ASHA has Sanskrit roots that mean ‘hope.’ It also has an Arabic origin that means ‘Alive and Healthy. Asha can be translated into various meanings, including ‘happy,’ ‘life,’ ‘wish,’ and ‘desire.’ In term of medical and health ASHA signify as; – “Accredited Social Health Activist”. One of India’s most successful community health initiative programs, designed […]
Weaving together the rich experiences from Salem Heritage Market Festival and personal learnings highlighting the connection between tradition, sustainability and wellness. While evolving at a lightning speed, the world carries its heritage along. People today are expected to carry the weight of heritage. It contains the ingredients and recipes required for wellness, health and peaceful […]
There are places you visit to work and then there are places that quietly weave you into their story, thread by thread, until you realise you’re no longer just a visitor. That’s what happened to me in a quiet tribal village where I went to help women with stitching training. It started off as just […]
Two skills that hold immense value in any workplace yet are only truly honed through experience are adaptability and resilience. In the fast-paced modern ecosystem, changes occur at a rate faster than the Vande Bharat. When faced with these changes, an executive can respond in two ways – either adapt to the ongoing changes and […]
The Silence Around Periods
I studied in an all boys school, where we had very limited interaction with girls in fact, none at all, as there were no girls in our class. Even after school hours, our opportunities were restricted since our hostels were located within the campus and there were strict rules limiting movement outside the premises. As […]
Dreams locked inside Emotional Cage
“Children are the future of the nation” a phrase we hear so often that it’s almost lost its meaning. For many tribal children in Ashram Shalas, the future doesn’t feel like a promise. It feels like a court sentence in a locked room. A childhood lived behind invisible bars of neglect and ignorance. Do we […]
The Making of a Sarpanch.
“Agar main sarpanch na hota, to shayad mai na hota” (If I hadn’t become Sarpanch, I might not be me). This is the story of Mr. Satish Thul, The Sarpanch of Satkondi village, located in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. Satish is a man whose life took a drastic turn during the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing […]
(16th–24th May 2025): Mahal, Dhinkia Panchayat, Erasama, Jagatsinghpur, Odisha. After the weed-laden waters of the village pond were cleared in Phase 1, the path was paved for deeper, more transformative change. Phase 2 of the rejuvenation project—carried out from 16th to 24th May 2025—was not merely a technical intervention; it was an expression of collective […]
Rural Governance: A Brief Guide
Understanding the governance system is fundamental for any individual willing to contribute to the development sector. As one of the primary established systems, government hierarchies exist to disseminate benefits for the local populace. With several schemes established, such as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, and ample funds available, such as the District Mineral Foundation, […]
Is ending something an art? Is that why we fail at it constantly? Take a few minutes to picture all the scenarios of having had to end things, in your mind. Can you honestly say you’ve done a good job of all of them? And it’s not like we don’t encounter the need or the […]
