“I was curious to know why anybody in her or his right mind would spend 21 days of the holiday season with total strangers, travelling across the country, living in near impossible conditions to visit a couple of NGOs,” says Tanya Thomas, who studies at the Stella Maris College. And thus began a journey of over 9,000 kilometres over the length and breadth of the country, with 400 people in a train that would cross over thirteen states.
It all began in 1997, when Shashank Mani, an IIT-Delhi graduate decided to take 350 youngsters, mostly school kids, to see India. The idea grew to become the Jagriti Yatra, organised by the NGO Jagriti Sewa Sansthan. Youngsters travel to places where daily battles are fought and won, visiting unsung heroes who have made a difference to many. “I had not travelled much in my life, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to learn,” says Shailini, a learning facilitator who was on the yatra last year.
Each day on the train involves a visit to a particular person or an institution, watching them at work and studying the problems of progress. “We began the journey with a visit to Paul and Sabriye's International Institute for Social Entrepreneurs in Kerala. The work they are doing for the differently-abled was astonishing — it told us much about what this yatra is going to be about,” says Rishupreet Oberoi.
They took back not just friends for life, but a wealth of stories that they remember cheerfully. “Christmas morning found us all waiting for a train at the Mumbai Central Station. At midnight, exhausted and weary, we began singing carols! We would dance practically all night long on the train,” says Swati Seshadri.
Prashant, co-founder of Vriddhi, a social initiative that works with education cautions that the physical strain on such a long journey can be a tremendous challenge. “So we had to learn to prioritise, taking short breaks and resting when we could.”
Sometimes, though, they wondered whether this really was making a difference. “I think if we'd stayed over at some of the institutions, we'd have had more time to understand the place's problems. This could make the experience a whole lot more meaningful,” says Tanya. “The real challenge of the yatra is after you get back home, to warm beds and running water — do you choose to go back to your regular life, or are you willing to take a risk with your own life?”
Bhavani Ravindran, a student, is one of those who has decided that she would make a difference. “One night, I mentioned to Paul, that our village lacked proper sanitary facilities. Earlier, another person had asked how he could help, and Paul asked him if he was willing to fund construction of toilets. We didn't even know each others' names, but he agreed!”
“The yatra has made me more aware of the kind of journalist I hope to become some day. I always knew social responsibility counts, but never understood how much it's really needed,” says Tanya.
This year, the trip is for youngsters from Tier2 and Tier3 towns who are interested in entrepreneurship. The last date for registration is November 31. Those interested can log on to http://www.jagritiyatra.com.
Published - November 25, 2010 05:31 pm IST
