Aishwarya Ranodia PROJECT
Aishwarya Ranodia PROJECT
Aishwarya Ranodia PROJECT
ON
AT
Pravah
Inspiring Youth Citizenship
By
(Assistant Professor)
2) Address of the company- Pravah, C-24 B, Second Floor, Kalkaji, New Delhi 110019.
I express my sincerest gratitude and thanks to honorable, Mrs. Ishani Sen, Miss Eyinbeni
Ngullie, because of whose kindness I had the precious opportunity of attaining training at
Pravah. Under their brilliant untiring guidance I could complete the project being
undertaken on the “Impact Assessment on FUN camp as a Program” successfully on time.
Their meticulous attention and invaluable suggestions have helped me in simplifying the
problems involved in the work. I would also like to thank the overwhelming support of all
the people who gave me an opportunity to learn and gain knowledge about the various
aspects of the industry.
I would also like to thank Prof. Avijit Chakravarty (Assistant Professor) of NIILM-Center
of Management Studies, for his constant enthusiastic encouragement and valuable
suggestions without which this Project would not have been successfully completed.
COURSE - PGDM
The main motivation of undertaking this project was to provide the detailed and
comprehensive study about the FUN Camp as a program. This study provides the opportunity
to Pravah to know the perspective of the students about the FUN Camp as a program. It is
also of immense use to launch the program with other schools. The report has been organized
into four parts. Part I deals with the detailed overview about the NGO‟s which are in
operational in India. Part II provides is brief introduction about the organization- Pravah. The
third part is conclusive of discussions and feedback from the students and based on that
findings and suggestions are been inculcated in last part.
I owe my sincere thanks to everyone who helped me in doing this project. It was a fun
and also a learning experience for me. I hope the knowledge and experience gained while
undertaking this project will help me in my future endeavors in one way or the other.
Research Design 8
4 Discussions 35-44
6 Annexure 52
Bibliography
The main problem involved in this case was to know the outreach of the FUN Camp. In
order to make thorough enquiry about the impact of the FUN Camp as a program the study
was undertaken. And also to know the impact of the program on the mindset of the students
and peers.
The main significance of this study was to spread knowledge about the FUN Camp as
a program.
The scope of the present study is confronted to understanding the outreach of FUN Camp as
a program.
Because the label "NGO" is considered too broad by some, as it might cover anything that is
non-governmental, many NGOs now prefer the term private voluntary organization (PVO).
A 1995 UN report on global governance estimated that there are nearly 29,000 international
NGOs. National numbers are even higher: The United States has an estimated 2 million
NGOs, most of them formed in the past 30 years. Russia has 65,000 NGOs. Dozens are
created daily. In Kenya alone, some 240 NGOs come into existence every year.
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the world's largest group of
humanitarian NGO's.
Though voluntary associations of citizens have existed throughout history, NGOs along the
lines seen today, especially on the international level, have developed in the past two
centuries. One of the first such organizations, the International Committee of the Red Cross,
was founded in 1863.
Operational NGO’s
Advocacy NGO’s
Funding
Large NGOs may have annual budgets in the millions of dollars. For instance, the
budget of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) was over $540
million dollars in 1999. Human Rights Watch spent and received US$21, 7 million in
2003. Funding such large budgets demands significant fundraising efforts on the part
of most NGOs. Major sources of NGO funding include membership dues, the sale of
goods and services, grants from international institutions or national governments,
and private donations. Several EU-grants provide funds accessible to NGOs.
NGOs are not subjects of international law, as states are. An exception is the
International Committee of the Red Cross, which is subject to certain specific
matters, mainly relating to the Geneva Convention.
Pravah works with adolescents and diverse groups like youth organizations and
institutions working directly with young people.
After a decade of intensive work, Pravah have expanded our portfolio to include teachers
training, incubating new initiatives and facilitative work with other organizations working
on youth development. Together with these partners Pravah are currently advocating for
youth development and citizenship action.
What started as a small campaign led in colonies and colleges to mobilize public opinion
against the violence through creative mediums like theatre later began to flow as Pravah.
Pravah became a registered organization in 1993 and since then, Pravah team has grown to
include over 25 professionals with vast experience in diverse fields such as human resource
development, theater, psychology and social sciences. Pravah now partner with more than 40
Indian civil society groups.
o More than 10,000 young people have engaged with Pravah youth programs and
processes. Approximately 100 young people commit 80 hours each of volunteering in
rural and urban NGOs every year.
o Pravah organizes campaigns on various issues of social change that are designed
by school students, youth groups and teachers. Since 1997, Pravah‟s campaigns
have reached more than 150 schools and enlisted the participation of 150,000
young people.
o Pravah received the Sanskriti Award in 2003 for its outstanding work in the youth
community.
o The CEO of Pravah is on the NSS Advisory Board for Delhi University.
o The International Bureau of Education (IBE), part of UNESCO, has featured Pravah in
their CD, Learning to Live Together which focuses on good practices in schools.
o Pravah was invited by CBSE to write a few chapters for their life skills textbooks.
Pravah believe that instead of „curing‟ in the aftermath of social conflicts, we need to engage
positively with them. As future decision makers, youth need to internalize a social orientation
and a regard for common spaces, so that they can become socially responsible decision
makers in the future.
We feel that sustainable social change emanates from individuals. Change them or their
orientation and the system will change. Long term changes will therefore be brought about
by developing in young people the relevant values, attitudes and skills.
J.Krishnamurti said, “To live is to be related – we have to teach children about life and that
is to teach them about relationships.”
This goes hand in hand with reverence for common spaces – the rivers, roads, sky and
collective consciousness of society. Our objective is to enable individuals to leave the shores
of their self-absorbed islands and voyage into the world of relationships.
Pravah believe that the way to engage people into having a deeper and further horizon is to
instill in them a respect for the journey and not only the fruits. This is possible by focusing
on the skills of reflection, self-awareness, analysis, conflict resolution and citizenship.
To rub out years of learned collective wisdom, to shed old baggage that is very dear to us, to
unlearn and learn again is an effort undertaken only by an inspired handful. So we, at Pravah,
work with youth, who may be comparatively free of baggage, the sands of their soul not yet
overcrowded by footprints. They would be the ones occupying powerful positions in the
future, people who can potentially influence the course of societal action and move it towards
prevention rather than cure, delayed gratification rather than instant utopias, long term rather
than short term.
It is walking the thin line between fun and work, social responsibility and sacrifice, creativity
and indiscipline, Hindi and English, right and left, black and white, from me to we.
Patang was founded relatively recently by a former Pravah team member who was familiar
with Pravah‟s processes and approach to youth development. They have adapted Pravah‟s
school and college programs to their context. Pravah‟s role was to build the leadership of
the team, facilitate organizational development processes and put critical organizational
systems in place. Today, Patang is designing and implementing successful programs in
collaboration not only with Pravah but other partners as well. One of these new partnerships
includes designing and facilitating sessions at the MSW course in Sambalpur University.
These partnerships illustrate the credibility Patang has gained over the years in Orissa. It is
now gradually developing into a regional resource centre which will impact many more
lives and organizations in the region.
Saher was positioned even earlier on the organizational curve – a start up, in every sense.
Even though it had started as a local youth group in 1997, it was registered as an
organization only in 2003 and comprised a team of volunteers who organized sporadic events
to bring people of different communities together and promote communal harmony. SAHER
was part of the Change Looms program in 2006, and one of the Pravah team members
facilitated intensive organizational change processes with them following the Change Looms
development centre. Pravah‟s mentoring helped SAHER conceptualize and design its college
program, Parwaaz. Pravah also provided several exposure and training opportunities to the
SAHER team so that they could develop their skills and understanding of youth
development. At an institutional level, Pravah facilitated the SAHER team to explore what
they were doing in Jogeshwari, why they were doing it, what their strengths and areas of
improvement were and how they could achieve their objectives. A large part of the “how”
concerned staffing, roles and building capacities of the team in facilitation and conflict
positive. .
Pravah works with both adolescents as well as youth in promoting active citizenship.
Pravah engages with these two groups through two broad interventions, the School
Programs and Youth Action.
Youth Intervention
Adolescent Intervention
Youth Intervention
o SMILE
o Youth for Development
o Global Xchange
o Change Looms
SMILE is one of Pravah oldest programs and has stayed on and grown alongside Pravah.
SMILE (Students Mobilization Initiative for Learning through Exposure) runs as a program
across India with an aim to involve young people in activities which help them to belong
and take more responsibility in whatever they do. SMILE has helped us reach out to many
young and exciting minds, helping them to learn and explore with us - while of course
having a lot of fun. We at Pravah run the Delhi Chapter of SMILE while continuously trying
to spruce it up with endless cups of chai!
How do we actually do these abstract things? In SMILE you can do whatever excites you the
most – films, theatre, writing, songs or even abstract art! There is however only one condition
– you have to get involved with issues and people around you in ways which affect both.
In SMILE you will map out your own learning journey; we are just the navigators who
will support and create those spaces that you need.
Here you can learn in two ways: first, you get to learn when we actively design your
trainings with our partners, like Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO). So you are not simply
left on your own while also having the chance to chart your own journey. Second, you of
course gain a great deal from the experience of working in an organization in the field you
want. At the end of your placement you will also give your feedback and share your
experience with us. The programme will pay for travel, accommodation, food, medical costs,
training and a stipend While you are with us, you will also be required to raise a minimum of
Rs. 5,000 which will contribute towards your action projects. Again, we will be around to
assist you with these various activities, while you get to call the shots.
One day in a week is reserved for the team to come together, share their varied
experiences, and learn about the community- its culture, places and issues. The Xchange
will pay for travel, accommodation, food, visas, medical costs, training and an allowance.
All the 9 selected Indian volunteers will be expected to take part in 3 training sessions:
Introductory Training Course (ITC): This will prepare you for the arrival of the
overseas volunteers and will also look more specifically at preparing you for
working in a cross-cultural environment.
In country Orientation: The ITC goes directly into the in-country orientation, which
starts with the arrival of the overseas volunteers. The training then focuses on
building supportive and trusting relationships. There are more opportunities for
training, reflection and review throughout the program during educational activity
days, mid-phase reviews and de-briefs.
Returned Volunteer Workshop: 4 weeks after returning home, the Indian volunteers
are invited to attend a returned participant workshop. Its purpose is to support
returned volunteers in their 'life after GX‟ by giving them the chance to reflect on
their experiences and to help them focus on their future plans.
Counterpart Pairs: Each volunteer has one counterpart from the exchange country
with which they live. They may also have another counterpart from the exchange
country with whom they work.
Host Homes: Each pair of volunteers will be staying with a family in the host
community. Just as we look for diversity in our volunteers and communities, we also
encourage variety in our host homes.
Host communities: In both countries, the volunteers live and work in a community
that is new to all of them. In India, the community will be a rural area in Jharkhand
or Rajasthan.
Volunteer placements: Volunteer placements are structured so that the volunteers are
able to have maximum takeaways about the community and its issues and at the same
time make a positive and practical contribution to community initiatives.
Educational activity days (EADs): Usually held once a week, EADs provides the
volunteers with an opportunity to come together and engage in active learning
about community development issues in each country. Each week, different
counterpart pairs run the sessions.
Community Activity Days (CADs): An opportunity for the GX team to engage a
larger part of the community by organizing action days which will benefit the
community learning and welfare. The action days are based on the theme of the
exchange, interactions with the community, as well as the funds raised by the team.
Till date we have engaged with more than 35 social change organizations / projects across 16
States through this programme. Some of the issues these young people have been working on
include: prevention of Child Sexual abuse, Rights of homeless people, theatre for social
change, awareness of nomadic tribes of Maharashtra, Institutional Care of mentally-
challenged destitute children, Gender & Women‟s empowerment, Life-Skills through Sports,
Life-Skills and leadership for social change in school children.
The programme duration is for 18 months during which participants will be offered:
Training and capacity building; mainly through a one-week residential workshop- the
Development Centre (planned in September 2010).
Mentoring opportunities and opportunities to network with social sector leaders from
across the country.
Financial assistance for availing learning and organizational development
opportunities.
Participants are encouraged to go on exposures and participate in collective learning
events and workshops.
All this will happen during the 18 months „learning phase‟ that will begin with the
Development Centre and culminate with the Recognition Event; a public event where
teams will be felicitated for their work.
Pravah's school programs, collectively called Adolescent Intervention works with the age
group of 13-17 years to inspire them towards active citizenship. This is done either
through direction interventions or through training of teachers in schools.
o From Me To We
o FUN Camp
o CLAP
o Teacher Training
o From Me to We (FMTW)
SUBPROGRAMS
Every module, topic or day in our workshop would contain elements of all of these
key messages.
The Self to Society Module
Guides and encourages a young person‟s understanding of self in relation to the world
around them through an inward look and an understanding of their relation to the world
around them. An individual is encouraged to grow in to the roles of a responsible brother,
sister, friend, lover and neighbor that will extend naturally into responsible citizenship. Social
issues are put into the correct perspective -no right way is emphasized but skills and
processes of arriving at your own stances are elaborated. Natural principles of going beyond
stereotypes, appreciating diversity and practicing tolerance are internalized through games,
role plays and exercises.
Pravah believe conflict is a positive process. Our interventions enable young people to
recognize different dimensions of conflict in personal as well as social spheres and to
deal with them positively.
Citizenship and Voluntary action
The final phase of all Pravah interventions focuses on developing in young minds an
understanding of citizenship issues & constitutional rights. This is done by engaging
young people in social action through projects and campaigns and thus working on issues
of diversity, homelessness, peace, disarmament, poverty & sustainable development,
gender, stereotyping and equality.
You would be required to provide infra-structural resources and conveyance expenses for
the program.
If you are between 13 and 17 and there is something which really gets you thinking
makes you angry or just forces you to talk aloud, this is where you should tell us about it.
Citizenship Learning and Action Program (CLAP) is about applauding young people, like
you, who are already out to change things. In CLAP you need not be 18 years to be a citizen
or to take a decision. This is why we let you decide what citizenship means to you! Whatever
affects you, whatever you feel strongly about is your citizenship action. And Pravah is here to
help you take that forward. Just like you get praised for an awesome painting or some
rocking dance moves, Pravah at CLAP recognize your leadership skills in making social
change.
SUBPROGRAMS
Learning Workshop
The first three days you will get a chance to meet other people like you. They will also
be doing work like you but in very different areas and ways. What better way to know
much more about them?
And then you can also join us in learning more about the way you are working and how you
can do it better. The fun starts on the fourth day when we tell everyone what you have been up
to - by hosting a grand public event where you get recognition for you work – your way!
We give you the space to set up a stall and tell your story to everyone around in your own
unique way. What more! Here you can also put your skills to use – sing, dance, paint, act –
whatever it takes to take your ideas across. We will help you do all that and more! You will
also get a certificate and a cash prize for the use of your work! Working for something you
believe in was never as much fun
Sanskriti School is located in New Delhi and was established by the Civil Service Society
in August 1998.
The school aims to impart education based on the following 4 tenets: imbibing values,
respect for all, excellence as a life guiding principle and inspiration to contribute to the
betterment of the world. It empowers students to discover that learning is an on going
experience and enable them to become life long learners. The instructional programme is
such that it fosters holistic development of each individual and helps them to maximize their
potential. The school believes that each student is a unique individual and they must learn to
take pride in their achievements.
Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation established an office in India in 1952. It was the Foundation's first program
outside the United States, and remains the largest of its overseas field operations. The
Foundation has made major commitments in the areas agriculture and rural development,
forest and natural resource management, reproductive health, livelihoods, human rights,
governance, education and culture, religion cooperation and security and the promotion of
in-country philanthropy.
In Teacher's Training Pravah believe that educators‟ can play a very important role in
creating socially responsible citizens. Our learning‟s of the last three years‟ has reinforced
our belief that that there is a need to enable and support teachers‟ to make connections
between education and the social reality of learners as well as the teachers themselves.
Pravah train teachers, for a period of one year, to design and conduct a life skills program
with students from classes VIII to XII. The training is conducted through modules on self
and adolescents, managing conflicts positively and on instruction design and facilitation. The
50-hour introductory workshop will take place over 6 full days. Approximately 30 hours is
required with students, either in the form of weekly or fortnightly sessions or 5 full day
workshops. Initially a facilitator from Pravah will accompany the teachers during the
sessions.
The goal is to build a nucleus of teachers who would run the program independently. The
school based resource center would involve not only students and teachers but also school
authority‟s school authorities and parents as partners in the process of tapping the immense
potential of youth. For this we can facilitate setting up a Teachers Learning Center (TLC) on
life skills and citizenship education in your school.
The activities of the resource center will be: Learning sessions for teachers in areas like
reflective practices, assessment of students, classroom management, communication skills
and democratic classrooms. Projects on active citizenship in areas like social sciences and
language teaching. Exposure trips, which help learning and sharing innovations as well as
to widen perspective on education.
The school has access and is willing to engage and share intensively with 2-3 other
schools in the locality, catering to students of diverse socio-economic backgrounds.
The school is willing to commit physical space and other necessary
infrastructure. We are currently hosting a Teachers Resource Centre at Bluebells school,
New Delhi.
Educators' Collective
The Collective is a network of school teachers, educators, and teacher trainers, who are
working for social transformation through the agency of the youth. Most educators who have
been through our teachers' program are included in this Collective. It creates support and
facilitates professional development through shared and experience based learning.
Cities are crowded but the cars are so comfortable! Villages are beautiful but I cannot stand
the mosquitoes!
It is time that we challenge what we know, to come out of comfort zones…perhaps it is time
for a FUN camp! FUN Camp is a 6-day experience for young people between the age of 13
and 17. Why go? „Social development‟, „Two Indians‟, „Sustainable development‟ – the
jargon goes on. Still there is so much which does not make sense. One way out is to walk
with the youth and show them the real pictures through their own experiences – the FUN
camp way! In the process you can understand yourself and how you are connected with the
„dos and don‟ts‟, the cool and the „not- so –cool‟ of any society. After all, whatever you do
has an effect somewhere and whatever happens out there impacts you! Why not live out these
links for a few days?
What happens?
Before the camp, a half day orientation is conducted for the students and a full day
orientation for the teachers accompanying the students.
The camp includes trekking, games, bonfire, group interactions, cooking and other
activities to enable hands-on learning.
There is a participant-facilitator ratio of 6:1 to ensure that the participants are
never left unattended. The facilitators, both male and female, are specially trained
for working with young people.
Medical facilities are available on the campus.
There are separate dormitories for boys and girls.
For the purpose of better learning and understanding students are not allowed to carry
any attention diverting instruments e.g. books, walkman, iPod, mobile phone.
A certain dress code is followed and all the disciplinary rules that are there in the school
would also be applicable to them during entire camp.
The camp encourages young people from the urban areas to get to know the rural areas,
which present a very different set of values and lifestyles. This knowledge and the sensitivity
that comes with it, helps them in becoming effective decision-makers in whichever field
they choose for their future.
A Return FUN Camp is an urban exposure trip for rural adolescents. The objective is to
provide an exposure to various facets of city life, urban India, that is and help develop
confidence, and interpersonal skills among the participants. The participants would get
flavor of city life in its totality rather than just a place as one full of opportunities which
would also help them appreciate better the importance of their own surroundings.
The camp is hosted by Sanskriti School and the ex FUN campers volunteer for the
program. We, at Pravah, facilitate the camp. So far, 4 camps have been hosted with more
than 91 participants from various places like Rajasthan and Uttrakhand.
Venue: UMBVS, Phalodi (Base Camp), Pokran Primary School, Raniser Village.
UMBVS or URMUL Marusthali Bunkar Vikas Samiti is a cooperative society of about 170
weavers. The society is engaged in managing the business of the weavers. It acts as an
interface between the market and the weavers. Over the years, it has spread into other
development works like panchayati raj, education, health etc.
The theme of the camp “Livelihood: Weaver‟s community” would try to look at the
larger picture of Livelihood through the lens of the weavers.
First the emphasis would be to understand the weaving as an age-old traditional craft. The
focus would be to understand the dynamics of the society of the weaver‟s community.
Venue: SIDH, Kempty (Base Camp) Ghati School, Gaid Village, Kandikhal village and,
Garkhet village
SIDH is an organisation which has been working on the issue of education for the last 2
decades. It has integrated local traditional knowledge with its modern outlook for a more
sustainable educational system. SIDH has enlarged its outreach program to include
youth, teachers and most importantly the local people in its work.
The theme of the SIDH FUN camp was Land and Forest with an in-depth focus on
agriculture. It was designed to give the students an exposure to the rural society of the
Jaunpur block of the Tehri district. The students worked at the agricultural field or with the
cattle related activities.
The Jaunpur block of the Tehri district has some of the very diverse and unique Land and
Forest reserves and agricultural patterns. The farming is mainly organic but there are signs
of chemical use. There has also been mass exodus of youth from these areas. Now, the
community has to depend on the outside world for its sustenance.
Who Am I?
The session emphasizes trust as a value and demon states that personal disclosure helps in
generating trust and inspires others to do the same, and thereby leads to better interpersonal
relationships.
Trust, one of the core values of the conflict positive approach, will be visited time and
again in the session that follows.
Session Objective
Session Objective
Sustainable development
Purpose: This session seeks to build an understanding of the term development, the concept
of sustainable development and enables participants to analyze the links between
distribution of resources, equity of access and sustainable development.
Session Objective:
Session Objective
o “The kind of experiences we shared with all of us in the group and even individually
have changed my perspective about certain things in life. The main learning being
about prioritizing in life. I will definitely be giving more thought to very decision.”
– Prachi Singh, (Bhiyasar village).
o “I learnt most from the villagers. The simple life they lead without creating any
fuss and most importantly the happiness they find in simple things. I will stop
cribbing about insignificant things in my life.” – Akriti Singh, (Ranisar Village).
o “The „who am I‟ session made me open up to people in a way I never thought was
possible. It gave me an opportunity to know how common all our problems were
and helped strengthen our bonds” – Neha Joshi, (Bhojasar village).
o “This camp helped me to know my classmates and my friends better. The most
precious discovery was of me in a totally new way. The village experience was also
awesome as for the first time I got to experience life in a village.” - Anjuri Chandra
(bengti Village).
o “It gave me a space to learn and know the person that I really am.” - Suveera (bengti
village)
o “This camp was full of fun and learning. My misconceptions about villages
and village life were broken, thanks to pravah. -Imkan Ali (Bhiyasar village).
o “The most enriching experience was interacting with the people in the village
and knowing more about their lives.” - Nayantara menra (Bhiyasar village).
o “The whole experience was very enriching. People whom I didn't even know seemed so
familiar and close to me. Thank you Pravah.” -Aditya Malhotra (Ranisar Village).
o “Going to the weaver's house and learning to weave was the most profound
and enriching experience. The most beautiful discovery I made about myself
was accepting other peoples' point of view.” - Meghna Jain (Ranisar Village).
o “Thanks to Pravah for this meaningful and fun trip.” - Kajal Dalal (Bhojasar village).
The Fun Camp is neither a holiday nor a study tour. Instead the programme is designed for
experiential learning. Urban school students are taken to a village where a credited NGO has
been working towards empowering the community. Students stay with the community,
interacting with the village people and learning about their lives. The program seeks to
breakdown stereotypes by exposing them to the tradition, culture and environment of the
community. This helps in understanding different lifestyles and a deeper understanding of
existing issues.
Exposure to life in a village puts our own lives in perspective. It teaches us to appreciate
what we have and strive for all that we have lost such as hospitality, generosity, love for
nature, clear skies, simplicity and judicious use of resources and a sense of belonging.
Before leaving for the camp, it is important that the facilitators meet the students and the
teachers to share with them the objective of the trip. During this meeting the apprehensions
of the students are heard and dealt with. They are advised on what to expect and what not to
expect. Ground rules are decided upon and the mood for the camp is set.
The feedback of the students returning from the camp is very exciting and overwhelming.
The camp helps the students to discover totally new dimensions of them, helps to know
their friends and classmates in a better way, carry enriching experiences with themselves
and that too with full dose of fun.
Some of the important areas which are largely focused upon in the camp to help the
students are:
Group Dynamics
Initially it was easy for one to sense the incoherency present in the group. It was observed
that there were a lot of smaller groups within the big group. Also, this disconnect was
clearly visible when the big group was divided into three main groups. But slowly and
steadily during the camp it was observed how the group cohesiveness was increasing.
Shift in consciousness
During the reflection sessions, especially during the second day, the transformation, in the
thought patterns, of the students was clearly visible. Their encounter with the harshness of
life had opened their eyes to the realities of the world. The realization that there is no actual
divide between the rural and urban community and each impacts the other, made them
understood the need for rural and urban unity. Also there was urgency from the students to do
something productive for the villagers on education, and health issues mostly.
The camp is an interactive experiential learning module that enables urban students to learn
about rural India through hands -on exposure. It provides an opportunity to urban students to
make friends with rural adolescents, learn traditional crafts, gain insight into rural socio -
economic structures through a village study, builds leadership and team spirit through
adventure and enhances personal confidence and inter-personal skills. The program is
designed as an intensive participatory learning experience of 5 to 7 days using creative
methodologies like theatre, music, simulation exercises and games. The entire camp is
designed as a journey where students reflect upon themselves and their roles in society as
well as break stereotypes through interactions with local people in rural areas. The focus is
on breaking stereotypes through exposure and developing respect for each other‟s culture,
traditions, environment and knowledge systems. Sports, art, music, theatre and adventure are
an intrinsic part of the camp.
The camp is also designed with the purpose of exposing students to voluntary work, NGOs
and development work in general. The students are prepared before the camp, through an
orientation workshop for what they are likely to experience. The emphasis is on learning
by doing and reflecting on the rural experience, with a view to identify areas of change by:
Inculcating positive values and attitudes
Building ownership for self and society
Developing interpersonal skills
Developing opportunities to exercise social responsibility
After the camp feedback is collected from the students in a follow –up program, to evaluate
the impact and learning from the exposure. Students fill in logbooks to record their
experiences, attitudes and thoughts before and during the camp. Facilitation and personal
interaction by the resource person‟s helps students assimilate the learning‟s. A great deal
of planning is done to ensure that the whole experience is educational as well as fun. The
logistics and the arrangements for the camp are organized by Pravah in partnership with an
NGO that is working in a rural area.
City life is fast becoming individualistic and self-centred. The gap between rural-urban is
increasing day by day. Recently the fiasco that happened in West Bengal, has actually
worked like an alarm clock, waking us up from a deep slumber. Also the Narmada dam
incident has shown us how urban decisions have an impact on rural society. What can we do
to close this gap because each impacts the other?
The best possible solution is to awake the youth of this country to this great divide and make
them realize that how important is it for both the societies to come together for the real
progress of this country and its people. In 1992, after the Babri Masjid demolition, a group of
young professionals in their early twenties responded to the situation and the wave of
communal riots and bloodshed that followed before and after the event. They mobilised
public opinion against the violence through campaigns and other creative platforms. From a
loose group of young individuals, Pravah became a registered organization in 1993. From
then onwards it has incessantly worked with youth on active citizenship. One of the
important programmes is the adolescent intervention programme.
Fun camp is an important aspect of adolescent intervention programme. The camp works on
„self to society '- model. This model helps to realize the importance of youth and active
citizenship. The basic aim is to understand how an individual can contribute to the society.
This model also helps to understand the rural-urban relation and how each impacts the other
in various forms. It also helps the students of that particular age to understand the other
important perspective of life. The structure of this camp helps to become aware of the self
and how an individual is inclusive to his/her environment. The model also focuses on action
plan that is implementing the learning during the camp. This implementation can be in
various forms like- theatre, exhibitions, documentaries and comics and all other modes
possible to create awareness all around. This year in the month of March, fun camp was
organized at Phalodi, which falls under the district of Jaisalmer. Students of Sanskriti School
were part of this camp (class xi).
There were fifty-three students, seven facilitators from Pravah and six teachers from
Sanskriti School.
Group Dynamics
Initially it was easy for one to sense the incoherency present in the group. It was observed
that there were a lot of smaller groups within the big group. Also, this disconnect was
clearly visible when the big group was divided into three main groups. But slowly and
steadily during the camp it was observed how the group cohesiveness was increasing.
Shift in consciousness
During the reflection sessions, especially during the second day, the transformation, in the
thought patterns, of the students was clearly visible. Their encounter with the harshness of
life had opened their eyes to the realities of the world. The realization that there is no actual
divide between the rural and urban community and each impacts the other, made them
understood the need for rural and urban unity. Also there was urgency from the students to do
something productive for the villagers on education, and health issues mostly.
There was a clear need for the program - the findings indicate that all the partners felt
that the objectives had been met.
All the partners felt that the basic design was effective and in sync with the set
objectives. However, there was a need for Pravah to ensure that activities that are
challenging and help provide insights into rural realities are included in every camp.
The camp had also made a considerable impact on the rest of the school‟s
culture/atmosphere. This can be attributed to the fact that in the schools, the experience
of the students and accompanying teachers has been by and large positive.
The program has been made an integral part of the curriculum in many schools.
However, in one of them, although rural exposure has become part of the school
curriculum, it is no longer undertaken in partnership with Pravah.
In the light of the feedback that the impact of the camp wears off over a period of
time especially because the students have so many activities vying for their attention,
there is a need for sustained follow-up. This therefore points to the need for long-term
follow-up to be integrated into the program, and plans for these (including action
programs by students) to be designed with the school.
In terms of future plans, all the partners were willing to make a long-term
commitment vis-à-vis the association with Pravah on future FUN camps.
On coordination and facilitation, there was general agreement on its effectiveness. In
some cases the feedback pointed to the relationship between facilitators and teachers
not being managed well, which led to ineffective coordination and facilitation.
The impact on students has been observed only in two of the schools in terms of
students demonstrating a significant positive change in attitudes and awareness
about social issues.
The analysis of the data from student logbooks shows considerable positive
movement on all the areas (Self-awareness, Trust, awareness on sustainable
development, rural crafts, interpersonal skills and rural knowledge).
The organizations also shared that their expectations from the camp had been met
with and reiterated the fact that the objectives of the camp synchronized with
their own organizational objectives.
One of the key findings in this evaluation has been the critical need for Pravah to strengthen its
relationship orientation towards schools and other institutional partners including NGO‟s. This
would enable Pravah to focus its energies to sustain and strengthen its relationships.
Keeping in mind the recommendation of developing a three-way partnership between Pravah,
the NGO and the school, the following parameters have been developed as key
considerations:
Developing a partnership orientation to the school.
Developing an effective relationship with teachers.
Developing a relationship with parents.
Developing a relationship with NGOs.
Redesigning the orientation and pre-camp preparation processes
Facilitation
Facilitation emerged as a key area of concern in the evaluation. Due to the intensive nature of
these camps facilitators are in very close contact with teachers and students. It is important to
concentrate on developing facilitator competencies through training and monitoring, and
maintaining an optimal student facilitator ratio.
Follow Up
Strengthening FUN specific follow-up strategies i.e. post camp review, feedback, reporting
and facilitating action projects with students would help Pravah assess and reinforce the
learning at camp.
Sustainability
Pravah needs to develop processes for building a 3 way partnership between itself, the
school and the host organization.
Program Design
The general recommendations regarding the need to customize the program to the partner
schools apply to the FUN camps as well. However in view of the special nature of the program
it requires a greater degree of attention, since every camp site offers very different
exposure opportunities and degrees of hardship.
There is no foolproof method of ensuring the village visit or the „Who am I?‟
session outcomes since both afford immense opportunities for deep, sometimes
unexpected, learning.
Some participants may feel that responses by villagers sound sometimes as rehearsed
or jaded (May be because these villages may have previously hosted FUN Camp
groups), it is advisable to orient participants to base their analysis on their own
observations as well, instead of just on interactions.
For the „Who am I?‟ session, it is important to process misgivings shared by
participants who may not understand the purpose of the session.
Definitely, great thought needs to be given to ensuring safety and security for the
participants. The unfortunate incidents should be forbidden.
It is very important to be sensitive to emergent needs of the group and make
scheduling changes accordingly.
The first and foremost important is to create a grass roots awareness of the
program. So one of the first things I recommend in the introduction of this program
to other schools is to develop a list of key influencers who, in return for a critical
review, receive the program for free, prior to actual implementation.
After creating awareness about the product (i.e. Fun Camp), a list of those schools
should be prepared who actually want to host these type of camps to benefit their
students.
When schools show interest in the program, try to reach and persuade them in every
possible manner.
After discovering what schools actually are in need of, accordingly make necessary
changes in the program and try to fill their needs.
To invite the facilitators of those schools interested in FUN Camp to have the live
wire experience and make changes according to there preferences.
Pravah
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