulmonary Tuberculosis (TB) patient and TB Champion from Pati block, Barwani district, Madhya Pradesh
Providing supplements and regular follow-ups resulted in remarkable recovery, with the girls showing a much healthier count of 10.2 and 10.6 Hb respectively. They feel more energetic and enthusiastic, perform better at school and have a better chance at opportunities in the future.
Roopmani Kumari and Jaismeen Khatoon
Were diagnosed with severe anemia (lower than Hb 8) Moga, Punjab
TRIBAL COMMUNITIES
If we do not serve patients in an emergency then god will not bless us to continue healing people.
JUGLU BESARA
Tribal Healer, Santhali serving his community for 25 years in Sahebganj, Jharkhand
Our practices and knowledge must be nurtured to be used for the coming generations and for that we are happy to work with you both for knowledge documentation as well as for research.
Seetaram ji
Tribal healer, Gariyaband, Chhattisgarh
Community Immersion Experiences
Discovering a new world of respect and values
In the beginning, I faced a lot of difficulty in living in the village because there were strangers all around me and I had to live with them. And being a girl, whose house should I go to, whose house should I not go to? And the discrimination that girls face during their periods is something I have only read about in books. Staying there made me realize the actual difficulty a village girl deals with in her everyday life. One of the incidents that touched me during my stay was their way of showing love and respect. During CI, I went with Asha to meet two tribal families. So, this family asked me to name their daughters. It was a big deal for me since naming a child is a very personal, pure, spiritual thing in the villages. I named one of the child “Swastika” which was happily accepted by the parents. Their acceptance itself was the epitome of trust and love which they had built with me during the CI process. This moment meant a lot to me. Since Trust and Love are hard to find in chaotic cities. The entire CI process brought about a huge change in me and my thought process. My thinking about the village changed a lot after I went to the village along with the people. People move to the cities and do not get to experience the simplicity of village life which I feel is important in understanding the true meaning of life better. I stayed in the village during CI, and I learned how grains are grown in the village, and how people work there, women also go to the fields, and they also take care of the house. I saw their struggle. We very easily leave food on the plate. But after going there, I understood the actual value of food. We work hard to make our lives comfortable, but a village girl sacrifices her comfort and works in the scorching heat of the afternoon to support her family.
Varsha Mishra
Batch 16
प्रेम की कोई भाषा नहीं होती
मैं औरंगजेब खां, मध्य प्रदेश के बड़वानी जिले के पॉटी ब्लॉक (जो आकांक्षी ब्लॉक हैं) के सेमली गांव में 21 दिन कम्युनिटी इमर्जन करने का मौका मिला। यहां रहकर मैंने गांव की भाषा, सामाजिक, राजनीतिक, सांस्कृतिक, संस्कार एवं मान्यतायें इन सारे पहलुओं को समझने की कोशिश की। लोकल भाषा में ज्यादा निपुण न होने की स्थिति में अपने होस्ट फैमिली के तुकाराम जी का पूरा सहयोग मिला जिससे मैं यहां की भाषा को समझ सकूं। सेमली गांव 15 फलियों में फैला हुआ करीब 4000 जनसंख्या वाला गांव था। जिसमें मुख्यरूप से आदिवासियों में बारेला, भील और भिलाला समाज के लोग रहते थे। हरिजन 60 घर और मानकर समाज के करीब 50 घर थे। मैंने हर एक समाज के घर जाकर हर एक पहलुओं को समझने का प्लान बनाया और अंततः मैं सफल भी रहा। इस प्लान को पूरा करने में मुझे करीब डेली 5 से 6 किमी. पैदल चलना पड़ता था क्योंकि फलिये काफी दूर दूर तक फैले हुए थे। लेकिन इस पैदल चलने का सुख और आनंद का अनुभव जो मैंने महसूस किया उसको बयान नही किया जा सकता है, क्योंकि कभी कभी आनंद और सुख को केवल महसूस किया जा सकता है, बयान नही।
पॉटी ब्लॉक देश का सबके पिछड़ा ब्लॉक है, यहां के लोगों का रोजगार मजदूरी, खेती और ज्यादातर पलायन करने पर निर्भर है। पहाड़ी इलाका होने की वजह से खेती के साथ पानी का भी अभाव है। बहुत कम संसाधन में रह कर जीवन बिताना इनसे बेहतर कोई नहीं जानता? गांव में एक मिडिल स्कूल और 6 प्राथमिक विद्यालय और 03 आगनवाड़ी केंद्र और एक आरोग्यम केंद्र होने के बावजूद पूरे गांव वालों की आवश्यकताओं का पूरा करना काफी मुश्किल प्रतीत होता हैं। मैंने उनकी आंखों में इस असुविधा की कमी को एहसास करते देखा। कम संसाधनों में भी सारे हितधारकों के साथ मिलकर गांव के सारे लोगों तक पहुंच कैसे हो इसपर ग्राम सभा में अपनी बात रखने का मुझे मौका मिला, जिससे काफी गांव वाले खुश थे। इसलिए नही थे जल्दी हो जायेगा, बल्कि इसलिए कि उनके जरूरत की कोई बात कर रहा था। गांव में मेरा अनुभव बहुत ही अच्छा रहा, 21 दिनों में मैंने करीब 12 घरों से विभिन्न प्रकार के वहां के भोजन करने का मौका मिला, साथ ही साथ खाने और बनाने की प्रक्रिया और हर एक पहलुओं पर चर्चा करने का सबसे अच्छा तरीका भी मेरे लिए था। जिससे मुझें काफ़ी कुछ सीखने को मिला।
गांव में एक समस्या जो वक्त के साथ पता चला कि "भेदभाव" की पतली लकीर जो दिलों दिमाग पर छाई हुई थी वह थी "यह मेरा अपना समाज" है इनके हाथ से ही हम खाना और पीना कर सकते है। मैं बात कर रहा हूं आदिवासियों समाज की जो हरिजन और मानकर समाज के लोगों के लोगों के हाथ का खाना पीना नही खा सकते थे। उनका कहना था "वे मेरे समाज के नहीं है", यह पुरानी परंपरा है जो चलती आ रही हैं। मैंने महिलाओं से ज्यादातर इसके बारे में राय जानने का प्रयास किया तो मैं, उनको इस परंपरा की घोर समर्थन करते हुए पाया। उसके बाद मैंने इसपर काम करना शुरू किया। जो ग्राम सभा से लेकर स्कूल, आगनवाड़ी और फलियों तक में इस तरह की चर्चा की मैंने शुरुआत की। जिसमें मुझें लोगों का साथ और इस भेदभाव को ख़तम करने को लेकर एक उत्सुकता नजर आई। यह पहल मेरे लिए बहुत ही प्रेरित करने वाला था।
भाषा का न जानना प्रेम में रोड़े नही डाला करती, मैं अकेले किसी के यहां चला जाता और भाषा न समझते हुए भी भावनाओं और आखों से ही एक दूसरे का बातों को समझने का वह बेहतरीन पल इस कम्युनिटी इमर्जन का ही देन जो हमे इस तरह के अनुभव देने के काम कर रहा है। पूरी प्रक्रिया में प्रोग्राम लीडर रामकृष्ण यादव जी का काफी अहम रोल रहा जिसके बदौलत यह प्रक्रिया पूरी की जा सकी।
औरंगजेब खां
बड़वानी, मध्यप्रदेश - बैच -15
Empowering or Empowered?
In the ‘land of the rising sun’, I see a ray of hope. A hope towards breaking the glass ceiling between men women. I did my CI in a small yet beautiful village called 'Momong’. This is a village that has evolved to be ‘self-sufficient’ and practice simple way of living. Now, my journey in CI led me to come across a beautiful and empowering set of women. Women of ‘Tai-khamti’ tribe of Arunachal Pradesh. Sometimes known as a ‘mother’ a ‘wife’ a ‘sister’ and sometimes as a ‘breadwinner’ of the family. One thing that amazed me while staying in their community is the absence of certain taboos. Being grown in an Assamese society, we are conditioned to follow rules during our menstrual period. But with ease on certain rules surely shows the positive aspects of the community. Apart from the daily chores of the house, 70% of the agricultural work are done by them, small markets and shops are run by these women, they are more vocal for participating in government scheme and most importantly they are the forerunners of any social activities in the village. Little did I know about the hardships of these women up until I got exposed to them. Now, when we talk about ‘Empowerment’, some studies reflect upon the ways of measuring empowerment through various indicators. Psychological, political, social, and economic independence. While others argue, one who is economically empowered can encompasses the rest. While observing through an unbiased lens, I could undoubtedly comment on the social empowerment, political and psychological empowerment of these women. But when it comes to take any household decision, the voices of the women are less bothered. Why is that so? The dignity of housemakers is challenged. If we somehow go with the later part of studies, can we truly say that women here are empowered or in the process towards empowerment? This remains unanswered.
Rishika Borgohain
Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh
Through the Himalayan Lens
Jammu & Kashmir is hailed all over the world for its incredible natural beauty. But along with that, it is the human touch which makes Jammu & Kashmir heaven. And that is a realisation which I had only when I experienced it myself through Community Immersion. Being a privileged member of this society, I had never thought that I would have to live in a camp near HMT Srinagar without any facilities, surviving through the harsh winters of Kashmir. Deprived of basic utilities, I spent 5 days of my community immersion in that camp around slums, with a family of a Rajasthani migrant worker, who had spent half of his life braving the freezing cold Kashmir to make ends meet for his family by selling brooms. Sadly, in this tussle of migration & existence, his children’s education was compromised. His family taught me their working style, which eventually made me realise the stoic acceptance of life. As far as my school & community interventions are concerned, the Himalayas have their own beauty and their own challenges. The season was so extreme that either schools & Anganwadi centres were closed or had no attendance. Plus, it became difficult for me to connect with the elder members of the community who only understood the local tongue. All of this curtailed my desired plans yet, the entire experience was wholesome for me & I can surely say this on behalf of most of my co-fellows- “Community Immersion turned out to be a process that allowed me to understand the community & its challenges through a different lens”.
Danish Raees
Batch 15 J&K
