Duration : 11 Dec’23 to 16 Dec’23

The rural immersion trip was quite a unique one for me, this trip was one of the first times that I experienced and learnt about rural lifestyle and its various folds. When we received the itinerary of the trip, I wasn’t really looking forward to it, however a lot of my perceptions changed the time we reached the location. On the Day 1 itself we were introduced to Maganbhai Ahir, a born farmer and the backbone of GirOrganic – a certified organic farm, coming from a farming background with my grandfather till date actively involved in farming I found myself instantly connecting with things Maganbhai mentioned such as the interconnectedness of the world we live in and how can we sustainably run this cycle.

We participated in various activities, each of them connected with a different learning outcome.

LO1 –  Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth 

This trip definitely pushed me to step out of my comfort zone, from having to share the living space to eat whatever that was cooked even if it did not fit my taste. We participated in a range of activities from trekkings to practicing organic farming, my active participation in these made me realize that I need to work on developing skills such as patience and active listening. I need to be more conscious of my surroundings and better understand how my actions would reflect outcomes.

LO2 – Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills

Upon arrival at Sankheda I had realized that this trip is not going to be a cakewalk and would be something quite different from other trips I have participated in. Trekking was one such activity which has immensely contributed to helping me develop my physical fitness. We took multiple treks during a stay at Sankheda. It involved us to walk through various gradients and surroundings. At certain stages of the trek, I found it frustrating having to participate in such an activity, however it felt fulfilling when we reached the endpoint of the trek. During one of our treks we went through a huge farm wherein at every point we were introduced to a crop or plant, I came across multiple plants/crops that I was hearing about for the first time and also got to taste a few of them directly plucked from the land. The facilities provided at the trip such as the stay, food and amenities were not as top notch as the ones I am used to receiving at home or otherwise, as someone who is quite particular about certain things I struggled in the initial couple days to adjust to the new environment however it made me realize the ground reality and taught me that it is crucial to have the adaptive skills in order to strive in any given situation.

LO5 – Demonstrate skills and benefits of working collaboratively

One of our days of the trip was completely dedicated to serving children at the Ashramshala. We were split into groups of activities; arts, sports and science fun. I was a part of the arts team and along with a few others we spent some time brainstorming what activities we want to conduct with the children and dividing our roles for the final day. The amazing time we spent at the Ashramshala and having been able to touch the lives of those students wouldn’t have been possible if all of us didn’t work together, understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses and act accordingly. The Ashramshala students were proficient with gujarati language however not everyone in the arts team was fluent with gujarati and hence we distributed ourselves into groups while conducting the activity with students ensuring that each team has one gujarati speaking member who can communicate with the children. 

LO6 – Engagement with issues of global significance

Lack of quality education, poverty and sustainability are some of the issues that I have read and learnt about at school, the trip provided me with a first hand experience to understand these issues. During our interaction with the villagers, they told us the economic difficulties they have to face which forbid them to send their children to school. I was shattered looking at the conditions of some of the houses, they lacked proper walls, stove, light sources and many such basic facilities which we living in urban areas have easy access to.  We also had the wonderful opportunity to interact with the panchayat members of the village, they spoke to us about the functioning and management of the village and how everybody works together as a community.

LO7 – Recognise and consider the ethics of choices and actions

Our choices have a profound impact on the place and people around us. This trip served as a reality check for me to learn how to be grateful for the resources I have access to. Practicing organic farming made me realize the immense effort put by farmers to ensure food reaches our plate everyday three times a day.

In conclusion, the rural immersion trip has been a wonderful learning experience, stepping out of my usual urban environment into a place filled with lush green landscapes was truly a bliss and I am grateful for all the learnings I gained.