iVolunteer Blog - everything about volunteering

Introduction The life of a Pahadi farmer, especially a woman engaged in millet cultivation, is defined by continuous labour — from household responsibilities, to farming tasks, to post-harvest processing. In the hills of Uttarakhand, farming is not just an occupation. It is a routine that shapes the entire day — often beginning before sunrise and […]

In one of the GramUrja advocacy programs, governance is more decentralised than you read in books. Now the power doesn’t lies only in Sarpanch, but in all the residents of the village. The goal of the program is to strengthen local governance by bringing accessibility and awareness of various government schemes like insurance, health, subsidies, […]

I used to think love had to look a certain way, something obvious, something we could easily name. Big words, clear expressions, moments that feel like what we see in movies. But slowly, that idea has been changing. Love is not always romantic. Sometimes, it is very quiet. It looks like someone checking if you […]

Sometimes a simple conversation stays with you longer than you expect. During one of my field interactions, a group discussion was happening around marriage and traditions. At one point, the girls in the room very confidently said something that felt hopeful. They said they do not believe in dowry and that this practice should not […]

In the hills, time does not always move according to a fixed schedule. It stretches, pauses, and often depends on factors that are beyond immediate control – the arrival of a vehicle, the completion of daily chores, or the availability of people. What might be considered a “delay” elsewhere is often a normal part of […]

We live in a world that constantly asks for explanations. Why do you like this, or what do you gain from it? How is this productive?Somewhere between growing up and fitting in, we start believing that even our happiness needs to justify itself. That joy must be logical. Useful. Impressive. But the truth is that […]

Almora is a very beautiful, peaceful, and soulful city situated in the middle Himalayas of Uttarakhand. It owns a rich history and glorious stories, and in that history live its old temples. The temple, whose walls protect its marvelous architecture and mythological stories that have kept alive the centuries-old identity of the region, the king, […]

Completing my Master’s degree was far from a linear journey. It unfolded through uncertainty, difficult decisions, and, most unexpectedly, deeply meaningful human connections. When I was selected for the SWAR Fellowship and preparing to leave for the induction in Pune, I encountered a practical dilemma. I had to fill out my Master’s examination form, yet […]

(Because Our Health Matters!) Lately, I’ve been noticing something about myself. I can spend hours planning sessions, travelling to villages, talking to people, finishing reports… but when it comes to my own health, I keep saying, “I’ll check later.” Later never really comes, right? The other day, one of the girls casually said, “Akka, my […]

Just about few days are left to complete my Swar Fellowship in the hilly regions of Uttarakhand. As I sit and reflect on this journey, I realize it has been a mix of both beautiful and difficult moments. It was beautiful because I met so many kind and warm people who made me feel at […]