During the duration of the Rural Immersion program, from the 16th-22nd of December, 2024, our class attended an Ambapani in Dang. We stayed at an Ambapani Eco Tourism Campsite and for an entire week, we interacted, learned, and experienced the village lifestyle.
We had the opportunity to experience valuable activities like, bamboo weaving, lippan, warli painting, rifle shooting, trekking, all the adventure activities, dangi dance, tractor rides, cow milking, and we even helped out at the ashram/milk center. We also experienced the Haat bazaar, baaj making, and a cleanup drive. If I don’t mention any of these activities, I have to stay that one experience that was best throughout the week was spending time with my classmates, my teachers and the villagers, and enjoying the bond that developed during the trip.
Here is the list of activities performed by us:
- Warm-up activities
- Trekking
- Adventure activities
- Rifle shooting
- Tractor ride
- River bath
- Village interaction
- Haat bazaar shopping
- Ashram visit and service for students
- Cleanup drive
- Cow milking (milk center visit)
- Baaj making
- Bamboo weaving
- Lippan art
- Warli painting
- Dangi traditional dance
Strengths & challenges (LO1 & LO2)
This trip provided substantial opportunities for me to meet my strengths and challengers. For instance, some things that I thought I would struggle with, like rifle shooting and warli painting, I was surprisingly ok through the activities. Nevertheless, some other things that I thought I would be fine with, baaj making and cow milking were tougher for me. Trying something new was awkward, however, forcing myself out of that comfort put me to use experience my preconceived thoughts of new entertaining activities and either build confidence or build new skills.
Not giving up(LO4)
Certain things were uncomfortable for me, like the river bath or lippan art, but I remained dedicated to the process and finished each one. By the end, I was happy I didn’t quit, because those were experiences I may never get again.
Learning to work as a team(LO5)
Teamwork was an important component of this trip. For example (352), planning, shopping for, and working together as a group were all incorporated into the Haat bazaar activity. There were definitely opinions from everyone, however, we were able to discuss everything, listen to each other, and complete the project. It was nice to see how the work was completed collaboratively, and it was easier than an individual effort.
Understanding real-life problems(LO6 & LO7)
Living in the village made me more in tune with important issues. We observed people facing challenges relating poverty, lack of access to adequate health care, sanitation, education, and income disparities. Villagers did hard labor and preserved their way of life by weaving bamboo and dancing, but it wasn’t compensated. Meetings with the Lady Sarpanch made me aware of how pressing some of the issues are.
We also observed wastage as well. In the beginning, we were not mindful of what and how we ate, and the use of disposable utensils. Ultimately, it gave me an understanding that resources are scarce, and should be treated with respect.
What I learned
This trip helped me build vital competencies such as self-management (being organized and ready) and social skills (living and working alongside many people with patience and respect). I felt that I demonstrated qualities like open-mindedness, caring, being reflective, and being a risk-taker.
More than any other aspect of this trip, it revealed to me a different way of life. It made me appreciate the things I typically take for granted and encouraged me to think of ways we could help support such communities in the future.
Conclusion
In summary, the Rural Immersion was a wonderful experience; it was certainly a memorable one! I had the opportunity to try new things, tackle challenges, and learn a lot about myself and the world around me. I know I am extremely grateful for the chance I had to live in Ambapani and experience village life – it is something I will always carry with me.
Evidences:
