Hello, I am Shahrukh. I work as a Facilitator at Avani organization in Kolhapur, Maharashtra under the ARC project. Currently, we are a team of 4 people, known as the Smile Team. For more than 3 years, we have been working in Nandwal village using the SALT approach. I work with groups of young boys, men, and elderly people. I conduct both individual and group SALT activities with them. In these sessions, I ask them to recall moments of pride, happiness, and satisfaction from their lives.…

Sometimes, the smile seen on a man’s face hides the struggles inside his heart. Responsibilities, expectations, and thoughts like “men should not cry” silently suppress many emotions. Through this poem, I have made a small effort to give a voice to those unspoken feelings of men. Masculinity is not only about looking strong, but also about understanding emotions, expressing feelings, and living as a human being. …

During my visit to Shelakewadi village, I met two young boys, Mahesh Shelke and Prithviraj Shelke, sitting together in the village square. They were talking with each other and at the same time scrolling reels on their mobile phones. I sat with them and started an informal conversation. In the beginning, they were still using their phones while answering my questions, but slowly they kept their phones aside and started talking with full attention.

At the start of the discussion, we…

In today’s society, it is very important to talk about masculinity. Especially at workplaces. Because the people we work with every day, laugh with, and spend time with are often the same people with whom we can truly share our feelings and experiences.

I have been working with Avani organization for…