The Rural Immersion CAS Trip to Mokhamal, Dang was truly an eye-opening experience. This trip was originally organized for the students of grade 11 by Fountainhead School. It was conducted from 11th December 2023 to 16th December 2023 and was for the purpose of exposing the students to the rural life of Dang as well as to bring the students in contact with the wildlife and the agrestic institutions and thought-process of the people present there.

It was a view-altering event because it familiarized me to the conditions, environment as well as the matrix within which the adults and the young kids grow, operate and establish livelihoods in. I got introduced to the various situations the kids there grow up in, like the migration of their parents to a different location at a specific time of the year annually for better job opportunities and how the kids manage individually in the absence of their parents and how they continue their education. I also saw how education also involved housing and stay for them which was a probable ease for them. These events made me gratuitous for what I had and thankful for such organizations that help these kids which we also visited. I learnt about the work being done in rural areas for development and resolution of issues they have such as a great number of migrants each year, managing without significant technological enhancement in their fields, houses and vicinity and how they used to and are managing without the facilities I have. These are some examples of the paradigm-shifting things I saw, understood and realized on this trip that changed my perspective and gave a newfound-appreciation for things in the process within which I also contributed to their sanctity and as a group, we collectively made efforts to help them in the ways that we can which began my journey of change which will continue even after school so I am always thankful for it.

Learning Outcome 1 – Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth:

Whilst on the trip, I faced many challenges which were out of my comfort zone. Whilst on the night trek, I understood my affinity and fondness for nature as well as my navigational skills. I found new tracks, appointed significant landmarks or notations for myself in order to find my path ahead and to remember to comeback to and through the traversing I led on. I also identified my innate nature to give and to provide for those who do not have what I do. I understood that I am an empathetic person and I actually understood others’ pain and went to measure possible by me to help them which is what I did in my participating of several donation drives and drives to help the kids in school by giving them protective clothing, food, stationary etc. and monetary help to other institutions. I can also work upon these strengths and qualities whilst I am here to help those around me in need. I also recognized that I was too accustomed to my surroundings and availability of the provisions near my residential proximity but in this trip, I realized that this will not always be constant and I need to learn to adapt and sustain in unfamiliar situations and acclimatize myself to those scenarios which is an area of improvement which is significantly necessary. Making do with available resources and facilities is pertinent to sustenance in varying places and this is a life skill I need to improve on. This involves things ranging from dwelling and accommodation to food and consumption habits and all of these features should be feasible to me up to a certain degree and I should be more embracing of a range of these qualities which is something I can work upon to grow.

Learning Outcome 2 – Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills:

On the trip, I interacted with a lot of the local villagers, visited many farms and fields used for plantation and harvesting and I undertook a lot of physical activities. We also went and learnt how to weave wood baskets, fused metal with a soldering iron for making a fence for the field where plantation has happened for protection of the grains. In severe sunlight and humid environments too, I had worked on these tasks and continued these processes for learning and developing new skills and having new and exciting experiences worth the effort. These actions were apart from my daily schedules and lifestyle and this was a challenging engagement and the agenda for the trip was also quite hectic with little rest and fixed timings as well as completely different quality of provisions like food and accommodation for me. In this trip, I learnt by engagement and developed new skills and had a versatile range of experiences. I also interacted with young children from 7-15 years and spent a lot of time with them and I developed a different kind of communication skillset and it helped me learn how to interact with a wide range of people.

 Learning Outcome 4 – Show perseverance and commitment in CAS experience:

As inferable from the previous responses, I undertook challenges and went into areas discomfortable for me and I ventured outside of my comfort zones. I also spent a significant 6 days away from my home and family without communication with them and this was also something I had not been through in a long time so this also needed strong will from my side, which I also enhanced in this experience. Through physical pain and fever to ankle-sprain and bruises, I showed perseverance in not quitting the trip in the middle, I went through with it, acted independently to resolve my problems on my own and stayed committed to the experience. Going outside of my comfort zone, physical strain, unfamiliar situations, inconvenient facilities and many more issues I experienced are what I had to brave through to brace myself and compose myself in order to adapt. These things taught me many important lessons for life.

Learning Outcome 5 – Demonstrate skills and benefits of working collaboratively:

During the trip, we participated in activities such as collecting donations for school children, buying protective clothing for the winter, food, educational material and stationary, etc. and collectively distribute these things to them directly so as to not have any external influence or interference with our charity collection which was quite common in the area. These decisions, for the greater benefit of the receivers, were possible and to this degree of usefulness because of a collaborative effort and synergy from all, which taught me many things such as the probable causes of the actions we take and the need for further monitoring of the things we provide to the kids. Also whilst painting the walls of schools and houses, creating wood baskets, teaching kids sports and playing with them as well as building the fences, the seemingly lengthy tasks were completed with a lot of individual ease and in an exponentially shorter period of time and also with a great level of efficiency, which is when I understood the importance and benefits of working collaboratively and in a group as everybody brings to the table something, which is what they excel in and this provides a great collective sense of many skills and their cultivation.

Learning Outcome 6 – Engagement with issues of global significance:

Poverty and Hunger are global conflicts and issues of great significance up till the degree that the UN has issued Sustainable Development Goals for them as well. I interacted with many underprivileged people, children in nursery, teenagers, students and even adults. On this trip, I encountered a lot of people from a classification which I knew very little about. During the trip, I interacted with them more and got to know about them and issues they face regularly which is one the main factors that influenced me to participate in the donation drives for their betterment, which we handed personally so as to assure complete receiving of them by the children. We also spent a day with the kids, cooking their meal and engaging in physical activities and games with them in order to spark an interest in sports and inspire those passionate about it to pursue it, regardless of their age, background and gender as well. Also, we spent hours with them in the fields, their houses and following them to see their work schedules and seeing institutions and establishments built for their help. In doing so, we also saw the difficulties they could face and how it might impact them and so as a group activity, we also went to their house and worked on a fence for them to protect their grains and wooden baskets which they use. I also painted walls with them in order to interest kids into creative fields and arts and crafts. These contributions that I participated in were also made public and broadcasted to social media platforms and portals in order to spread awareness and promote the rural immersion.

These were some of the key takeaways that I gained through this trip and how it helped me develop skills, realize things about me I did not know such as skills, interests, thought-processes, realities of many places and many more. This led me onto a journey and made me question and appreciate the things I had. It also engaged me into a situation I had not encountered and encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone and try new experiences to gain new understanding, essential life skills and in a way, education.