Mera Gaon Meri Dunia

 Through our campaign #MeraSchoolSafeBhiSaafBhi, we ( Mera Gaon Meri Dunia ) are working with Youth Ki Awaaz to get back the girls who have dropped out from school and support those who are planning to drop out. One of our friends Nidhika, who is able to establish herself as an independent individual through her education, has something to share with everyone and those girls who are thinking of dropping out! शुरूआती स्कूल के वर्षों में यानिकी 7-8 वीं तक सब कुछ सामान्य सा रहा क्योंकि स्कूल गाँव में ही था और दूर भी नहीं था. लेकिन जब 8वीं से आगे पढ़ने की बात आई तो यह सवाल पूरे परिवार के मन में था कि इतना दूर भेजना क्यों है और क्या ही ज़रूरत है इसे आगे पढ़ने की, लड़की ही तो है क्या करेगी पढ़कर! माता-पिता का सहयोग मिला और मैं आगे पढ़ पाई, फिर भी नया माहौल और नए लोगों के बीच एक दम से जाना थोड़ा मुश्किल था. 11वीं में सब्जेक्ट चुनने की चिंताएं इस हद तक बढ़ गई थी कि मैं स्कूल छोड़ देने का ख़याल करने लगी थी. उस वक़्त पापा और मेरी मौसी के सहयोग और सलाह से मैं ख़ुद पर यकीन कर पाई और अपनी 12 वीं तक की पढ़ा...

Through our campaign Mera School Safe Bhi Saaf Bhi, we ( Mera Gaon Meri Dunia ) in collaboration with Youth Ki Awaaz are working to get the girls back into the schools who have dropped out from school and support those who are thinking to drop out. One of our friends Saroj, who have been an independent one through her education has something to share with everyone and especially to those who are thinking of dropping out! "मेरे जैसी ज्यादातर लड़कियाँ अपने आसपास या गाँव में अच्छा स्कूली माहौल न होने के कारण पढ़ाई बीच में ही छोड़ दिया करती हैं क्योंकि उनके पास बाहर जाकर पढ़ने का अवसर नहीं होता। उन्हें समझाया जाता है कि बाहर रहकर पढ़ाई करना उनके अधिकार क्षेत्र से बाहर है। आमतौर पर लड़की हिम्मत ही नहीं जुटा पाती कि आगे कुछ कर सके या हिम्मत कर भी ले तो उसे बहुत सारी मुश्किलों का सामना करना पड़ता है। घर से क्लासरूम तक वैसा माहौल मिलता नहीं जिसमें वह सहज महसूस करे। एक लड़की को पढ़ाई से ज्यादा फिक्र अपने चरित्र को बचाने की होती है और ऐसे में कोई लड़की अपने व्यक्तित्व का विकास कैसे कर पाएग...

How often you have been asked to not embrace your youth-hood because you were inexperienced? “There is a fundamental thought about which I am thinking since the last few years. The ones who stop me to experiment and learn are not who knows what I need and what I feel. They assume all the things I need and I feel and do not even take a consensus from me to confirm at least.” How often have you felt even proximity of this feeling? As per the census of 2011, India has more than 50% population below the age of 25 years and more than 65% below the age of 35. It is expected that by this year-end the average age of India would be 29 years. They all have a dream and they want to embrace the youth-hood within them at least innately. But, what is happening to them? You know the answer quite well whether you agree or disagree with me. They are getting influenced by merely two-three ideologies which are prevalent in this country. They are systematically getting trapped into a narrow school of tho...

A man from Delhi seemed to know nobody in the big city of Mumbai. A time came when he took a courageous decision of pursuing his dreams of understanding filmmaking and writing scripts. What went into making him cross his threshold of finally moving to action guided by his heart is a separate story.  However, through a circle, he met another guy who offered his rented apartment to accommodate him (in Mumbai) for a month. These people had never met before.   What is it that creates such trust among the unknown, to give and to receive? What do these platforms for connecting look like? What value do they hold in the world of unending human desire? Mera Gaon Meri Dunia is a dream envisioned by many youths who immensely believe in the magic of collaborative trust and sharing. It, bi-yearly, organize a journey called Aaina Dekho which welcomes youth from diverse background to live, work, talk, and travel together. The participant could be anybody who is looking for...

Humans have bodies. During the century technology has been distancing us from our bodies. We have been losing our ability to pay attention to what we smell and taste. Instead, we are absorbed in our smartphones and computers. We are more interested in what is happening in cyberspace than in what is happening down the street. It is easier than ever to talk to my cousin in Switzerland, but it is harder to talk to my husband over breakfast because he constantly looks at his smartphone instead of at me. In the past, humans could not afford such carelessness. Ancient foragers were always alert and attentive. Wandering in the forest in search of mushrooms, they watched the ground for any telltale bulge. They listened to the slightest movement in the grass to learn whether a snake might be lurking there. When they found an edible mushroom, they ate it with the utmost attention to distinguish it from its poisonous cousins. Members of today's affluent societies don't need such keen...