iVolunteer Blog - everything about volunteeringWorking in the hills of Uttarakhand has consistently reinforced one lesson: no intervention here is complete without negotiating with geography. The installation of millet processing machines in Parwari village was one such experience. A process that highlighted not only the labor-intensiveness of traditional millet processing but also the physical effort required simply to introduce change. […]
Sometimes, the most meaningful conversations happen with people we have never met before. There is something unexpectedly beautiful about speaking to someone who knows nothing about your background, your achievements, or your struggles. In that brief moment, you are simply two human beings sharing space and words. I remember a random conversation while returning home […]
I’ve been thinking about this for a while. Every time a brutal rape case shakes the country, the public response is immediate and intense- “Hang them.” It feels like the only proportionate response to something so deeply violent and violating. And I understand that reaction. Sexual violence is not an abstract crime. It is a […]
In development practice, analysis often begins with numbers-coverage rates, compliance percentages, savings generated, and beneficiaries reached. During my fieldwork in rural Uttarakhand, I too worked within such frameworks, documenting kitchen gardens that had begun producing vegetables, recording the savings households generated through home-grown produce, and tracking postnatal mothers’ consumption of iron and calcium supplements. However, […]
Everyone has experienced FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), which comes when you see that others are moving ahead and you are missing out on opportunities at some point in your life. But have you ever felt bad about being in a good situation? It happened when I was conducting outreach to expand the Hamari Bakhli […]
We have all heard of notorious capitalism, infact we have lived it. While buying groceries from Dmart or BigBazaar, you get a huge discount on the MRP – from cosmetics to clothing, from groceries to cutleries, toys and etables, everything we see on the four floored building in an acre of land, attracts us more. […]
The sun rose bright today. As I opened the tin door, I noticed that more dried jackfruit leaves than usual had fallen in the yard. I was about to quickly sweep them away and head off to wash the dishes when Tribeni appeared. She hurriedly reminded me about some preparations and left just as fast. […]
I still remember my very first solo travel. The nervous excitement, the heavy bag on my shoulders, and the endless stream of thoughts in my mind. It felt like stepping into the unknown, where every small decision carried a weight I had never experienced before. Finding the right bus, asking strangers for directions, figuring out […]
Just when you think you finally understand the ground reality, the field humbles you. It shows you how much more there is to learn. That’s exactly why I love fieldwork. It never lets you live in assumptions. For the past few months, I’ve been on field and visits almost every day. Bastar, with all its […]
During the months of September and October, custard apples in Maharashtra are ready to harvest. My project is about establishing a value chain of custard apple through processing, value addition and market linkages of custard apple. In those times, I was managing the processing unit, people and paperwork, and rarely I woke up with a […]
iVolunteer Blog - everything about volunteering 