We assume most of the time that because we live in the urban areas, have gone to posh schools and have more money that we hold up the society and are the kings of the society. However, the true kings of our modern society are the farmers and all the people who live in the rural areas. If they cry, then we suffer and if they rejoice then we smile in their shadows.

Going on the trip has enlightened me on these topics and made me realize my arrogance towards the ease of food production. This trip has also allowed me to grasp that the rurals are also not less developed compared to the urbans as they have all the facilities that we have. This allowed me to gain a new perspective to what is now considered a rural town. It has also allowed me to gain perspective into what the government has done for the towns so far and the impact it has left on the people.

However, the entire event was also not simply a walk in the park as I faced multiple problems. The first problem that I noticed was the available sanitation in the facility. We didn’t have the facility of western toilets which we were used to and had a sink with near dirty water without any soap (We had to visit numerous rooms, sometimes even the locals’ to get access to these facilities). ＞﹏＜

LO1 – [Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth]

One of the missing strengths was my ability to judge the weather of the area and make appropriate judgements based on it. The first few days of 

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

The entire event can’t be said to be a walk in the park as I constantly encountered a barrage of unexpected challenges. The first biggest challenge was the fact that I had barely anyone from my friend zone which meant I had to make new friends, something that I struggle with as an ambivert. This challenge was something that I slowly overcame on the trip and was left with a more open minded person who accepted more people with a slightly upgraded social battery.

The second challenge was the sheer change in weather over time which I wasn’t able to handle modestly for the first two days as I tried many things from sleeping on the roof to sleeping deep in the apartment but nothing seemed to work. Finally, I developed a solution involving 3 layered cloth and thick blanket to counter measure the temperature change and sleeping in a near door room with the furthest point and slight opening to allow for air ventilation for the maintenance of air pressure. All of this allowed me to gain a new skill in regards to sleeping in extreme cool weather with respect to positioning, layout of room and temperature experience. 

The third and the most prominent crisis was regards to the amount of free time we were given. While this may be positive for some it was a big no for me. We were essentially sitting below the sun for hours on end off grid with nothing to do nor topics to discuss (exhausted). Thankfully, my saving grace came in the form of playing cards and socialization, and while I had nobody to talk to, it allowed me to reflect on life, trips and aspirations. This allowed me to develop a niche but important skill of getting bored, the first skill that mothers tell us to learn when going shopping.

LO4 – [Show perseverance and commitment in CAS experience]

The whole trip had lasted over 6 days with the pure goal of understanding and connecting to nature in a meaningful way. The trip required dedication and tenacity from both the body and the mind due to the geographical and climatic conditions. Therefore it was paramount that maximum precautions were to be taken and mental health be kept at the best condition. This showed my perseverance and commitment

LO6 – [Engagement with issues of global significance]

On the trip we visited villages, schools and local farms. Overthere, the villagers voiced many of their concerns and issues that needed attention. After hearing that we realized that the issues could be a concern on a global level. Therefore, we sat with the village chiefs, panchayat, and discussed these issues and came up with many solutions that would benefit everyone in the village by making them more aware of government schemes regarding building houses, farms, or toilets. This allowed us to engage in issues of global significance and contribute some solutions.

LO7 – [Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions]

A lot of times we found ourselves bored out of mind as we laid on the paths either waiting, sleeping or idling for the next activity in the burning sun. However, I went around interacting with the local people or plants to either learn or teach my knowledge. Whilst well received, it is something that would impact them on a scale that is much deeper than I can imagine as it may give them hope, show them the world beyond the village and provide them the aspiration to grow. Now what to learn or teach is something that is important and hence I pondered over the knowledge I taught with ethics and morals in my mind.

Photo Album: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1XV7Thvax3bGH2pB8rYYLYY2HNaeiCuK6