Category: Fellow Blog

Some of us grew up with dreams. Others had dreams growing on them. Each dream is precious. Once set free, a dream has endless potential to transform those it touches. However, the Indian education system is seldom dreamer friendly. For those who seek linearity, corporate jobs, condominiums and bonuses, it seems, perhaps, promising. But what about those who dream differently? The Gandhi Fellowship was set up as a sanctuary for dreamers. Although the Fellows will vouch, a snug sanctuary is not what it feels on a given day. More than a faraway, cosy resting place, the Fellowship is an intense, emotional joyride through grassroots reality and the surprising hinterland of one’s own mind. The tagline whispers at “Work for India; Do it for you.” Not for Mama, not for Love, but for your own Self. The question all Gandhi Fellows religiously engage with is one of transformation – and that is what we require around us today. And that requires some gumption. Gandhi Fellowship Founder-Director Vivek Sharma, speaks of his current occupation as one of betting on young people as he goes campus hopping, looking for tomorrow’s leaders from among the youth. “Popular perception is that youth don’t care. But from the cream of the crop institutions to far-flung colleges, I come across a bunch of creative, non-violent constructivists waiting to take up extraordinary agendas.” “I often ask if they dream of one big issue to solve. Some answers come rapidly, mostly from the over-exposed metropolitan bacchas. Those from rural and semi-urban parts silently nod, without even the hint of a dream as if the education system clipped their wings. But I see a hunger in the belly; innocent, unpolluted minds and most important, given coaching and mentoring, they will deliver the rigour and passion required to succeed.” Understanding the precise art of transformation – idea to action, fear to courage, cynicism to change, dreamer to leader – is what the Fellowship believes will create a different world. Aditya Natraj CEO, Piramal Foundation, says, “People like Mahatma Gandhi, Verghese Kurien MS Swaminathan and Ela Bhatt felt a deep understanding of the problems they addressed. To seed the next generation of leaders, it is crucial to understand today’s scenario. As a first step, it requires exposing and familiarising them with the challenges in the Indian backyard.” Besides the exposure, the Fellowship works at giving the dreamers significant practical life experience, and opportunities to hone leadership. It is designed to develop leaders who will contribute in the domains of social entrepreneurship, civil society, politics, economy, academia and communication. Being the change you wish to see in the world, is the grain of Gandhian philosophy that Fellows live by. Change yourself first, GFs are warned before they set foot outside. The Fellowship once evolved alongside a parallel visionary idea – the Principal Leadership Development Program. The program was about lending to Headmasters, who wish to bring change in their schools, the necessary support to create sustainable change. School support involved academic and institutional transformation in which the Fellows were an executive assistant, coach, friend and sometimes, even a jiminy cricket of sorts for the older school Headmasters. Together, they created and implemented strategies to bring changes in the school fabric, measuring change, attendance, scowls, smiles, and everything in between. Today Fellows work in areas so diverse as water, health and education – with gram panchayats, block & district officials and the rural communities in the bottom districts of India. Transformation takes place not in rhetorical word play or in borrowed answers but in places that have been institutionally ignored – our lives, hearts and minds. Once the Fellows succeed in thawing the old ice, the elders at the helm of social change in India, the district and Block leadership, becomes playful like children, it doesn’t stop there. Even their spouses feel the tender strokes. Life changes once people begin to feel free and unencumbered (bhaya-mukt). Gandhi Fellows engage with divergent experiences, to gain multi-layered perspectives and to learn together, from a bustling month long community immersions, to taking a vow of silence at a Vipassana retreat and hanging out with organisations with contrasting ideologies. The Fellowship is not about making the best out of the best, explains Vivek.” While we go to top campuses, the majority of dreamers are from the districts India. “Impaired by an education system that has failed to deliver them vocabulary and grammar, what does a young person do? Yet I see a yearning across campuses, a desire to make a difference to the self and to the world around, tomorrow if not today, faltering if not coherent,” adds Vivek. The Fellowship pushes its dreamers to stretch their limits and grow in fearlessness. To understand what you must do to spur someone else’s transformation, you must be steeped in and deeply engaged with your own. And to approach the world, not as an external agent of change – but a participant means living with grassroots empathy and self awareness. It means living with integrity – and being the change you really wish to see.

They say that, change is the only constant in nature. So, even I have decided to give a break to my routine writing style and try out a different format. Normally, I do not work on Sundays. But the last Sunday (Jan 26) was something different. Racing on the bicycle the Sarpanch had given me to use for commuting around the village, I started off at 5.30 in the morning, traversing through fields and houses of curious onlookers. But, what will remain forever with me is the encounter I had at Hardik’s home, at around 7am, when I dropped by for my morning Chai. “Good morning Manohar sir, how are you?, asked the boy in English with a beaming smile, seeing me so early at his doorstep. Reciprocating his gesture, I just waved him a Hi, and offered a folded Namaste to his grandfather, who was sitting on a Khat, outside his home. The conversation was naturally about his grandfather, as I could not speak of anything else other than that, at that point of time. I was shell shocked, coming to know that, he had an acute paralysis attack, 3 years ago. Prior to it, he suffered from a knee cap replacement surgery, when he fell down from a moving bus. Dadaji was a conductor in a government bus, traversing daily from Kapadwanj to Nadiad. I was further saddened when I came to know that, they took him to a hospital 5 long hours after he suffered from the attack because of no facilities. They didn’t have enough money to afford an ambulance and to top it, they have a strained relation with their neighbors, owing to a property dispute. After a medical check-up, the family could not afford advanced treatment and just let Dadaji be, as long as he can live. It pained me the most. When my dad suffered from a similar attack in 2012, we took him to the best hospital in less than 10 minutes. There was physiotherapy and advanced physiotherapy for him, for almost 3 years, making sure that he does get back to normalcy. Though my dad doesn’t work anymore, it’s very difficult to say, he had an acute paralysis attack, seeing his present look. This comparison was racing on in my mind. “How a paralysis attack can affect an entire family,” this thought was hammering all sides of my brain, transporting me back to those turbulent days. But then, I can only say that, it is all fate, and no can guess, what will ever happen to anyone of us. Speaking with Hardik’s father, I was still more saddened. When I told him to not give up on physiotherapy or exercising and told him to take Dadaji for any nearby trauma center, he just lay bare his condition, making me silent for almost 20 minutes. I couldn’t utter a single word after that. He said, he’s neck deep in loans, hunted by loan sharks, owing to the installments he has to pay for his Eeco. He also added that, it’s because of this reason that he stays away from home, most of the time. He also said that Hardik and Hemal’s education are his top priority now and he cannot afford to oversee it to better Dadaji’s condition. I couldn’t say anything after this. I was too emotionally drained, as I was, in parallel, thinking of my own home. What if my dad had not secured his finances, what if we were not able to afford the treatment, what if I didn’t have the resources to complete my education, what if I did not have a strong mother who managed things so well, and these thoughts kept on coming back, after a really long time. I tried putting myself in Hardik’s shoes, but I just could not, as it was too scary for me. The only difference I found between Hardik and me was that, he remains happy with whatever limited he has got, enjoying the present. On the contrary, always searching for something better in the future, I keep on ruining my present. This single incident was enough to put me on a very deep reflection, letting me thank God for what he has given me, despite taking back a few moments. I also promised myself to not get involved with others who do not reciprocate similar kind of feelings towards me. I made a mental note, to just stay strong, keep working hard, and keep getting better at what I do. Though I felt like staying with them for a whole day, I had to leave after my food, as I had an interview with the Sarpanch at 12.30 pm. The interview went well, I did my best, though it was a very new experience for me, facing camera. I would be getting the edited footage in about two days. Finishing this, I left for Santosh bhai’s home, as he had invited me for lunch. I interacted with his extended family too, who were there for a function at his home. I ate my food silently and just left to my home. I decided not to go anywhere after that, and was just lost in thoughts.  I thank God for making me this capable and giving me, what he could best.

Hey folks! Greetings from Kheda Location’s DTP Team. A big THANK YOU to all of you for all your love, support and for reposting our cartoons so much that they found their way back to us. Really shows how connected we are as a Gandhi Fellowship community. This is Jazreen Deboo (from Bombay) and Sagar Malik (from Haryana) who have come together to tell our fellowship story. Turns out its not just our story, its yours too!   We are Batch XI fellows who joined the fellowship last year and feel it really changed our lives. Here in Gujarat, we have taken inspiration from tea – an integral part of our daily survival. Two years of the fellowship will pass us by in the blink of an eye and you must drink the tea while it is still hot. (And keep good relations with Gujarati chai wallahs, you never know). So come and join us as we recall our journey so far. Find out if Gandhi fellowship is our cup of tea.  तो शुरू करे चाय पे चर्चा?   We met our entire team at PSL in June and we were so overwhelmed by the diversity of fellows in one campus. “Diversity is about embracing differences and recognizing that amazing things are possible when it’s woven into an organization’s culture.” Here’s what we think a Gandhi Fellow is made of:   Join us one day and live the life of a DTP Fellow: Phew, tough day! Being a fellow involves going through a roller coaster of emotions. Check out some feelings of Sagar and Jaz through their journey so far. Dealing with the realities of a dynamic field Come end of the month .. Pleasant surprises .. Reflections Stakeholder Management Uh oh .. Kyunki ek accident toh banta hai .. Winner Winner Chicken Dinner .. No place for the slow and steady here .. Aaj jaane ki zidd na karo .. Can’t explain, you really have to feel this one: And during this fellowship ride of ups and downs, you’re bound to learn a lot of new things about yourself, the development sector and the country we live in. This journey of self change to system change will allow you to open your mind and expand your horizons to explore depths of yourself that you never imagined possible. From Classroom Immersion to Vipassana, from Field Support to Village Immersion and many more processes that will mold your way to being a valuable citizen of India. Here are some things Jaz & Sagar have learned so far (other than multiple Baal Geets): The importance of data, understanding the need of the community and empathizing with the stakeholder. The District is our lab – a place to try new ideas, innovate and reinvent processes and experiences. Breaking linear patterns of thinking and exploring creative solutions and ways of working in the system. Leaving your home and venturing into a new district far away will break your bubble and expose you to the realities of rural India. How well are you coping with this? With great innovation comes great risk. सबका मंगल हो A small “Thank You” or “Good Job” goes a long way .. (Hail Ufra 😀 ) There is no “I” in TEAM Its okay to screw up sometimes .. But whatever you do make sure you’re always making great memories! That’s all from us! See you all later over our next cup of tea!  

The globetrotter in me has decided to take a break. Its time for a new adventure, a different approach and an altered way of life. For the next two years, I am shifting base from my home in the urban metropolis Mumbai to a rural district in Gujarat – Kheda. I’m embracing this change with a mission in mind. I have become a part of the Gandhi Fellowship Programme. The programme helps youngsters like me enter the development sector to strive towards making a difference and empowering the backward sections of our country. Our project – Rural Education. Some might say I have walked into this scene blindly. With no experience, no concrete plans for the future and having never lived away from home. To those people I would like to say, have a little faith and join me in my journey (through this blog) from the City of Dreams to making some dreams come true. For now, I have said my Good Byes. Good Bye to my city and my beloved college. Good Bye to my friends. Good Bye to my protective father, my mother (and her silly jokes) and my brother who now has a room all to himself. As I write this piece, seated in the 12955 Mumbai to Jaipur Super-Fast Express on my way to the Pink City (for my training course), I am surrounded by the usual scene one would find in an Indian long-distance train. Families and their home-cooked meals, children jumping from berth to berth and every passenger over 15 glued to the screens of their smartphones. Four year olds playing at a seat next to mine: “Stone .. Paper .. Shijur” The vernacular pronunciation of the word ‘scissor’ has given me my first taste of North India. (South Bombay kids will get this.) A journey like this, even without getting out of the train can expose you to a variety of cultures just by the people who board at every station. Every passenger brings with them their own sense of style, language and sensitivity. A group of men, all strangers before they met on train are now having a partly-hushed, partly-loud conversation about ‘Modiji’ – a common topic for conversation run up to the 2019 election while their wives and the older folk snooze occasionally, keeping an eye on the children. My father sits across from me, taking some business calls. I am a silent observer, with no judgements just taking it all in. Every character in my story from here will be a brand new one. I know no one and nothing. Every scene in my life henceforth is going to be a surprise even for me. And that brings me some excitement. Stay tuned for more. #GFPDiaries #ThoughtsOfAFellow #CityGirl #UrbanToRural #MissingMumbai #KissingKheda #Bombye #GFPDiaries #MyChronicles

One With All The Answers Inside a classroom or outside of it, hands raised or put down, questions asked or not; didn’t matter because I was always the one with all the answers. The one who knew it all. Whether you wanted it or not I was ready with all the answers, not all spoken out loudly but it was all there in my mind. I knew it all or maybe I thought I did. I thought I could take on life as it came and turn it my way because you know I know it all until recently when I find myself at a short of words let alone answers. Life was getting on track, I was trying to establish my footing, work was getting in line and if I had stayed things would have been very comfortable and settled by now but the heart wants what it wants and in a very dramatic manner I let my heart take over my mind and turn my life upside down. Very pompously and I must say with a large pinch of arrogance I threw away the prospects of a millennial future in lieu of uncertainties and a faint hopeless hope of being “the change you want to see in the world” (not a romantic at heart but I did just say that, see the uncertainties have already gotten onto me). I was looking for questions to answer because why not, after all I was one with all the answers. Just one and a half month into this fellowship and my head has been set straight and here I am not giving but seeking answers. When I had joined I had more confidence than blood in my body and now I see myself craving for even a glimpse of that old self. I had come here certain of myself but the ways of life have thrown me off-guard. The prospective nation builder in me was more than overwhelmed when I got to see the nation so up and close, a nation I knew to exist in books and stories but now am very much a part of. The nation that’s not in the delivery range of Zomato and Swiggy but serves tales, food and love enough to fill your stomach and satiate your soul. I had heard a lot that this journey of two years changes who you are and I thought how could it because you know!!! And here I have already started to shed away parts of me and transition into I do not even know what. Travelling to places I surely wouldn’t have otherwise both in this physical space and spiritual, finding hope in odd looking faces, tapping to my own tunes and quoting revolutionaries, at this point in time I cannot even fathom where am I headed to? You know what? I am no longer the one with all the answers and it doesn’t me any happier but it doesn’t make me sad either and somehow and I do not know high but I sleep lighter at nights, this journey of self-discovery is giving me the strength to push through my dark days. I feel my pit burning, burning with the hunger of knowledge, after a very long period; hunger to know myself and the other better, to put more life in my breaths…. Not all days are shiny and bright but the will to push through dark days towards better ones is getting stronger and Chico that’s enough progress for now, I guess! 

The child brides whom I encountered in different schools and communities during my fellowship are living examples of how patriarchal society subjugates women in the name of culture, reducing their identity to mere objects with no agency.  “You can talk about sanitation but don’t mention anything about menstrual hygiene,” is what the principal of a Government senior secondary school in Bikaner told me a few minutes before I was going to begin a session on gender sensitivity and health. I am posted in Bikaner as a Gandhi fellow under the Rajasthan Government’s Mission Buniyaad mission, which aimed to provide access to digital education to 10 lakh girl students in the state and was there to take a session as a part of the mission. I was a little shocked when I heard the principal, not only due to what she said (after all, I was there to take a session about menstruation as a part of sanitation!) but also because just a day ago, she said she was totally fine with the session when I had told her about it. I did try to convince her to let me include the bit about menstruation, but she wasn’t convinced. Me facilitating a Session on Gender Sensitivity at Govt. Senior Secondary School of Rajasthan After conducting the session, I again tried to initiate a discussion with her to understand her reservations and what had made her change her mind. While I didn’t get a satisfactory response from her, another senior teacher posted at the same school told me that men usually don’t engage in issues related to women. He also told me that discussing sensitive topics like menstrual hygiene could in fact make things tougher for girls. Instead of showing the movie Padman to boys and girls together, as was instructed by the state government, he told me that the school administration only showed it to female students in the presence of female teachers. Hearing such regressive words from a teacher really rattled me. But, due to this incident, I also got to know how deep-rooted and complex patriarchy is, how tough it was going to be to work on the issue related to women’s education in a state with the biggest gender divide in literacy and high rate of dropouts of females. I remember it well how during my college days, I used to discuss with my friends the need to implement strict laws to combat regressive practices in our society. Working in Rajasthan and seeing the deep-rooted complex realities have made me realize that awareness programs hitting the patriarchal norms, authentic research before drafting a law, and monitoring of policies are deciding factors for how things will play out on the ground. Joined the fellowship to get exposure on the ground During the panel interview, I was asked by a senior member of the organization about my reason for wanting to work in the education domain and I told him that my reason was that I wanted to see positive change in society and that education was the only medium that could accomplish that. When I was told that I’ll be sent to Rajasthan and will be a part of the state government’s project Mission Buniyaad, I got very excited and researched extensively about the state and its education structure. I have been working as a Gandhi fellow in Bikaner Rajasthan for the past eight months now and have witnessed several incidents that show the ugly reality of the male-dominated society we live in. This short journey has made me realize that researching on the internet and witnessing the reality of how things play out in real time are two completely different things. I am not obviously completely denying the importance of education to bring about change, but seeing the power dynamics on the ground, I no longer feel that education alone is enough to bring radical change in our hierarchical society. Having seen these realities so closely, I now feel that I was living in a bubble in the past, a topia of sorts, created by the same University campus that provided me an atmosphere in which I was able to acknowledge the privileges and prejudices I held, unlearn my bigotry, and helped me in transforming myself into a rational human. “She has been married to a man because her uncle wanted to marry his sister.” Ranvijay, who studies in Class X told me this when I asked him about a girl I saw in his classroom who was wearing a salwar kameez instead of a school uniform like the other students and had vermillion on her head. I was shocked after hearing that statement. He also told me that there were other girls like her in classes 9th and 11th who were married but who came to school in uniform. The statue is a hope to 120+ Dalit families of Kapurisar Village While facilitating my session on gender sensitivity and the importance of digital education in that school, the image of that little girl from 9th class kept playing in my mind. So, later, I visited her house and asked one of the elder family members about her marital status. He justified the practice by telling me that it’s a tradition and told me that the Gauna of the girl hadn’t been done yet. He also told me that the girl would only be sent to live with her husband once she would legally not be a minor. This girl and other child brides like her whom I encountered in different schools and communities during my fellowship are living examples of how patriarchal society subjugates women in the name of culture, reducing their identity to mere objects with no individual agency. Although I knew that working in the remote villages of Rajasthan was going to be tough, the constant failures and arguments with some stakeholders In the initial months of the fellowship program increased my pessimism. To be honest, I wasn’t mentally prepared to witness and face such normalization of casteism and patriarchy as I saw. Yet,

7th of March I left for Jatoli (2310mts above sea level) and was sure of the destination but unknown to the journey and the path to be taken. It was a long 3 hours trek, steep rocky pathways, thick forest and you will hardly meet someone on the way. Jatoli cannot be travelled either in the monsoon or in the winter as the road is usually broken. Harsh rain washes away the path or snow blocks it in winter. Jatoli, arcaded by humongous Sundardunga Glacier stands as the last village in the Pindar Valley. The world is just a click away but this village doesn’t have the privilege of electricity. Jatoli has a population of 23 household and the government primary school has a strength of 10 students and 11 Anganwadi students and definitely a single teacher. I hardly had any clue about with whom I will stay in Jatoli, so had in my mind if no one allows me to stay with them I may have to get back. Trekking in the Pindar valley is not that easy but mother nature never fails to mesmerize. Then after reaching Jatoli locating my place to stay and to my surprise, the headmaster had to leave the next day because of some important work in the Education Department. To keep the school open, became one of the major responsibility and to experience in the shoes of a single teacher. The approach of each CRI to be activity based and help the children grow leadership qualities by taking ownership in what they are doing in school from assembly to after-school activities. Not only so to link the community to the happiness and well-being of the students. From the second day onwards, I found children wanted to stay in school for extra hours. Students not registered with school or, the secondary students who were having their break after an annual exam, to the girl who did not continue with formal education after class 5, everyone enjoyed their time there. An SMC meeting leading to a large group meeting attended by every singular person on the notion to create a better learning environment for the children of the village and how could every household support the same. It was pleasant to see the youth of the village coming to school in midst of their daily schedule to participate in the activities with their little brothers and sisters. From a holistic assembly in the morning to classroom activities and the Sunday activities, students started of steering it in their own way with a very little help of mine. Dhana Devi, Ward Representative and also a mother of two (students of GPS Jatoli) had to spend innumerable evenings with her discussing on the gap areas that need support and that definitely helps to build my perspective. Communication to each and every parent and other stakeholders of the community helped in need analysis and understand the socio-economic situation of the village. Education can just not be restricted to the books and syllabus it is beyond that especially in a place where there is lack of resources, environment and the society starts being a teacher. I will forever be thankful to Kapil bhaiya and Kalavati didi who made space for me in their place and never made me feel I was away from home in a new place. There is a lot of “I learned” and “I miss”. I learnt to cook food in a clay oven, to cut grass, learn to basics of agriculture, feed cattle and a little bit of cane work. I will definitely miss waking up to the beautiful glacier, outdoor classes with my children. Every day they taught me about a new plant, we played badminton together and had never-ending conversations with Amma (who had none to call family). She made amazing rajma for me and she taught me a lot of Kumauni words. The never-ending conversation with those hardworking women who surely spared time to talk to me and know the world beyond their village and the process left me spellbound with their daily stories. I feel sad about the fact they treated me with so much of warmth. But, I was unable to live up to their request “Ma’am, aap humare gaon mein rook jao, bacche bhi chahte hai”.

Gaurav, Gandhi Fellow, Batch 2018-20, with his efforts tried to solve the problem of electricity in Darbha village during his community immersion. Here he recounts his story of community immersion. I, Gaurav, Gandhi Fellow, Batch 11, stayed in Darbha village for ten days as part of my Gandhi Fellowship Community Immersion. On my first day in the Durba village, there was a strange feeling that I had never gotten during any of my regular field visits, and this was because I realized that the people of the village were looking very strangely at me. They were looking at me like they wanted to ask me a lot of questions, and I would have the answers. Before I could go past this strange feeling and ask them what’s wrong, I noticed the biggest problem of the village in the evening was that there was no electricity in the village. That day I lived without electricity. Because I had only 10 days and in my opinion, the absence of electricity was the biggest problem of the village at the time, without waiting for a single day, I immediately convened a meeting of the village people and asked them the reason for not having electricity. It was peculiar to me because there were electric pillars in the village and they also got the line, but there is no electricity! The villagers told me that four years ago, electricity first came to their village, but due to the breakdown of a pillar immediately after the arrival of electricity in two days, there was no more access to electricity. After hearing this, the next day I went to have a look and noticed that three electric pillars were broken, due to which there was no electricity. Then on the same day, together with all the villagers, a letter was written to the Tehsildar there, and the Tehsildar assured us that the problem would be resolved as soon as possible. A major challenge during this period was giving confidence to the villagers in regards to the problems that they face, that if they come forward and take initiative, then there will be a solution to the problem. It is a big challenge to motivate villagers even today. They feel that their initiatives will not produce desirable results, as they cannot identify any facilities designed to help them, leading the villagers to agree that their effort will go waste. After all these challenges, the day finally arrived when even in the Darbha, the light of light appeared and the whole village glowed with electricity. Those who used to eat food in the dark or they used to eat before dark, could have dinner with light and in peace. Being a Gandhi Fellow, I feel that bringing electricity in the village within 10 days is the biggest success during community immersion.