Family, a web of relationships that everyone longs for. It is the place where human life begins and where learning takes root. Today, I had the opportunity to meet such a family, through a SALT activity.

The conversation began in a light and easy manner. Each member shared their interests in a few sentences, which created a relaxed and open atmosphere. Soon, the parents started talking about the youth and children in the village. They said, Our children, as well as the children in the…

In Nandwal, I often hold SALT activities in the evenings along with discussions on masculinity. SALT provides people a platform to express their feelings, which makes conversations about masculinity much easier.

Today I had such a discussion with a middle aged man named Dinkar. He recently underwent surgery and is currently not working. As soon as we…

Today, a SALT activity was conducted with a 23-year-old youth, followed by a discussion on masculinity.

Saurabh, 23 years old, has completed his education and is currently working in a company. When asked to recall a happy moment in his life, he shared an emotional memory with his group of friends. He said that since childhood, they were a group of 7 to 8 friends who always helped each other.…

I was returning after conducting a SALT activity in one of the lanes of Nandwal village. While walking in the heat, I noticed an elderly man sitting alone in front of a house. It was Shamarao Nikam. I went to him and asked for some time. He called out to me,  “Come, Mauli.” The sweetness in his voice touched my heart, and I went inside. We sat down on a mat on the floor and began chatting.…

I met Sachin Shinde, a 34-year-old farmer from Nandwal village. He had just returned from the fields, tired, and was sitting at his doorstep with a mobile phone in his hand. I approached him and asked for some time, and when I started the conversation, he happily agreed. His wife is currently working as a member of the Nandwal Gram Panchayat.

I shared with him some information about the Joyful Village research, where the community members themselves had taken initiative and worked. He…

This evening, around six o’clock, I set out for Nandwal village. My purpose today was to meet the men of the village. I know that on Mondays, many men and young people are on holiday, so I try to meet them at that time.

I saw a few men sitting on the katta, chatting. I joined their discussion and quietly listened for some time. They were talking about several issues related to the development of the village. For nearly half an hour, I just listened to what they were saying. Then, I asked…

On the evening of September 4th, I went to Nandwal village for my regular SALT activity. As I walked through Patil Galli, I noticed a man standing outside his house. I introduced myself and asked if he could spare some time for a conversation. He gladly agreed, and our discussion began.I asked him if he could recall any joyful events in his life. Without a moment’s delay, he shared: I used to be a farmer. But now, I supply milk in the city. I own six cows, and that’s how we run our…

Visiting Nandwal village every day and meeting people has now become a part of my life. Whenever I arrive at the office, I always feel a special sense of joy, because I eagerly look forward to hearing what good things I will learn from the community that day.

On that day, when I went to the village, I saw a man sitting with a mobile phone in his hand, wearing slightly untidy clothes. I approached him and introduced myself. He immediately recognized me and said, I often see you in the…

While I was having a discussion with Sangram Patole, his father came there and joined us. I began a conversation with him. He started asking me questions like, “Where have you come from? Where do you stay?” I answered all his questions, and with a gentle smile on his face, he said to me, “When I was your age, I used to be very shy to talk with people.”

That opened the door for a deeper conversation, and we continued talking. When I asked him about his dream, without wasting even a…

Since I began discussing the topic of masculinity with men, I have been gaining new experiences. Today too, I had such an experience, which I felt like sharing with you.

Sangram is originally from Nandwal village. He says that whatever he has achieved today, the credit goes to his father. When asked about his experiences, he shared that ever since school, he had dreamt of becoming a police officer. Since there were no proper facilities in the village, he went to…

When I went into a small lane to conduct a SALT activity, I noticed a man sitting outside his house on a chair. I approached him and asked, “Brother, do you have a little time? I would like to talk with you.” Without a moment’s hesitation, he invited me inside. We sat down, and what followed was a very meaningful conversation.

I often conduct SALT conversations, but today’s experience was different so different that I felt I must write it down. Through this encounter, I truly understood…

Hello, I’m Shahrukh. Nandwal village is known as the “Second Pandharpur". There is an ancient temple here that is a central place of devotion for the villagers. Every year, in the month of July, the festival of Ashadhi Ekadashi is celebrated with great enthusiasm. On this day, lakhs of devotees visit the temple. Every household in the village hosts guests, and the entire family gets busy in welcoming and serving them.

During this…

After the ARC project started, our team began implementing SALT activities in villages from March onwards. Currently, we are working in the villages of Nandwal and Hirwade Khalasa. This month, due to Ramadan, field visits were slightly hindered. The organization and Ritu Nanda from GFC advised us to take care, which gave us some relief, and we continued our work.…

GFC launched a new ARC project, under which we selected a few villages and planned to conduct qualitative interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs) with specific individuals. My responsibility was to take notes.

In the beginning, I regularly took notes. However, after the third or fourth interview, I noticed a positive change in myself. I was not just listening; I was deeply understanding the emotions expressed by the person in…

A few months ago, SALT-related work had started in Vashi village. After discussions with Ritu Nanda, a decision was made to halt the SALT activities there. However, today, when Shahrukh and Jayashree visited with the children, we discussed their plans for future work. The children came together for a group discussion and drafted a plan for activities to be implemented in January 2025, based on the dreams they envision for Vashi village. They specifically brainstormed ideas on how various…

In Kolkata, six different organizations were invited to come together for a Cohort meeting. Arrangements for everyone’s stay were made in a natural, beautiful, and captivating place, which filled everyone with joy. I was very eager to meet everyone and learn about the strengths they brought. Human emotions are important, but people often don’t wait for others to express their feelings, as no one understands their inner emotions. In this meeting, everyone openly and trustingly shared their…

I met some children from Nandwal village today. They were in the ninth grade. I was supposed to conduct a SALT activity with them. Initially, I introduced myself to them. The children were not significantly younger than me. To ensure there were no difficulties in our discussion, I told them not to address me as "Sir" but to call me "Dada" instead. They agreed to this with a smile.

I asked both of them to recall good things in their…

For the past few years, Avani Organization has been working on SALT in Nandwal village. We used the CLCP (Community Life Competence Process) in this work. Initially, we conducted SALT with people from various age groups. Then we carried out Dream Building with them. During this work, there were suicides in the village. At that time, the people who had participated in SALT in the village suggested finding a solution. Subsequently, after discussions between Avani Foundation and the village…

Some events are remembered forever in our life. A similar incident was experienced by SALT.

Visited a family to take SALT as usual. At that time there was a woman and her two children (boy and girl) in that house. At first we discussed a little. He gave information about his started business. In this he gave information…

I could not go to Vashi village for some days because of the research work in Nandwal village.…