iVolunteer Blog - everything about volunteeringI have been very fond of animals. Dogs, cats, goats, cows, anyone who are mostly harmless, a little used to humans and know how to deceive us with their love and tantrums. I love be around them, especially their pups or kittens. I have a cat named Chakli, who I found when she was a […]
I am working on a Common Facility Centre (CFC) project for rice value addition. The main aim of this project is to improve the livelihood of farmers. When I started, I thought this work would be about building something meaningful. But as I got involved, I began to see a different side of reality. Building […]
“औरत देवी होती है…” I have heard this line countless times growing up, in homes, in communities, in conversations that glorify women as symbols of strength, sacrifice, and purity. But somewhere during my fieldwork as a Swar Fellow, I started questioning, “What happens when this same ‘devi’ does not fit into society’s expectations?” What happens […]
Now your land is ready. Once you have seeds in your hand, you will feel like starting sowing immediately- that is natural. But before sowing the main crops, I would say, pause for a while. After preparing the beds, spread water properly. Make sure the whole bed is fully wet. Then wait patiently for seven […]
I recently facilitated an exposure visit with 40 youth leaders from 20 Gram Sabhas in Narayanpur as part of my Swar Fellowship journey to Pori village and Rofra Gram Sabha, Khamdogri. We travelled together to understand what community led development actually looks like on the ground when Gram Sabhas take charge of their forests, livelihoods, […]
We think we know something, know what we are doing. Ideas of good and bad. We even decide actions based on such principles which are not very principled, and yet they guide us in our everyday life. I usually feel no one should be left out, what one gets , all should get. And if […]
For reference, do check the post: Reaching the destination (link added at the end) The return was also crazy. The tickets were not confirmed and we didn’t get tatkal either. We now had to figure out realistic ways to reach Kanker and Narayanpur within a budget, in a very short specific period of time and […]
For the longest time, I believed gender was something stable. Something you are given, like a name, and then expected to carry without question. It lived quietly in everyday instructions. Sit like this. Speak like that. Don’t laugh too loudly. Don’t take up too much space. Dream, but not too far. Fear, but silently. I […]
At the start of this fellowship, I had many mixed emotions and thoughts. I kept thinking about how it would be, what it would look like, and how everything would work, the community, the project, the implementation, and the impact. But after almost completing one year, I have realized that many outcomes did not match […]
Almora, a town that is both a hill settlement and an urban center, has many unique aspects worth noticing. Among them, one is the system of “MATE.” MATEs are individuals who carry luggage, goods, and various items from the market to designated delivery points in exchange for a fee. In a landscape defined by steep […]