For our Rural Immersion 2024, we went to Ambapani in Dang from 16th to 22nd December, where we were accommodated at the Ambapani Eco Tourism Campsite. During a span of seven days, I engaged in a range of activities that covered all three CAS aspects: Creativity, Activity, and Service. These were:

1. Bamboo weaving
2. Lippan art
3. Warli painting
4. Rifle shooting
5. Adventure activities
6. Village interactions
7. Dangi traditional dance
8. Baaj making
9. Tractor ride
10. Haat bazaar shopping
11. Trekking
12. Cow milking (milk center visit)
13. Ashram visit and service for students
14. Clean-up drive
15. Warm-up activities
16. River bath

Besides these activities, we were also able to mingle with our peers, volunteers, teachers, and the local villagers. Being exposed to living in a rural area and reconnecting with the outdoors was an eye-opener. We also got to watch birds and learn about the local fauna, adding to the beauty of the trip.

Identify Own Strengths and Develop Areas for Growth (LO1):

The rural immersion forced me to move out of my comfort zone and experiment with new things. Tasks like lippan art, cow milking, and baaj making were challenging at first, but I did my best and recognized areas where I needed to improve. For example, baaj making was tough at first, but I persisted. Conversely, I realized that I had a knack for sports such as rifle shooting and painting Warli, in which I could do quite well.

Demonstrate Challenges Undertaken and Develop New Skills (LO2):

Adjusting to the village lifestyle was one of the greatest challenges I encountered, since it was so much different from my own lifestyle. Immersed in the midst of nature, I needed to learn and adjust to village life. It required me to be open-minded and experiment with things I was not familiar with, such as lippan art and milking cows. It helped me exercise both critical skills and social competence, which made it possible for me to endure these challenges and have a richer experience.

Demonstrate How to Initiate and Plan a CAS Experience (LO3): Planning was been done by us students, when we went to the Ashramshala to play with the kids at their school , we had taught them how to play frisbee and we have planned who will teach what and who will make them do which activity. Likewise we had also decided who will serve which food item during their food break. This enabled me to expand my skills of planning a creative activity while yet serving them food and playing with them.

Show Commitment and Perseverance (LO4)

During the journey, I was determined to commit myself to each task, even if some of them fell outside my comfort zone. I approached every activity with enthusiasm, including ones as unknown as a river bath or as complex as lippan art. Even though these activities at first felt uneasy, I challenged myself to do them and derived great satisfaction in completing them. My determination allowed me to enjoy the experience even further.

Demonstrate Skills and Recognize the Benefits of Collaboration (LO5):

Coordination was fundamental in ensuring the success of most activities during the tour. Team games and group activities such as Haat bazaar shopping, for instance, necessitated a close working relationship with my fellow classmates. We needed to negotiate together, exchange ideas, and pool our abilities towards the best outcome. In spite of differing opinions, we managed to respect each other’s opinions, work together patiently, and most importantly, enjoy ourselves.

Engagement with Issues of Global Significance (LO6):

Throughout our tour, we noticed a number of problems that confront the village population, most of which are reflective of issues of larger global importance. These comprised poverty, poor access to education, bad sanitation, and insufficient supply of water and electricity. As some of these problems were being tackled by the villagers and volunteers at the campsite, it was apparent that most rural villages share similar challenges. One of the biggest issues we discovered was the absence of medical care and sanitary items within the village. Moreover, the revenue earned from conventional art forms such as bamboo weaving and Dangi dance was extremely low, further indicating the economic hardship of the community. Realizing these issues made me understand the international importance of these issues and the necessity for action.

Recognize and Consider the Ethics of Choices and Actions (LO7):

A moral question that came to the forefront during our rural immersion was food intake and wastage. To start with, there was a high rate of wastage, and we consumed disposable cutlery excessively. This brought into question the manner in which we were utilizing resources. Once informed about the issue, we went out of our way to minimize wastage and nurture our resources. This experience made me appreciate the worth of the scarce resources found in rural settings and the need to exercise sustainable consumption.

During this immersion, I illustrated a process of several of the characteristics of the learner profile, such as being Open-Minded, Thinkers, Caring, Risk-Takers, and Reflective. These traits were evident in the manner in which I tackled the different activities and adjusted to village life during the seven days.

Concerning ATL (Approaches to Learning) skills, I improved in my Self-Management skills, especially in the ability to keep myself organized and motivated to join all the intended activities. I also improved on Social Skills by working together with and respecting the other students as well as the villagers.

This experience not only strengthened my knowledge of rural life but also enriched my globally-oriented perspective, inspiring me to find means to solve some of the issues of these communities. In the future, I would like to coordinate projects that can enhance the quality of rural life and assist in sustainable development.

I am extremely thankful to have had the chance to undertake this rural immersion. It was an extremely rewarding experience that enhanced my global understanding and provided real-world knowledge in both community life and environmental stewardship.

Evidence Link Below