Place of visit : Wynadu (Uravu)
Facilitators : Narendra Raghunath, Aditi Banerjee
Dates of Visit : 15.11.2012 to 21.11.2012
Students : Akash Banja, Abheek Malhotra, Akshita Girish Kothari, Ameeshi Goenka , Anumeha Jain, Irna Sayeed, Jishnav Iyer, Kaushika Nair
Muniza Shariq, Nimisha Singhal, Pranim Rai, Saranya Aiyaswami,
Khushboo Chordia
Background: As envisaged in the course, this entire trip focused on a holistic understanding of environmental exposure, the institution (here Uravu, a ngo) based social empowerment as a collective participatory system. The objective was to encourage the students to develop a critical understanding of an NGO working within a community, from a designer’s perspective.
Wynadu is a backward district with a forest terrain in Kerala that has recently been declared as a tourism promotional destination by the Government of Kerala. Bordering Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, this place has immense historical relevance and has a deep connection to the aboriginal traditions of southern India. Also known for its rich bio-diversity and indigenous knowledge systems, the people of Wynadu are largely dependent on agriculture for their livelihood.
Uravu, is an NGO promoted by a group of environmentalists and social entrepreneurs that has been actively participating in and promoting craft tradition, especially bamboo as an economic opportunity for the backward society since 1996.
Uravu has a facility near Kalpetta with many craft people with a moderately big workshop. There is a bamboo processing centre along with a few acres of Bamboo plantation and farming. This farm has more than 108 varieties of bamboo from across the world with a nursery for spreading bamboo plantations. They have developed more than eighteen women self-help group (SHGs) craft clusters in and around Kalpetta, Wynadu district who are working with bamboo, craft, furniture, architecture, bags, woven products, jack fruit products and now community-based tourism development.
We have identified Uravu as a nodal centre for our environmental exposure trip to Wynadu and in discussion with them, developed a five-day intensive program for the students, keeping in mind their limitations and possibilities as foundation students.
Course :
The trip was divided into five segments
1. Organisation exposure (NGO) as an entrepreneurial economic model within natural resources and community
Students were taken to the facility and had an introductory discussion on how an NGO works, especially with natural resources and craft communities. They were then given a guided tour through the facility to introduce various aspects of organizational structure, production facility, craftsmen and design shop.
During the afternoon, students were taken through the locality, Bamboo farms, fields, religious places, traditional water bodies and forest terrain of the place to explain how these factors are important to develop the focus for community empowerement organisations to set up their area of work.
2. How do craft communities organise and operate as an economic model :
On the second day, students were taken to various craft women self-help groups set up by Uravu in and around Kalpetta. As the spread was within 40 km of Kalpetta, this also gave students further insights to local environmental conditions and ecology. Students are also introduced to the idea of Self-help group formations, activities working modalities and limitations, especially in craft sector. They interacted with the workers at a personal level to gain a better understanding of the nature of the work in a small-scale craft sector.
3. Other economical models communities engage within the geographical locality.
On the third day, students were taken to Edakkal caves, Wynadu tribal museum and Suchipara waterfalls to expose ad experience the other models of community economic engagements. This gave them an opportunity to understand the pros and cons of heritage and ecological tourism as a revenue model in a community environmental space. This also offered them an opportunity to experience the stunning landscape of Wynadu.
4. Geographic Environment and Community
On the fourth day with the kind support from MS Swaminathan research fourndation staff, students were taken for a trek in the forest of Manikkunnu hill to experience the rich local biodiversity.
In the afternoon students were taken to a Tribal Community school “Kanavu” founded by MJ Baby- a noted writer/social activist and his academic wife. Students had a first-hand engagement with aboriginal community members of Wynadu who now runs this institute on their own. During their extended discussion, students had the opportunity to understand the socio-economic-cultural and political issues of the community and their existence. Also, it was an opportunity for students to understand one more alternate model of education and its importance in community development especially in aboriginal cultures. It encouraged them to look at the education systems they have been a part of thus far, and to see links with the system that they are a part of currently.
5. Hands-on- minds on
On day five although students had many opportunities to have a hands-on experience with crafts organised at the Uravu facility. The designers and craftsmen of Uravu dedicated their time to students to arrive at students’ own products and craft works in bamboo with its desired finish. The students had an opportunity to look at various aspects of design in the process- such as material understanding, aesthetics, functionality and time management. They were left with some ideas for new designs and improvements.
Apart from the above a daily review discussion was organised at night and mandatory diary writing was insisted upon.
Outcome and Observation :
Overall we found the student engagement was complete and as facilitators, we just guided them with some inputs from time to time. We deliberately kept away from the learning process for student-initiated engagement, the idea of experiential learning and engagement level was found more than satisfactory. During the de-brief sessions, we brought in some theoretical inputs with different perspectives. This was linked to their work throughout the trip.
Also, the daily reviews had their own advantage of an idea-intensive collaboration and validations within the student group.
As a final presentation of student learning outcome a blog will be published of student essays
and a book will be brought out by each student on the same. Also, they will set up an exhibition
on 22nd along with other groups of students with photographs, books, their produce etc
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