The destination for Rural Immersion 2024 was Ambapani, Dang. We went there for a week 16th to 22nd December. We visited and engaged in a number of activities at the Ambapani Eco Tourism Campsite. I addressed every aspect of creativity, activity, and service throughout the course of the seven days. The things that I did or experienced through the trip were as follows:
Bamboo weaving
Lippan art
Warli painting
Rifle shooting
Village interaction
Dangi traditional dance
Baaj making
Tractor ride
Haat bazaar shopping
Trekking
Cow milking (milk center visit)
Ashram visit and service for students
Cleanup drive
Warm up activities
We also had the opportunity to further develop our bonds with the villagers, instructors, and volunteers. Living in the village and getting back to nature was a rewarding experience. Along with learning about the local insects and animals that captivated us, we also had the opportunity to see several types and species of birds.
LO 1: Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth:
We had to engage in a number of activities at the campsite that required us to step outside of our comfort zones. I experimented with a lot of new things, such as making Rifle shooting, Dangi traditional dance, milking cows, and creating lippan art, which were challenging at first. I was able to pinpoint my areas of weakness, such as Rifle shooting, but I made every effort to complete the task efficiently with as much skills I had learned. I could also see that I was strong in Bamboo weaving, Cleanup drive and Warli painting.
LO 2: Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills:
Leaving my comfort zone in a natural setting was one of the main obstacles of the rural immersion tour since here in the city we have a completely different environment. I was able to adjust to the natural ecosystems while being in a completely unfamiliar village setting. I was inspired to try it out and open myself more by the unusual experience of doing lippan art and milking cows. I improved my social and critical thinking abilities, which enabled me to get past these obstacles and take pleasure in the trip’s activities.
LO 4:
It was crucial for me to demonstrate my dedication to finishing this rural immersion so that we could experience everything that was planned for us. I was able to devote myself fully to each task and to enjoy every moment of it, even though I found some activities, like lippan art and Cow milking, hard to get adapted to at first. I am glad that I completed them all for the first time and learned new skills and lessons from each one of them.
LO 5: Demonstrate skills and benefits of working collaboratively:
Working as a team was crucial to the journey in a number of locations. One of the main team-building exercises we did was play team games in addition to shopping at the Haat bazaar. In order to guarantee a successful conclusion in each of them, I had to cooperate and communicate with my classmates, which enabled us to complete the assignment efficiently. Although everyone had differing opinions on some things, we were still able to have a pleasant conversation about them.
LO 6:
During the tour, we observed a number of sustainability concerns that the villagers faced, such as poverty within the tribal group, inequality, and disparities in education, sanitation, water supply, and electricity. It was impressive how many of these issues were being resolved in a sustainable manner by the volunteers at the campsite and the townspeople. However, since many villages experience the same issues as Ambapani, they all add up to global significance and call for action. Since there were no facilities or items for quick cleanliness and hygiene, one of the main problems we saw was the lack of medical help, which the Lady Sarpanch discussed with us during our interactions with her. The tribal community’s extremely low income and the low compensation for its art forms—such as Dangi dance and bamboo weaving—were additional issues we found. Being aware of these problems forces me to consider our way of life and encourages me to come up with answers.
LO 7:
The ethical concerns that were raised majorly revolved around food. In addition to the waste of disposable utensils, we wasted a lot of food. The students’ usage of the available resources raised ethical concerns. But once we were all given instructions, we specifically ate the food and cleaned the utensils. This helped us understand how scarce resources can be and how we can value them similarly, we understood this better because we were living in such an environment through which we could see the struggles faced by the people who live there or who are less privileged than us.
I exhibited the following learner profile qualities during my trip: reflective, open-minded, risk-takers, thinkers, and caring. During our seven days there, we showed all of these by participating in a variety of activities and integrating into the village culture. In order to be motivated and ready for the activities, we had to organise ourselves, which was one of the ATL skills we gained. Working and living with others, where we had to uphold cooperation, respect, and responsibility, helped us develop our social abilities as well. Aside from learning about village life, I also learnt how to be an internationally minded learner as a result of the rural immersion.
I am happy with the rural immersion and am very appreciative that I was able to go there. I was able to participate in every activity, and it was an incredible experience.
