A Landmark Moment for Barefoot Trust!

The term ‘scaling up’ is often used in the corporate world for a natural progression indicating growth. It indicates the validation of the ongoing work and ability to aim for larger targets, shoulder more responsibilities and achieve greater impact. It is no different in the Non-Profit sector as everyone aspires for growth and sharing the benefits of its growth with its stakeholders as well as ensuring impact where it matters. For the management of non-profit organizations, the official registration of the organization is a basic requirement to operate as a legal entity in the development sector. But further growth is required with the formal recognition by the government in the form of legal compliances. And that is obtained through various legal permissions leading us to the moment of silent satisfaction.

We waited for 5 long years and experienced all the emotions of anticipating a positive response: being let down, submission deadlines getting extended and hopelessness and despair. I must confess that we had been teetering on the brink of exasperation and had exhausted all options. And just when you give up hope, an old associate, Mr Manoj Kumar Pasupalak, re-enters the scene, completes all the due diligence and up pops the e-mail on the 24th of February 2022 that Barefoot Trust has received the necessary registration for 12A (Income Tax Exemptions) & 80G (tax exemptions for individuals / companies). Words cannot express our appreciation and gratitude for his support and turning things around in an instant. The greatest lessons learnt here are: be humble enough to acknowledge the fact that there is a hurdle that is insurmountable due to existing inadequacies, engage with experts, commission work to those who will deliver and reward them on completion of the assignment. But most importantly, remain loyal to those who have stuck around when the chips were down.   Honestly speaking, it is a relief to finally possess these two documents and definitely increase the scope of our interventions in Meghalaya and Odisha. During this time, we have been constantly rolling out activities, engaging interns and collaborating with organizations. The program team of Barefoot Trust has been relentlessly proactive in developing ideas and interventions for the stakeholders. We are grateful to all our well-wishers during this arduous journey. It would be amiss on my part if I did not mention the contributions of Bishop D.K. Sahu, settlor of Barefoot Trust and Mr Pradip Kumar Sahu, Member of Barefoot Trust who are examples of dogged determination, old-school values and faith while putting their all into the organization so that it might make the next step in the development sector. You’re most likely to experience the true magic of faith when you’ve truly given up hope and let go of trying to hold on.

We have cleared another milestone but are driven by the dream of listening and serving the communities disadvantaged by generations of exclusion.

Bibhudutta Sahu, Managing Trustee

Malala Day

Standing up

How many of us are willing to stand up against our violent oppressors with a literal gun against our heads? Malala Yousafzai  was just 15 years old when an ordinary day turned bloody as a Taliban terrorist shot her in the head for standing up, as a girl and as a person, for what she believed in – the right to education for all and gender equality in education.

Education holds great importance in our lives. It acts as a channel through which people can study and acquire knowledge and skills that will enable them to live a better life. However, to a large part, the benefits of education are dependent on the quality of education. Poor education makes it difficult for people to live a comfortable life. 

Unfortunately, education in Meghalaya appears to be inadequate. 

 We ranked 2nd last on the Performance Grading Index, beating  Ladakh.  Where did we go wrong? What are we lacking? And why are we not doing anything to change it? 

Education for All?

With the onset of the pandemic, we kissed ‘Education for All’ goodbye. How many students do you think were deprived of their education when everything switched online? According to the U.N., as many as 24 billion students globally have had to face the risk of dropping out of school. The pandemic brought forth the numerous problems of the education system and displayed the inequality in providing education to everyone.

Gender Equality

After a long conversation with my grandparents, I realized a few things. Firstly, middle class women in North India were actively provided with education till graduation only after the 1980s. Secondly, their education heavily depended on their status in society and economic background. This was the case 40 years back and though the literacy rate of women has increased, the irony is that even today, the economic background still plays a huge role when it comes to the girl child. I wonder why. I could not pin down a single logical reason as to why girls are deprived of their education. Perhaps it was religion, class, or caste. But none of them seemed plausible, much less provided a clear answer as to why society treats males differently from females the way it does. Funny right? I thought so too. And yet for decades, for no sensible reason, we denied our girls their right to receive education. I’ll let you in on something even funnier – girls and boys are still treated differently when it comes to who deserves education. Perhaps it is because men are expected to take up a job after their education and be the breadwinners whereas, women are expected to get married as soon as possible and be a homemaker. Why are we as a society making these decisions for them? Why can’t we let them live their life that way they want to? 

This brings me back to the difference in what education is for girls and boys. As a person who has studied in both co-ed schools as well as schools for only girls, the difference is obvious. Our behaviour is in-built into education for us. This does not limit itself to moral values but extends to the way we walk or sit, how loud we speak and how we present ourselves in front of others. There is a certain pattern of behavior for girls to follow that is acceptable and preferred. Any deviations from this set pattern results in our teachers treating us differently. My friend once made this glaringly obvious when she told me, “If your group and mine have an argument for whatever reason, whose side do you think the teacher will take? Will they even believe us? It’s the good girls, the quiet ones that can be trusted.” It’s true too. When there were class issues to be resolved, the quiet girls were always asked to explain because they can be trusted. Of course, the way we present ourselves makes a difference. But why does this have anything to do with our gender? I don’t need to sit ‘like a girl’. Why do we follow these gender norms so fervently? As long as a girl is comfortable in her own skin, it’s fine. That’s what we need to do – remind students that self love and self confidence is the most important part. This will only grow as we learn to be more independent and responsible. It’s a well known fact that girls take on more responsibilities at home than boys. Why? Education does not start and end in school, college or an institution. We learn so much about ourselves and how we should treat others in our homes. We need to stop blindly following gender norms and treat, as well as teach our children equally. Girls don’t need to be homemakers. Girls need to be encouraged to make their own decisions and to carry them out independently with the full support of their families. That is what education is.

Why can’t women be independent and confident? What is holding them back? Or rather I should ask, on what grounds are we holding them back? If your answer is tradition, then you should understand that tradition was made by people and can also be changed by people. There have been several women who have proved that if they set their minds to it, they can achieve as much, if not more than men. Women like Malala, Emma Watson, Kiran Bedi, the Rani of Jhansi and Aung San Suu Kyi have proven so. We need to not just encourage education for girls but educate people of all walks of life as to why gender equality is necessary in every field and especially in the field of education. Note that I mentioned gender equality not sex equality. 

Education is for all and should leave NO ONE behind. We also need to think of the next step forward – the state of women employment. Only by looking at education from the perspectives of all the stakeholders and addressing all the relevant issues can we progress in developing the education system into one that caters to all types of students. We tend to have tunnel vision when it comes to the current education system and yet we talk about it so much. 

Malala, a young girl with no extraordinary background, became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize Winner for her dedicated efforts in trying to reform gender inequality and encourage education. She made millions realize how odd it was that education was discouraged and that girls had even lesser opportunities at such a delicate age. We should follow in her footsteps and work for a future in which no one is denied access to education. Let me close on one more little secret: We are talking about gender inequality amongst students but it’s surprising to realize that, at least for the state of Meghalaya, the majority of our teachers are female (according to an article on Schools in Meghalaya written by Embibe.com, Meghalaya has 22076 female teachers, 21002 male teachers and 24 teachers who wish not to disclose their gender). If this is the case on the teacher’s level, then why do we have so few females in the administrative and law making level? 

I am Aavisha Kharkongor, an 18 year old student. It would be awesome to know what you thought about this article in the comments!

Email ID : aavishask@barefoottrust

Education: The only aim in an Indian school?

“The depth of learning is in direct relation to the intensity of the experience.”

I once read an article that stated, “Experiential learning is a means of moving from theory to application which allows for a fair amount of student discovery and serendipity to take place.” It then got me to introspect. “How much of the knowledge gained in school was I able to implement in real life?”

Learning VS Education

Let us first understand the difference between ‘Education’ and ‘Learning.’

Learning is an intellectual process of acquiring new skills and knowledge through experience. It is related to an individual’s perception. Education is an enlightening process of gaining knowledge through well-organized teaching. And yet, the terms are misused frequently by inter-changing them flippantly with no clarity of the distinction between the two.

  • Source: SlideShare: Education vs Learning – Bibblio@WebSummit

In an Indian school, 90% of the education is theoretical with minimal scope for practical thinking. There is no space for constructive criticism, creative learning, or critical thinking. The meaning of learning is so hollow that the emphasis on basic life skills like communication and critical thinking has little importance. I have now understood that learning happens best when the learner makes connections with the study matter and, that happens best when the learning is experiential. But a significant portion of the population is devoid of the required facilities to do so, like well-equipped labs.

Overall development VS Grades

In our country, the year-end results and board examinations hold utmost significance. Thus, the students either develop an egoistic mindset or are subject to humiliation depending on their grades. That is because we are limiting our understanding through the use of the standards-based approach. Students focus solely on reaching that defined benchmark, that they lose focus on attaining a broader perspective of the subject matter or seeking more knowledge. Therefore, learning becomes limited and kills the curiosity of the child. But that is not the biggest problem. “Between January 1, 1995, and December 31, 2019, India lost more than 1.7 lakh students to suicide. Of these, nearly 52% were in the past decade.” (Source: Times of India; Sept. 7, 2020)
Instead of being taught how to deal with failure, how did children learn that not getting perfect grades was the end?

How is it possible that children reached a point where they thought their marks held more value than their own lives?

  • Source: The Indian Express

The emphasis on academics has side-tracked the importance of the overall development of a child. The periods allocated for students to engage in sports and music are taken away on the pretext of completing the syllabus. As a musician, I enjoyed the music period and exploring talent with my peers. But I was always overcome with disappointment when I did not get to do so. Extracurricular activities increase leadership skills, self-confidence and allow students to showcase their talent. They also improve social skills and provide diverse experiences beyond their textbooks and everyday life. Another factor is that they add personality to college applications. So why are extracurricular activities not given importance? The form of curriculum designed by our colonial masters is still in place with negligible modifications. The syllabus lacks practical knowledge and creative learning. Students do not learn how to implement the knowledge they are gaining in a real-life situation. With everything around us advancing so rapidly, why is the education system still the same?

Our In-house debate

An intriguing debate was conducted on May 29 by Barefoot trust, the organization at which I am interning. The opinions of all the interns participating were insightful and diverse. The team in favor of the motion argued that learning is limited and that achieving good grades and completing the syllabus holds more significance than learning. Every child has different capabilities, different strengths, and different goals. Why are they made to study the same subjects for ten years straight? Of course, basic literacy and understanding of numeracy are necessary. But amongst hundreds of careers to pursue, only a handful is a priority. As Maria Montessori said, “The education of even a small child, therefore, does not aim at preparing him for school, but for life.” But to what extent is that the case in an Indian school?

The opposing team had some striking thoughts as well. They argued that the Indian Education System nurtured discipline and hard work, perseverance, and determination in children. The system is job-centric, teaches us soft skills, and prepares us for competitive exams. 

Our Indian Education System is flawed and requires tectonic shifts with revolutionary steps to change the learning outcomes. The need of the hour is to develop a system that permits students to be creative, be curious, and focus more on subjects that hold their interest. A grading system should not define students, but their talents, creativity, and aptitude should. Albert Einstein said it best, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

I’m Tanaya Naveen, a 17-year-old singer/pianist studying in Bangalore, and I would love to know your perspective in the comments!

Email ID: tanaya.naveen7@gmail.com

National Technology Day: How advanced are we Really?

“India has joined the ‘nuclear club’ of nations of the world.”

This was the news that captured the attention of Indian citizens and people all over the world in the years 1998-1999. On 11th May, 1998, India successfully launched its first nuclear test. Now, every year this day is observed as National Technology Day.

Technology is now a need…

As a first-year student in college, I grew up with and have access to the common technology we have today. Computers, laptops and mobile phones become an important part of the education system in the higher levels. But with the pandemic, all these have become a need, no longer a mere want. Being able to have online classes has been a great advantage in terms of health. It can be difficult to maintain social distance in a class with over a hundred students. Online classes enable us to get the lectures and materials we need while at the same time preventing the virus from spreading, at least within the campus. I may have more access to internet because of my online classes, however, this has not brought me closer to any real learning experiences. Those students who are fortunate to have all this technology however, are also deprived of the joy of interacting with those who are physically present around us. I, like others who live in the urban areas, always have access to our classes and lectures. But others may find it difficult to have access to internet at all times. We have weekly lectures for some departments every Saturday, and those who have easy access to the internet can easily attend these lectures but those students who have decided to spend the lockdown in their hometowns always find it difficult to join in on the live lectures. Their hometowns may have electricity, or cars, or phones. But internet service is difficult to find. And for my classmates it has become a weekly struggle to attend the live lectures.

.. yet we are no longer advancing…

Why do we observe National Technology Day when the only thing the country has achieved is becoming a ‘nuclear nation’? That means nothing in the face of the current pandemic, does it? Technology, be it nuclear or not, ought to be utilized by the government of the country to help its people. But the government no longer has the funds to do this, or even if it does, it ignores the need of the majority of the population .

Until April, Maharashtra was the worst hit state in India. In the second week of May we are seeing a drop in the number of daily cases for the first time since the 31st of March. The number has gone below 40,000 cases daily. But now, Uttar Pradesh has become the second state in India to have an increase in daily cases. On the 10th, Uttar Pradesh recorded 21,331 new cases, which has taken the total number of cases to 15,24,767. Death tolls have risen to 15,464 with 12,54,045 patients who have recovered.

The pandemic continues to spread freely as people from the working sector have no choice but to leave their homes in search of  food and other essentials, and sometimes even search for work as they are no longer able to financially support their families.

…are we?

This year, National Technology Day should not be celebrated. Instead, it should serve as a reminder to the leaders of our country. A reminder of the great achievements our country has made when her leaders are on the right path. If India has been able to become a ‘nuclear country’, then with the right efforts and support of the government, it can once again rise up out of this horror and provide for its people the proper healthcare and essentials they need .

The government can easily provide enough vehicles to transport the oxygen cylinders which are in desperate need all over the country. Yet it still reserves vehicles for the members of the government who are not affected by the pandemic, which can easily be used to help those more in need. Organizations which are on social media can be given more freedom to help as they can often utilize internet platforms more efficiently than the government bodies. The government can also use local notice systems to educate people on the pandemic and its preventive measures instead of just relaying daily news on the number of those recovered and the ever-rising numbers of affected and deaths. Besides these, citizens can also help spread true news on social media platforms, finding support and help for those in need using the same. Also, one of the most affected sectors of the country in this pandemic is the education sector. With every class being held online, those who live in their hometowns which may or may not have proper internet facilities, find it difficult to attend classes. The government has often vowed to make internet service available all over the state, so this is the perfect time to fulfill their vows. Students have never needed the internet as they do now and if the government is adamant on having classes and even yearly exams online, then the least they can do is guarantee every student access to the internet.

Only time and effort will tell.

As citizens, we have been doing whatever we possibly can to abide by the health regulations provided by our own state governments. However, the central government even though it sees throngs of people attending functions and rallies and election campaigns, it turns a blind eye to all this. Of what use are the oxygen plants? The mass production of masks and gloves and sanitizers and protective gear? The government has utilized the available technology to produce these and also the vaccine. But after all this effort, we see officials holding elections with no social distancing or masks We have influential people trying their best to donate and help but when these funds land in the hands of the government, at least a quarter or even more is taken in to line their own pockets. Or in the worst cases, the funds disappear completely with no evidence of where they have gone. Even our vaccines are given to other countries and we ourselves are now being overwhelmed by the number of cases, and deaths.

No politician will support research which will have a long-term benefit. The government will no longer help us advance. It is our responsibility now to help ourselves and others in whatever way we can. And perhaps if we make an effort to stop the pandemic, someday our technology will be able to advance once more and we may have a valid reason to celebrate and observe National Technology Day for this nation, where credit will be given to the true heroes, the scientists, doctors and every other person involved in the field. Not to our hypocritical politicians who claim credit for donating and funding the research when in truth they do nothing.

The Curious Case of E-Clutter: The Cravings, Creeps and the Celebrations

Since the government of Meghalaya declared a 10-day containment (a semi-lockdown), I decided to pen down a list of tasks that I wanted to complete before we resumed some semblance of normalcy. I decided to clear up my social media folders and make it lighter and relevant for my current priorities. I had estimated 20 minutes for this de-cluttering process but I didn’t realize how far off I was with my guesstimate. My official and personal e-mail accounts have 2400 unread emails with a sizeable number that are still awaiting a response. I fared a little better on my LinkedIn and Facebook platforms. My e-mail accounts were bursting at the seams and screaming for space as they were overburdened with photos, files and emails with the heavy attachments.

I started off with my Instagram account and dived straight into my saved section which turned out to be scrolls and scrolls of stored items. I decided to go through each and every one of them, recall the rationale for affording them space on my phone and start deleting the unimportant ones. Towards that effort, I started discovering a lot more than I had bargained for and decided to highlight some of the disturbing trends in this article.

  • It Creeps Up on You

The ubiquitous nature of virtual communication is that it invades our space silently and that it continues unabated. Along with the legitimate emails and messages, service providers and spammers are able to get through with innovative means and there isn’t much you can do to stop them. A daily average of 10-15 emails, 3-4 saved posts on each social media platform which, when multiplied by 365 days can lead you to a daunting and uphill task of de-cluttering. Unwittingly, I ended up adding to the glorious stack of saved items that I would probably not refer to in the coming months or years. They definitely started gathering proverbial virtual dust while being relegated to a shelf / folder.

  • Self-Introspection and Re-alignment

It is always interesting to re-visit posts and e-mails that were saved or written years back and track my life journey through the years. I was aghast to find some of the posts that they clearly mirrored my state of mind back then to that of a rebel without a cause, searching for validation, driven by external gratification and diplomacy. This crucible of my unique collection truly requires honesty and time to accept the state of mind for what it was. It is also about accepting that the goalposts have changed and the emotions and expectations are set to a default setting of breathe-think-act and box load of self-control. While engaging in the decision-making process, you will start learning a lot about yourself and recall the memories, moments, lessons that brought you to press that little icon indicating save. I was able to view myself through the lens of those ‘saved’ posts and categorize my interests at that time.

  • Emotions and Acceptance

Each post evoked a multitude of emotions ranging from happiness, joy, sadness, bitterness and anger. They were able to transport me back to times and places with intricate details and characters I had met along the way. The posts expressed emotions without filters without a care for consequences but also a boldness of words. The trajectory of that journey also captured the responsibility of a single-parent, and the gradual management of emotions through the posts. At times, I look back and think to myself: woah, could I have written that in a different manner? But at the same time, I have grown to appreciate my own development and accept that this journey was mine and mine alone with all its ups and downs. I have learnt to accept the beauty of the lessons, harsh as they might seem at the time, and gradually hold onto that which sustains me.    

  • Materialism vs Minimalism

For the past few years, I pride myself on striving for minimalism and reducing the need to possess each and every new gadget or product out there. But to my horror, I was blinded by the number of posts I had saved that indicated gadgets or products that I desired. These included speakers, laptops, clothes, umbrellas, grooming sets, leather goods, motorcycle accessories, portable juicers, watches and more clothes. The sub-conscious is a fickle companion and was an eye-opener to the closet materialistic person I could potentially turn out to be. I decided to delete all post related to material possessions and posts that were not aligned with my existing goals. At the same time, I am grateful for some of the posts as they have revived professional interests and work-related links to further the organizational development process.

  • Current and Contextual

While clearing out the clutter, I went back to the simple rule: is there something new I can hold onto here or learn from that isn’t there in any of the other emails / posts? Guiding that thought-process was the intense desire to stay true to what is the current relevance of that communication / post and will it be able to hold its ground in a few years’ time? As I started this overhaul of my system, I figured that the materialistic products and the trivial communications were the first to exit the folder paving the way for a cleaner and far more organized arrangement. The second round of de-cluttering led to outdated posts that had passed their apply-by-date and therefore were easy to discard. The ones that carry a great deal of emotion are the most difficult to deal with as they tend to encapsulate a moment in time that could potentially be lost forever. I look at it with an open mind and ask myself if that particular post / communication would help me moving forward and still carry the lessons in the days to come. Establishing the universal appeal of the material is critical in providing space on your phone / laptop / computer or Hard disk.  

  • A little Push-Back goes a long way

The Kaizen method amplifies the importance of small steady steps to a meaningful life and the same applies to e-clutter. Take that small 5-minute break to unsubscribe / delete that email / organize the material. You would be surprised how useful and satisfying that effort ends up paving the way for greater and more intense initiatives. Decide on the core priorities for the next 3-4 years and stick to only saving material on that particular focus area. Push back on that irrational desire to store anything and everything in that misguided hope that you will clear it one-day. It doesn’t ever work like that.  Resist that urge to keep storing e-clutter as it a one way road into chaos.

  • A Spark here and there and out of nowhere

De-cluttering need not be as painful as it sounds. It promises some real nuggets of transformation. As you are going through this de-clutter process, keep a pen / pencil / or anything that you can jot down some ideas onto. Trust me when I say this, you are going to be flooded with tons of thoughts and ideas as you are sorting through the deluge of communications. A lot of new ideas will explode in your head as the power of imagination, association and recollection engulf your mind and some of that stuff needs to be shared. So you see, even after you’ve deleted those posts, you have brought them back to life through your jottings and hopefully, compiled and created something new. The foundations of that creativity and innovation were in your inbox / saved posts and they have now served their purpose.

  • Letting go

With most things that we store comes an emotional attachment that is very hard to explain and one that resides resolutely in the mind of the owner. As I was pressing the delete button for most of my emails / posts/ photos from past organizations and events, I felt liberated in letting go. Far from erasing the past, I was embarking in a process of realizing that I cannot change the world and that is ok. It is worth holding onto some material that is still relevant to the change process and has the power to influence. The pleasant memories will live on and on and will be passed down to the next generation through the medium of story-telling and rekindling the power of social narratives. Don’t overthink the process of holding on as the emotional baggage is going to be very heavy and will not enable the clarity of thought and decision making.

At Barefoot Trust, we pride ourselves on keeping interactions minimalistic and focused on the work at hand. We believe in the concept of shearing down the resources to the very basics while optimizing the outcomes. It is then that the innovative ideas spring forth and compel us to align our practices to our values based solely on needs. Given the constraints in resources, each team member is encouraged to think out of the box and proactively push for support.  We acknowledge the power of social narratives and personal anecdotes as the medium of change for the future and encourage our team members to make that personal journey of acknowledging the spark within and sharing it with the world.

And yes, I was able to reduce the 600 odd posts to a select 50+ posts focused entirely on start-ups, education and health. Small, steady steps! Who knew that sifting through E-Clutter could turn into a journey of Self-Analysis?

A Wake-Up Call for a Caring Economy

As the globe focuses its attention on recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis continues to create catastrophic damage to the planet. Though the pandemic caused a dip in the 2020 emissions, the year was still the warmest on record, with ever raging wildfires, droughts and storms.

As nature continues to suffer, not so silently, the Earth is clearly urging a call to action.

We are losing 4.7 million hectares of forests every year and an estimated one million animal and plants are now threatened with extinction. Did you know that every four months, a new infection emerges in humans and 75% of these diseases come from animals?

Deforestation, land-use change, intensified agriculture and livestock production, ever-increasing illegal wildlife trade and other such crimes that disrupt biodiversity, cause the transmission of infectious diseases from animals to human – just like COVID-19.

The solution? We need to shift to a more sustainable economy – an economy that works for both people and the planet. As António Guterres said, “We must act decisively to protect our planet from both the coronavirus and the existential threat of climate disruption.” Restoring our damaged ecosystems will not just end global poverty but help combat climate change and prevent mass extension. We must adopt a Caring Economy.

We urge you to look at this interactive report and constantly work towards limiting opportunities for global warming. Our immediate priority should not just focus on the prevention of COVID-19, but in the long term, tackle habitat and biodiversity loss.

After all, the healthier the planet, the healthier its people.

See below how we can each encourage each other to live sustainable lifestyles:

  • By travelling with rail instead of taking short haul flights
  • Actively adapting cycling and car-sharing and reducing personal car use
  • Reduce food waste; and
  • Adapting sustainable renewable sources of energy as alternatives to electricity and fossil fuels.

Remember, the richest 1% of the worldwide population accounts for way more emissions than the poorest 50% but it is not too late to act. Through our pandemic recovery strategy, we have attained the knowledge, technology and opportunity to take a huge step towards bridging this gap between climate action and climate reality.

We must act NOW! Let us all come together and promote harmony with nature and the Earth. Let us together, restore the world!

Transforming the Mindscape to Navigate the Landscape

Unassisted navigation of the Living Route Bridge by 3 Persons with Dsiability
(L-R) Benister Kharpor, Hawkilara Mashinkiashi, Thomas Tajo

Picture this scenario: You’re about to begin your descent to the Living Roots bridge at Nohwet village, Meghalaya, all pumped up and ready to make the journey down, mindful of the unevenness of the terrain and the descent. You look around and the weather is pleasant, the warmth of the sun beating down on your head and a light breeze blowing across the hills. Your eyes scan the area, clearly identifying the tree-line, the width of the path, the ridges and the oncoming tourists, all the while telling you exactly where you need to traverse to make it down to the bridge in the safest and most efficient manner. It is peak season for tourism and you should expect a lot of tourists to pass you by as they marvel at the wonder of the Living Roots Bridge.

And then you come across three persons with visual impairment (blind) ready to embark on what many would probably testify to, as the first unassisted navigation of the landscape in the Living Roots by persons with visual impairment, their determination to reach the bridge as well as climb the treehouse. Unbelievable, right? It’s not as crazy as it sounds. On the 20th of July 2019, three such individuals namely Benister Kharpor, Hawkilara Axelsen and Thomas Tajo decided to take a plunge into the deep end of navigation to draw in as much of the experience of traveling to the tourist destinations first hand with a sense of independence. Amazing, isn’t it? Although their world is plunged into darkness, that has not impeded their mobility or their independence.  How did they manage all this? Just with the sharp click of their tongues. Yes! Just a click with their tongues, which is part of the method of Echolocation, a skill that enables them to move around obstacles in their path while identifying the density, distance and dimensions of the objects around them.

Mr. Thomas Tajo, currently residing in Belgium, is a blind Echolocation Flash Sonar and Perceptual Navigational instructor for the Visioneers which is an organization based in California.  Echolocation is the same technique used by bats, dolphins and whales and as a form of biomimicry has been adopted by humans for navigational purposes. Mr. Thomas Tajo was in Shillong to conduct a workshop on Navigational Perception and Echolocation for persons with visual impairment from the 23rd -26th of July 2019 that was organized by Organization for Inclusive Development (OFID). His dream is to equip all persons with visual impairment with the skills of echolocation for independent mobility in the north east of India.

Conquering the trail and the trek with determination and science
(L-R) Benister Kharpor and Thomas Tajo

We have become accustomed and conditioned to the negative connotations of having a disability and the restrictions it places on the individual and the family. Even the metaphors infer that the blind leading the blind will lead to an imminent downfall. The mere mention of disability evokes a sympathetic approach to the individual. But within the span of a tete-a-tete with Thomas, one is compelled to revisit that reference with new eyes and a fresh perspective. Not only did he lead the team single-handedly but provided in-depth training in a learn-by-doing methodology. He refuses any form of assistance, assertively insistent on this, in traversing through his immediate environment. It is worth mentioning that no one was hurt during the trek.  It is about time that we change the narrative of disability. We have also become over-reliant on the use of our eyes for an understanding of our environment and placing undue stress on them. Echolocation alleviates some of the stress by heightening and training our other senses to receive information from the environment around us that was undecipherable.

Most of us are accustomed to watching persons with visual impairment walk around with a short white cane. This development in navigation through echolocation complements the use of the short white cane while raising the need to provide persons with visual impairment with longer white canes.  Echolocation identifies objects much before the white cane can do so and can alert the individual well in advance. Echolocation has the potential of increasing the productivity of each and every person with visual impairment as they are free to move about independently as well as freeing the guide (sighted person) to pursue their interests as well.

Benister Kharpor, a resident of Laitkor never imagined that that he would enjoy a trip to the living roots during his lifetime, let alone unassisted. The sense of empowerment that engulfed him was overwhelming as well as the challenge to his own state of mind. He is the President of OFID, Meghalaya unit. There was hardly any time to breathe as they took on the challenge of gathering as much information as possible during their visits to Phan Nonglait (Lady Hydari Park), Living Root Bridge and his village in the span of three days. These were planned visits to unfamiliar territory where one is forced to engage the skills of echolocation and enhance them. Benister was confronted with the new and undiscovered reality that existed in his own backyard (his village).  Hawkilara, a resident of Norway, came over for a three-day exposure visit on Echolocation prior to the workshop and advocated the need to make tourism accessible for persons with disability. Enjoying the sights and sounds of tourist spots should not be restricted to persons without disability but be accessible for all humans. She drew our attention for the need to standardize the sanitary facilities for persons with disabilities as it can be very disorienting for tourists with disability. Her positive experience of Shillong included the kind and hospitable people of Meghalaya, the low levels of noise and the lovely food.

Innovative methods backed by science and based on evidence should be adopted and adapted by institutions and individuals who are working on issues of inclusion. The world of disability is constantly improvising and adding value to the lives of persons with disability through biomimicry, experiential learning and innovation. Government institutions and Civil Society Organizations must wake up and embrace the potential of these techniques to encourage greater productivity and independent minded individuals thus breaking centuries of dependence. The joy of exploring one’s own environment independently and discovering the beauty of the world around us is a form of re-birth in itself, building confidence in one’s abilities and breaking the culture of silence. There is an endearing and empowering image of Thomas Tajo running up a sharp incline of the hill while deftly avoiding any rocks or impediments in his path in the living roots. This small clip embodies the saying that the only barrier to mobility and independence is in the mind. Transform your mind and the impossible becomes possible. In one of the videos, one can overhear the fellow tourists stand in admiration and express their delight at the level of independence and mobility. Ordinary people but acts that are extraordinaire thus inspiring the common man.  For today, the blind shall lead the blind and they shall scale the mountain indeed.

(This article has been published by TNT, the number 1 online media platform in the North East of India. Please click on the following link to view: https://thenortheasttoday.com/feature-transforming-mindscape-to-navigate-the-landscape/

“Workshops are about Inclusion and Empathy”

FEATURE | A Silent Workshop: Of Inclusion & Empathy

For a person without disability attending a workshop, today was a situation of role-reversal and a humbling experience in patience and empathy being the minority in a meeting. For all persons without disability, sound and the spoken language play a critical role in communication.  So it was quite a challenge for me to attend a lively, interactive yet silent workshop, apart from the occasional peals of laughter. Yes, you heard me right, it was silent! It was silent for the very simple reason that it was a One Day Workshop on Deaf Empowerment that was co-organized by Meghalaya Deaf Association (MDA) & Barefoot Trust on the 25th of May 2019 at the Asian Confluence, Shillong. It was a pleasure watching the flurry of hand movements accentuated with the facial expressions, emotions  and the confounding realization that one could not understand a word as we were not part of this world.

The program was facilitated by Access Mantra from New Delhi, an organization that aims to create an environment full of innovative possibilities and solutions, advocating for equality, opportunities and access services for the Deaf community in compliance with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016. As organizations, we conduct thousands of workshops, seminars and programs that use a medium that, by virtue of the process, excludes and discourage many persons with hearing impairment from attending and participating in the programs. The nuances of sign language is a matter of amazement in the world of hearing impairment and changes form from region to region just like any other language.

The Access Mantra team comprising of Amaldev P.R & Charu Narang enthralled the 41 participants from the different districts of Meghalaya on topics that are relevant and resonate such as women empowerment emphasizing the stigma attached to periods, going out alone, holding positions of leadership from the perspective of the deaf community etc. Delving into the issues of leadership, it was quite evident that the there is much potential in the community that has to be realized through job opportunities, exposures and entrepreneurship and receiving the necessary support from institutions and individuals. Mr Ferdinand Marshillong, President, MDA welcomed all the participants to the workshop. It was a presentation packed program interspersed with anecdotes that were impulsive and uninhibited. The larger issues of making the world accessible in terms of media, technology and decision making in their personal and professional lives are important markers of change and inclusion.

The workshop concluded with the Planning meeting for the North East Conference 2019 for the Deaf that will witness a completely new format and approach to the conferences as well as fresh collaborations and opportunities. 

 “The participants have identified the challenges and positives of staying here in the region. There is a dearth of job opportunities and discrimination and the participants are facing personal problems which are difficult to solve.  Empowerment of the deaf community means they are treated on par with those without disability.  The participants are smart and full of potential as leaders but because of the communication barrier, are unable to reach their complete potential. There is a need to ensure accessibility” (Charu Narang, Resource Person, Access Mantra). Truer words have never been spoken wherein barriers of language and sound have restricted the progress of the persons with hearing impairment. There is much to be done for and by the deaf community.  And each and every one of us has a role to play in bringing about inclusion.

This article has been published by TheNortheastToday in June 2019

FEATURE | A Silent Workshop: Of Inclusion & Empathy