Rural India
The MASS Movement that is liberating hundreds who faced religiously sanctioned lifelong abuse
I was on my way back home from the ceremony. It was a long tiring day. The bus conductor stood near the front seat of the bus. The passengers rushed in like flowing water from an open tap. He closed his eyes, bowed his head and tightly pressed the ticket machine against his chest. When …
Painted facades, digital schools, and a football academy are resurrecting a village in Punjab
Barely three months ago, Aluna Tola was just another quaint hamlet in the heartland of Punjab. With a population of around 1200 and 250 families, it lies near Payal town in Ludhiana district of Punjab. Today, visitors to the village are surprised by its pleasant transformation. Thanks to a unique initiative by a local sports …
A new ‘thought’ by a quartet of youngsters is bringing rural artisans to limelight
An idea just crossed my mind!- That’s how most innovations lay down a first foundation in your mind. But, just having a vision doesn’t really work every time. Portrayal of that vision is equally important to get the idea delivered well. I have been working up my mind since quite a few days now, wondering what …
A new Satyagraha has embarked in Bhitiharwa, Bihar to empower rural girls
Once the milestone of Gandhiji’s first Satyagraha, this school in Bhitiharwa, West Champaran is creating a positive change in the lives of 350 rural girls. Bhitiharwa, a lesser known village in West Champaran district of the rural belt of Bihar, has an important place in the annals of our history. The village saw the advent …
Micro yet Macro: A Micro-finance institution’s efforts to change 5000 young lives
“Strengthening India – one step at a time”. This phrase felt absolutely true when I visited the social activity centre of Prayas in Bhabra, Gujarat. Prayas is a micro-finance and social development NGO established in 1997. It’s vision is to have a more sustainable and equal society through social activities in villages and providing funds to …
The key for innovating a ‘young’ India lies in its rural heartland
In speeches, predictions, and statistics, India has been widely proclaimed as a ‘young nation’. This term has ensued because of the substantial population of young individuals in the country. According to the Census of India, 2011, the youth population (18 – 29 years) was 422 million, accounting for around 1/3rd of the total population of the …
How a group of village women in Odisha cleaned up 2 tonnes of weed from one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia on their own
India is a home to a healthy lot of freshwater lakes. But, sadly, most of them have faced an impending doom either due to government apathy or because of public ignorance. One such lake, that had faced a similar fate, was the Ansupa lake of Odisha. Ansupa is the only Freshwater lake in Odisha but …