“You will not understand this now. What worked in your time will not work anymore. We know more than you.”

Such statements are often casually made by the younger generation to the elderly. We tend to believe that the experiences of elders are outdated, irrelevant, and of little use today. However, the experiences I listened to today and the words they shared are still echoing in my mind.

Today’s dialogue focused deeply on the concept of masculinity. The elders explained the true…

Today, I visited some elderly people in Nandwal village. Along with a SALT activity, we discussed masculinity and the idea of forming an elderly men’s group. In reality, elderly people in rural areas are very resilient and warm hearted. Their old values, sweetness in speech, and affectionate nature provide a sense of comfort. However, in recent times, their children despite being more educated have started paying less attention to them. This is happening mainly due to a lack of communication…

On 11 December 2025, the first self-assessment (Self Assessment) process was conducted with the youth of Nandwal village. Earlier, on 29 September 2025, a shared dream-building process had been carried out with the youth group. Only those boys who had participated in that process were invited again for the self-assessment.

The youth who participated in this discussion are farmers. As the sugarcane harvesting season is currently underway, only a limited number of youth were able to…

When the mind is prepared, change becomes possible. Sameer Patil, a young man from Nandwal village, has proven this through his actions.

For the past three years, the Avani Smile Team has been working in Nandwal village. Here, I work with the youth and men, helping them identify their strengths and encouraging them to take positive steps.

During these three years, a strong bond developed between Sameer and me. As time passed, the trust between us grew, and our connection turned…