This CAS experience checks all my boxes of creativity, activity and service. For this experience we visited Igatpuri where there were dedicated days for various activities for instance, dam cleaning, visiting the local school and interacting with them, making the students play games, etc. Moreover, morning activities, trekking, basket weaving and much more. It even gave us the opportunity to explore the wildlife in the morning and night as well, while we even donated money to the local school for education and resources such as books, and stationary. 

LO4 – Show perseverance and commitment in CAS experience 

I personally was really determined for this experience as Igatpuri is a very beautiful place surrounded by greenery and hills, also its pleasant weather. And this CAS experience was focused on devoting ourselves to nature and interacting with locals. We were also required to clean the dam although unlike urban areas people there made sure that nobody threw their litter near or in the dam which according to me was really impressive. But visiting the school and making the kids play various games felt very heartwarming, it also made me realize how simple and minimalist their lives are. I also enjoyed basket weaving as it was something very new for me and engaging as well. All in all I really enjoyed each activity and did it with equal commitment as well. Spending these days with my friends and exploring various activities and services was truly enjoyable. We hiked up hills, cleaned a dam, and even taught students at a government school. These experiences required perseverance and dedication, making the activities both engaging and rewarding. Moreover, staying for three days in modest accommodations, unlike the comfort of our homes, was a unique and challenging experience. Overall, the entire journey demanded time, effort, and commitment, but it allowed me to embrace something new and outside my comfort zone.

LO5 – Demostrate skills and benefits of working collaboratively

During these activities such as being involved with children, making them play different games, providing them with resources such as stationary, books, etc I demonstrated social skills and communication skills. These helped me to open up with them and interact effectively so that they are able to understand what we have offer, moreover because of a language barrier there were many instances where they couldn’t comprehend what we were saying however by working collaboratively we somehow managed to the needful. during the village visit , I had to converse in Hindi the whole time , due to language barrier. Slowly, I had gained confidence in having conversation with them and had started to have fun. Having a new experience (trekking) and having various challenges have motivated me to have these fun adventures in future.

LO6 – Engagement with issues of global significance 

This trip portrayed the difference between the urban areas and the rural. Furthermore, their pollution management strategies and how they keep their surroundings clean compared to us. Considering the weather in Surat to Igatpuri is also quite different as the weather there had a lot of moisture in it, it usually used to rain there and was pretty cold too. The reason again could be the amount of pollution present in the air and the population as well. The CAS experience focused on few sustainable development goals as well such as no poverty, good health and wellbeing, quality education, clean water and sanitation and sustainable cities and communities. 

To sum up, I really enjoyed this CAS experience as it had a lot to offer, like I got a chance to socialize with my friends and peers, got to explore the nature around me, danced to the local songs, donated resources and much more. I am grateful for getting to experience all this at once exploring all these beautiful places too.