Sarasavadi, a small village 90 miles west of Ahmedabad, is home to 109 families; 80% earn their livelihoods through dairy and agriculture. The village has one government primary school; the closest government secondary school is 8 kilometers away. Many youth do not continue past primary school, most subsequently drop out of secondary school; for the few that pass, there are no local jobs.
Raju’s story is different. In 2003, Raju Thakor came to Ahmedabad. After working a few odd jobs, he found his way to Manav Sadhna, a Gandhi Ashram-based non-profit organization that truly “Loves All, Serves All.” Drawn to the philosophy and with great self-initiative, Raju learned computers, English, video-editing skills, and ultimate Frisbee. He also learned the power of selfless service. In 2007, prompted in part by his father’s death and increased family responsibility, Raju returned to Sarasavadi with the dream of creating a ‘model village.’ Raju has a ten-year plan.
In just two years, Raju has initiated a computer class, public health awareness campaigns, sanitation projects, and an ultimate Frisbee program within the village. With three donated computers, Raju teaches computer basics to two batches of 15 children each. He collaborated with the local government primary school on a village clean-up project where students engage in village clean up as part of their routine walk to the school every day. Raju emphasizes the foundational importance of developing the value systems of youth through programs, discussions, and “teachable moments.”
Need for project:
Every day Raju sees some of his peers in the village without jobs, lacking both motivation and a positive vision of the future. Societal inertia has de-moralized them, reducing their capacity to change their lives and their community. Raju seeks to implement a concurrent three-step process in the community: identify potential community workers; educate, motivate, and inspire them towards constructive action; and organize a range of projects and initiatives to channel this new energy. So far, he has identified 40 people from this 800-person village who can ‘lead by example’ and serve the entire community. Plans are in the works to develop this core through leadership training.
As an August 2010 Indicorps Fellow, you will strengthen the youth community leadership program. You will also mentor/support approximately five young leaders to lead programs in existing priorities that include: 1) education, 2) computer classes, 3) tree planting, 4) managing a village nursery, and 5) organized sports.
First, you should begin by understanding Sarasavadi and the local area. It will be extremely important to develop rapport with the community and specifically the young leaders with whom you will be working. Understanding local perspectives on both service and employment will be crucial, as will assessing the current state of civic awareness and involvement. This spectrum of knowledge may be gathered through home stays, one-on-one conversations, attending local festivals, observing classroom teaching, and other relationship-building activities. You should gain an understanding of the deep societal connections between farming, education, and familial dynamics.
The degree to which the select youth leaders gain managerial confidence, issue expertise, and value-based leadership skills will be the main determining factor in the overall success of the initiative. You will dedicate a large amount of time to developing their ability to plan and execute long-term projects and short-term events. You will facilitate a series of workshops that strengthen the ability of the designated youth to lead their respective programs. Presentation skills, documentation skills, team building, time management, project planning, facilitating meetings are some sessions that you will conduct for the core team. You may help coordinate short-term internships for the young leaders to bring skills and expertise back to their village.
You will actively take part in each of the five issue areas by suggesting ideas, assisting with the creation of individual programs and initiatives, and developing a framework for holistic, sustainable, and community-led change in Sarasavadi. You should groom the leaders to provide oversight and direction for future youth leaders after your service year has concluded.
Target Community:
The young leaders (17-30) come from families that are predominantly agriculture and/or dairy based. They are mostly first generation learners. Similarly, it is important to note that education levels may vary amongst members of the group. Some may have just completed primary school while others have college degrees; one 26 year-old leader is an out-of-work teacher.
Objectives:
• To educate, motivate, and inspire village youth towards constructive action and strengthen the ethic of service
• To develop the skills and expertise of young leaders in Sarasavadi village
• To identify potential community partners and potential areas of development
• To create structures that allow for the sustainability of the youth leadership initiative towards the goal of achieving a “model village” in the next decade
Challenges:
• Motivating the villagers to take ownership of the introduced programs and initiatives
• Ensuring that the youth leaders stay motivated and involved in their projects
• Balancing oversight of the projects with the need for the youth leaders to maintain ownership over their issue areas
• Including youth leaders and the wider community in your team’s decision-making process
Team-Based Model:
Each project is designed as a three-way partnership between you, Indicorps, and the partner entity. Each grassroots partner – in this case Raju Thakor – will host two to four Fellows. Consequently, the August 2010 Fellowship will have both an individual and a team component.
As a team of Indicorps Fellows, your focus is to assist in Raju’s efforts for community empowerment. The larger overarching vision/goal is to move Sarasavadi towards becoming a ‘model village.’
You will either live with a host family in Raju’s village or in a volunteer guesthouse. You will be responsible for washing your own clothes and helping with daily chores. You will be provided simple vegetarian food. Internet and international calling facilities are easily available in Viramgam, a twenty minute bus ride from Sarasavadi. Local travel between the villages will be by jeep, state transport buses or bicycle. Ahmedabad is approximately one hour away from Sarasavadi, and is connected by bus. Ahmedabad is connected by to the rest of India by the road and railway network.
The languages spoken at Sarasavadi are Gujarati and Hindi. For this project, a basic knowledge of Gujarati and/or Hindi is required. If you do not have basic knowledge of Gujarati or Hindi, you can still apply if you commit to learning the language before the start of your Fellowship year.
Volunteer groups are often built around a single passionate leader. How will you ensure that youth involved in community service are motivated by the broader cause rather than their friendship with the leader of the group? How will you develop their individual leadership abilities in order to build a sustainable culture of volunteerism?
2.
Chewing tobacco is a common addiction that forms at a very young age in many parts of India. Design a campaign to help the youth create awareness about the health risks associated with chewing tobacco for a rural Indian village. How will you remove the "cool factor" from this habit?
3.
What skills have you developed to help you build rapport with others in a new environment? How might these skills come into play during your fellowship year?
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