Rural India

"I ate these amazing jackfruit bars at a chai ki tapri (tea shop). Made by a local SHG, they contained no preservatives and tasted heavenly. It immediately occurred to me as to why are these products not available in urban markets,” says Vinay about his eureka moment. #Startups #EatHealthy

Surendra Koulagi believed that one could not be introduced to Gandhi or forced into his way of life; one needed to find him and embrace his way, wholeheartedly.

Recently, I went on a field trip to Tumakuru with the SELCO foundation, an NGO which is bringing solar energy to the various rural corners of India. Here's what I learnt.

The impact they have created so far can increase multifold and help in the sustainable development of these villages.

Now, the villagers of Bhinjpur have light bulbs, television and the latest electrical gadgets. The kitchens of their houses have been upgraded, and the women can be seen using mixers instead of mortar and pestles, and cooling water in fridges.

"The women were keen to earn a living, but the idea of handling human waste was a major mental block. This is where we took them to some toilet pits which had been lying unused and filled to the brim. We showed them that what lay inside was nothing but a tea powder-like substance. "

It seems almost impossible for an entire village which was previously infested by mosquitoes to be free of them within two breeding sessions. But Sansar did it!

“It took him two days to dig the pits, and afterwards he fell ill. Now, we have decided to complete the construction within a week."

When the villagers urged the panchayat and related authorities to build a bus stand to avoid such instances, their petitions fell on deaf ears.

There are many artisans who live in India's numerous little towns and villages and churn out masterpieces with their hands, but fail to find the visibility they deserve.