- Projects include spreading awareness about the initiatives of the Blind People’s Association, studying tribal entrepreneurs supported by AKRSP in South Gujarat, assisting in the training and rehabilitation of specially-abled children, imparting gender sensitization and guidance on sustainability and nutrition, etc
- As part of the course that spans across six months, 179 students spent 10 days in villages across the country
NE EDUCATION BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, APR 1
Second-year students of MICA, Ahmedabad, worked dedicatedly on an array of social-impact projects in and for different parts of rural India as part of the Rural Immersion Course. Students got ample exposure to life and culture in rural areas as they strived to undertake projects around a host of social issues and causes like mental health awareness, tribal entrepreneurship, gender sensitization, women empowerment, financial literacy, rural marketing, etc., among many others. The course is a constructive initiative by MICA to expose its students to the ground realities of the rural areas of the country and equip them with the necessary skills required to understand and solve problems for their unique demography.
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Prof. Kallol Das, Co-Chair of the Rural Immersion Course at MICA, said, “We feel honored to have partnered with some of the best organizations working for rural India, including Gujarat Forests, Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, Swades Foundation, Jaipur Rugs, Samvedna Foundation, Adani Foundation, National Livelihoods Resource Institute, SEWA, and many more. Working on projects of such immense scale and creating some real-time social impact was a gratifying and illuminating experience for the students.”
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As part of the course that spans across six months, 179 students spent 10 days in villages across the country, interacting with different stakeholders to understand some of their most pressing problems and concerns. They collected primary and secondary data for various projects. In addition, each group was mentored by a MICA faculty and a nominated official of the partner organization.”
The projects this year included conducting Impact Assessment Studies on various government initiatives like Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), developing training & development material for the organic farming community in and around rural Gujarat, identifying eco-tourism prospects, livelihood generation among bamboo herd groups, tribal entrepreneurship, social assessment of Animal Health Care projects, developing rural and social-media marketing strategies for women SHGs, artisan uplift and connectivity, training and rehabilitation for specially-abled people, spreading awareness around initiatives of the Blind People’s Association, creating mobile libraries for rural children, economic empowerment and skill-building for women, etc.
One of the teams worked on a rural school project with the Samvedana Foundation wherein they ideated and created strategies towards awareness and value of education in villages. They also created innovative visual modules for teachers and students to learn English. The students also created parenting modules to instill good parenting values. The team said, “We stayed for 10 days in Lana Village near Dholka, Gujarat, and immersed ourselves in the local culture and way of life. We were fortunate enough to meet warm and friendly people. Apart from understanding the problems at the grassroots level, we got a peak into the villagers’ psyche, motivators, likes & dislikes. This has broadened our perspective and will help us as young marketeers of the future because we realize that every voice matters.”
Students speak
Sharing his experience, second-year student Yuvraj Mehta whose group worked for the Blind People’s Association, said, “Our project work aimed at designing marketing collateral that motivates the villagers of Thasra to use BPA’s free medication services in case of mental illnesses like Mania, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, etc. We stayed in Thasra for 10 days to understand people’s psyches around mental illnesses and craft effective communication. The initial days consisted of conducting primary research, interacting with various stakeholders and understanding how they perceived mental illnesses.
We designed a flip book in vernacular language showcasing patients’ success stories. We used it as a foundation to explain different types of mental illnesses, the stigmas people have for them, and how BPA discovers and helps such people with the assistance of ASHA and Anganwadi workers. We used social proof to motivate and nudge patients and their family members to take the allopathy route to cure these illnesses.”
Getting exposed to the nitty-gritty of the Netrang and Ahwa districts in Gujarat for the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme was an eye-opening experience for MICA student Russian Bose and his team. “We conducted ethnographic research among 10 villages, including over 20 in-depth interviews with tribal entrepreneurs. We then curated over 20 entrepreneur-specific case studies suggesting how to improve their business model. It was a journey that paved our way to make each little endeavor count.”
Speaking of his team’s experience, Bhuvan Varshney, whose project involved working on a women’s economic empowerment project for Adani Foundation, shared, “Our group had to play a role in empowering and upskilling young businesswomen coming straight out of villages. We had to work with them to scale their business so that their talent is not told off as a hobby but as a source of earning livelihood and respect. We worked with different units of Sewa Sahay, including Jyotsaheli (beadwork), Meghdhanush (mud work), and Saheli (sanitary napkins). We evolved their brand communications, social media presence, and packaging and built a robust categorization for them.”
