Janwaar. Beyond Skateboarding.

rural-changemakers.com

Photo: Matjaž Tančič

Janwaar. Beyond Skateboarding Bea Gschwend / Ulrike Reinhard

rural-changemakers.com

Der Verein The Rural Changemakers gem. e.V. wurde 2018 gegründet und hat seinen Sitz in Berlin. Der Zweck des Vereins ist die Förderung der Jugendhilfe, Erziehung, Volks- und Berufsbildung und der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit sowie die Förderung internationaler Gesinnung, der Toleranz auf allen Gebieten der Kultur und des Völkerverständigungsgedankens. Der Satzungszweck wird verwirklicht insbesondere durch die Planung, Durchführung und Betreuung interdisziplinärer Projekte mit und für Kinder und Jugendliche in ländlichen Gebieten und Dörfern in Indien.

The Rural Changemakers gem. e.V. is a not-for-profit association based in Berlin where it was founded in 2018.

Its purpose is to support youth welfare, education, vocational training and cooperation in the field of development aid, as well as to promote an international ethos, tolerance in all areas of cultural life, and understanding among nations. In particular, its aims are realised through the planning, execution, and supervision of interdisciplinary projects with, and for, children and young people in the rural areas and villages of India.

n :jy psatesdlZ bZ-oh- ,d xSj&ykHkdkjh laLFkk gS ftls 2018 esa cfyZu esa LFkkfir fd;k x;k FkkA bldk mís”; ;qok dY;k.k] f”k{kk] O;kolkf;d çf”k{k.k vkSj fodkl lgk;rk ds {ks= esa lg;ksx ds lkFk&lkFk varjjk’Vªh; yksdkpkj rFkk lfg’.kqrk dh le> dks lkaL—frd thou ds lHkh {ks=ksa rFkk jk’Vªksa ds chp c<+kok nsuk gSaA fo”ks’k :i ls blds vuqPNsnksa dk mís”; Hkkjr ds xk¡oksa vkSj xzkeh.k {ks=ksa esa cPpksa vkSj ;qokvksa ds lkFk var%fo”k; ifj;kstukvksa dk vk;kstu] fØ;kUo;u vkSj i;Zos{k.k djuk gSA

Janwaar. Beyond Skateboarding Bea Gschwend / Ulrike Reinhard

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Seite 8: Das ist eine Luftaufnahme von Janwaar. Janwaar ist ein 1200 SeelenDorf im Nordwesten von Madhya Pradesh in Zentral-Indien. Es ist 600 km von Delhi und 1200 km von Mumbai entfernt. Seit 2015 gibt es dort einen Skatepark. Die Dorfkinder wurden unter dem Namen „Barefoot Skateboarders“ weit über die Grenzen Indiens hinaus bekannt. Skateboarding hat ihr Leben in vielerlei Hinsicht verändert.

Page 8: This is an aerial photograph of Janwaar. Janwaar is a 1200-soul village in north-western Madhya Pradesh in Central India. From Janwaar it’s 600 kilometres to Delhi and 1200 kilometres to Mumbai. In 2015, skateboarding was introduced to this village. Over the years Janwaar’s children became well-known under the name ”The Barefoot Skateboarders“, way beyond India’s borders. Skateboarding has changed significantly the lives of these children.

Page 8: vkdk”k ls yh xbZ ;s rLohj tuokj xkao dh gSA e/; çns”k jkT; ds mÙkj&if”pe esa fLFkr tuokj 1]200 fuokflvksa dk xkao gSA ;s e/; Hkkjr dk Hkkx gSA tuokj ls fnYyh 600 fd-eh- vkSj eqacbZ 1]200 fd-eh- dh nwjh ij gSA bl xkao esa LdsVcksfMaZx dh “kq#vkr o’kZ 2015 esa gqbZ FkhA fiNys dqN o’kksaZ esa tuokj ds cPpksa vkSj ;qokvksa us viuh igpku Hkkjr ds lkFk&lkFk dbZ ns”kksa esa cuk yh gS ;s vc ^^n cs,jQqV LdsVcksMZjl^^ ds uke ls tkus tkrs gSaA LdsVcksfMaZx us bu cPpksa dh ftUnxh dks mYys[kuh; <ax ls cny fn;k gSA

Photo page 8: Divy Bhagia

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content

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Editorial

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Janwaar: Auf der Suche nach einer neuen Identität Shail Desai

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Unser Skatepark – die Sprungrampe in ein neues Leben Doris Eichmeier

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Fototeil Janwaar Panna Barefoot Skateboarders Organization Villa Janwaar Homestays Frauen in Janwaar Die Dorfältesten Prakriti School Open School Projekt

88 90 108 124 132 142 148 164 178 186

Fotonachweis Impressum

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Editorial

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Laikndh;

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Janwaar: Discovering a New Identity Shail Desai

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tuokj% ,d ubZ igpku dh [kkst

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Our Skatepark – the Vert Ramp to a New Life Doris Eichmeier

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Shail Desai gekjk LdsVikdZ & oVZ jSai ls ,d u, thou dh vkSj

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Doris Eichmeier

Photo Section Janwaar Panna Barefoot Skateboarders Organization Villa Janwaar Homestays Women in Janwaar The Elders Prakriti School Open School Project

88 90 108 124 132 142 148 164 178 186

QksVks vuqHkkx Tkuokj iUuk cs;jQwV LdsVcksMZlZ vksxZukbts”ku foyk tuokj gkse LVs tuokj dh efgyk, cMs cqtqxZ izfdZfr Ldwy vksiu Ldwy izkstsDV

88 90 108 124 132 142 148 164 178 187

Photo Index Imprint

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QksVks lwpd Nki

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Janwaar.

Beyond Skateboarding

Vor unserer Reise nach Janwaar im Februar 2020, hatten wir Bilder im Kopf von einem Dorf, dessen Alltag seit Generationen in festen Bahnen verläuft. Uns war klar, dass der Skatepark für Unruhe gesorgt hat. Ist das Leben der Dorfbewohner dadurch aber wirklich ein anderes geworden?

Axel Pfennigschmidt / Andreas Schulten / Berlin Members of the Board The Rural Changemakers gem. e.V. www.rural-changemakers.com

Diese Frage wurde uns vor Ort schnell beantwortet. Denn aus den ersten Kids auf Skateboards sind Schüler mit vielfältigen Erfahrungen im In- und Ausland geworden.

Von deren Ideen und konkreten Plänen profitiert nun das ganze Dorf. Mütter managen Homestays und werden bald Heidelberg besuchen. Väter helfen beim Bau weiterer Skateparks in anderen Dörfern. Es gibt Internet. Und zwei Jugendliche verkaufen selbstgefertigte Tonskulpturen – made in Art Ichol.

Das alles war für uns spannend und anregend. Nicht nur der Skatepark und all die Impulse ändern Janwaar, auch unsere Sichtweise auf das, was eine kleine Initiative Großes in Gang setzen kann, hat sich geändert. Wir bleiben dran.

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Before we left for Janwaar in February 2020, we pictured it as a sleepy little village where things hadn’t changed for generations. We knew that the skatepark had disrupted the life of the village. But had it really changed the lives of the villagers themselves?

Once there, we didn’t have to wait long for an answer. We quickly realised that the skateboarders had turned into students enriched by a trove of experience from all that they’d seen in India and abroad. Today the whole village benefits from their ideas and savvy plans. Mothers are managing homestays and will soon be flying to Heidelberg.

Fathers are helping to build skateparks in other rural villages. There’s internet, and two of the youngsters are selling clay sculptures which they make themselves – made in Art Ichol.

All of this was enthralling and a source of deep inspiration for both of us. The skatepark, and all the impulses that radiate from it, is not only changing Janwaar, it is also changing our view of how a tiny intervention can set something far larger in motion. We’ll stay tuned.

Qjojh 2020 esa tuokj tkus ls igys geus lkspk Fkk fd oks ç—fr dh xksn esa clk ,d “kkar vkSj lkSE; xkao gksxk tgk¡ lfn;ksa ls dqN ugha cnyk gksxkA gesa ;s ,glkl Fkk fd LdsVikdZ us tuokj xkao dh ftUnxh dks ges”kk ds fy, cny fn;k Fkk ij D;k LdsVikdZ us xkaWo okfl;ksa dh ftUnxh cnyhA tuokj igq¡p dj gesa mldk mrj feyus esa nsj ugha yxhA tuokj ds mRlkgh ;qok LdsVcksZMlZ ¼LdsfVax cksMZ ij jiVus okys½ Hkkjr vkSj nqfu;k Hkj ds dbZ ns”k ls tqVk, vius vuqHkoksa ds dkj.k vc lEiu vkSj çpqj f”k{kkFkhZ gks pqds FksA vkt lewpk tuokj xkao muds u, fopkjksa] le> cw> ls ij[kh ;kstukvksa dk ykHk mBkr gSA bu mRlkgh ;qokvksa dh ekrk,¡ vc ?kjksa esa vfFkfrxzg pyrh gSaA bues ls dqN efgyk¡, tYn gh gkbMsycxZ dh ;k=k ds fy, vk,¡xhA bu ;qokvksa ds firk nwljs xzkeh.k {ks=ksa esa u, LdsVikdZ cukus esa tqVs gSaA tuokj vkSj blds vkl ikl ds bykdksa esa vc baVjusV dh lqfo/kk Hkh gSA bl ;qokvksa ds lewg esa ls nks ;qok vkVZ bpkSy xzke laLFkk ls ifjf”k{k.k ik dj feêh dh ewfrZ;k¡ vkSj çfrek,a cuk dj cspus yxs gSaA ge nksuksa ds fy, tuokj esa ;s lc dj ikuk cgqr gh fnypLi vkSj vfr çsj.kknk;d gSA LdsVikdZ ds çHkko ls vk;h u;h meax us u dsoy tuokj ds thou dks cnyk gS ijUrq bl gLr{ksi us ;s lkfcr dj fn;k gS fd bd NksVh ls igy cgqr cM+k cnyko yk ldrh gSA tqM+s jfg;s] ge bls vHkh vkSj vkxs ;s tk;saxsA

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Janwaar: Auf der Suche nach einer neuen Identität

By Shail Desai / Freelance Journalist / Mumbai www.shailwrites.com Translation: English / German Axel Pfennigschmidt and Ulrike Reinhard / Berlin English / Hindi Manisha Sushil Ojha / New Delhi

Janwaar 90-107

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Zu Beginn des Jahres 2015 kam Skateboarding in dieses verschlafene Dorf. Damals fing alles an. Die Strahlkraft, die vom Skatepark ausging, war fühlbar und steckte schnell auch eher skeptische Beobachter an. Seither ist nichts mehr in Janwaar so, wie es war. Vieles hat sich getan. Der Skatepark hat das Dorf aus dem Tiefschlaf gerissen.

Anfangs schauten die Leute dem Treiben auf dem Skatepark teils ungläubig, teils ehrfürchtig zu. Keiner hatte so etwas je gesehen. Sie schauten ganz gebannt, als die ersten Skateboards an ihnen vorbei rollten. Andere kicherten verlegen, als die Ersten stürzten. In den ersten Tagen stand der Dorfalltag nahezu still. Und mittlerweile gehört Skateboarding einfach dazu.

Etwas ganz Spezielles hat dieses unscheinbare Dorf in der tiefsten Provinz Indiens heimgesucht. Niemand kannte diese Sportart, die es gerade geschafft hatte, olympische Disziplin zu werden, – geschweige denn war die ihr innewohnende Gegenkultur bekannt. Und niemand hätte damals gedacht, dass Skateboarding in Janwaar die Saat für umfassende Veränderungen legen würde.

Janwaar: Discovering a New Identity

tuokj% ,d ubZ igpku dh [kkst

It all started in early 2015 when skateboarding was first introduced into this obscure village. The energy on the skatepark was hard to ignore, almost contagious for those who watched. Things have not been the same since, as a chain of events stirred the community from its sleep of ages.

ikap lky igys tkuoj xkao dk LdsVcksfMaZx ls igyh ckj ifjp; gqvkA LdsVikdZ dh ÅtkZ dks utjvankt djuk ukeqefdu Fkk] [kklrkSj ls mu n”kZdksa ds fy, tks vHkh Hkh bl [ksy dks LdsVikdZ dh y{e.k js[kk ds ckgj ls ns[krs FksA rc vkSj vc dh ifjfLrfFk esa dkQh cnyko vk, gSaA bl “kkar vkSj fuLrst xkao esa LdsVcksfMaZx o mlls tqMh vU; xfrfof/k;ksa ds dkj.k ifjfLFkfr;ka vc cny lh xbZ FkhA ;qxksa ls lks, gq, leqnk; dks tSls fdlh us xgjh uhan ls txk fn;k FkkA

During the early days, skateboarding infused a sense of awe among the onlookers, given that almost no one had ever seen anything like it before. A few watched spellbound when the first set of wheels zipped past them; others looked-on amid peals of laughter after witnessing the first tumble. Most daily chores came to a momentary halt during those early days and, over the years, skateboarding firmly embedded itself in the psyche of the denizens of Janwaar.

LdsVcksfMaZx us tuokj ds fuokfl;ksa dks igyh utj esa gh eu eksfgr dj fy;k FkkA bl NksVs ls xkao us brus vk”p;Z ls “kk;n gh dHkh fdlh [ksy ;k xfr fof/k ds vksj :fp fn[kkbZ FkhA tc LdsVcksMZ ds ifg;s yksxksa ds cxy ls QjkZVs Hkjrs gq, fudys] rks ,slk yxrk fd mudh iydsa Hkh ugha >idrhA igyh ckj LdsVcksMZ ls fdlh dks fxjrs gq, ns[k dj rks mudh g¡lh jksds u #drhA {k.k Hkj ds fy, leLr xkao esa ?kj ds jkstejkZ ds dke Fke ls x, vkSj lcdk /;ku bl [ksy dh vksj yxk jgkA vkf[kjdkj LdsVcksfMaZx us tuokj ds fuokfl;ksa ds fnyksa esa viuh txg cuk yhA

It was a unique phenomenon to hit a nondescript village located in the hinterland of India. Nobody was quite aware of this sport that had made its way to the Olympics, let alone the prevalent counterculture associated with it around the world. And no one had a clue that it would infect Janwaar

Hkkjr tSls fodkl”khy ns”k ds vkarfjd fgLls esa fLFkr bl vutku xkao ds fy, ;g cgqr vuks[kh ckr FkhA tuokj ds yksxksa dks bl vksfyafid [ksy dk uke rd ugha ekywe Fkk] rks bl [ksy ls tqM+s gq, if”peh laL—fr ds ckjs esa Kkr gksuk rks nwj dh ckr FkhA vkus okys le; esa ;g [ksy bl lekt esa /khjs&/khjs cnyko ds cht cks dj tuokj ij bruk xgjk çHkko Mkysxk ;g fdlh us ugha lkspk FkkA

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Störung als Auslöser

Janwaar 90-107 The Elders 164-177

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Als sich der erste Hype gelegt hatte und der Alltag wieder eingekehrt war, stellten einige fest, dass irgendetwas anders war.

Und dieses Andere fand mitten auf dem Skatepark statt. Seit Ewigkeiten teilen sich in Janwaar die Adivasi, die Ureinwohner, und die Angehörigen der Yadav-Kaste den Lebensraum, und zwar strikt voneinander getrennt und nach den Regeln des uralten Kastensystems. Dass die Jüngsten beider Gruppierungen nun unabhängig davon miteinander spielten, brach Tabus. Manche Dorfbewohner konnten kaum fassen, was sie sahen.

Vertieft in ihr neues Spiel, vergaßen die Kinder, was ihnen die Älteren bis dato über die Bedeutung der Herkunft und die Geschlechterrollen erzählt hatten. Sie reichten sich sogar gegenseitig die Hände, als sie auf ihre Skateboards sprangen.Totenstille und himmelhoch jauchzendes Freudengeschrei mit gleichzeitigen High Fives wechselten sich ab, als Skateboarder durch die Luft flogen und wieder auf den Beton krachten.

Sie inspizierten kurz ihre Kratzer, und dann probierten sie das Ganze gleich noch einmal. Was wie ein harmloses Spiel wirkte, hat bis heute in Janwaar viel in Bewegung gesetzt.

in the days to come and, over time, silently sowing the seeds of change in this community.

Dawn Of Disruption Once initial fascination had petered out and routine was adhered to again, a few realised that something was amiss.

It all started in the middle of the park when they saw the kids at play. Since time immemorial, the Adivasi and Yadav of Janwaar – these are two communities identified and segregated on the basis of an age-old caste system – have lived separate lives while attempting to share the same space.

By just playing together, the youngest of the village were now breaking what is still considered a taboo in Janwaar. A few could hardly believe what they saw.

Girls and boys from both communities were engrossed in their newfound game, blissfully unaware of genders and identities and all that they’d been taught by their elders.

They even held hands, as one of them tentatively hopped on to the board. A silence took over the skatepark with each push; in the very next moment, shrieks of delight and high

Hkksj dk Lianu “kq#vkrh fnuksa dk [ksy ds çfr vkd’kZ.k tSls&tSls de gqvk rks xkao okyksa dh fnup;kZ fQj ls okil vk xbZA fnu chrrs x, vkSj yksxks ds t+gu esa LdsVcksfMaZx us viuh txg cuk yhA dqN xkao okfl;ksa us bl LdsVikdZ esa [ksyrs gq, cPpksa dks xkSj ls ns[kk] vkSj cPpksa dks lkFk esa [ksyrs gq, ns[kdj lkspk fd ;g mfpr ugha gSA nj vly ckr ;wa gS dh çkphu dky ls vkfnoklh vkSj ;kno & tuokj xk¡o ds ;g nks leqnk; & tkfr çFkk ds vuqlkj vyx&vyx jgrs vk jgs gSaA vc blh [ksy ds ek/;e ls bl çFkk dks xkao ds lcls NksVs cPps rksM+ jgs FksA vf/kdrj xkao okfl;ksa dks rks viuh vk¡[kksa ns[kh ij ;dhu gh ugha gks jgk FkkA ;kno vkSj vkfnoklh tutkfr bu nksuksa leqnk;ksa ds yM+fd;ka vkSj yM+ds blsa [ksy ls ea=eqX/k FksA bl [ksy ds vkxs uk rks mUgsa vius xkao ds cM+ksa }kjk fl[kkbZ xbZ :f<+oknh tkr ikr dh fQØ Fkh vkSj uk gh uj ukjh ds HksnHkko dk “kkyk niZ.kA bl [ksy ds çfr brus mRlkfgr Fks fd mUgksaus cl ,d nwljs dk lkFk nsrs gq, gkFk idM+k vkSj LdsVcksMZ ij viuh igyh Nykax yxkbZA çR;sd Nykax ds igys yksxksa ds eu esa ,d dkSrwgy Hkjh “kkafr LdsVikdZ ij Nk tkrh Fkh ysfdu vxys gh iy LdsVcksMZj dks daØhV ij fxjrs gq, ns[kdj n”kZdksa dh galh Bëk ls iwjk [ksr xwatus yxrk FkkA rRdkfyd mipkj ds fujh{k.k ds ckn LdsVcksMsZj ,d vkSj ç;kl ds fy, LdsVcksMZ ij okil vk tkrsA ns[kdj ,slk yxrk Fkk fd tuokj esa bl [ksy ds ek/;e ls iqjkuh :f<+oknh jhfr&fjoktksa ds LFkku ij ,d u;h Økafr vk jgh gSA

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Skateboarding war das Medium und die Kinder die Akteure des Wandels in einer Gesellschaft, an deren Grundfesten gerüttelt wurde. Während sich die Älteren nur langsam damit abfanden, haben die Kinder diesen Wandel wie selbstverständlich vollzogen. Nie zuvor wurde das Kastensystems oder die Ungleichheit der Geschlechter in diesem traditionellen Lebensumfeld hinterfragt. Aber genau das geschah jetzt. Einige ärgerten sich darüber, andere fühlten sich damit unwohl. Klar war, dass die Thematik nicht länger ignoriert werden konnte. Das Wichtigste war, dass zwischen den beiden Gruppierungen, die sich bisher nicht auf Augenhöhe begegnet sind, ein Gespräch in Gang kam. Und die Geschichte lehrt uns, dass sich zwischenmenschliche Beziehungen dann verbessern, wenn die Menschen anfangen, miteinander zu reden.

Auf den Punkt gebracht

Janwaar 90-107 The Elders 164-177

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Die Grundregeln für den Skatepark waren von vornherein klar definiert, was sich bis zum heutigen Tage ausgezahlt hat.

Die Regel‚ No school, no skateboarding‘ hat dafür gesorgt, dass die Dorfschule heute voll ist. Welch ein Unterschied zu den

fives filled the air as the skater came crashing down on the concrete. After a quick inspection of the bruises, it was back to making another attempt to skate. What seemed like innocuous moments of play had triggered the first of many firsts in Janwaar, and the gathered momentum continues to shake things up even today.

While skateboarding has been the medium of change, the kids have been the agents of change in a community disturbed by their antics, to say the least. Even as the elders are coming to terms with this disruption, the kids have embraced it as part of their daily lives. Never before was the caste system or gender equality up for debate in this conservative setting. It angered a few and made others uncomfortable, yet it was something that could no longer be ignored. Most importantly, a conversation ensued between folks from the two communities who could hardly see eye-to-eye in the past. And history suggests, that the moment people start talking, relationships start getting better.

tgk¡ LdsVcksfMaZx ,d ek/;e jgk gS] tkuoj ds cPps bl lekt esa cnyko dh ygj ykus okys çfrfuf/k jgs gSaA vius cqtqxksaZ ds fl[kk;s x, lfn;ksa iqjkus jhfr&fjoktksa dh u;h ifjHkk’kk fy[kuk budh nSfud fnup;kZ dk fgLlk cu pqdk gSA vkt ls igys fdlh us Hkh tkr&ikr ;k ukjhokn ds eqíksa dks NsM+us dh fgEer ugha fn[kkbZ Fkh dqN xkao okys xqLlk gq,] dqN vlq[kn;,s] ijUrq vc budks utjvankt djuk ukeqefdu FkkA vkSj bl lc ls fudyh t:jh ckr ;g Fkh dh tks nks lewg vkt ls igys ,d nwljs dh vk¡[kksa esa vk¡[ksa Mkydj ckr Hkh ugha fd;k djrs Fks] os vc de ls de fdlh okrkZyki esa layXu gks x, gSaA vkSj bfrgkl xokg gS fd fdlh Hkh fj”rs dh cqfu;kn okrkZyki ls gh curh gSA ewyHkwr ckrsa LdsVikdZ dks /;ku esa j[krs gq, dqN ljy fu;e r; fd;s x, FksA rc tuokj ds çkFkfed fo|ky;ksa esa tks [kkyh d{kkvksa dks geus ns[kk Fkk muds foijhr LdsVikdZ dh vo/kkj.kk ds pyrs cPpksa }kjk ,d yksdrkaf=d fu;e LFkkfir gqvk & ÞLdwy ugha rks dksbZ LdsVcksfMaZx ughaßA bl fu;e dk çR;{k ifj.kke ;g gqvk fd vkt xkao ds çkFkfed fo|ky; Nk=ksa ls Hkjs gq, gSaA vU; dk;ZØe tSls & uks,Mk esa fLFkr ç—fr Ldwy ds vius vksiu Ldwy çkstsDV ds ?kfu’B lg;ksx }kjk tuokj ds dqN cM+s cPpksa dks ,d vyx rjg dh f”k{kk dks vuqHko djus dk volj fn;k gSA ,slh f”k{kk tks mUgsa vius lqfo/kk {ks= ds ckgj tkus dks etcwj djrh gSA blus vU; cPpksa dks Hkfo’; esa ,sls gh le:i volj çkIr djus dh mEehn esa Ldwy tkus ds fy, çsfjr fd;k gS vkSj ifj.kkeLo:i] vkt Hkh d{kkvksa dh Nk= la[;k esa o`f) tkjh gSA

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Janwaar 90-107 Prakriti 178-185 Open School Project 186-199

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Zeiten, als die Klassenzimmer weitestgehend leer waren. Durch andere Maßnahmen, wie zum Beispiel das Open School Projekt, das in enger Zusammenarbeit mit der Prakriti School in Noida konzipiert und umgesetzt wird, haben fünf der Jugendlichen aus Janwaar die Möglichkeit erhalten, ein anderes Lernen außerhalb ihres bis dato gewohnten Umfeldes kennenzulernen. Dies und die Hoffnung darauf, später auch ähnliche Chancen angeboten zu bekommen, haben wiederum andere Kinder dazu motiviert, ebenfalls zur Schule zu gehen, so dass die Schülerzahlen nach wie vor kontinuierlich ansteigen.

In dem Open School Projekt war von vornherein klar, dass sich die Bedürfnisse der Janwaar-Jugendlichen deutlich von denen ihrer gleichaltrigen Mitschüler aus anderen sozialen Milieus unterscheiden. Deshalb haben die befreundeten Kollegen von Prakriti einen eigenen Lehrplan entwickelt, der neben den regulären Schulfächern auch die sozialen Kompetenzen der Schüler fördert. Neben dem Umgang mit neuen Medien und Computern gehören dazu u.a. auch Führungsqualitäten und Konfliktmanagement. Alles Fähigkeiten, die die Fünf an die Kinder in Janwaar weitergeben können.

Während ihrer Zeit in Noida, dreht sich jedoch nicht alles um die Schule. Die Jugendlichen haben auch die Möglichkeit, ihre

Down To Basics When the skatepark was first conceptualised, the foundations were kept plain and simple. This has paid off today.

For instance, today the primary school is packed – a direct result of the rule ‘no school, no skateboarding’. What a contrast to those times when we witnessed empty classrooms.

Other programs such as the Open School Project – a close cooperation with Prakriti School in Noida – have given a few of the older ones the opportunity to experience learning of a different kind, outside of their comfort zone. This has inspired other kids to go to school in the hopes of having similar opportunities in the future and consequently, the numbers in the classroom continue to rise even today.

From the onset it was evident that the needs of the Janwaar kids were quite different from other students of their age.

For the good folks at Prakriti School it was about putting together a special curriculum that best suited the interests of five of the selected kids. This meant not just the regular school subjects, but also equipping the kids with useful soft skills like computer and Internet skills, leadership qualities,

“kq#vkr ls gh ;g Li’V Fkk fd tuokj ds cPpksa dh vko”;drk,a viuh mez ds nwljs cPpksa ls vyx FkhA ç—fr Ldwy ds csgrjhu lapkydksa us tuokj ds p;fur ikap cPpksa ds fy, [kkl ikBîØe cuk;k tks mudh #fpvksa ds fy, mi;qä FkkA bl ikBîØe dks pqus x, cPpksa dh fHkUu #fp;ksa dks /;ku esa j[krs gq, cuk;k x;k FkkA eryc flQZ fu;fer Ldwy ds fo’k; gh ugha] cfYd cPpksa dks mi;ksxh Þl‚¶V fLdYlß & tSls daI;wVj vkSj baVjusV dkS”ky] duf¶yDV eSustesaV] ukVd] vfHku; ,oa usr`Ro xq.kksa ls ySl djuk FkkA la?k’kZ çca/ku vkSj jaxeap & ,sls dkS”ky tks os tuokj esa vius lkfFk;ksa dks Hkh lh[kk ldrs gSaA uks,Mk esa fcrk;k x;k le; flQZ i<+kbZ esa ugha xqtjkA ;g volj cPpksa ds fy, cM+s “kgjksa ds rkSj rjhds vkSj xfr”khyrk] vM+ksl&iM+ksl bR;kfn dk vuqHko djus ds fy, Hkh mruk gh t:jh Fkk ftruh mudh i<kbZA viuh m|eh Hkkouk ds tks”k esa mUgksaus vius u‚,Mk ds nksLrksa ds fy, ,d lkIrkfgd LdsVcksfMaZx Dykl dk Hkh vk;kstu fd;kA bl l= ls gksus okyh vk; vksiu Ldwy çkstsDV esa tek dj nh tkrh] ftldk mi;ksx muds “kke ds Hkkstu ds fy, fd;k tkrkA vla[; pqukSfr;ka tuokj ds fodkl ds lQj esa dbZ vojks/k vk,] ifjfLFkfr;ka ges”kk ljy ugha FkhA vfuy tSls fd”kksjksa ds fy, ;g lQj gj dne ij lh[kus] vlarks’k vkSj vkRe&larqf’V dh çfØ;k jgh gSA ;g ;kn j[kus ;ksX; gS fd tuojh ls avfuy us”kuy baLVhVîwV v‚Q vksiu Ldwfyax dh ijh{kkvksa ds fy, cSB jgk gSA “kq#vkr esa og lh[kus dh bl

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dortige Umgebung selbst zu erkunden und im Austausch mit ihren Mitschülern, die Dynamiken einer Großstadt zu verstehen. Der dort entfachte Unternehmergeist ermutigte sie, anderen Prakriti-Schülern wöchentlich Skatebording-Unterricht zu erteilen. Das damit verdiente Geld fließt in das Open School Projekt zurück und deckt die Kosten für ihr tägliches Abendessen.

Herausforderungen in Hülle und Fülle

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Es verläuft aber auch nicht immer alles reibungslos. Anil, ein Teenager, ist in einem permanenten Wechselbad der Gefühle: Lernen, Unzufriedenheit und Erkenntnisse sammeln. Kein Wunder, wenn man bedenkt, dass er erst seit Januar 2020 Home-Schooler ist und seine Prüfungen an Indiens National Institute of Open Schooling von zuhause aus erledigt.

Anfänglich hat er von dieser Lernmethode nicht viel gehalten.

Er hatte zwar davon gehört, konnte sich aber nicht recht etwas darunter vorstellen. Das änderte sich schnell, als er und ein paar andere Janwaar-Kids die Unlearning Conference in Rajasthan besuchten. Dort traf er viele Gleichgesinnte, die dem konventionellen Schulbetrieb den Rücken gekehrt hatten und

conflict management and theatre – skills they could pass on to others in Janwaar.

The time spent in Noida, however, wasn’t just about studies.

The kids could explore their surroundings and get to understand the dynamics of a city through their interactions with the other students. Their enterprising spirit led them to organise weekly skateboarding sessions for their friends at Prakriti School, which generated funds that went back into the Open School Project to pay for their evening meals during their stay.

Challenges Galore It wasn’t smooth sailing at all times. For teenagers like Anil, it has been a process of learning, discontent and enlightenment every step of the way. It’s worth remembering that he’s been one of our homeschoolers since January, and has been sitting for examinations as part of the National Institute of Open Schooling. At first, he couldn’t make much of this method of learning – he had heard about open schooling before, but only had a vague idea. But at the Unlearning

i)fr dks le> ugha ik;k] mlus igys Hkh [kqys Ldwyh f”k{kk ds ckjs esa lquk Fkk] ysfdu dsoy vk/kh&v/kwjh lwpuk FkhA ijUrq tc og jktLFkku esa vk;ksftr ^vu&yfuaZx d‚U¶jsal* esa tuokj ds cPpksa ds ,d lewg ds lkFk x;k] ogka mldh eqykdkr vius tSls vU; cPpksa ls gqbZ tks ikjaifjd Ldwyh f”k{kk ç.kkyh ds nk;js ls ckgj Fks vkSj vc mldh gh rjg gkseLdwyj FksA bl volj us mls [kwc vkRefo”okl fn;k vkSj rc ls og [kkst ds ekxZ ij pyrk tk jgk gSA fQj vfuy ds fy, gkoZMZ fo”ofo|ky; vkSj eSlkpqlsV~l baLVhVîwV v‚Q VsDuksy‚th ds mins”kdksa ds ekxZn”kZu esa ,d lIrkg rd ^fMtkbu&fFkafdax* dk;Z”kkyk dk fgLlk cuus dk volj vk;kA “kq: esa rks vfuy dkQh Hk;Hkhr FkkA bl pqukSrh dh “kq#vkr gqbZ vius ne ij eqacbZ dh ;k=k djus ds fopkj ds lkFk & vU; çfrHkkfx;ksa ds lkFk vdsys [kM+s gksuk] vkSj vius fopkjksa dks muds lkFk lk>k djuk] vlyh dk;Z”kkyk ls T;knk dfBu FkkA ;g lQj gekjh nksLr jspy ds ç;klksa ds fcuk laHko ugha gksuk Fkk] ftlus vfuy dks ;k=k ds fy, rS;kj fd;k vkSj eqacbZ esa T;knkrj le; mldh lajf{kdk FkhaA vfuy ds fy, igyh ckj mM+ku Hkjuk] eqacbZ tSls O;Lr egkuxj esa ,d lIrkg fcrkuk] yksdy Vªsu esa vdsys ;k=k djrs gq, bl egkuxjh ds –”;ksa ,oa /ofu;ksa esa yhu gksuk] ;g lHkh lh[kus dk ,d vuks[kk vuqHko FkkA bl ;k=k esa mldh vaxzsth cksy pky esa Hkh lq/kkj vk;kA vfuy dk mRlkg bruk laØked Fkk fd lEesyu ds çfrHkkxh mins”kdksa esa ls ,d & jkts”k uk;j & dks dqN g¶rs ckn tuokj dk nkSjk djus ij etcwj dj fn;kA jkts”k ,f”k;k Ldwy v‚Q fctusl dh ladk; ds laLFkkid gSa] tks ,e-vkbZ-Vh & Lyksu Ldwy ,oa cSad usxjk eysf”k;k ds la;qä ç;kl ls dqvkykyaiqj esa laLFkkfir gqvkA og vc

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nun auch von zu Hause aus lernten. Dies gab ihm spürbaren Auftrieb und Zuversicht und machte ihn neugierig auf alles.

Anil bekam auch die Möglichkeit, an einem einwöchigen Design-Thinking-Workshop, den die Harvard University und das Massachusetts Institute of Technology veranstalteten, teilzunehmen. Die Herausforderung für ihn war, dafür allein nach Mumbai zu reisen, dort zwischen all den wesentlich erfahreneren Studierenden zu sitzen und mit diesen seine Gedanken auf Augenhöhe auszutauschen. All das wäre ohne unsere Freundin Rachael, die ihn auf die Reise vorbereitet und ihn die meiste Zeit vor Ort begleitet hat, nicht möglich gewesen.

Alleine nach Mumbai zu fliegen, eine ganze Woche lang in einer so pulsierenden Metropole zu verbringen, den öffentlichen Nahverkehr zu meistern und gleichzeitig die ganzen neuen Eindrücke aufzusaugen und zu verarbeiten, war für Anil eine ganz besonderes Lernerlebnis. Sein Englisch wurde schlagartig besser. Seine Begeisterung war offenbar so ansteckend, dass Rajesh Nair, einer der Mentoren der Konferenz, sich kurzer Hand entschloss, ein paar Wochen später nach Janwaar zu kommen. Rajesh ist einer der Mitgründer des Asia School of Business in Kuala Lumpur, die von der MIT-Sloan

Conference in Rajasthan, where he went with a group of Janwaar kids, he met a good number of other students who had dropped out of the conventional schooling system and were now homeschoolers just like him. That stint gave him much more confidence and he’s been on the path of discovery ever since.

Then came the opportunity for Anil to be a part of a weeklong design thinking workshop under the guidance of mentors from the Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It was intimidating at first. The challenge started with the idea of making the trip to Mumbai on his own, let alone standing alongside other participants, who all were advanced in their studies, and sharing his thoughts with them. It wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts of our friend Rachael, who readied him for the trip and accompanied him most of the time while he was there.

bl xkao esa vius ^thjks&2&esdj* dk;ZØe ds rgr ,d esdj Lisl fodflr djus ds bPNqd gSa] tks tuokj ds cPpksa dh jpukRedrk dks mHkkjus esa lg;ksxh gksxkA ç;ksx vkSj vUos”k.k dh ;g vkarfjd vkdka{kk flQZ vfuy rd gh lhfer ugha cfYd vU; cPpksa ds fy, Hkh ,d fujarjrk jgh gSA fiNys pkj lky ls ge gj lky ikap vyx cPpksa dks Þt;iqj fyVjspj QsfLVoyß esa ÞvkmVjhp çksxzkeß dk fgLlk cuus ds fy, Hkst jgs gSaA “kgjh vkSj xzkeh.k {ks=ksa ds 40 vU; cPpksa ds lkFk feydj mUgksaus bl lky ^tuokj esa thou* ij ,d ukVd çLrqr fd;kA lHkh us R;ksgkj ds nkSjku cM+s eap ij çLrqfr nhA vk”kk dk jpukRed :i cs;jQqV d‚yst dh dBiqryh dk;Z”kkyk esa [kwc mHkj dj vk;kA tc dksfoM&19 egkekjh ,d [krjs ds :i esa mHkjh] rks mUgksaus vius gkFk /kksus dh e”khu dk vfo’dkj fd;k vkSj viuh lqj{kk djus ds fy, ^D;k djsa vkSj D;k ugha* dh ,d ljy lwph ds ek/;e ls xkao esa tkx:drk QSykbZA vkSj vc vk”kk ,d dBiqryh dk;ZØe cukus dk chM+k mBk jgh gS] tks ;g n”kkZ,xk fd dSls cPpksa us fuMj gksdj ok;jl dk lkeuk fd;k vkSj tuokj xkao dks bl egkekjh ls cpk;kA ckgjh nqfu;k ls feys vukoj.k us vc mu lc esa lkspus dh dkcyh;r tkx:d dj nh gSA bu cPpksa ds fy, vxyk iM+ko ;s lkspuk gS fd os viuh f”k{kk dk bLrseky vius xkao ds mRFkku ds fy, dSls djsaA

For Anil, flying for the first time on his own, spending a week in a busy metro, and traveling alone on the local train while soaking in the sights and sounds was a learning

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School of Management und der Bank Negra Malaysia ins Leben gerufen wurde. Als Teil seines zero2maker-Programms plant Rajesh nun, in Janwaar einen Maker Space einzurichten. Eine tolle Maßnahme, durch die sich die Kreativität der Dorfkinder bestimmt weiter gut entfalten wird.

Genauso wie Anil verspüren nun auch andere Dorfkinder den Drang, zu entdecken und zu experimentieren. Seit nunmehr vier Jahren nehmen fünf Jugendliche am Outreach-Programm des Jaipur Literaturfestivals teil. Dort trifft sich jedes Jahr eine gute Mischung aus 40 Kindern, die sowohl in ländlichen Regionen wie auch in städtischen Umfeldern zuhause sind.

In diesem Jahr war die Aufgabe, sich mit Geschichten aus dem eigenen täglichen Leben auseinanderzusetzen, und diese in Form von Sketchen auf der großen Festivalbühne aufzuführen. Welch ein Erlebnis für jedes einzelne Kind!

Asha, Anil und Arun erlebten einen ihrer kreativen Höhenflüge als sie das Barefoot College in Tilonia, Rajasthan besuchten. Zur Bekämpfung des Covid19-Viruses haben sie in Janwaar ein Handwaschgerät gebaut und damit bei den Dorfbewohnern das Bewusstsein dafür geweckt, was diese damit zu tun und zu lassen haben. Alles Dinge, die sie in Tilonia gelernt hatten. Unter Ashas Anleitung haben die Kinder ein

experience unlike anything he’d had in the past. His English really got a push and he made a huge step forward. His enthusiasm was infectious and reason enough for one of the conference mentors, Rajesh Nair, to visit Janwaar a few weeks later. Rajesh is a part of the founding faculty of the Asia School of Business, started by MIT-Sloan School of Management and Bank Negara Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur.

He is now keen on developing a maker space in the village, as part of this zero2maker program, which will be perfect to unfold the creativity of the kids.

As with Anil, this inner drive to experiment and explore has been a constant for the other kids as well. For four years now, we are sending each year five different kids to be part of the Outreach Program at the Jaipur Literature Festival, together with 40 other children from urban and rural areas.

This year, during the festival, they presented a skit on life in Janwaar, performing on the big stage. What an experience for each of them!

Asha, Anil and Arun were at their creative best during a visit to Barefoot College in Tilonia, Rajasthan. When

lh[kus dh pkg tuokj ds cPps dHkh Hkh ç;kl djus ls ihNs ugha gVrs] u;h pky pyus vkSj vlQyrk ls Mjrs ugha] vkSj tc rd dke;kc u gks tkrs rc rd MV dj ç;kl djrs jgrsA bl ckr esa rks dksbZ “kd ugha gS fd bu vknrksa dh tM+ksa dks LdsVikdZ eSa fodflr fd;k x;k FkkA blls mUgsa ns”k ds fHkUu fHkUu çfr;ksfxrk,a vkSj dk;Z”kkykvksa esa vkRefo”okl ds lkFk Hkkx ysus dh çsj.kk feyh gSA cs”kd] LdsVcksfMaZx tuokj ds cPpksa ds thou dk ,d vge fgLlk cu pqdk gS vkSj os fnu çfr fnu [ksy esa mUufr dj jgs gSaA tgk¡ vk”kk vkSj v#.k us ukuftax] phu] esa vk;ksftr LdsVcksfMaZx fo”o çfr;ksfxrk 2018 esa bl [ksy ds lcls mPp Lrj ij fgLlk fy;k] ogha xkao ds ckdh cPpksa us Hkh viuh çfrHkk dk çn”kZu ns”k ds dbZ vkarfjd çfr;ksfxrkvksa esa fn[kk;k gSA fiNys lky fnlacj esa fo”kk[kkiÙkue esa bafM;u LdsVcksfMaZx pkSafi;uf”ki esa Hkkx ysdj cPps ikap ind ysdj vk,] ftuesa ls rhu ind yM+fd;ksa us thrs FksA dbZ cPps tks igyh ckj tuokj ds ckgj dne j[k jgs Fks] muds fy, çfr;ksfxrk ls cM+h pqukSrh 3]000 fd-eh- dk lQj Fkk ftles lh[kus ds [kwc volj feysA Hkkjr tSls ns”k ds vfodflr xkao esa iyus okys vf/kdrj cPpksa dk [okc gksrk gS fd og thou esa rjDdh djds fdlh cM+s “kgj esa cl tk,A ijUrq tuokj ds cPpksas dks ;g le>us esa nsj ugha yxh fd xkao dk okrkoj.k mUgsa thou dh lcls t:jh ewyHkwr vko”;drkvksa dh iwfrZ djrk gSA vkt vk”kk] vfuy vkSj v#.k tSls dqN çsfjr Nk= vxz.kh ds :i esa mHkjs gSa] ckdh yksxksa dks tuokj

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Puppenspiel entwickelt, das zeigte, wie Kinder mit der Krise und dem Virus umgehen. Ohne den MarionettentheaterWorkshop am Barefoot College wäre dies nicht möglich gewesen. Diese neuen Anregungen von außen haben bei den Jugendlichen Denkprozesse in Gang gesetzt, die jetzt auch immer die Frage mit einschließen: Wie können wir das, was wir lernen, in Janwaar nutzbringend anwenden?

Wissbegierig hoch 3

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Mit ziemlicher Sicherheit haben die Kinder diese Fähigkeiten auf dem Skatepark entwickelt. Sie sind nie davor zurückgeschreckt, neue Tricks auszuprobieren; oder – wenn nötig – solange zu üben und sie haben gelernt, Misserfolge einfach zu akzeptieren. Das gab ihnen ein gesundes Selbstvertrauen, das sich im Laufe der Zeit durch die Teilnahme an Skateboarding-Wettbewerben und Workshops noch verstärkte.

Trotz der vielen anderen Aktivitäten bleibt Skateboarding natürlich weiterhin ein wichtiger Bestandteil ihres Alltags.

Und sie werden darin zusehends besser. Während Asha und Arun 2018 an den Skateboarding Weltmeisterschaften im chinesischen Nanjing – also auf höchster sportlicher Ebene –

Covid19 emerged as a veritable threat, they devised their own hand washing machine and spread awareness in Janwaar about the dos and don’ts concerning it – things they’ve learned in workshops in Tilonia. Now Asha is taking the lead to create a puppet show which is telling the story how the kids tackled the virus. Without the input of the puppetry workshop at the Barefoot College, this would not have been possible. Exposure to the outside world has now initiated the process of thinking in each one of them, even as they try to understand what part of their learning could be good for Janwaar in the long run.

Hungry Minds It’s a safe bet that these habits were first developed at the skatepark, where the kids never shied away from attempting a new trick or embracing failure, making repeated attempts until they got the hang of it. It is what has helped them gain confidence over time, whether at various skateboarding competitions across India or at the many workshops that they’ve been regularly invited to.

dks ,d csgrj txg cukus dh mEehn ls ekxZn”kZu dj jgs gSaA xkao ds cqfu;knh <kaps esa lq/kkj vkus ls vU; xfrfof/k;ka laHko gqbZa gSaA fiNys lky uoacj esa ,d vukoj.k dk;ZØe us ikl ds “kgj lruk ls 33 Nk=ksa dks tuokj yk;k vkSj mUgsa xkao ds thou dk vuqHko djus dk ekSdk fn;kA bl ckrphr us nksuksa i{kksa dks fopkj djus ds fy, dbZ rRo fn,A ges”kk dh rjg LdsVikdZ lHkh ds fy, ,d LokHkkfod vkd”kZ.k FkkA QyLo:i xkao ds cM+s cPpksa esa ls ,d & f”kojkt] us gky gh esa oh-vkbZ-Vh-,l Ldwy] lruk dkssa vius ifjlj esa ydM+h ds LdsVcksfMaZx jSai ds fuekZ.k esa enn dh gSA vkSj rks vkSj] oh-vkbZ-Vh-,l us Hkh tuokj ds dqN cPpksa dks Hkfo’; esa muds laLFkku esa v/;;u djus dk volj çnku fd;kA dqN cPpksa dks vc bartkj gS fd dc dksfoM&19 egkekjh dh ifjfLFkfr;ka fu;a=.k esa vk,¡xh vkSj dc og fo|ky; tk ik,saxsA f”kojkt dh LdsVcksMZj leqnk; esa okilh gekjs fy, [kq”kh dh ckr FkhA og Nk=o`fÙk dk ykHk mBkus okys cPpksa esa ls igys Fks vkSj fnYyh o mÙkj çns”k esa fl[kk;s x, fofHkUu f”k{k.k ra=ksa ls Kkr FkkA mlus e/; çns”k ds eSgj esa vkVZ bpksy uked ,d vkVZ jsthMsalh esa fnypLih ikbZ] tgka mlus Dys e‚Mfyax dh dyk lh[khA ysfdu fiNys dqN o’kksaZ ds nkSjku] mlus viuk jkLrk [kks fn;k vkSj LdsVcksfMaZx ls tqM+h gj pht ls nwj jgus yxkA ysfdu tYn gh mls ;g le> esa vkus yxk fd tuokj esa mlds tSls ,d fd”kksj ds fy, T;knk volj ugha gSa vkSj og fQj ls lruk esa LdsVcksfMaZx jSai ds fuekZ.k dh ftEesnkjh ysrs gq, LdsVcksfMaZx leqnk; esa okil vk x;kA

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teilnahmen, stellen auch andere Kids ihre vielversprechenden Talente bei den regelmäßig stattfindenden nationalen Wettbewerben unter Beweis. Bei den indischen Skateboarding Meisterschaften 2019 in Vishakhapatnam holten die Janwaar Skater insgesamt fünf Medaillen. Allein drei davon haben die Mädchen errungen. Neben der eigentlichen Wettkampfteilnahme machte jedoch die damit verbundene 3.000 km lange Rundreise für die 30 Kinder aus Janwaar die deutlich größere Lernerfahrung aus. Gerade für diejenigen, die das Dorf zum ersten Mal verlassen haben.

Auch wenn das Stadtleben den einen oder anderen gern zu Träumen hinreißt, haben sie schnell verstanden, dass ihnen ihr Dorf und die Dorfgemeinschaft die besten aller Möglichkeiten bieten. Asha, Anil und Arun, die drei motiviertesten der Janwaar-Jugendlichen, zeigen deutliche Führungsqualitäten und geben ihre eigenen Erfahrungen gern an die anderen weiter, um Janwaar gemeinsam zu einem lebenswerteren Ort zu machen.

Die verbesserte Infrastruktur des Dorfes ermöglicht neue Aktivitäten. So kamen im November letzten Jahres 33 Schüler aus der nahegelegenen Stadt Satna nach Janwaar, um das dortige Dorfleben zu erkunden. Der gegenseitige Austausch

Of course, skateboarding remains part of the mix and the kids continue to improve by leaps and bounds. While Asha and Arun were exposed to the highest level of the sport in 2018 at the Skateboarding World Championship in Nanjing, China, others too have shown great promise and have been regulars at domestic competitions around the country.

After the Indian Skateboarding Championships in Visakhapatnam in December last year, the kids came home with five medals, with three of them bagged by the girls. Besides the challenges of competition, the bigger learning experience came from the 3,000km roundtrip for 30 kids, some of whom were travelling outside Janwaar for the first time.

While big city life often left some of them dreamy, they’ve also been quick to learn that the village environment offers them the best of the bare necessities. Today, a few motivated students from the group like Asha, Anil and Arun have emerged as leaders, guiding the rest through their own experiences in the hopes of making Janwaar a better place to live in.

u, vk;ke tuokj ds fgr/kkjdksa vkSj psatesdlZ & tuokj ds cPpksa dks & lHkh ftEesnkfj;ka lkSaius dh fn”kk esa igyk dne flracj 2019 esa fy;k x;k tc] cs;jQqV LdsVcksMZlZ v‚xZukbts”ku uked ,u-th-vks dh LFkkiuk gqbZA bls rFkkdfFkr /kkjk 8 daiuh ds :i esa iath—r fd;k x;k gS tks dj&dVkSrh ;ksX; nku dks laHko cukrk gSA cksMZ ,d lkewfgd] yksdrkaf=d fu.kZ; çfØ;k ds ek/;e ls lnL;rk vkSj lnL;ksa ds vf/kdkjksa ij fu.kZ; ys ldrk gSA bl ,u-th-vks ds ek/;e ls vc cPpksa ds lkFk&lkFk ekrk&firk ds fy, Hkh jkstxkj ds volj iSnk djuk laHko gSA LdsVikdZ cukus dh lykg nsuk] vkSj LdsVcksfMaZx fl[kkuk & ,u-th-vks ds tuokj dks vkRefuHkZj cukus ds mís”; dk lcls igyk mnkgj.k gSaA lfopkj iwoZd pqus x, funsZ”kdksa ds :i esa vk”kk vkSj dj.k & ,d yM+dh vkSj ,d yM+dk & ,d vkfnoklh vkSj ,d ;kno & mudk vkRefo”okl c<+kus ds mís”; ls lHkh xfrfof/k;ksa esa lcls vkxs j[ks tkrs gSa rkfd] os Hkfo’; esa fofHkUu fLFkfr;ksa dks lacksf/kr djus ds fy, rS;kj jgsA os vc fcy cuk ldrs gSaA LdsVikdZ ds fuekZ.k esa Je ls ysdj ç—fr Ldwy esa LdsVcksfMaZx lh[kus okys cPpksa dks muds Je dh Qhl dk Hkqxrku djus rd] vc tuokj ds cPps ;s lHkh fu.kZ; vius vki ys ldrs gSaA bu lHkh phtksa ij bl ckr ls dksbZ QdZ ugha iM+rk fd os nksuksa vyx&vyx leqnk;ksa ds gSaA blds bykok] vk”kk dks vxz.kh ds :i esa ns[k dj xkao dh vkSjrksa dks Hkh u;h çsj.kk dk lzksr feyk gS] D;ksafd blls igys tuokj esa dHkh vkSjrksa dks [kqn dh vkokt ugha feyh FkhA

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lieferte beiden Seiten wertvolle Denkanstöße. Und wie immer war der Skatepark das Epizentrum allen Geschehens. Die Aktion motivierte Shivraj, einen der älteren Jungs aus Janwaar, dazu, der VITS School beim Bau ihrer eigenen Skate-Rampen auf ihren Campus in Satna zu helfen. Außerdem hat die VITS einigen Kindern aus Janwaar angeboten, in Satna auf die Schule zu gehen, sobald die Virus-Krise vorüber ist.

Shivrajs Rückkehr in die Skateboarder Community war wirklich herzergreifend. Er war der erste im Dorf, der ein Stipendium bekam; es umfasste Lernmodule bei Prakriti, einer Farm in Uttar Pradesh sowie in der Künstlerwerkstatt Art Ichol in Maihar, Madhya Pradesh, wo er sein Talent für das Arbeiten mit Ton entdeckte. Danach hat er sich für ein paar Jahre komplett vom Skateboarding und allen damit verbundenen Aktivitäten ferngehalten. Jetzt hat er aber offenbar verstanden, dass Janwaar einem Teenager wie ihm nicht allzu viel bieten kann. Er ist wieder zurück im Kreise und hat sehr gern die Verantwortung für den Bau der Skate-Rampen in Satna übernommen.

Janwaar 90-107 Prakriti 178-185

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The improving infrastructure in the village made other activities possible. An exposure program in November last year brought 33 students from the nearby town of Satna to Janwaar, and gave them the opportunity to experience life in a village. This interaction gave both sides much food for thought.

As always, the skatepark was a natural draw for all the kids.

Such was its impact that Shivraj, one of the older boys involved in some of the activities, has recently helped the VITS School to build their own wooden skateboarding ramps at their campus in Satna. In fact, VITS also offered some of the kids from Janwaar the opportunity to study at their institution in the future, once the virus situation improves.

Shivraj’s return to the skateboarding community was heartening for us. He was the first one in Janwaar who received a scholarship, and was exposed to various learning modules in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. He even found his calling at Art Ichol – an art residency in Maihar, Madhya Pradesh, where he really took on clay modelling. But sometime during the last few years, he lost his way and chose to stay away from skateboarding and everything associated with it. Yet it soon dawned on him that there wasn’t much on offer for a teen-

vius vuks[ks vankt esa vk”kk us viuh gj eqf”dy dk lkeuk fd;k gSA mlus lkekftd jhfr&fjoktksa dks rksM+dj xkao ls ckgj dbZ ckj lQj fd;k gSA vk”kk tuokj xkao dh igyh fuoklh gSa ftldk ikliksVZ cuk vkSj og Nk=o`fÙk ij baXySaM i<+us x;hA ;g lHkh ckrsa vkidks lquus esa lk/kkj.k lh yx jgh gksaxh] ijUrq tuokj tSls xkao esa tgk¡ vkSjrksa vkSj yM+fd;ksa ij lekt dh bruh ikcafn;k¡ gksrh gSa ,sls ekgkSy esa vk”kk ds fy, ;s lc gkfly djuk Økafr ls de ughaA

tuokj esa efgykvksa ds ikl e;kZfnr gdnkjh vkSj uk ds cjkcj vf/kdkj gksrs gSaA ,slh Hkh ?kVuk,¡ gqbZ gSa tgk¡ vkSjrsa ?kjsyw fgalk ds f”kdkj gqbZa gSaA bl dkj.k ls gesa mUgsa l”kä cukus ds fy, dqN efgykvksa dks eksckby Qksu nsus dk fu.kZ; Hkh ysuk iM+k rkfd os vkifÙktud fLFkfr esa iqfyl dks Qksu dj ldsaA xkao dh gj yM+dh ds Hkfo’; ij vusd çdkj ds ç”ufpà yxs gksrs gSa] ftues ls vf/kdka”k ;qofr;ksa dk fookg] i<+us&fy[kus vkSj thou ds vukoj.k djus dh mez esa gh gks tkrk gSA “kq#vkrh fnuksa esa vk”kk dks Hkh bl fir`lÙkk dk lkeuk djuk iM+kA mldk la?k’kZ mlds [kqn ds ?kj ls “kq: gqvk tgka mls vius ekrk&firk dks vk”oklu nsuk iM+k fd mls mlds ekxZ esa vkus okys voljksa dk ykHk mBkus nsaA vkt mlds ekrk&firk ekurs gSa fd og tks djuk pkgs] cuuk pkgs] vkSj vius Hkfo’; esa çkIr djuk pkgs] og dj ldrh gSA ftldk eryc gS dh vf/kdre ifjfLFkfr;ksa esa og yksxksa dh csrqdh jk; dks utjvankt djrs gq, viuh “kfDr vius liuksa dks lkdkj djus esa dsafær djrh gSA

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Auf zu neuen Ufern

Janwaar 90-107 Barefoot Skateboarders Organization 124/125

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Im September 2019 gründeten die Jugendlichen die „Barefoot Skateboarders Organization”. Der erste Schritt, um die Verantwortung für sämtliche Aktivitäten im Dorf in die Hände der eigentlichen Interessensvertreter, der Janwaar-Skater, zu legen. Die Organisation ist als eine Art gemeinnützige GmbH registriert und kann steuerlich absetzbare Spendengelder entgegennehmen. Der Vorstand hat das Recht, in einem gemeinsamen, demokratischen Entscheidungsprozess über Mitgliedschaften und über die Rechte der Mitglieder zu entscheiden. Eines der Ziele der NGO ist, fortlaufend Arbeitsund Verdienstmöglichkeiten für die Jugendlichen und deren Eltern zu schaffen. Die ersten Beispiele gibt es dafür bereits: Kursangebote für Skateboarding und Beratungs- und Bauaufträge für neue Skateparks außerhalb des Dorfes.

Asha und Karan sind Vorstände der Organisation – bewusst ein Mädchen und ein Junge. Sie eine Adivasi, er ein Yadav.

Die Intension ist, die beiden fit zu machen, sich künftig um die verschiedenen Belange im Dorf zu kümmern. Sie können Rechnungen schreiben, Tagelöhner, die z.B. beim Bau von neuen Skateparks helfen, bezahlen und die Skateboarding-

ager like him in Janwaar and he was back on board again, shouldering the responsibility of building the skateboarding ramps in Satna.

New Horizons When the new NGO, ‘Barefoot Skateboarders Organization’, was founded in September 2019, it was the first step towards handing all the responsibilities over to the kids – the stakeholders and changemakers of Janwaar. It has been registered as a so-called section 8 company that makes tax-deductible donations possible. The board can decide on membership and the rights of members through a collective, democratic decision-making process. The idea is to continue creating job opportunities, for the children as well as for the parents, through this NGO. Helping and advising to build skateparks and providing skateboarding sessions are the first examples.

As directors, Asha and Karan – a girl and a boy, an Adivasi and a Yadav, thoughtfully selected – were put at the forefront of all activities with the intent of making them confident

viuh rjQ ls le;&le; ij vk”kk tuokj ds çkbejh Ldwy ds ç/kkukpk;Z ds vuqjks/k ij vius vuqHko ls lh[ks gq, ikB xkao ds ckdh cPpksa dks fl[kk;k djrh gSA vk”kk us fo”ks’k ;ksX;rk okys ¼fodykax½ cPpksa ds fy, fo|ky; ,oa NksVs cPpksa ds fy, cky fogkj “kq: fd;k] tuokj esa dbZ cPpksa dks bl ek/;e ls igyh ckj f”k{kk dk lk/ku feykA ;g ç;ksx vk”kk us ÞdusfDVax MªhEl QkmaMs”kuß ds lkFk py jgh Qsyksf”ki ds varxZr fd;kA le; ds lkFk lkFk ges ;s le> esa vkus yxk dh vk”kk dk lh[kus dk rjhdk ckdh cPpksa ls vyx gS] vkSj blhfy, mls ikjaifjd rjhdksa ls fl[kkus ls dksbZ ykHk ugha gksxkA ;g lqudj gSjkuh gksrh gS] fd vk”kk ,d Ldwy Mª‚ivkmV gS] d{kk ls ckgj og ,d vk”p;Ztud O;fäRo gS] tks fu.kZ; ysus dh lgt “kfä ls ySl gS vkSj ftlds fny esa oafprksa ds fy, cs”kqekj lgkuqHkwfr gSA mlus vius pkjksa vksj fir`lÙkkRed lekt esa viuh igpku cukbZ gS] “kCnksa ds ctk; dkjZokbZ ds ek/;e ls ifjorZu dks çHkkfor fd;k gSA vk”kk tSlh yM+fd;ksa ls feydj ;g Li’V gks tkrk gS fd vius liuksa dks lkdkj djus ds fy, Ldwyh f”k{kk vfuok;Z ugha gSA tuokj ds bu Lonslh vxzf.k;ksa us vU; cPpksa dks vius Lo;a ds vkys dks rjk”kus ds fy, çsfjr fd;k gS] pkgs og LdsVikdZ ds vanj gks ;k cgkjA vf/kdka”k cPps vius fnu dh “kq#vkr foyk tuokj ls djrs gSa & mudh viuh NksVh lh txg tks 2017 esa LFkkfir gqbZ Fkh vkSj tks vkt bu cPpksa dks LdsVikdZ ls Hkh T;knk I;kjh gSA xkao ds dsaæ esa fLFkr bl foyk us cgqr ls cPpksa ds thou esa u, njokts [kksy fn,] vkSj mUgsa ,d ubZ nqfu;k ds vUos’k.k dk lQj djk;k ftlls og vc rd oafpr FksA ;g og txg gS tgka os [ksy ldrs gSa] LdsVcksMZ ij viuh igyh lokjh dj ldrs gSa vkSj i<+us vkSj laxhr

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Janwaar 90-107 Women in Janwaar 148-163, 160 particularly Prakriti 178-185

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Kurse an der Prakriti Schule abrechnen. Dass die beiden im Dorf unterschiedlichen gesellschaftlichen Gruppierungen angehören, war Absicht. Asha ist ohnehin in ihrer Führungsrolle eine ‚Innovation‘ in einem Dorf, in dem die Frauen keine Stimme haben.

Asha begegnet jeder Widrigkeit, die sich ihr in den Weg stellt, mit ihrer ureigenen Art. Dadurch, dass sie regelmäßig von Janwaar aus verreist, als Erste im Dorf einen Reisepass hatte und für ein Stipendium nach England ging, rüttelt sie ständig an den Grundfesten der traditionellen Konventionen. Dies alles mag recht trivial erscheinen, kommt aber in einer Gemeinschaft, in der Mädchen und Frauen im täglichen Leben nahezu unsichtbar sind, einer Revolution gleich.

Die Frauen in Janwaar haben wenig Anspruch auf etwas und noch weniger Recht für etwas. Sie sind immer wieder häuslicher Gewalt ausgesetzt, was uns erst kürzlich dazu veranlasste, einige der Frauen mit Notruftelefonen auszustatten.

Die Zukunft der Mädchen im Dorf ist mit vielen Fragezeichen versehen. Die meisten von Ihnen werden bereits in einem Alter verheiratet, in dem sie gerade anfangen, Spaß am Lernen zu haben und sich Gedanken über eine bessere Zukunft zu machen.

enough to address various situations in the future. They can now write bills and make payments for everything from labour while building skateparks, to reimbursing those who conduct skating sessions, like the one currently underway at Prakriti School. It doesn’t matter that the two of them belong to different communities; indeed, for Asha, taking on the role of a leader has been an innovation in a village where women have no voice.

In her own unique style, Asha has tackled every adversity that has come her way. She has shattered convention to travel outside the village regularly, while also becoming the first one from Janwaar to get a passport that took her to England on a learning scholarship. On the face of it, this may all sound very trivial, but in reality it’s nothing short of a revolution in a community where women and girls are almost invisible in everyday life.

Women in Janwaar have few entitlements and even fewer rights. There are times when they have been subjected to domestic violence, which led us to empower some of them with cell phones to call the cops when needed. The future

cukus tSlh xfrfof/k;ksa esa fyIr gks ldrs gSaA ;k fQj] Lo;a viuh okLrfodrk ds lkFk vkjke ls ,dkar esa le; fcrk ldsaA tks vkt dh nqfu;k esa cgqr egRoiw.kZ vkSj nqyZHk gSA cnyko ds ladsr fiNys lky uoacj esa vksiu Ldwy çkstsDV esa Hkkx ysus okys ikap cPpksa us foyk tuokj esa viuh igyh dk;Z”kkyk dh estckuh dhA ikap fnuksa dh rS;kjh ds ckn mUgksaus 100 ls vf/kd xzkeh.kksa ds lkFk vius vuqHko lk>k fd,A ;kn j[kus okyh ckr gS dh xkao okys bl dk;Z”kkyk esa vHkh Hkh tkfr vkSj fyax ds vuqlkj foHkkftr FksA vf/kdka”k dk;ZØe ;kstuk ds vuqlkj pys] ij fQj cztsaæ vius fopkj n”kZdksa ds lkFk ck¡V dj vfLFkjrk ys vk;kA mlus dgk fd ;kno vkSj vkfnoklh ds chp dksbZ varj ugha FkkA ckr dks FkksM+k vkSj vkxs ys tkrs gq, mlus vius ifjokj ls vkxzg Hkh fd;k fd mldh NksVh cgu ds lkFk dksbZ Hksn Hkko uk djsa vkSj tSlk O;ogkj mlds çfr djrs gSa Bhd oSlk gh mldh cgu ds lkFk Hkh gksA lHkk dh çfrfØ;k ls] vkSj fo”ks’k :i ls mlds firk dh çfrfØ;k ls] ;g Li’V Fkk fd mlds “kCn vHkwriwoZ FksA cztsaæ us fuf”pr :i ls ml “kke tuokj ds yksxksa ij xgjk çHkko MkykA mlh dk;ZØe ds nkSjku vk”kk }kjk yM+fd;ksa ds eqíksa ij fn, x, Hkk’k.k ds ckn v#.k dh cgu “kkafr us [kM+s gksdj n”kZdksa ls dqN ljy loky iwNs & Þfd yM+fd;k¡ xk¡o esa D;ksa ugha ?kwe ldrha] tSls yM+ds ?kwers gSa\ muds lkFk vyx rjg ls O;ogkj D;ksa fd;k tkrk gS\ß dqN yksxksa ds psgjs ij ?kcjkgV lh fn[kh] dqN dh vk¡[kksa esa vkalwA fdlh dks Hkh mEehn ugha Fkh fd dksbZ fd”kksjh [kM+h gksdj ih<+h nj ih<+h fy[ks x, fu;eksa ij loky mBk,xhA gkykafd bl

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Barefoot Skateboarders Organization 124/125 Women in Janwaar 148-163 Janwaar 192

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In ihren jungen Jahren war dies bei Asha nicht anders. Der Kampf begann in ihrem eigenen Zuhause. Sie musste ihre Eltern erst davon überzeugen, die Möglichkeiten, die sich ihr hier boten, annehmen zu dürfen. Inzwischen haben sie sich daran gewöhnt und unterstützen Asha dabei, ihre persönlichen Wünsche und Ziele umzusetzen, was für die Eltern aber oft bedeutet, dass sie ihre Ohren gegenüber jeglichen Kritikern und deren unnötigen Meinungsäußerungen auf Durchzug stellen müssen.

Da Asha das, was sie selbst gelernt hat, gern an die anderen Kinder im Dorf weitergibt, hat der Schulleiter in Janwaar sie gebeten, ihn hin und wieder beim Unterricht zu unterstützen.

Inzwischen hat sie in Janwaar eine Schule für Anders-Begabte und einen Kindergarten eröffnet. Beides gab es im Dorf vorher nicht und ist Bestandteil eines Mentorenprogrammes der Connecting Dreams Foundation, die Asha bei der Umsetzung unterstützt. Im Laufe der Zeit zeigt sich klar, dass Asha ihren ganz eigenen Weg des Lernens eingeschlagen hat und sich nicht gern in ein bestehendes Schulschema pressen lässt.

Erstaunlich, wenn man bedenkt, dass Asha die Schule abgebrochen hat. Sie zeigt ihre besondere Begabung eben außerhalb des Klassenzimmers – eine Kombination aus angebore-

of every girl in the village has all kinds of question marks surrounding it. Most of them are married off at an age when they’re just about ready to embrace learning and better their future.

It was no different for Asha during the early days. The struggle started in her own house, where she had to convince her parents to allow her to take up the opportunities that came her way. Today, they are attuned to who she aspires to be and what she hopes to achieve in the future, which often means turning a deaf ear to detractors and their needless opinions.

For her part, Asha passes on her learning to the other kids during their daily interactions, and was even asked by the principal of the primary school in Janwaar to help out on occasions. She has started a school for the differently-abled kids in Janwaar, as well as a kindergarten, neither of which existed in the past. She has made this experiment part of her fellowship program, which she currently holds with the Connecting Dreams Foundation. Over time, we have come to realise that she enjoys a different style of learning and

dkj.k ekgkSy xaHkhj gks x;k] ij bl ckr dh rlYyh Fkh dh bu ukStokuks esa bruh le> Fkh dh viuh laL—fr vkSj fnup;kZ esa [+kkfe;ksa dks ns[k dj os dqN djus dh pkg j[krs gSa] Hkys gh og ckrsa muds lekt ds cM+ksa dks vlq[kn yxsaA ;g ,d vPNh “kq#vkr Fkh] [kkldj blfy, D;ksafd ;s lkjh ckrsa cPpksa us [kqn ls lksph vkSj cksyhA bu es fdlh xSj dk gkFk ugha Fkk] tks tuokj ds bl ç;ksx dh lQyrk dks n”kkZrk gSA bl ?kVuk ds dqN le; ckn] v#.k dh vxqokbZ esa] cPps vius firkvksa ds f[kykQ mB [kM+s gq,] tks fd foyk esa vDlj tqvk [ksyrs FksA firkvksa ds xqV us cPpksa dh txg ij dCtk dj fy;k vkSj rks vkSj mu ij gkFk Hkh mBk;kA cs”kd cPpksa dks ;g crkZo ilan ugha vk;k] “kq: esa og etcwj eglwl dj jgs Fks ij fQj os bl leL;k dk gy vius vuqHkoksa esa <wa<us yxsA vius xq#vksa dh lykg ysdj mUgksaus dqN ,slk fd;k ftldh dksbZ dYiuk Hkh ugha dj ldrk FkkA cPpksa us <sj lkjs ipsZ cuk;s ftl ij Þvxj vki gekjs fy, ,d csgrj Hkfo’; pkgrs gSa] rks —i;k gekjs foyk ls nwj jgsaß vkfn tSls ukjs fy[ks] vkSj lHkh tqvkfjvksa ds ?kj esa ck¡V fn,A ckr ;gk¡ ugha #dh] vkSj cPpksa us ogh ukjs viuh foyk ij Hkh cM+s cM+s v{kjksa esa fy[k fn, & rkfd iwjk xkao i<+ ldsA vxys fnu iUuk ftyk ds ,d ehfM;k gkml us mudh dgkuh] QksVks lfgr vius v[kckj ds igys iUus ij Nki nhA vkf[kjdkj tqvkjhvksa ds xqV dks “kfeZanxh eglwl gqbZ vkSj mUgksaus foyk dks NksM+ fn;kA tks ç;kl cPpksa ds lkFk “kq: gq, Fks] /khjs&/khjs iwjs xkao rd igqap jgs gSaA NksVs dneksa dh ,d J`a[kyk ds ek/;e ls] tuokj esa vko”;d lsokvksa dks LFkkfir djus dk ç;kl fd;k x;k gSA fiNys lky igyh ckj ,d cky jksx fo’ks”kK us çkFkfed fpfdRlk ns[kHkky vkSj vPNh LoPNrk ds fy, cqfu;knh lq>ko lkSais

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ner Entscheidungsfreude und gleichzeitig großer Empathie für diejenigen, denen es nicht so gut geht oder die jünger sind als sie. Sie geht in der sie umgebenden patriarchalischen Gesellschaft ihren ganz eigenen Weg und treibt den Wandel mit Taten und weniger mit Worten voran. Mädchen wie Asha zeigen, dass wissensbasierte Schulbildung nicht die unbedingte Voraussetzung für die Erfüllung der eigenen Wünsche sein muss.

Diese ‚hausgemachten‘ Vorbilder haben andere Kinder in Janwaar dazu angespornt, ihre eigenen Nischen zu finden; sei es auf dem oder abseits des Skateparks. Viele kommen morgens noch halb verschlafen erst einmal in die Villa Janwaar. „Ihr“ Ort, der 2017 für sie geschaffen wurde und heutzutage für einige wichtiger ist, als der Skatepark selbst.

Die Villa liegt mitten im Dorf und öffnet vielen Kindern den Blick in eine komplett neue Welt. Sie können dort spielen, das erste Mal auf einem Skateboard stehen, in Büchern versinken oder Musik machen. Oder es einfach genießen, sich selbst zu sein.

Janwaar 90-107 Villa Janwaar 132-141

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that squeezing her into regular sessions is not at all her way.

It’s astonishing to hear that Asha is a school dropout. Outside of the classroom she’s a revelation, armed with the innate power of decision-making and empathy for those less privileged or younger than her. She has created her own identity in the patriarchal society around her, effecting change through action rather than words. Girls like her make it evident that basic schooling isn’t always a prerequisite when it comes to achieving your dreams.

These homebred role models have inspired other kids to carve their own niche, whether on the skatepark or off it.

Most of them start their day by stumbling over to Villa Janwaar – their own little space that was created late in 2017, which is today even more important than the skatepark. Centrally located, the villa opened up its doors for a lot of other kids, allowing them to explore a whole new world, which was alien to them until then. It’s where they can play, take their first ride on a skateboard and indulge in activities such as reading and making music. Or, at the end of the day, just enjoy being themselves.

tks vkus okys le; esa xk¡ookyksa dh fcekfj;ksa ls j{kk dj ldrs gSaA bu dk;ZØeksa ds fy, geus xkao dh vkaxuokM+h & tgk¡ cPpksa dks ljdkjh ;kstuk ds rgr feM Ms ehy feyrk gS & mlds vkl ikl dh txg [kkyh dj nhA dpjk çca/ku ij ,d dk;Z”kkyk esa Hkkx ysus ds i”pkr v#.k vkSj vfuy lq>koksa dh iksVyh ysdj xkao okil vk;s] vkSj vc tuokj dh dpjs dh leL;k dk lek/kku fudky dj xkao dk uD”kk iyVus dh mEehn djrs gSaA ÞdusfDVax MªhEl QkmaMs”kuß }kjk nh tkus okyh Qsyksf”ki ds ek/;e ls phtsa csgrj gks tk,axh] tgka vk”kk vkSj v#.k us xkao dh t:jr ds vuqlkj ,d Þvkn”kZ fo|ky;ß cukus dk ladYi fy;k gSA tc Hkkjr dksfoM&19 ok;jl ls tw> jgk Fkk] rc xk¡o ds lcls fujkfJr yksxksa rd Hkkstu igqapus dh rRdky vko”;drk FkhA vkleku Nwrh [kkus dh dherksa esa dksbZ nh?kZdkfyd lek/kku utj esa ugha gksus ds dkj.k] geus tYnh ls iUuk ftyk tkus dh QSlyk fy;kA vkSj bu ifjokjksa ds fy, rkth lfCt;ka vkSj Qy [kjhnus ds fy, vko”;d vuqefr iqfyl ls çkIr dj yhA cs;jQqV LdsVcksMZlZ v‚xZukbts”ku us ,d QaMjslj ¼pank½ “kq: fd;k vkSj vc cPps g¶rs esa nks&rhu ckj] gekjs nksLr iIiw ds lkFk iUuk ftyk tkrs gSa] vkSj xk¡o dh vko”;drk dk lkjk lkeku forfjr djrs gSaA vyx vyx utfj;s tuokj esa tc dksfoM&19 us viuk Madk ctk;k] mlds igys gekjs ikl tuokj dh vkSjrksa ds fy, vHkwriwoZ ;kstuk FkhA vkt rd geus xkao ds yM+dksa vkSj vk”kk dks fons”k ys tkus dk vk;kstu fd;k FkkA vc mudh ekrkvksa dks fons”k dh lSj djkus dk oDr vk x;k FkkA gekjs ppkZ djus ds dqN le; ckn

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Zeichen des Wandels

Open School Project 130/131 Villa Janwaar 131

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Die fünf Jugendlichen, die am Open School Projekt teilnehmen, veranstalteten im November 2019 ihren ersten Workshop in der Villa Janwaar. Sie haben sich fünf Tage lang vorbereitet, diskutiert und Vorträge einstudiert. Sie berichteten den mehr als 100 Dorfbewohnern, die sich in der Villa eingefunden hatten, von ihrem Leben in Noida. Wie gewohnt, saß das Publikum streng getrennt nach Geschlecht und Kaste. Alles lief soweit nach Plan, bis Brajendra an der Reihe war und sich an seinem Erfahrungsbericht die Gemüter erhitzten. Er erzählte, dass ihm klar geworden ist, dass es zwischen Adivasi und Yadav keine Unterschiede gibt. Und er ging sogar soweit, seine Eltern darum zu bitten, ihn und seine kleine Schwester gleich zu behandeln. An der Reaktion der Versammelten und insbesondere der Reaktion seines Vaters war unschwer abzulesen, dass so etwas bisher noch nie ausgesprochen wurde.

Die Fünf haben an dem Abend zweifellos etwas ausgelöst.

Nachdem Asha bei derselben Veranstaltung die Probleme aufgriff, mit denen alle Mädchen im Dorf zu kämpfen haben, stand Aruns Schwester Shanti auf und fragte ins Publikum: Warum können die Mädchen im Dorf nicht genauso herumlau-

Signs Of Change In November last year, the five kids who are a part of the Open School Project, hosted their first workshop at Villa Janwaar. Over the course of five days, they prepared, discussed and practiced their talks. They shared their experiences with the 100-odd villagers who had gathered there, still divided by caste and gender. Most of the schedule went according to plan, until Brajendra ruffled a few feathers in the audience with his thoughts. He talked about how he’d come to realise that there was no difference between a Yadav and an Adivasi. He pushed even further and made an earnest request to his family to treat him and his little sister exactly the same. From the reaction of the gathering, and particularly that of his father, it was evident that his words were unprecedented. They sure made an impact that evening.

At the same event, after Asha’s talk on the issues faced by the girls, Arun’s sister, Shanti, stood up and asked the audience a simple question: Why can’t girls walk around the village like the boys do? Why are they treated differently? Some of the audience squirmed in their seats, some had tears in their

gh pkj vkfnoklh efgyk,a vkxs vkbZa vkSj fons”k tkdj ogka dh laL—fr ds ckjs esa tkuus dh :fp fn[kkbZA bu vkSjrksa dks mRlkfgr ns[k dj gekjk fny Hkj vk;kA mues ls ,d us rks ;gk¡ rd cksyk fd & vxj muds ifr fnYyh tk ldrs gSa rks os ;wjksi D;ksa ugha tk ldrhaA ge vk”kk djrs gSa fd gekjs thou esa lkekU;rk tYn ls tYn okil vk tk;s vkSj ge bu vn~Hkqr vkSjrksa dks fons”k ys tk ik,aA fiNys dqN lkyksa esa Hkkjr ,oa nqfu;k ds dksus dksus ls yksxksa us ;gk¡ vkdj tuokj ds thou dk ,d NksVk lk fgLlk vius thou esa tksM+us dh dksf”k”k dh gSA gkykafd “kq#vkrh nkSj esa xk¡ookyksa us muds çfr vkØks”k Hkh fn[kk;k] ijUrq vkt vf/kdka”k xzkeh.kksa }kjk mudk [kqys fny ls Lokxr fd;k tkrk gSA bu esgekuksa us cPpksa dks LdsVcksfMaZx ds vykok Hkh vU; mi;ksxh dkS”ky ds lkFk l”kä cuk;k gSA dqN ifjokjksa us mUgsa lgt eglwl djkus ds fy, dne c<+k;k] vkSj vius ?kjksa ds ,d fgLls dks vkjkenk;d gkseLVs esa cny fn;k gSA mUgksaus lkbfdy fdjk, ij ysus dh lsok Hkh “kq: dh ftlls i;ZVdksa dks vkl ikl ds bykds dh lSj djus dh lqfo/kk feyh vkSj xk¡ookyksa dks vfrfjä vk; vftZr djus esa enn feyhA bu NksVs ç;klksa us vkfnoklh leqnk; esa ,d u;k vkRefo”okl tkx:d fd;k gSA nwljs LdsVikdZ ij dke djrs le;] bl leqnk; ds pkj lnL;ksa us ,d dksj Vhe cukbZ vkSj fuekZ.k dk;Z dk vk;kstu fd;kA pkj lIrkg ckn rS;kj gksus rd] dqN 20&fo’ke ifjokjksa us ifj;kstuk ds ek/;e ls jktLo mRiUu djus esa dke;kch gkfly dh FkhA vkSj rks vkSj] tuokj ds bu fuokfl;ksa dks vc Hkfo’; esa ns”k Hkj esa LdsVikdZ cukus ds fy, rduhdh tkudkfj;ksa ds lkFk l”kä cuk;k x;k gSA

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Panna 108-123 Villa Janwaar 131 Women in Janwaar 148-163

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fen wie die Jungen? Warum werden sie anders behandelt?

Einige aus dem Publikum rutschten nervös auf ihren Sitzen hin und her, andere hatten Tränen in den Augen. Niemand hatte erwartet, dass ein Teenager vor versammelter Dorfgemeinschaft aufsteht und die seit Generationen gelebten Normen in Frage stellt. Es war ermutigend zu sehen, wie die Jugendlichen ihre Themen zur Sprache brachten, auch wenn dies von vielen Besuchern als unangenehm empfunden wurde. Es war ein vielversprechender Start, gerade weil das Ganze wie selbstverständlich aus den Jugendlichen heraussprudelte. Und es ist ein Beleg dafür, was zumindest bei den jungen Leuten unter der Oberfläche brodelt.

Kurz nach der Veranstaltung rebellierten die Kids unter der Führung von Arun gegen ihre Väter, die in der Villa Janwaar regelmäßig Karten spielten und sich die Villa quasi zu eigen machten. Die Väter verjagten die Kinder und schlugen einige sogar. Dies gefiel den Kindern natürlich gar nicht und sie fühlten sich hilflos und waren traurig. Aber dann überlegten sie, was sie dagegen tun könnten. Mit Hilfe ihrer Mentoren nahm eine Guerilla-Aktion langsam Form an. Die Kinder schrieben auf Flugblätter Sätze wie: „Wenn Ihr Euch für uns eine bessere Zukunft wünscht, haltet Euch von der Villa fern!“

eyes. For nobody quite expected a teenager to stand up and question the traditional norms set in place in Janwaar over generations. Yet at the same time, it was very heartening to see that these youngsters realised that something was amiss in their daily lives, and were willing to speak up about it, even if it made others uncomfortable. It was an encouraging start, the more so because it was rooted in a feeling that had emerged organically, and is proof enough of what’s cooking, at least among the kids these days.

LdsVikdZ esa tks “kq: gqvk] vkt mldk iwjs leqnk; ij çHkko iM+k gS] ysfdu tuokj dks vHkh Hkh ,d yack jkLrk r; djuk gSA vkt Hkh tuokj esa Hkw[k] LoPNrk] LokLF; vkSj cqfu;knh phtksa ls lacaf/kr leL;k,a cuh jgrh gSaA mPp f”k{kk ds fy, Hkh ehyksa pyuk iM+rk gS ysfdu yacs le; esa –f’Vdks.k cnyus ds fy, iDdh cqfu;knh uhao Mky nh x;h gSA vkSj tc rd bu leL;kvksa ds lek/kku [kkstus ds fy, dk vfHk;ku tkjh gS] mEehn gS fd tuokj ds cPps LFkkfir ekunaMksa dks pqukSrh nsrs jgsaxs vkSj vkus okys le; esa ldkjkRed cnyko yk,axsA

Shortly after this event, under the lead of Arun, the kids stood up against their fathers who were frequently gambling at the Villa. The fathers occupied the space of the children and chased them away. They even slapped them. Of course the kids didn’t like this; they were first helpless and sad but then started to think what they could do. With the help of their mentors, a guerilla action took shape. The kids wrote down sentences such as: ”If you want a better future for us, please stay away from our Villa!“, they made many copies of it and distributed them in the houses where the gamblers were living. Then they painted these sentences on the walls of the Villa Janwaar. Visible for everyone. A Panna

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Janwaar 90-107 Panna 108-123 Villa Janwaar 133 Prakriti 184/185

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und verteilten sie an die Haushalte, in denen die Glücksspieler leben. Danach schrieben sie die Sätze an die Wände der Villa Janwaar, so dass sie jeder lesen konnte. Eine Tageszeitung in Panna schnappte die Geschichte auf und am nächsten Morgen waren die Kinder auf dem Titelblatt. Die Väter waren blamiert und verließen die Villa umgehend.

Anfangs standen die Kinder im Mittelpunkt aller Aktivitäten.

Inzwischen sind große Teile des Dorfes eingebunden und es werden ganz grundsätzliche Dinge in Janwaar angepackt. So kam im letzten Jahr zum ersten Mal ein Kinderarzt ins Dorf.

Er brachte Medikamente zur medizinischen Grundversorgung mit und gab Hygienetipps, um langfristig Krankheiten zu vermeiden. Rund um das Angaanwadi – eine staatliche Einrichtung, wo die ganz armen Kinder Mittagessen bekommen – wurde der Abfall entsorgt. Nachdem Anil und Arun an einem Workshop zum Thema Abfall-Management teilgenommen haben, entwickelten sie einen Plan, wie sie das Abfallproblem des Dorfes schrittweise in den Griff bekommen können. Und Ashas und Aruns Bemühungen, eine Schule, die den dörflichen Gegebenheiten entspricht, aufzubauen, können dank des Fellowship-Programms der Connecting Dreams Foundation in die Tat umgesetzt werden.

media outlet picked-up the story and put the kids on the front page of the newspaper the next day. The fathers felt very much ashamed and finally left the place.

The efforts that started with the kids have gradually extended to the rest of the village. Through a series of little steps, there’s been an attempt made to overhaul essentials in Janwaar. For the first time last year, a paediatrician administered primary medical care, and handed out basic tips for good hygiene that could prevent illnesses in the long run. We cleared out the surroundings of the Angaanwadi – a facility where the kids are given lunch by the government.

After attending a workshop on waste management, Anil and Arun returned with ideas to address the garbage situation and transform the village over time. Things will only get better through the fellowship offered by the Connecting Dreams Foundation, where Asha and Arun have taken on the task of creating a prototype of a school, which really suits the needs of a village.

During the time when India was tackling the Covid19 virus, there was an urgent need to make food accessible to the

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Als die Corona-Krise begann, musste für die Ärmsten der Armen im Dorf schnell gehandelt werden. Denn die Preise für Obst und Gemüse schossen in den Himmel und die Arbeit wurde knapp. Die Jugendlichen besorgten bei der Polizei in Panna alle notwendigen Passierscheine und konnten so für diese Familien frisches Obst und Gemüse einkaufen und nach Janwaar bringen. Durch eine Spendenaktion, die die Barefoot Skateboarders Organization initiiert hat, konnten die Jugendlichen und Pappu, der gute Geist der Barefoot Skateboarders, zwei- oder drei Mal pro Woche in Panna einkaufen, was im Dorf benötigt wird.

Es geht voran

Janwaar 90-107 Panna 108-123 Barefoot Skateboarders Organization 124-131

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Bevor Covid19 Schlagzeilen machte, gab es für ein paar Frauen im Dorf einen nahezu unglaublichen Plan. Asha und zwei Jungen aus Janwaar waren bereits in Europa. Jetzt waren die Mütter an der Reihe. Ohne mit der Wimper zu zucken, erklärten vier Adivasi-Frauen, dass sie das Leben in Europa auf einer 10-tägigen Reise erkunden möchten. Ihr Enthusiasmus war geradezu ansteckend. Eine von ihnen sagte: „Wenn mein Mann zum Arbeiten nach Delhi fahren

poorest people of the village. With no long-term solution in sight and food prices having skyrocketed, we quickly got the necessary permissions from the police to go to Panna and buy fresh vegetables and fruit for these families. The Barefoot Skateboarders Organization started a fundraiser and now the kids go twice or thrice a week to Panna, together with our friend Pappu, and buy what is needed and distribute the supplies in the village.

Steady Progress Before Covid19 took over the headlines, we had a unprecedented plan for the women of Janwaar. In the past, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d taken a few of the boys and Asha on trips to Europe. This time around, it was the turn of their mothers. In no time, four of the Adivasi women stepped forward and showed their eagerness to get to know European society for around 10 days, just like the kids. It was heartening to see their enthusiasm. One of them even argued that if their husbands could go to Delhi, they saw no reason why they couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t travel to Europe. Once normality is resumed, we will surely get things rolling for these energetic ladies.

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Janwaar 90-107 Homestays 142-147

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kann, warum sollte ich dann nicht nach Europa reisen?”

Sobald der Corona-Spuk vorüber ist, wird die Reise für diese dynamischen Ladies weiter vorbereitet.

Besucher aus Indien und der ganzen Welt kommen nach Janwaar, um am Geschehen teilzuhaben. Gab es in den Anfangsjahren ihnen gegenüber Vorbehalte, so werden sie heute von den meisten mit offenen Armen empfangen. Viele Gäste lehren den Kindern Dinge, die weit über das Skateboarding hinaus gehen. Damit die Besucher sich in Janwaar wohlfülen, haben einige Familien Homestays eingerichtet. Und einen Fahrradverleih gibt es auch. So kann man eigenständig die unberührte Umgebung erkunden. Homestays und Fahrradverleih verschaffen den Familien ein zusätzliches Einkommen.

All diese Aktivitäten haben das Selbstbewusstsein der Adivasi gestärkt. Diese regeln jetzt viele Dinge selbst. Beim Bau des zweiten Skateparks in Janwaar bildeten vier Adivasi das Kernteam und organisierten alle MithelferInnen. An diesem Projekt haben 20 Familien über vier Wochen Geld verdient.

Letztendlich ist aber noch viel wichtiger, dass die HelferInnen nun das Know-how haben, um zukünftig in anderen Teilen Indiens Skateparks zu bauen.

Time and again, visitors from India and around the world have dropped by to get a piece of the action. Although there was some resentment towards them during the first few years, today, they are welcomed with open arms by most of the villagers. These guests have empowered the kids with useful skills which go beyond just skateboarding. A few families have even stepped-up to make the guests feel comfortable, transforming a part of their houses into cosy homestays and offering a bicycle rental service to allow them to explore the pristine surroundings, which in turn, has helped them earn an additional income.

Small efforts such as these have helped the Adivasi grow in confidence to do things their own way. While working on the second skatepark, four members from this community formed a core team and organised the construction work among the others. By the time it was ready four weeks later, some 20-odd families had managed to generate revenue through the project. What’s more, these residents of Janwaar have now been empowered with the technical knowhow to create skateparks across the country in the future.

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Was mit dem Skatepark begann, wirkt sich nun auf das ganze Dorf aus. Natürlich läuft längst noch nicht alles rund. Probleme hinsichtlich Hunger, Hygiene, Gesundheit und der Infrastruktur bestehen nach wie vor. Auch zum Thema Bildung muss sich noch viel tun. Aber es ist etwas in Bewegung gekommen, dass Einstellungen und Verhaltensweisen verändern wird. Solange die Kraft und der Wille da sind, Probleme anzugehen und Lösungen dafür zu finden, besteht die berechtigte Hoffnung, dass die Kinder von Janwaar die bestehenden Normen weiter hinterfragen und dadurch den positiven Wandel weiter voran treiben.

Janwaar 90-107

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What started out in the skatepark has had a trickle-down eďŹ&#x20AC;ect on an entire community, but things are still a long way from being ideal and problems related to hunger, hygiene, health and infrastructure persist. Education too has miles to go. But the wheels have been set in motion to change attitudes in the long run. As long as there is a drive to ďŹ nd solutions, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hope that the children of Janwaar will continue to challenge established norms and bring about positive change in the future.

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Der nachfolgende Text basiert auf einem Gespräch zwischen Doris Eichmeier und Ulrike Reinhard. Beide kennen sich seit Jahrzehnten und haben früher Bücher gemeinsam geschrieben. Ulrike hat das Projekt Janwaar Castle gestartet und den Verein The Rural Changemakers gem. e.V. in Berlin gegründet. Sie verbringt seit acht Jahren den Großteil ihrer Zeit in Indien. Doris hat das Gespräch in eine erfrischend leserliche Form gebracht. Sie hat es aus der Perspektive von Ulrike geschrieben, deshalb lesen Sie im Text immer „ich”.

Unser Skatepark – die Sprungrampe in ein neues Leben

By Doris Eichmeier / Journalist / Munich www.eichmeier.de Translation: German / English Paul Morland / Berlin English / Hindi Rajinder Arora / New Delhi

Um es vorweg zu nehmen: Nie hatte ich den Plan, nach Indien zu gehen, dort einen Skatepark zu bauen und mich um ein ganzes Dorf zu kümmern. Es ist, wie man gern sagt, „einfach geschehen”. Wer mich genauer kennt, der weiß: Das Engagement passt zu mir, beruflich wie privat. Es ist eine schlüssige Entwicklung, nachdem ich viele Jahre als Unternehmensberaterin für Corporate Culture aktiv war, etwa mit dem Organisationspsychologen Professor Peter Kruse. Ohne die reichen Erfahrungen aus dieser Zeit wäre mir vieles in Indien womöglich nicht geglückt.

Die Corporate Culture eines Unternehmens und die Tradi-

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The following text is based on a conversation between Doris Eichmeier and Ulrike Reinhard. The two women are very old friends who used to work together editing and writing books. Ulrike started the Janwaar Castle project and set up The Rural Changemakers gem. e.V. a not-for-profit association in Berlin. For the past eight years she’s been spending most of her time in India. Doris has changed the conversation into a highly readable story form, writing in the person of her friend so that the ”I“ is always Ulrike talking.

Mksfjl vkbdeS,j vkSj myfjd jkbugkMZ dh iqjkuh vkSj xgjh nksLrh gSA bu nksuksa efgykvksa us fey dj dbZ fdrkcsa fy[kh gSa vkSj cgqr lh fdrkcksa dk laiknu Hkh fd;k gSA uhps fn;k x;k ys[k bu nksuksa dh vkilh ckrphr ij vk/kkfjr gS ftles myfjd us tks dgk mls Mksfjl us jkspd dFkkud dh rjg fy[kk gSA fy[kus okyh Mksjlh us Hkys gh ^^eS^a ^ bLrseky fd;k gks ij dFku vkSj dgkuh myfjd dh gSA myfjd }kjk “kq: fd;s x, tuokj iukg ?kj ¼tuokj dkly½ dk vkjEHk teZuh ds cfyZu “kgj esa LFkkfir laLFkk n :jy pst a esdl Z b- oh- ¼xko¡&nsgkr esa cnyko ykus dh laLFkk½ ls gqvkA fiNys vkB o’kksZa ls myfjd viuk T;knkrj le; Hkkjr esa fcrkrh jgh gSAa

Our Skatepark – the Vert Ramp to a New Life

gekjk LdsVikdZ & oVZ jSai ls ,d u, thou dh vksj ¼oVZ jSia & LdsfVax djus dh xgjh <yku½

I must say straight out that I never made not even the ghost of a plan to go to India, build a skatepark and bother my head with the affairs of a whole village. Like the old saying goes “it all just happened“. But people who know me better will know that this kind of commitment is very much in my line, both professionally and privately. It’s a logical development after my many years spent working as a management consultant for corporate culture, notably with the organisational psychologist Professor Peter Kruse. The fund of experience I gained from that time has set me in very good stead, without it a lot of what I’ve done in India might not have worked out so well.

lcls igys eSa ;g [kqyklk dj nsuk pkgrh gw¡ fd eSua s lius esa Hkh ugha lkspk Fkk fd eSa dHkh Hkkjr tkÅaxh ;k ogka tk dj ,d LdsVikdZ LFkkfir d#¡xh vkSj ,d xkao ds dke dkt vkSj mldh ns[k js[k esa bl rjg tqM+ tkÅaxhA dSls gqvk vkSj gksrk gh x;k ;g rks eSa ugha tkurh ij ;g lc gks x;kA “kk;n ;gh fu;fr FkhA tks yksx esjs nksLr gSa ;k eq>s tkurs gSa oks ;s Hkh tkurs gksx a s fd fdlh Hkh dk;Z esa ftEesnkjh ysuk vkSj mls iwjh rjg fuHkkuk esjh futh vkSj O;olk;h igpku ls tqMk+ gSA o’kksZ rd eSua s laxfBr {ks= esa çca/ku ijke“kZnkrk dh gSfl;r ls dke fd;k gS vkSj çksQl s j ihVj Øwl] tks fd O;oLFkkiu euksoK S kfud gS]a ls cgqr dqN lh[kk gSA bl lkjs rtqcZs us eq>s tuokj esa cgqr dqN djus dks çksRlkfgr fd;k vkSj Hkkjr esa vc rd eSa tks Hkh vPNk dj ikbZ gw¡ oks esjs fiNys vuqHko dk urhtk gSA vki ;g lksp ugha ldrs fd fdlh cM+h laxfBr {ks= dh dEiuh vkSj Hkkjr ds ikjEifjd xkao esa fdruh lekurk gks ldrh gSA vkSj tc bl lekurk dks ge ifjorZu ;k cnyko dh çfrfØ;k ds lkFk tksM+ dj ns[krs gSa rks ;dhu ekfu;s bu nksuksa esa dksbZ QdZ ugha gSA

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tionen eines indischen Dorfes haben mehr gemeinsam als viele denken. Wenn es um Veränderungsprozesse geht und wie man diese am geschicktesten initiiert, könnte man fast sagen: Es gibt keinen Unterschied.

Lassen Sie mich meine Arbeit in Indien beschreiben, um die Parallelen deutlich zu machen.

Die Chance erkennen und ergreifen Indien ist wie das Internet: voller Chancen und Hürden.

Das erste Mal besuchte ich Indien, als ich 2012 in Delhi zu einer Konferenz eingeladen war. Danach hatte ich zwei Wochen Zeit, um herumzureisen. Mein Rückflug ging von Bombay aus, also habe ich auf der Landkarte nachgesehen, welche Route ich nehmen könnte. Auf meinem Trip besuchte ich Agra und das Taj Mahal. Ein Kindheitstraum ging in Erfüllung. Dann die Tempel in Khajuraho.

Women in Janwaar 148-163

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Dort wohnte ich in einem Privathotel einer lokalen Familie.

Sie fragte mich – ganz überraschend – ob ich nicht eine Schule in dieser Region bauen wollte? Noch im gleichen

A company’s corporate culture and the traditions of an Indian village have more in common than you might think. And when it comes down to transformation processes and the best way to get them started, you could really say there’s no difference at all.

Let me describe my work in India and make these similarities clearer.

Recognising and Seizing Opportunities India is like the internet – crammed with opportunities and hurdles.

The first time I was in India was in 2012 when I was invited to a conference in Delhi. When the conference ended I had two weeks free time to travel around and see the country.

My return flight was from Bombay so I pored over the map working out which route to take. I visited Agra and the Taj Mahal, fulfilling a childhood dream. And then the temples in Khajuraho.

pfy, eSa vkidks Hkkjr esa vius dke ds ckjs esa crkrh gw¡ ftl ls ;g lkQ gks tk;sxk fd ;g lekurk,¡ D;k gSAa voljksa dks igpkuuk vkSj mUgsa gkfly djuk voljksa vkSj ck/kkvksa ls Hkjk ns“k Hkkjr fcydqy baVjusV dh nqfu;k tSlk gS eSa igyh ckj Hkkjr lu 2012 esa ,d dkaÝl as ds flyflys esa vk;h FkhA tc dkaÝl as [kRe gqbZ rks esjs ikl nks g¶rs dk [kkyh le; Fkk ftl nkSjku eSa ns“k Hkj ?kwe dj Hkkjr n“kZu dj ldrh FkhA esjh okilh dh mM+ku eqca bZ ls FkhA uD“ks dks lkeus j[k eSua s eqca bZ igqp a us ds vyx&vyx jkLrksa ij fopkj fd;kA blds pyrs eSua s vkxjk esa rkt egy ns[kus dk viuk cpiu dk liuk Hkh lkdkj fd;k vkSj fQj ogk¡ ls [ktqjkgks pyh vkbZA ;gk¡ eSa ftl gksVy esa Bgjh Fkh og ,d LFkkuh; ifjokj dk FkkA ,d “kke ml ifjokj ds ,d lnL; us eq>s ;g iwN dj eq>s gSjkuh esa Mky fn;k fd ^^D;k vki ;gk¡ ,d Ldwy cukuk pkgsx a h\^^ eSa rqjra dksbZ tokc rks u ns ik;h ij oks loky esjs eu esa ?kj dj x;kA mlh o’kZ eSa vius nksLr ,xksu ds lkFk] tks fd U;w;‚dZ esa jgrs gS]a fQj ls Hkkjr ykSVhA ge nksuksa ml xkao esa igqp a s vkSj cgqr nsj rd bl ckjs esa ppkZ djrs jgsA bldk urhtk ;g gqvk fd eSua s Bku fy;k fd eSa Hkkjr esa gh jg dj dqN dke d:axhA ml o’kZ Hkkjr vkSj teZuh esa ckj ckj vkus&tkus ls eq>s bu nksuksa ns“kksa ds ikjLifjd fojks/k vkSj budh rqyuk djus dk le; Hkh feykA ;g cgqr jksekapd FkkA eq>s Hkkjr ls I;kj gks pyk Fkk vkSj ml I;kj dks vkxs c<ku o xfr nsus ds fy, eSua s ,d eksVj lkbfdy [kjhn yhA

I was staying there in a private hotel owned by a local family.

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Jahr bin ich mit Egon, einem Freund aus New York, mehrfach zurückgekehrt. Wir haben uns alles genau angesehen.

Dann fiel die Entscheidung: Ja,ich werde in Indien aktiv.

Das Hin- und Herreisen zwischen Deutschland und Indien empfand ich als spannende Mischung. Ich habe mir ein Motorrad gekauft. Mittlerweile gefiel mir Indien sehr.

Was mich in diesem Land fasziniert und bis heute hält: Es ist in einer Art Rohzustand, den es in dieser Form und „Menge” nirgendwo gibt. Das Potential, etwas Neues zu entwickeln, ist riesig – deutlich größer als bei uns. Dank des starken und internationalen Netzwerks, das ich über die vielen Jahre aufgebaut habe, ist es mir recht leichtgefallen, dort etwas auf die Beine zu stellen. Je besser und stärker dein Netzwerk ist, um so mehr kannst du bewegen.

Women in Janwaar 148-163

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Klar, es gibt auch vieles, das mir dort gegen den Strich geht: die Stellung der Frau. Der Müll. Das Kastensystem. Die Gleichgültigkeit vielerorts – etwa, wenn Leute ihren Müll einfach aus dem Fenster schmeißen. Dennoch, trotz aller Einschränkungen: Das Land bietet enorme Chancen.

Für mich ist Indien wie das Internet: hier schießt immer

And one evening – to my utter surprise – this family asked me if I wouldn’t like to build a school in the area. In the same year I returned several times, accompanied by my friend Egon from New York. We took a long cool look at the situation.

And then came the decision: Yes, I would start working in India. Travelling back and forth between India and Germany was an exciting contrast. I bought myself a motorbike. And I fell in love with the country.

Hkkjr ls eq>s eksg gks x;k FkkA ,d vkd’kZ.k eq>s bldh rjQ [khaprk Fkk vkSj bl tknw us eq>s vkt rd vius o“k esa j[kk gSA Hkkjr esa ,d f[kapko gS] ,d [kkl rjg dh ueh gS] dPpkiu gS tks nqfu;k ds fdlh ns“k esa bl Lrj dk ugha gSA ;gk¡ fdlh ubZ ;kstuk dks :i nsuk vkSj mls iwjk dj ikuk ,d egRoiw.kZ miyfC/k gS & if“peh ns“kksa ls dgha T;knkA o’kksZa ls cus esjs varjkZ’Vªh; fe=ksa dk lewg vkSj nksLrh dh cnkSyr esjs fy, ;g eqefdu gqvk fd eSa tYn gh viuh ;kstuk dks “kq: dj ik;hA blesa dksbZ nks jk; ugha fd vxj vkids nksLr vkSj vkidk varjkZ’Vªh; lewg ;k usVodZ vkidk lkFk ns rks cgqr ls dke vklku gks tkrs gSa vkSj vki rsth ls vius y{; dh rjQ c<+us yxrs gksA

What fascinated me about India and still fascinates me today is that there’s a kind of rawness about it that you simply don’t find on this scale and dimension anywhere else in the world.

The potential to develop something new is staggering – much greater than it is in our western world. Thanks to the strong international network I'd built up over the years, I had little difficulty in getting things started. The stronger and better your network is, the easier it is for you to get things moving.

gk¡] ;gk¡ cgqr lh ,slh fLFkfr;k¡ ;k ijEijk,a Fkh ftudks eSa ilan ugha djrh Fkh tSls Hkkjrh; ifjos“k esa vkSjrksa dk LFkku vkSj muds lkFk fd;k tkus okyk Hksn Hkko] vkl&ikl fc[kjk dwMk+ djdV vkSj xanxh] tkfrokn vkSj tkfr çFkk rFkk yksxksa esa ykijokgh vkSj mnklhurk dk HkkoA cgqr dqN eq>s v“kkar ;k mÙksftr djrk Fkk & tSls vius ?kj dk dwMk+ f[kM+dh ls ckgj lM+d ij Qsd a nsuk bR;kfn&bR;kfnA bu lc [+kkfe;ksa ds ckotwn bl ns“k esa cgqr ls volj gSa cgqr dqN vPNk Hkh gS vkSj pqHkus okyh dfe;ksa dks [kRe djus dk tt+ck Hkh ns“kokfl;ksa esa gSA

Sure, there were also a lot of things that went against the grain for me: the position of women. The garbage. The caste system. And the widespread indifference and apathy – like when people simply throw their rubbish out of the window.

esjs fy, Hkkjr ns“k dk vuqHko fcydqy baVjusV dh nqfu;k tSlk Fkk tgk¡ vpkud fdlh ,d LFkku ij rks tks“k vkSj rsth ds lkFk dqN ;kstuk,a j‚dsV ds ekfQ+d xfr idM+ ysrh gSa vkSj ogh O;oLFkk nwljs LFkku ij /kjh jg tkrh] #d tkrh gSAa ij ;s Hkh vtwcs ls de ugha gS fd fQj dgha u dgha ls dksbZ jkLrk fudy vkrk gS vkSj vkxs c<+us ds fy, ,d ubZ fn“kk fey tkrh gSA

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ganz unverhofft etwas in die Höhe, während woanders gar nichts weitergeht – und trotzdem findest du immer auf wunderbare Weise einen Weg, um etwas zu bewegen.

Aus unserer Schule wurde nichts, nach einem Jahr des Bemühens. Aber es entstand eine neue Idee, in einem Nachbarbezirk: die Idee eines Skateparks.

Grundlagen und Verantwortlichkeiten klären Wo macht ein Skatepark überhaupt Sinn?

Der Hotelbesitzer, bei dem ich während meiner Besuche immer wieder gewohnt habe, fragte mich 2014, ob ich statt der Schule in Khajuraho „irgendetwas anderes“ in seiner Nähe machen wollte. Er lebt und arbeitet 25 Kilometer von Khajuraho entfernt. Mir kam Skateistan in den Sinn, das ich 2009 in Kabul gesehen hatte. Die verschleierten Mädchen, die dort Skateboard fuhren, haben mich tief beeindruckt. Also schlug ich ihm vor: Lass uns einen Skatepark bauen. Weil er nicht wusste, was das ist, zeigte ich ihm ein Video. Ihm gefiel das und er versprach: „Ich garantiere das Land.” Ich sicherte zu, mich um die Finanzierung und den Rest zu kümmern.

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Yet in spite of all these drawbacks, the country still offers tremendous opportunities.

For me India’s like the internet – suddenly and unexpectedly something starts to skyrocket in one place where elsewhere there’s complete stagnation – and you still manage miraculously to find your way to get things moving.

Our project of building a school folded after one year despite our best efforts. But a new idea was born – to build a skatepark in a neighbouring area.

Establishing Principles and Responsibilities Why on earth bother with a skatepark? Why is it meaningful?

In 2014 the landlord and owner of the hotel where I used to stay when visiting asked me if rather than building a school in Khajuraho I’d like to do ”something completely different“ in the neighbourhood. He was living and working 25 kilometres away from Khajuraho. And I thought of Skateistan which I’d seen in 2009 in Kabul. The sight of veiled girls riding their skateboards there left a lasting impression on me. So I

,d lky ds gekjs Hkjld ç;Ruksa ds ckotwn Ldwy cukus vkSj pykus dk gekjk bjknk ukdke;kc jgkA ysfdu rc rd ,d u;h ;kstuk dh dksiysa QwVus yxh Fkh vkSj ;s Fkh ikl gh dh ,d txg ij LdsVikdZ cukus dhA fl)karksa vkSj ftEesnkfj;ksa dh uhao Mkyuk vkf[kj LdsVikdZ dh t#jr D;k gS\ bldk Qk;nk D;k gS \ eu esa eyky Fkk] Ldwy cu ugha ik;k FkkA [ktqjkgks ds ftl gksVy esa eSa Bgjrh Fkh mlds ekfyd us lu 2014 esa eq>ls iwNk fd D;k esa muds xkao ds fy, dqN vkSj djuk pkgwx a hA dqN ,slk tks ml bykds esa nwj nwj rd dHkh u gqvk gks] dqN u;k] dqN fojykA mudk xkao [ktqjkgks ls djhc 25 fd eh ij Fkk tgk¡ ls os jkst “kgj vk;k tk;k djrs FksA muds iwNrs gh eq>s igyk [;ky LdsfVLrku dk vk;k ftls eSua s lu 2009 esa dkcqy] vQxkfuLrku esa ns[kk FkkA D;k eatj Fkk oksA cqj[kk igus xkao dh cfPp;ka vkSj ;qofr;ka LdsVcksMZ ij ftl rjg ygjkrh vkSj [kq“kh ls >werh Fkh ml –“; us esjs eu ij ,d vfeV Nki NksM+ nh FkhA csf>>d eSua s mUgsa LdsVikdZ cukus dk lq>ko ns MkykA mUgsa LdsVikdZ ds ckjs esa dksbZ tkudkjh ugha Fkh lks eSua s mUgsa ,d ohfM;ks fn[kk;kA ml ohfM;ks dks ns[k os LdsVikdZ ds lq>ko ls bruk çHkkfor gq, fd mUgksua s mlds fy, tehu nsuk dk oknk dj fn;kA blds ,ot esa eSua s mUgsa LdsVikdZ ;kstuk ds fy, iSlk bdBk djuk vkSj ckfd lc dqN djus dk opu ns fn;kA bl ;kstuk dks vkxs c<ku ds fy, lcls igyk dke Fkk txg ;k tehu dk pqukoA blds fy, gekjs fgrdkjh] ;kfu gksVy ds ekfyd us eq>s cgqr ls tehu ds VqdM+s fn[kk, ftues ls ,d Fkk tuokj xkao dh tehu dk og VqdM+k tks fd

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Als ersten Schritt involvierte der Landlord einen Besitzer von Grundstücken, er machte mehrere Vorschläge. Eines seiner Gründstücke war in Janwaar, einem Dorf in der Pampa, acht Kilometer von der nächstgrößeren Stadt Panna entfernt. Als ich das erste Mal dort war, dachte ich nur: wow! Ich war begeistert.

Die Frage war aber: Macht ein Skatepark an dieser Stelle Sinn? Dazu sprach ich mit Titus Dittmann, dem deutschen Skateboarding-Guru. Ich hatte ja von Skateboarding keine Ahnung. Ich wollte von ihm wissen: Wie viele Kinder brauche ich, um so einen Skatepark voll zu bekommen?

Titus Schätzung war: 250 bis 300 Kinder. Dann fragten wir den Schulleiter in Janwaar: „Wie viele Kinder gibt es in dem Dorf?” Er sagte: „250 bis 300“. Danach war für mich klar: Das war der Ort, an dem unser Skatepark entstehen sollte.

Janwaar 90-107 Panna 108-123

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Die nächste Frage war: Wie finanzieren wir das Ganze?

Dazu organisierte ich die Aktion SKATEBOARDS/ARTBOARDS. Ich fragte Künstler aus der ganzen Welt, ob sie aus einem Skateboard ein Artboard machen wollten. Viele engagierten sich. Das Resultat waren 19 Werke, bemalt von

suggested to him the idea of building a skatepark. He didn’t know what that was so I showed him a video which he liked so much that he guaranteed me the land on which to build it. And I promised to take care of financing and all the rest.

iUuk “kgj ls djhc 8 fdyksehVj dh nwjh ij FkkA dsu unh ds lkFk clk iUuk ,d NksVk “kgj gS tks vius eueksgd >juksa vkSj iUuk Vkbxj fjtoZ ds fy, Hkh tkuk tkrk gSA ftl fnu eSua s igyh ckj tuokj ns[kk eq>s yxk ^^cl ;gh txg gS ftls eSa <w<a jgh Fkh^^A tuokj ds çk—frd lkSUn;Z us esjk eu eksg fy;k vkSj eSua s QSlyk dj fy;k fd LdsVikdZ ;gha cuuk pkfg,A

My landlord introduced me to a person in Panna who owned various plots of land. One of them was for a plot of land in Janwaar, a village out in the rural outback eight kilometres from the next town of Panna. When I went there for the first time my immediate impression was WOW! I was blown away and really fired up.

igys nks rhu fnu rks eSa cgqr mÙksftr vkSj çksRlkfgr Fkh ij fQj eu esa ;g [+;ky Hkh vkus yxk fd bl txg ij LdsVikdZ ls D;k Qk;nk gksxkA viuh “kadkvksa dks eSua s teZuh ds LdsVcksMZ xq# VkbVl fMVeu ls lk¡>k fd;kA rc rd eq>s [kqn Hkh LdsVikdZl ds ckjs esa [kkl tkudkjh ugha FkhA VkbVl ls esjk igyk loky Fkk ^^LdsVikdZ pykus ds fy, gesa de ls de fdrus cPpksa dks çksRlkfgr djuk gksxk\^^ VkbVl us dgk 250 ls 300A rc rd eq>s ;g Hkh ugha ekywe Fkk fd tuokj vkSj mlds vkl ikl ds xkao esa fdrus cPps gS]a lks ge ogka ds Ldwy funs“Z kd ls tkudkjh gkfly djus x,A funs“Z kd lkfgc us crk;k ds djhc&djhc 300 cPps ikB“kkykvksa esa HkrhZ gSAa fQj D;k Fkk] esjk fo“okl vkSj iDdk gks x;k fd ge LdsVikdZ cuk dj ;gk¡ ds cPpksa dks t:j mlesa lkFk tksM+ ldsx a As ;s esjk eu dgrk Fkk fd LdsVcksfMax Z dk [ksy cPpksa dks ilUn vk,xk vkSj os bls tYn gh viuk ysx a As

The big question, however, was would a skatepark make any sense in such a place as this? I talked about this to Titus Dittmann who is the skateboarding guru in Germany. I myself knew absolutely nothing about skateboarding so one of the first things I wanted to know from him was how many children would I need to get a skatepark fully up and running.

His estimate was around 250 to 300 kids. We then asked the school director in Janwaar how many kids the village had.

250 to 300, he replied. It was then blindingly obvious to me that this was the place where we had to build the skatepark.

txg vkSj tehu r; gksus ds ckn cM+k eqík Fkk iSls dkA ;g lc djus ds fy, iw¡th dgk¡ ls vk,xh\ cgqr lksp fopkj ds ckn eSua s /ku bdBk djus dk ,d çdYi <w<a fudkyk vkSj og Fkk ^^LdsVcksMZ cuke vkVZcksM^Z+ ^A nqfu;k Hkj esa QSys vius fe= fp=dkjksa ls eSua s dgk fd D;k oks LdsVcksMZ dks bLrseky djrs gq, ,d isfa Vax ;k fp=dyk dk uewuk cuk ldrs gS\a fp=dyk dh nqfu;k esa “kk;n ,sls igys dHkh ugha fd;k x;k FkkA lc fe= fp=dkj ;s lqudj cgqr mRlkfgr Fks

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bekannten und unbekannten Künstlern – von Ai Weiwei bis zu den talentierten Kids aus dem Dorf.

Auf Titus Ebay-Kanal haben wir die Kunstwerke dann versteigert. Weil er einen gemeinnützigen Verein hat, mussten wir keine Steuern zahlen. So erzielten wir 17.000 US-Dollar.

Wenn man bedenkt, dass ein Board von Ai Weiwei mit dabei war, ist das nicht viel. Aber es war genug, um den Skatepark zu bauen.

Titus vermittelte uns einen Skateboarder aus Deutschland, der schon Skateparks gebaut hatte. Und es kamen weitere, die mit anpackten: Alles in allem reisten zwölf Skateboarder aus sieben verschiedenen Ländern an und bauten vier Monate lang den Skatepark. 500 Quadratmeter Ramps, Banks und Slides aus Beton. Wir nannten ihn Janwaar Castle. Im April 2015 war Eröffnung.

So kam ich zu dem Dorf Janwaar oder das Dorf zu mir – wie immer man das sehen will.

Janwaar 90-107

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The next question was how to finance it. To do this, I organised the SKATEBOARDS/ARTBOARDS campaign. I asked artists from around the world if they’d like to turn a skateboard into an artboard. And quite a number of them agreed.

The result was 19 works painted by artists ranging from global celebrities to the unknown and obscure – from Ai Weiwei to talented village kids.

We then auctioned the artboards on Titus’ eBay channel.

He operated a not-for-profit association so we didn’t have to pay any tax. And we brought in a total of $ 17,000. When you think that this also included an Ai Weiwei artboard, it’s not a great deal. But it was enough to build the skatepark.

Titus put us in touch with a skateboarder in Germany who’d already built a number of skateparks. And other people came on board to lend a helping hand. A total of 12 skateboarders from seven different countries came to us and spent four months building the skatepark. 500 square metres of concrete ramps, banks and slides. We called it Janwaar Castle. The opening was in April 2015.

vkSj cgqrksa us blds fy, gkeh Hkj nhA bl çdYi dk urhtk ;g gqvk fd nqfu;k Hkj ls geus 19 LdsVcksMZ isfa Vax bdðk dj yhaA phu ds ç[;kr dykdkj vf; okbZ okbZ ds lkFk bu fp=dkjksa esa nqfu;k ds dqN vkSj e“kgwj dykdkj Fks rks dqN xkao ds ;qok dykdkjA LdsVcksMZ ij cuh bu dyk—fr;ksa dks geus VkbVl }kjk b&cs ij pyk;s tk jgs muds pSuy ij uhykeh ds fy, yxk fn;kA VkbVl }kjk pyk;h tk jgh eqghe dksbZ equkQk ;k “kqYd ugha ysrh vkSj bl dkj.k gesa dksbZ VSDl Hkh ugha Hkjuk iM+kA bl uhykeh ls geus 17]000 vejhdh M‚yj bdëk dj fy,A gkyk¡fd bl lc esa vf; okbZ okbZ dk cuk;k LdsVcksMZ cgqr lLrs esa pyk x;kA [kSj] gekjs fy, ;s jde LdsVikdZ dk dke “kq: djus ds fy, dkQh FkhA VkbVl ls ges ,d vkSj enn feyh & mUgksua s teZuh ds dqN LdsVcksMl Z ls gekjk laidZ djk fn;k ftUgksua s cgqr ls LdsVikdZ cuk;s FksA blds ckn rks ,sls cgqr ls yksx gekjh eqghe ds lkFk tqMr+ s x, tks LdsVcksfMax Z dh nqfu;k dks vPNh rjg tkurs Fks vkSj tks gekjh enn djus dks rS;kj FksA nqfu;k ds lkr fofHkUu ns“kksa ls 12 LdsVcksMjZ l us tuokj vk dj 4 eghus gekjs lkFk fcrk,A bu 4 eghuksa esa geus 500 oxZ ehVj dk daØhV ls cuk iDdk jSia ¼<+yku½] mldk Vhyk ;kfu cSDa l vkSj ml ij fQlyus dk LykbM rS;kj dj fn;kA vius LdsVikdZ dk uke geus tuokj iukg ¼tkuoj dkly½ j[kk ftldk “kqHkkjEHk vkf/kdkfjd rkSj ij vçSy 2015 esa fd;k x;kA rks ;g Fkh dgkuh esjs tuokj vkus dh & ;k ;g lef>;s fd tuokj xkao ds eq> rd igq¡pus dhA

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Der Start: Lust machen auf Neues Die Barrieren abbauen mit einem Sommercamp.

Die Kids im Dorf hatten erst einmal keine Ahnung, was wir da treiben. Sie hatten noch nie einen Skatepark gesehen.

Darum waren sie am Anfang zurückhaltend, nur wenige besuchten uns. Aber bald schnellten die Zahlen hoch.

Titus spendierte 20 Skateboards für die Kinder. Weil ich selbst nicht skateboarden kann, zeigte ich ihnen auf Tablets Filme und sagte: „So geht das, probiert es einfach mal aus!”

Das war der Start.

Janwaar 90-107

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Im Sommer, also ein paar Monate nach Eröffnung, veranstalteten wir ein Sommercamp. Fünf Wochen lang boten wir jeden Morgen und jeden Spätnachmittag ein bis zwei Stunden Programm. Wir machten kleine Sportübungen, Musik, wir haben gebastelt, Englischstunden gegeben. Und wir skateten. Ich hatte damals zwei Gäste aus Deutschland in Janwaar, die halfen mit. Und ein „Teach for India”-Volontär war dabei sowie ein Musiker aus Khajuraho. Mit dieser Veranstaltung gelangte unser Skatepark ins Bewusstsein des Dorfes.

That’s how I came to the village of Janwaar or how the village came to me – however you’d like to put it.

Starting out: Kindling a Passion for Something New Removing barriers with a summer camp.

At the outset the kids in the village hadn’t the foggiest idea what we were up to. They’d never seen a skatepark before.

So in the beginning they were rather timid and we had few visitors. But numbers soon went up.

Titus donated 20 skateboards for the kids. Because I myself can’t skateboard, I would show them films on my tablet and tell them that’s how it’s done so just go ahead and try it out.

That was the start.

That summer, two months after the opening, we organised a summer camp where for five weeks every morning and late afternoon we offered a one to two hour programme. We did elementary sport exercises, we made music, we did handicrafts and gave English lessons. And we had skateboarding sessions. At that time I had two guests from Germany who

“kq#vkr & dqN u;k djus dk twuwu igyk xzh’e&f”kfoj vkSj ck/kkvksa ls eqfä tuokj dk bykdk eq[;rk% nks çoklh tkfr;ksa esa caVk gSA tc rd LdsVikdZ cu jgk Fkk rc rd xkao ds cPpksa dks fcydqy Hkh vanktk ugha Fkk fd ;gk¡ gks D;k jgk gSA LdsVikdZ ds iwjk gks tkus ds ckn Hkh mUgsa dqN le> ugha vk;k oks blfy, fd mUgksua s dHkh LdsVikdZ ds ckjs esa u rks lquk Fkk u gh mls dHkh ns[kk FkkA Mj vkSj f>>d ds dkj.k “kq#vkr esa rks dqy 10&15 cPps gh vkrs Fks ij /khjs /khjs ;s la[;k c<+us yxhA VkbVl }kjk gesa 20 LdsVcksMl Z migkj esa feys Fks ij D;ksfa d eq>s [kqn LdsVcksfMax Z ugha vkrh Fkh lks eSa cPpksa dks LdsV dj ds le>k u ldhA igys igy eSa mudks LdsVcksfMax Z ds ohfM;ks vius ySiV‚i is fn[kkrh vkSj mUgsa mdlkrh fd os Hkh ,slk djus dh dksf“k“k djsAa /khjs&/khjs cPpksa dh f>>d nwj gks xbZ vkSj mUgksua s [ksy esa :fp ysuh “kq: dj nhA LdsVikdZ [kqyus ds nks eghus ckn xfeZ;ksa esa geus viuk igyk xzh’e&f”kfoj ¼lej dSia ½ “kq: fd;kA bl ikap g¶rs ds dSia ds nkSjku geus lqcg vkSj nksigj ds ckn ds le; ,d ls nks ?kaVs ds dk;ZØeksa dk vk;kstu fd;k ftles ge cPpksa dks [ksy&dwn ls lEcaf/kr O;k;ke djkrs vkSj fl[kkrs] mUgsa vaxt sz h ds cqfu;knh ikB djkrs] ok| laxhr lqukrs rFkk ml bykds dh ikjEifjd f“kYidkjh vkSj nLrdkjh fl[kkrsA bl lc esa cPps [kq“kh&[kq“kh :fp ysus yxsA [ksy ls tqMh+ f“k{kk esa cPps tYn gh je tkrs gSAa bl nkSjku gekjs ;gka teZuh ls nks esgeku Hkh vk igqp a s ftUgksua s bl lc esa gekjh enn dhA [ktqjkgks ls vk;s ,d laxhrdkj vkSj Vhp Q‚j bafM;k ds ,d Lo;a lsod us Hkh blesa gekjh enn dhA bl rjg

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Veränderungen initiieren Mit einem Störfaktor die Entwicklung in Gang bringen.

Ich habe den Skatepark ja nicht gebaut, weil ich dachte, es gäbe in Janwaar supertolle Skateboarder, die es zu entdecken gilt. Mein Ziel war und ist es, einen Veränderungsprozess anzustoßen. Bevor ich nach Indien kam, waren Unternehmenskulturen zehn Jahre lang Schwerpunkt meiner Arbeit.

Die zentrale Frage war immer: Wie veränderst du eine Corporate Culture? Wie initiierst du diese Veränderung?

Das war in Janwaar nicht anders, ich wollte in dem Dorf etwas verändern. Wenn du aber in einem komplett geschlossenen System – wie dieses sehr konservative Dorf eines ist – etwas ändern willst, brauchst Du einen Störfaktor. Du brauchst sozusagen einen „Clash of Culture”. Du musst den vorherrschenden „Mainstream” mit einer Gegenkultur konfrontieren. Für Janwaar war Skateboarding exakt diese Gegenkultur: Sie steht für eine offene Entwicklung, in der du dich selber finden, dein eigenes Ding machen darfst.

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helped out. There was also a Teach for India volunteer and a musician from Khajuraho. In this way we succeeded in establishing the skatepark as a fixture in the minds of the village people.

Initiating Change Using disruption to get things moving.

I didn’t build the skatepark in Janwaar because I thought the village has some pretty amazing skateboarders just waiting to be discovered. My aim was to trigger a process of change and transformation. For the previous ten years before I came to India corporate culture had been the focus of all my work.

The key question was always how to change corporate culture.

How do you initiate such change?

And it was no different in Janwaar. I wanted to change something in the village. However, when you want to change a completely closed system – as this highly conservative village certainly is – you need a disruptive factor. You need, so to speak, a clash of cultures. You have to confront the predominant mainstream with a counter-culture. And in

tuokj dk LdsVikdZ ogka ds fuokfl;ksa dks yqHkkus yxk vkSj muds fnyks fnekx esa ?kj dj x;kA gekjs fy, bl ls cM+h [kq“kh D;k gks ldrh FkhA LdsVikdZ vc muds thou dk fgLlk cu pqdk FkkA cnyko dh “kq#vkr ifjorZu“khy ck/kkvksa ls ,d u, dy dh vksj

tuokj esa LdsVikdZ eSua s blfy, ugha cuk;k Fkk fd ml xkao ls dksbZ vlk/kkj.k ;k çfrHkk“kkyh LdsVcksMl Z Z fey tk;sx a As esjk y{; flQZ ,d cnyko vkSj ifjorZu dk FkkA Hkkjr esa vkus ls igys 10 o’kZ rd esjk dke dsoy laxfBr {ks= dh daifu;ksa ls tqMk+ FkkA ogka Hkh dke dk [kkl eqík vPNs ds fy, cnyko ykuk FkkA ij ges“kk loky ;g gksrk Fkk fd bl cnyko dh “kq#vkr dSls dh tk;s\ tuokj esa Hkh loky ogh FkkA eSa xkao esa dqN cnyko ykuk pkgrh FkhA ij tc vki ,d ,slh txg cnyko ykuk pkgrs gSa tks lc rjQ ls eksjh can gks & tSls xkao dk ikjEifjd thou vkSj ekU;rk,a gksrh gSa & rks vkidks dqN ,slk djuk gksrk gS tks iqjkuh ekU;rkvksa ds fy, ck/kkdkjh gks vkSj dqN fu;feÙkkvksa dks rksMr+ k gksA ;k ;w¡ dgsa fd og :f<+oknh fopkjksa ls >w>rk gksA blds fy, vkidks çcy ekU;rkvksa dk lkeuk ,d fordZ ls djuk iM+rk gS] ,d çR;qÙkj nsuk gksrk gSA tuokj esa LdsVikdZ bUgha ekU;rkvksa dk mi;qä çR;qÙkj FkkA LdsVikdZ u, fodkl vkSj ubZ fn“kk dk lekos“k FkkA blds }kjk ogk¡ ds fuokfl;ksa us vius vki dks ,d u, rjhds ls [kkstk vkSj vius fy, ,d ubZ fn“kk cukbZA ubZ lksp vkSj ubZ ifj;kstukvksa dks vkxs ys tkus ds fy, ifjorZu“khy ck/kkvksa dh t#jr gksrh gS & tSls fd LdsVikdZ & ,d u;k vkosx ,d ubZ çsj.kkA tuokj

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Damit sich etwas bewegt, brauchst du einen Störfaktor – wie unseren Skatepark – und neue Impulse. Diese setzen wir über die Kultur, die alle Kids im Skatepark erleben, um.

Unsere Regeln: Alle sind gleich. Nur wer zur Schule geht, darf skateboarden. Girls first. Was versprochen wird, wird gehalten.

Was wir von Anfang an unterlassen haben: festzulegen, was diese Regeln letztendlich bewirken sollen. Das war auch nicht unser Ziel. Wir haben uns nicht mit einem vorgefertigten, starren Programm in Janwaar niedergelassen, wie das die klassische Entwicklungshilfe machen würde.

Wir stellen lediglich die Plattform zur Verfügung, die den Wandel anstößt: den Skatepark und seine Kultur. Mit einem Minimum an Organisation.

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Der Prozess, den wir angestoßen haben, besteht aus Collaboration und Co-Creation. Da funktioniert nichts linear.

Wir sind vorwärts, manchmal seitwärts und immer wieder zurückgelaufen. Darum macht es für mich absolut keinen Sinn, vorab zu fixieren, welche Auswirkungen ein solches Engagement haben soll. Der Weg der Veränderung muss

Janwaar skateboarding was the perfect counter-culture.

Standing for open-ended development. Where you can find yourself, where you can do your own thing.

ds cPpksa us ;g LdsVikdZ esa ik;k vkSj vkt os mldks th jgs gSAa LdsVikdZ ds lkFk geus çeq[k lqugjs fu;e cuk;s% 1- lc cjkcj gSa 2- yM+fd;ksa dk igyk gd gS 3- LdsVcksfMax Z mUgha cPpksa ds fy, gksxh tks Ldwy tk;sx a ]s vkSj 4- tks okns ge djsx a s mUgsa fuHkk,axAs

To get things moving you need a disruptive factor – like our skatepark – and new impulses. And these come from the culture which all kids live out for themselves in the skatepark. Our golden rules: Everyone is equal. No school, no skateboarding. Girls first. What is promised will be kept.

gekjs cuk;s x, fu;eksa ls dqN çkIr gksxk] ,slh /kkj.kk geus “kq# ls ugha cuus nh] ;kfu fdlh ykHk dh ;kstuk geus xkao ds lkeus ugha j[khA ;g gekjk /;s; Hkh ugha FkkA ge tuokj fdlh iwoZ ifjHkkf’kr ;kstuk dks ysdj ugha vk;s Fks tks fd iRFkj is ydhj gks] ,slk tSls fodkl vkSj enn dh ikjEifjd ;kstuk;sa djrh gSAa gekjk y{; dsoy vkSj dsoy bruk Fkk fd ge xkao esa ,d ,slk eap cuk,a tks vius vki cnyko dk dkj.k cu lds] vkSj gesa ;dhu Fkk fd gekjs de ls de vk;kstu esa Hkh LdsVikdZ xkao okyksa dh ftUnxh esa cnyko yk ldrk gSA

The one thing we refrained from doing from the very beginning was to make set prescriptions about what these rules would achieve. That wasn’t our goal. We hadn’t come to Janwaar with a predefined programme written in stone in our pockets the way traditional development aid does. All we’d done was to make the platform available that would trigger change, the skatepark and the skatepark culture.

With a minimum of organisation.

The process we’d started moving involved collaboration and co-creation. It doesn’t work in a linear way. We’ve moved forward, sometimes sideways and backwards too quite a lot

tks çfØ;k geus “kq: dh Fkh lg;ksx vkSj vkilh l`tu mldk [kkl fgLlk FksA ;s dksbZ lh/kh /kkj okyk dke ugha FkkA vkjEHk ls vkt rd ge vkxs c<+rs gh jgs gS]a gk¡ bl chp dHkh dHkh nk,a&ck,a ;k ihNs HkVdus esa Hkh le; yx x;k gSA O;fäxr rkSj ij esjs fy, igys ls gh ;s vuqeku yxk ikuk fcydqy Hkh Bhd ugha Fkk fd bl ;kstuk dk vlj ;k çHkko D;k gksxkA ifjorZu vkSj cnyko dk jkLrk lc fgLLlsnkjksa dks fey dj gh fu/kkZfjr djuk gksxkA tuokj iukg ds fy, gekjh ,d [kkl lksp gS] ,d ifjdYiuk gS] ij mls iwjk djus] mls vkSj vkxs c<+kus dk tks jkLrk gS oks tSfod gS] ewyHkwr & tks bl ;kstuk dks xkao okyksa dh fgLlsnkjh ls vius vki vkxs c<+rk jgsxkA dqN oSls gh tSls fd dkjksckj ;k O;kolkf;d nqfu;k esa gksrk gSA

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von allen Beteiligten gefunden werden, gemeinsam.

Wir in Janwaar Castle haben diese Vision, aber der Weg dahin ist organisch. Genau wie in der Businesswelt.

Langfristigkeit sichern Nur die junge Generation kann den Wandel herbeiführen.

2019 gründeten die ältesten Kinder im Dorf eine „Section 8 Company”, das ist eine besondere Gesellschaftsform: Du hast sozialen und gemeinnützigen Charakter, bist aber zugleich eine Company. Sie kommt wohl der Idee einer gemeinnützigen GmbH sehr nahe. Wer unserer Organisation namens „Barefoot Skateboarders” eine Spende gibt, kann sie zu 50 Prozent steuerlich absetzen. Gleichzeitig können Rechnungen geschrieben werden.

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In dieser Gesellschaftsform kannst du Mitglieder zulassen und deren Rolle festlegen. Du kannst ihnen zum Beispiel das Recht verleihen, einen Vorstand zu wählen. Diese große Gestaltungsfreiheit ist sehr geeignet, um in einem kleinen Dorf wie Janwaar – dort wohnen etwa 1200 Leute – basisdemokratische Entscheidungen herbeizuführen.

of the time. So for me there's absolutely no sense in determining beforehand exactly what impact such a course is set to have. The route to change must be determined by all participants together.

At Janwaar Castle we do have a vision, but the path that leads to is built organically. Just like in the business world.

Going in for the long Haul Only the young generation can bring about change.

;s rks yEch nkSM+ gS dsoy ubZ ih<+h gh cnyko yk ldrh gS o’kZ 2019 esa tuokj xkao ds cM+h mez ds cPpksa us fey dj lsD“ku 8 dh dEiuh cukbZ gSA ;g ,d [kkl rjg dh O;kolkf;d daiuh gS ftldk otwn lkekftd ykHk ls tqMk+ gS] ;kfu bldk ykHk fdlh ,d O;fä ;k tqV dks ugha feyrkA ;g mlh rjg gS tSls ykHk&fujis{k lhfer nkf;Ro daifu;ka gksrh gSAa dksbZ Hkh O;fä tks bl daiuh “Barefoot Skateboarders“ dks nku nsuk pkgs rks og nku jkf“k dk 50 Qhlnh vius fn, tkus okys vk;dj ls de dj ldrk gSA blds bykok og gekjs }kjk [kjhns tkus okys lkeku ds fcy dk Hkh lh/kk Hkqxrku dj ldrk gSA

In 2019 the oldest kids in the village set up a Section 8 Company which is a special type of business operation that has a social and not-for-profit character but is still a company. It's very similar to what we would call a non-profit limited company. Whoever makes a donation to our organisation called Barefoot Skateboarders can deduct 50 percent of it against tax. At the same time bills and invoices are also permissible.

bl rjg dh lsD“ku 8 dEiuh esa u, lnL; Hkh tksMs+ tk ldrs gSa vkSj muds fd;s tkus okys dk;Z fu/kkZfjr fd;s tk ldrs gSAa tSls fd vki fdlh ,d ;k t~;knk lnL;ksa dks çca/kd dk;Zdkfj.kh fu;qä djus dk ftEek lkSia ldrs gSAa bl rjg dh daiuh dks pykus esa nh x;h Lora=rk tulk/ku ls tqMh yksdrkfU=d çfd;kZ dks c<+kok nsrh gS tks 1]200 fuokfl;ksa ds bl NksVs ls xkao ds fy, fcydqy mi;qä gSA ,slk ugha fd flQZ xkao ds cM+s cqtx q Z ;k vfHkHkkod gh blds lnL; gks]a ge pkgrs gSa fd cgqr ls cPps Hkh bl daiuh ds lnL; cu dj blesa fgLlk ysAa bu cPpksa dh ih<+h gh u, lkaL—frd fodYi vkSj cnyko yk;sxhA

In this form of company you can admit new members and define their roles. For instance you can grant them the right to elect an executive board. The large degree of freedom

bl rjg gekjh “Barefoot Skateboarders“ laLFkk tulk/ku ls tqMs+ yksdra= dks Hkh çksRlkfgr djrh gSA ij bl ls Hkh vf/kd ;s O;olk; ;k ukSdjh ds u, volj çnku djrh gSA elyu] vc tuokj ds dqN cPps vkSj muds ekrk&firk

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Als Mitglieder wollen wir nicht die Alten und Uralten, sondern alle Kinder. Denn sie sind die Generation, die den kulturellen Wandel herbeiführen kann.

Unsere „Barefoot Skateboarders Organisation” gibt also wichtige basisdemokratische Impulse. Vor allem aber ist sie ein Arbeitsplatzbeschaffer. Einige Kids und ihre Eltern bauten zum Beispiel für eine Schule in Satna, das ist etwa 80 Kilometer entfernt, Skateboard-Rampen. Andere Kids geben Skateboarding-Kurse. Die Organisation stellt die Rechnungen und bezahlt die Locals für ihre Arbeit. Sie bekommen deutlich mehr Geld als in ihrem normalen Tagelöhner-Job, dank ihres neuen Wissens.

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Unser Janwaar-Castle-Modell wurde bereits in vier anderen Dörfern adaptiert. Wir haben bei der Planung und dem Bau des Skateparks mitgeholfen. Und wir haben in Workshops vor Ort, jene Leute, die in dem Projekt arbeiten, mit unserem Ansatz vertraut gemacht.Heute sind unsere Locals in der Lage, ein Team beim Bau eines Skateparks zu führen. Das bringt Arbeit und auch Ansehen.

allowed is particularly suitable for encouraging grassroots democratic decision-making in a small village like Janwaar with its some 1,200 inhabitants.

We don’t just want the parents and village elders as members, we want all the children too. Because they are the generation that will bring about cultural change.

So our Barefoot Skateboarders Organisation also serves to promote grassroots democracy. But more than that, it’s also a job creator. For instance, some of the kids and their parents are now building skateboard ramps for a school in Satna some 80 kilometres away. Other kids give skateboarding lessons.

The organisation sends out invoices and pays the locals for their work. And with their newly acquired know-how they get far better pay than they’d get in their usual day labourer jobs.

Our Janwaar Castle model has already been taken up by four other villages. We’ve helped out with the planning and building of other skateparks. And inworkshops we’ve tried to familiarise people working on the project with the particular approach we’re taking. Today our locals are capable of

feydj] 80 fd eh nwj fLFkr lruk “kgj ds ,d Ldwy esa u;k LdsVcksMZ jSia cuk jgs gSAa dqN cPps ,sls gSa tks nwljs Ldwyh cPpksa dks LdsVcksfMax Z fl[kk jgs gSAa “Barefoot Skateboarders“ laLFkk bu lc dk;ksZa ds fcy cuk dj Hkstrh gS vkSj bl ls olwys iSls dke djus okyksa rd igqp a krh gSA xkao okyksa }kjk lh[kh x;h bu u;h ;ksx;rkvksa vkSj dq“kyrkvksa dh otg ls bUgs vius dke ds cgqr vPNs iSls feyrs gS]a xkao esa dke djus okys fngkM+h etnwj ls dagh T;knkA bl rjg tuokj iukg ,d vkn“kZ uewuk cu pqdh gS ftls pkj vkSj xkao viuk pqds gSAa geus mUgsa LdsVikdZ dks ;kstukc) rjhds ls cukus esa enn dhA gekjs }kjk pyk;s tkus okyh dk;Z“kkykvksa us nqljs xqVksa dks Hkh gekjs rjhds vkSj fof/k ls LdsVikdZ cukus ls voxr djk;k gSA vkt tuokj ds fuoklh bl fLFkfr esa gSa fd og ,d oxZ lewg dh rjg fdlh ds fy, Hkh LdsVikdZ cuk ldrs gSAa blls os flQZ iSlk gh ugha dekrs ij bTtr vkSj lEeku ls thuk Hkh lh[krs gSAa ;qok ih<+h us dk;ZHkkj laHkky fy;k gS igys [+knq dksf”k”k dj ds ns[kks] eSua s lapkyu lkSia fn;k gS T;knkrj oks cPps tks “Barefoot Skateboarders“ laLFkk esa “kkfey gksrs gSa ogh vius lkfFk;ksa vkSj xkao okfl;ksa ds lkFk fey dj u;h eqf“dyksa ds gy [kkstus esa lfØ; :i ls Hkkx ysrs gSAa ewy :i ls ;s og cPps gSa tks ,d LVkVZvi ;kfu u, O;kikfjd tqV dh rjg dke djrs gSa vkSj t#jr iM+us ij eq>ls vkSj gekjh laLFkk ls enn ysrs gSAa mUgsa tks dk;Z egRoiw.kZ vkSj vko“;d yxrk gS og mls iwjk djus esa tqV tkrs gSAa bu lc esa bruh ;ksX;rk,¡ gSa fd ;s vius mRlkg vkSj tks“k dks vkenuh dk tfj;k cuk ldrs gSAa

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Die junge Generation übernimmt Versucht erstmal selbst zu löschen, ich bleibe im Hintergrund.

Es sind vorzugsweise jene Kids, die sich bei den Barefoot Skateboarders engagieren, die aktiv werden und mit den Dorfbewohnern Lösungen erarbeiten. Im Prinzip handeln sie wie ein Startup, das von unserem Verein Startup-Hilfe bekommt. Sie lernen, das voranzutreiben, was ihnen wichtig ist. Sie können ihr Talent, ihre Leidenschaft zum Beruf machen.

Meine Rolle hat sich nach fünf Jahren Aufbau geändert: Zuvor war ich die Person, die mit den Kids alles geregelt und eventuell auch Feuerwehr gespielt hat, wenn’s irgendwo brannte. Jetzt sage ich zu ihnen: Versucht erstmal selbst zu löschen, ich bleibe im Hintergrund.

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Meine heutige Aufgabe – und die der anderen fünf bis acht Leute in meinem Netzwerk – ist es, die Kids fit zu machen.

Sie sollen diese Organisation selbstständig betreiben können. Welche NGOs arbeiten denn so? Sie sind doch meist darauf ausgerichtet, dass sie selber größer werden, wachsen

leading a team in building a skatepark. This doesn’t just mean paid work but also respect and esteem.

The Young Generation takes over First try and figure it out for yourself while I stay in the background.

It’s mainly those kids who join the Barefoot Skateboarders who become active and work together with the villagers to develop solutions. In principle they’re acting like a start-up that gets start-up help from our association. They learn how to push on with what’s important to them. They can turn their talent, their passion into a paying profession.

My own role after five years committed work has now changed. Before I used to be the one who settled everything with the kids, the one who occasionally played the fire brigade when a blaze got out of control. But now I tell them to first try and figure it out for themselves while I remain in the background.

My present job – and that of the other five to eight people in

ikap lky ds vFkkg vkSj çfrc) dk;Z ds ckn esjh Hkwfedk vc cny x;h gSA igys igy gj dke esa esjh t#jr jgrh Fkh] eSa gh lc fu.kZ; ysrh Fkh] lc dk;ksZa dks ns[krh Fkh ;gk¡ rd fd gj eqf“dy dks eq>s gh lqy>kuk iM+rk FkkA ij vc eSa cPpksa ls dgrh gw¡ fd gj dke dks igys og [kqn djus dh dksf“k“k djsa tcfd eSa i`’BHkwfe esa jgrh gw¡A esjk vkSj esjs lewg ds ikap ls vkB lkfFk;ksa dk egRoiw.kZ dke vc ;g gS fd ge cPpksa dks bruk l{ke cuk;sa fd os LokoyEch cus vkSj Lora= #i ls laLFkk dks pyk ldsAa ij tSlk ge tkurs gSa xSj ljdkjh laLFkk,¡ ,sls rks ugha pyrhA dkSu NksMu+ k pkgrk gS viuk fu;a=.k\ rdjhcu lHkh laLFkkvksa dk /;s; ;gh jgrk gS fd muds lja{kd buls tqMs+ jgs]a oks yxkrkj foLrkfjr gksrh jgs]a vf/kd ls vf/kd c<+rh jgsAa budh ;kstuk,a ,slh gksrh gSa fd fcuk ekSfyd laLFkkidksa ds ;s py gh ugha ikrha] ;s LokoyEch ;k Lora= gks gh ugha ikrhA

foyk tuokj esa vk“kk vkSj v#.k lqcg vkSj “kke ds l= pykrs gSa ftlds fy, mu nksuksa dks ikfjJfed feyrk gSA ;s nksuks vkl&ikl ds xkao ls vkus okys yksxksa dks Hkh i<+krs fl[kykrs gSa tks fd LdsVcksfMax Z esa :fp j[krs gSAa vk“kk us foyk tuokj esa viuk [kqn dk Ldwy Hkh “kq: dj fy;k gSA og cgqr gh gksugkj vkSj çfrHkkoku yM+dh gS tks fd NksVs vkSj fu“kä cPpksa ls cgqr gh vPNk O;ogkj djrh gSA ,sls cPpksa dks vDlj nwljs Ldwy ;k laLFkk,a nqRdkj nsrh gSa ij vk“kk dh Dykl esa ;s vkRefo“okl ls Hkjs gSAa bl Ldwy esa Hkkx ysus ds fy, iM+kl s h nsgkr] xzkeksa vkSj iUuk ftys ls Hkh dbZ fuokfl;ksa us viuh bPNk trkbZ gSA bl lc dks ns[k dj ges fo“okl gS dh cnyko vPNs ds fy, gks jgk gS vkSj ge lgh fn“kk dh vksj vxzlj gSAa

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und wachsen. Ihre Programme werden öfter in Abhängigkeiten definiert als in Unabhängigkeiten.

Asha und Arun geben in der Villa Janwaar Sessions, morgens und abends, dafür werden sie bezahlt. Sie unterrichten dort auch Leute aus den umliegenden Städten, die Skateboarding lernen wollen.

Asha hat ihre eigene Schule in der Villa gegründet. Sie besitzt ein riesiges Talent: Sie kann sehr gut mit kleinen und auch behinderten Kindern umgehen. Diese Kinder werden ja normalerweise weggeschlossen, aber jetzt sind sie bei Asha und nehmen am Unterricht teil. Wir bekommen Anfragen aus den umliegenden Dörfern und aus Panna.

Das zeigt: Es lässt sich einiges verändern, aufbrechen.

Panna 108-123 Villa Janwaar 132-141

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Mein bisheriger Job – also der, den ich zuvor als Unternehmensberaterin machte – hat sich im Prinzip nicht verändert. Früher war mein Kunde eine Bank, die NATO oder die Bertelsmann Stiftung – jetzt ist es ein Dorf. Aber das, was ich heute zurückbekomme, ist viel mehr als Geld. Es ist ein sehr, sehr menschliches Gefühl der Befriedigung.

my network – is to make the kids fit for running this organisation on their own. Which NGO works in this way? They are all geared to keeping themselves in a state of permanent expansion, growing bigger and ever bigger. Their programmes are more often defined by dependencies than by independence.

esjh fy, viuh iqjkuh ukSdjh & tks fd çca/ku lykgdkj dh Fkh & ls ;gka rd dqN t~;knk ugha cnyk gSA igys esjs eqofDdy ;k ftuds lkFk eSa dke djrh Fkh cM+s cSd a ] ukVks ;k cVZYleSu fLVQVax bR;kfn Fks & vc ,d xkao gSA gk¡] ;g varj t:j gS fd igys eq>s vius dke ds fy, eqvkots esa jde feyrh Fkh ysfdu vc iSls ugha feyrs ij mlls dgha vf/kd vkSj larks”ktud ekuoh; [kq“kh feyrh gSA

Asha and Arun give morning and evening sessions in the Villa Janwaar for which they are paid. They also teach people from neighbouring towns and villages who want to learn to skateboard.

gekjh lksp nwljh xSj ljdkjh laLFkkvksa ls fcydqy vyx gS vxj vkidks vius /;s; ds ckjs eSa fdlh dks le>kus dh dksf“k“k djuh iM+rh gS] rks vki igys gh gkj pqds gks

Asha has set up her own school in the Villa. She’s a tremendously talented girl who is wonderful at dealing with small and also differently-abled children. These children would normally be shut away but now they’re with Asha and taking part in her classes. We are getting inquiries from neighbouring villages and from Panna. This just goes to show that things really can change for the better.

My former job – meaning what I used to do as a management consultant – hasn’t really changed significantly. Earlier on my clients were a bank, NATO or the Bertelsmann Stiftung –

gekjh dYiuk vkSj nwjnf“kZrk bl xkao esa cnyko ykdj mls csgrj cukus dh gSA vc loky ;g gS fd og ^^csgrj^^ gS D;k \ bldk mÙkj geus Hkfo”; ij NksM+ fn;k gS] ;g vHkh vLi”V vkSj vfuf“pr gS] mruk gh ftruk fd gekjs ç;Ru vkSj mudk QyA ge ;g tku jgs gSa fd tuokj xkao fdl rjg dk cnyko pkgrk gS fdu&fdu {ks=ksa esa ;gk¡ ds fuoklh ifjorZu pkgrs gSa & ftlds fy, ge mudk lkFk nsrs gS vkSj mudh lgk;rk djrs gSAa esjk ;g –<+ fo“okl gS fd ge fdlh ds fnekx esa ubZ /kkj.kk,¡ Bwl ugha ldrs vxj og balku mUgsa ekuus vkSj igpkuus ls badkj djrk gSA blds fy, ges ml dk;Z esa mudh :fp iSnk djuh gksxh vFkok mudh lksp dks tkx`r djuk gksxkA blds bykok gesa mudk “kq: ls lkFk nsuk gksxk ftl le; ls os Bku ysa fd mUgsa cnyko ykuk gSA

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Wir haben ein anderes Mindset als viele NGOs Wenn Du jemanden überzeugen musst, hast Du schon verloren.

Unsere Vision ist, das Dorf zum Besseren zu verändern.

Aber was ist „besser“? Das haben wir ebenso wenig definiert wie das, was erreicht werden soll. Wir verfolgen, in welchen Bereichen sich die Dorfbewohner verändern wollen, begleiten und unterstützen sie.

Meine Überzeugung: Du kannst Menschen nicht irgendetwas in die Köpfe hämmern, wenn sie kein Interesse haben.

Stattdessen musst Du ihr Interesse wecken, in irgendeiner Form. Und du musst sie unterstützen, sobald sie sich entscheiden, etwas verändern zu wollen.

Etwa wenn ein Mädchen zu ihrem Vater sagt: Ich habe keine Lust zu heiraten. Der lacht dann erstmal und schlägt sie vielleicht, wenn er wieder betrunken ist. Aber wenn er versteht, dass er von dieser Entwicklung profitieren kann, verändert sich sein Verhalten womöglich. Asha zum Beispiel gibt von ihrem Gehalt zwei Drittel an die Familie ab.

Damit kann sich diese eine Toilette ins Haus bauen. Und

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now it’s a village. Only today what is given to me is not money but something much more human and deeply satisfying.

We have a different Mindset to most NGOs If you have to convince someone, you’ve already lost.

Our vision is to change the village for the better. Only what do we mean by ”better“? We’ve left this just as vague and undecided as we’ve left the question of the final outcome of our endeavours. We take note of in which areas the villagers wish to change and accompany and support them on their way.

I truly believe that you can’t hammer something into someone’s head when they’re just not interested. What you need to do is to awaken their interest in some form or other. Plus you have to support them from the moment they decide that they want to change something.

Take the case of when a girl tells her father that she doesn’t want to get married. He’ll laugh her out at first and perhaps even beat her if he’s drunk again. But when he understands that he can profit from this course of development, he may

vki ml ;qok yM+dh dk mnkgj.k yhft;s tc og vius firk ls dgrh gS fd mls vHkh “kknh ugha djuh gSA firk ml cPph dh ckr lqu dj ,d ckj rks galx s k ;k gks ldrk gS “kjkc ds u“ks esa mldh fiVkbZ Hkh dj ns] ij tc ml firk dks ;g le> vk tk;sxk fd ml cPph us dqN vPNk gh lkspk gS ;k ml ckr ls mlds iwjs ?kj dks dqN Qk;nk gksus okyk gS rks gks ldrk gS fd mldk utfj;k cny tk;sA ;gh ifjorZu gSA vc ;g lef>;s fd vk“kk viuh dekbZ dk nks frgkbZ fgLlk vius ifjokj dks nsrh gS bldk urhtk ;g gS fd vc mldk ifjokj vius ?kj esa “kkSpky; cuok ldrk gS] ?kj dh t:jrksa ds fy, os dqN vkSj lkeku [kjhn ldrs gSAa bl rjg ls ml ifjokj dh lksp esa ifjorZu dh uhao j[kh tkrh gS vkSj cnyko vk ldrk gSA ,d firk viuh csVh dks dqN vPNk djus ds fy, vktknh ns] ;g ,d ubZ lksp gS tks iqjkus fjoktksa vkSj ijEijkvksa dks cnyus esa l{ke gksrh gSA nwljh xSj ljdkjh laLFkkvksa dh rjg eSa vius dejs esa cSBh bl rjg ds dksbZ ifj;kstu ugha cukrhA eSa mu ifjokjksa ds lkFk cSB dj fopkj djrh gw¡ vkSj ekSds ij gh fu.kZ; ysrh gw¡A ge lc fey cSB dj mu lc çfØ;kvksa vkSj fo’k;ksa ij QSlyk ysrs gSa ftudk lh/kk vlj mu xkao okyksa ij gksus okyk gSA vkf[kj esa ogh çfØ;k gh lQy gksrh gSA vxj vkidks vius /;s; ds ckjs esa fdlh dks le>kus dh dksf“k“k djuh iM+rh gS] rks vki igys gh gkj pqds gks vkSj vxj vki vius iSls vkSj dksf“k“k dk xyr bLrseky djrs gSa rks blls mudk vfgr gh gksxk] mUgsa cgqr uqdlku Hkh gks ldrk gSA lkaL—frd cnyko dk ,d nwljk igyw Hkh gSA ;g cnyko esjs tSls 45 lky mez dh 12]000 ;wjks dekus okyh ukVks deZpkjh vkSj tuokj xkao ds cPps ds fy, fcydqy fHkUu vkSj vyx gSA ;g cPpk viuh ftUnxh dks [kqn vius QSlyksa ls

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auf diese Weise entstehen wichtige, grundsätzliche Überlegungen: Warum sollte ich meiner Tochter nicht generell mehr Freiraum geben? Das ist ein neuer Gedanke, der vieles aufbricht und verändert.

Ich plane also nicht, wie andere NGOs, mit Lackschuhen am Schreibtisch, sondern vor Ort. Wir definieren die Prozesse gemeinsam mit den Menschen, die es betrifft. Nur das funktioniert. Wenn du jemanden überzeugen musst, hast du schon verloren. Wenn Geld falsch eingesetzt wird, kannst du vieles kaputt machen.

Janwaar 90-107 Women in Janwaar 148-163

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Der Cultural Change hat für ein Janwaar Kid andere Ausmaße als für einen 45-jährigen NATO-Mitarbeiter, der 12.000 Euro im Monat verdient. Ein solches Kind erfährt, wie es sein eigenes Leben in die Hand nehmen kann. Dass ihm nicht nur Indien, sondern die ganze Welt offensteht. Die Zukunft eines Mädchens besteht nicht darin, zwangsverheiratet zu werden und ein Leben lang einen trinkenden, despotischen Mann ertragen zu müssen. Es bekommt die Chance, sein vermeint- liches Schicksal zu ändern, seine Zukunft selbst zu gestalten.

change his attitude. Asha, for instance, gives two thirds of her wages to her family which means that they can now afford to build an inside toilet. In this way the ground is laid for important and fundamental considerations: why shouldn’t a father grant his daughter that extra degree of liberty? It’s a new kind of thought that breaks with convention and allows for change.

So I don’t do my planning like other NGOs sitting at my desk in high heels. I do it on the ground and on the spot. We define processes together with the people who will be impacted by them. Only that will work. If you have to convince somebody, you’ve already lost. If you make bad use of your money you can cause a lot of harm.

Cultural change has another dimension for a kid in Janwaar than it has for a 45 year old NATO employee who is earning € 12,000 a month. Such a kid learns how to take his or her whole life in their hands. And that not just India alone but the whole world is open to them. The future of a young girl is not to submit to a forced marriage and put up with a drunken despotic husband for the rest of her life. She gets

laokjus dh dksf“k“k esa yxk gSA mlds lius dks iwjk djus ds fy, flQZ Hkkjr gh ugha iwjh nqfu;k mlds lkeus gSA ,d ;qok cPph dk Hkfo’; blesa ugha gS fd og firk ;k ifjokj ds ncko esa vkdj NksVh mez esa “kknh ds fy, leiZ.k dj ns vkSj fQj mls lkjh ftUnxh fdlh [kwlV “kjkch ds lkFk >syuh iM+As bl cnyko ls og viuh rdnhj cny ldrh gS viuh ftUnxh esa ,d vPNk ifjorZu yk ldrh gS tSlk dh og pkgrh gSA ;g ifjorZu mPp in ij ukVks esa dke djus vkSj ,d NksVs ls :f<+oknh xkao esa ifjorZu ykus ls fcydqy fHkUu gSA esjs lkFk dke djus okys lgdehZ lksprs gSa fd bl ifjorZu esa fdrus tksf[ke gS]a fdruh foink,a gSa tks os [kqn “kk;n dHkh u >sy ik,aA bl lc esa eSua s D;k ik;k \ eq>s vPNh ftUnxh thus ds fy, foykl ds lk/ku ugha pkfg;sa eSa –<+rk ls ;g ekurh gw¡ fd gj xSj ljdkjh laLFkku dk mís“; ,slk gksuk pkfg, fd mlds }kjk fy, x, y{; ds iwjk gksus ds ckn mls can dj nsuk pkfg,A tuokj esa esjk dke rc iwjk gksxk tc ogka esjh t#jr ugha jgsxhA tuokj xkao ds fuoklh gh cnyko dh çfØ;k dks vkxs c<+krs jgsx a s vkSj ogka u, ifjorZu vius vki vkrs jgsx a As vkSj eSa eglwl dj ldrh gw¡ fd vc oks fnu nwj ugha gS tc oks vkRefuHkZj gks tk;sx a As ihVj Øwt dk ;g ekuuk Fkk fd fdlh ifjorZu dh fØ;k dks tkjh j[kus esa vf/kd ç;kl ugha yxrkA fdlh Hkh daiuh esa 4 ls 5 çfr“kr dkexkj gh mls pyk;s j[krs gSa & oks dkexkj gh ifjorZu dk pØ gksrs gSAa ;g felky fdlh

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Diese Veränderung ist etwas völlig anderes, als wenn du in der NATO – auf einem sehr hohen Level – einen kulturellen Wandel betreibst und die Mitarbeiter sich überlegen, wieviel „Risiko” der Wandel für sie persönlich bedeuten würde.

Meine persönlichen Lernerfahrungen Ich brauche keinen Luxus für ein gutes Leben.

Meine Überzeugung: Das Ziel einer jeden NGO muss sein, dass sie obsolet wird. Ich habe meine Mission in Janwaar erfüllt, wenn ich nicht mehr gebraucht werde. Weil die Dorfbewohner selbst den Veränderungsprozess am Leben erhalten.

Bis es so weit ist, wird es nicht mehr allzu lange dauern.

Janwaar 90-107

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Peter Kruse sagte immer: Es bedarf nicht vieler Mitarbeiter, um Unternehmenskultur zu verändern. Vier, fünf Prozent der Belegschaft reichen aus, um den Wandel voranzutreiben!

Das gilt auch für ein Dorf. Und dafür habe ich in Janwaar gesorgt! Vier bis fünf Prozent der Kinder haben diese Antriebsfunktion. Entscheidend ist, dass die Kids diese Störungen in ihre Familien weitertragen.

the chance to escape from her supposedly ordained fate and shape her own future as she wants it to be.

Such a transformation is something completely different from working at NATO – on a very high level – and pursuing cultural change while your colleagues are wondering just how many ”risks“ such transformation would mean for them personally.

My personal takeaways I don’t need luxury to lead a good life.

I firmly believe that the goal of every NGO should be to plan for its obsolescence. I will have fulfilled my mission in Janwaar when I’m no longer needed there. Because the villagers themselves can keep the transformation process alive and flowing. And it won’t be too long now before that point of time arrives.

Peter Kruse always said that it doesn’t take much to get a process of change on the go. Four or five percent of people in a company is quite enough – they are the movers who’ll

xkao esa vkus okys cnyko ij Hkh [kjh mrjrh gSA vius ikap o’kZ ds ;kstukc) dk;Z esa eSua s bl ckr dks ges“kk eísutj j[kk gS fd xkao ds 4 ls 5 çfr“kr yksx ges“kk ,d u;k ifjorZu ykus esa tq>k: gksa tks mUgsa fodkl dh rjQ ys tkrk jgsA vkSj vc eq>s iwjk ;dhu gS fd ifjorZu dk ;s fonkj.k vkSj dky pØ xkao ds cPps gh gj ?kj rd ys tk;sx a As ;g ckr Hkh ukdkjh ugha tk ldrh fd cgqr lky igys esjh vkjkensg ftUnxh vPNh dekbZ ds lkFk dV jgh FkhA ml le; eSa teZuh ds gbMsycxZ “kgj esa jgrs gq, vius csVs dk ikyu iks”k.k dj jgh FkhA ij vc eq>s ftUnxh lq[k ls fcrkus ds fy, mruh vkenuh dh t:jr Hkh ugha gSA eSa tkurh gw¡ fd iwt a hokn D;k dqN uk“k dj ldrk gS vkSj fdruk uqdlku igqp a k ldrk gS vkSj esjh dksbZ ea“kk ugha gS fd eSa ,sls iwt a hokn dk lkFk nw¡A ,d yEcs vjls rd dke dj ds eSua s nqfu;k Hkj esa vPNs fe= cuk;s gSa vkSj vPNh lksp okys nksLrksa dk ,d cM+k lewg cuk;k gS ftu ij eSa Hkjkslk dj ldrh gw¡A vxj vki esa ls fdlh us eq>s chl lky igys ;g dgk gksrk fd vkus okys Hkfo’; esa eSa ?kus v¡/ksjs taxy esa tkuojksa ds chp ls eksVj lkbfdy pyk dj ?kj igq¡pk d#¡xh rks eSua s vki ls dgk gksrk fd vki dk ekFkk fQj x;k gSA ij fu;fr dks “kk;n ;gh eatjw Fkk vkSj esjs lkFk ;g vPNs ds fy, gksuk gh FkkA esjs Vªh gkml ¼o`{k x`g½ esa oks lc lq[k lqfo/kk,¡ gSa tks t:jh gSa vkSj tks eq>s pkfg;sa & esjk viuk pkjnhokjh dk ?kj gS & “kkSpky; gS vkSj T;knkrj le; xeZ ikuh dh O;oLFkk gSA eq>s 200 oxZ ehVj dk ?kj ;k txg ugha pkfg, & eSa 20 oxZ ehVj ls Hkh dke pyk ldrh gw¡ & vkSj esjs ml ?kj ls dsu unh dk tks utkjk gS oks gdhdr esa cgqeYw ; gSA

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Klar, früher hatte ich ein gehobenes Einkommen – das war wunderbar in der Zeit, in der ich in Heidelberg meinen Sohn aufzog. Heute brauche ich nicht mehr viel Geld, um ein glückliches Leben zu führen. Ich sehe, was der Kapitalismus anrichtet, das will ich nicht unterstützen.

Und wenn mir einer vor 20 Jahren gesagt hätte: Du wirst mit dem Motorrad im Dunkeln zwischen wilden Tieren nach Hause fahren, den hätte ich für verrückt gehalten. In meinem Baumhaus habe ich den Luxus, der mir wichtig ist: meine eigenen vier Wände, Toilette und – meistens – heißes Wasser. Ich brauche aber keine 200 Quadratmeter, es reichen 20. Und mein Blick auf den Ken River ist ohnehin unbezahlbar.

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drive change along. This is equally true of a village. So over the past five years I’ve taken care to ensure that four to five percent of the villagers will always be disruptive, driving development forwards. What’s really decisive is that it’s the kids who’ll carry such disruptions back into their families.

Sure, much earlier in life I had a upmarket income which was marvellous for the time when I was living in Heidelberg and bringing up my son. Today I don’t need that much money to live a good life. I can see the harm capitalism does and I’ve no desire to support it.

If you’d have told me twenty years ago that in future I’d be riding home on my motorbike in the dark between wild animals I’d have said that you’d lost your marbles! In my tree house I have all the luxury that’s important to me: my own four walls, a toilet and – most of the time – hot water. I don’t need 200 square metres, I can make do with 20. And the view out onto the Ken River really is priceless.

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Photos The captions for these photos are written by Ulrike Reinhard – founder of Janwaar Castle and The Rural Changemakers gem. e.V. They solely reflect the view of the charity.

One half of the photos are taken by professional photographers. The other half of the photos are taken by the Janwaar kids (Arun Kumar, Deepa Yadav and Shailandra Yadav) and Ulrike Reinhard – they are by no means ”professional“ photos but they do reflect the spirit and energy of Janwaar. So, please bear with us for having done so.

Thank you!

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Neha, Dilasha and Prathna (left to right) – three of our young Adivasi girls during a session at the Barefoot Skateboarders’ School at the Villa Janwaar.

We’ve chosen this photo as our title because it shows the impact skateboarding has on the children, especially the girls. Today they are much more eager to learn in a fun way and the girls have become self-confident. They are usually the much better learners than the boys.

Photo: Matjaž Tančič

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Janwaar Janwaar is a small hamlet four kilometres off Panna-Satna road. 1200 people live there â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Yadav caste and Adivasi.

There is hardly any electricity in the village, no sanitation and only recently a young doctor opened a medical practice which is rather badly equipped.

13 years ago a government school opened its doors; today the kids can pass 8th grade in the village, then they have to go to another town for further education. The quality of education is meagre â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but at least there is a school. There is no rush in Janwaar, life is rather laid back and people enjoy the here and now.

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Geeta Yadav on her way to her cattle. The stable is just opposite of her house. She and her family have the largest herd of cattle in the village, and live in the â&#x20AC;?poshâ&#x20AC;&#x153; area of Janwaar.

Photo: Aslam Saiyad

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Geeta Yadav milking one of her buffalos. They give milk twice a day. Her husband Anand Singh Yadav (see opposite page) brings the milk every day to Panna. Selling milk is an important source of income for them.

Their youngest son, Ajeet, is participating in the Open School Project (see pages 186-199).

Photo: Makarand Ranavde

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Anand Singh Yadav, husband of Geeta Yadav, after milking the buffalos. He is riding every day on his motorbike to Panna to sell the milk. Two or three canisters are magically fixed (Indian Jugaad) at his motorbike â&#x20AC;&#x201C; filled with milk. He sells one litre for 40 Indian Rupees (4.50 Euros).

Photo: Aslam Saiyad

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The soil in and around Janwaar is not very fertile.

This is a field in November.

It usually should have wheat.

But farming in Janwaar is a challenge â&#x20AC;&#x201C; year by year.

Many fields lie fallow â&#x20AC;&#x201C; either because of the lack of rain or cost for labour. The main crops are: wheat, lentil, mustard, black gram and a little bit of rice. During the monsoons people grow sesame seeds and various vegetables.

Photo: Aslam Saiyad

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Pahalvan Yadav owns a flock of goats. For his family, goats are an important source of income â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they milk them and sell the young goats.

Photo: Aslam Saiyad

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A typical lane in the Adivasi part of the village.

The water in the street comes from the water pump.

This water body is always there â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it is a breeding place for mosqitos and many other bacterias which cause Malaria and other diseases.

Photo: Aslam Saiyad

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A little girl carrying buckets of water. Carrying water is the job of the girls and the ladies. Needless to say that this is hard work because the buckets are heavy. During the hot season (April â&#x20AC;&#x201C; June) sometimes they have to walk far in the heat of the day to reach a water pump that still provides water.

Photo: Aslam Saiyad

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Children are happily playing in the Adivasi part of Janwaar.

They usually play in small groups, still mostly separated by caste. They rarely “mix” – only at the skatepark and at the Villa Janwaar the different castes come together. Since there are no toys available they come up with very innovative ”toys“ and games.

Photo: Aslam Saiyad

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Liddhee Adivasi taking a bath at the water pump right next to the lake (see next two pages). Very few houses in Janwaar have a bathroom.

Photo: Aslam Saiyad

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Sunrise at the lake in Janwaar.

The lake is the water reservoir for the village. It is surrounded by very old trees which provide a pleasant shade during the hot summer days. There is always a breeze at the lake.

Photo: Aslam Saiyad

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Early morning on the field track along the lake in Janwaar. The track leads to the Doolha Dev Temple â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a temple where the villagers come to worship. The villagers tell a myth about the lake and the temple. They say in the early days a royal couple drowned in the lake and this determined which caste could live and survive in Janwaar.

One of our kids, Anil Kumar, has written a story about this.

Photo: Aslam Saiyad

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Hetsingh and his wife Gyaan Yadav are sitting in the courtyard of their house, cleaning peas. Hetsingh was the Sarpanch of Janwaar (a sarpanch is a decisionmaker, elected by the villagelevel constitutional body of local self-government called the Gram Sabha in India).

The couple has three sons and they live with their families all in the same household – three generations under one roof. They are living in the ”posh“ part of Janwaar. One of their sons is Veer Singh – he is our landlord at the Villa (see page 138) and from him we’ve also leased the land on which the second skatepark is built.

Photo: Maninder Singh

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Lalla Bai and Gond Bai – both Adivasi ladies – sitting in their courtyard. It’s a very typical posture. Both of them are hard working women – they go in the forest to collect wood (what they actually should not do: getting into the forest and cutting wood is forbidden) and sell it in Panna. It’s a couple of hours work, long walks included (at least 14 kilometres) – and they get badly paid for it.

They hardly make 200 Indian Rupees per load, which is less than Euros 3.

Photo: Arun Kumar

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Jamie Fullerton, a journalist from the UK, with Seglal Adivasi, on a walk through the jungles. Seglal loves to take the guests who are coming to Janwaar for a jungle tour.

During these tours the guests learn a lot about the trees and bushes of the jungle – what is eatable and what not. If they are lucky they will see a tiger or bear; they will certainly come across some snakes.

Photo: Matjaž Tančič

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Siya Bai being interviewed and filmed by Danny Schmidt, a film maker from Salt Lake City, USA. Arun Kumar was translating the questions.

Danny is planning a short documentary on our work in Janwaar. He was planning to return to the village in March 2020 to shoot more â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but then the Corona virus hit.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

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The Janwaar kids were cast by a Mumbai film team for the movie ”Desert Dolphin“ – a story based on our story in Janwaar. The drama was directed by Manjari Makijany, a young director from Mumbai, now living and being married in Hollywood, USA. Photos: Vinati Makijany

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Panna Panna is famous for its diamond mines. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a town (60.000 inhabitants, 2011) and also a municipality in Panna district, in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

In the early 19th century, Panna became a princely state of British India. On January 1st, 1950 the kingdom became Panna District of the new Indian state of Vindhya Pradesh.

Vindhya Pradesh was merged into Madhya Pradesh on November 1st, 1956.

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Most of the palace is uninhabited. Only two rooms are occupied once in a while, when the Rajmata â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dilhar Kumari â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is at home.

(Rajmata is an Indian term used for the mother of the head of a princely family in India) We felt very honoured when the Rajmata opened the main hall of the Palace once for us.

It was in November 2016 for our first Janwaar Castle Skateboarding Challenge, She welcomed all the skateboarding champions from all over India. It was a great experience for the kids to enter the palace and to receive her blessings.

Rajmandir Palace, Panna Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

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Inside the living room of Dewan Lokendra Singh.

He is the second oldest son of the last Maharaja, Mahendra Yadvendra Singh. He was a Member of the Legislative Assembly Madhya Pradesh in 1977 and 1993, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) in 1989. The house he and his wife Rani Nishi Kumari are living in, was built by his grandfather and used as the Royal Casino.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

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Shiva Temple inside the lake Dharampal Sagar, Panna.When Dharampal Sagar is brimming with water, it accounts for 30% of Pannaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water supply.

But in recent years large parts of it have dried out.

That was the reason for an unprecedented common effort. Together with government authorities the local people of this drought-hit district in Bundelkhand saved the lake in 2015/2016 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they deepened the lake to increase its rainwater carrying capacity.

People contributed over 23 lakh Indian Rupees (approx. 30.000 Euros) and provided labour as well as equipment.

Photo: Arun Kumar

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Eidgah Maidan, Panna While the Muslims in Panna District count for 3.8% of the entire population (2011 Census), in Panna, the town itself, they roughly count for 19%. This is visible in the streets â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially during religious holidays.

Everything is decorated in green. The life between Hindus and Muslims in Panna is peaceful.

Photo: Arun Kumar

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Collectorate Chowk – the entrance to the old Collectorate in Panna.

The Collectorate is the office of the Collector and his administration. A District Collector, often abbreviated to ”Collector“, is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer in charge of revenue collection and administration of a district in India. The current District Collector in Panna is Shri Karmveer Sharma.

Photo: Arun Kumar

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Mahendra Bhawan Palace – the old Collectorate in Panna is built in Roman style. It was built in 1902 by Madho Singh, a member of the Panna Rajput family. On the opposite page you see the other side of Mahendra Bhawan Palace – this side is visible from the street outside. From this side it is called Kacheri Gate.

A completely different style and look – Bundelkhandi architecture by Raja Amaan Singh.

Photos: Arun Kumar

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115

In the background of the buzzing market street you can see the Baldau Ji Mandir, one of the finest structures in Panna. Its Roman architecture has a gothic feel. The temple has a large hall, called Maha Mandapa, with massive pillars. It is built on a raised platform so that one may obtain ”darshan“ (”darshan“ is a Sanskrit word meaning ”sight“ or ”viewing“) even from outside the main gate.

Photo: Aslam Saiyad

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Photo: Arun Kumar

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Kotwali Chowk, Panna.

Business district of Panna.

Photo: Aslam Saiyad

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Motorbikers in â&#x20AC;?downtownâ&#x20AC;&#x153; Panna. Motorbikes are the most used vehicle, by far. There are not that many private cars yet in Panna area.

Photo: Gabriel Engelke

119

The Panna National Park is located in the districts Panna and Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh. You will find the tiger, leopard, chital, chinkara, nilgai, sambhar and sloth bear there.

The park is home to more than 200 species of birds including the bar-headed goose, honey buzzard, king vulture, blossom-headed parakeet, changeable hawk-eagle and Indian vulture. It covers 542.67 km2 (209.53 sq mi).

From October to early June you can enter the park for a safari.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

120

Bakchur, Darera area â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one of the waterfalls in Panna National Park. This waterfall is right on the highway NH 39, between Madla and Panna. You can walk down to the edge and look down into the park.

Photo: Gabriel Engelke

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122

The same gorge as seen on the previous page â&#x20AC;&#x201C; just during the monsoons.

Usually the rains start in Panna in late June and last until the end of September.

During this time Panna National Park is closed, its muddy roads being impassable.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

123

Do you want to learn skateboarding?

Call the Barefoot Skateboarders in Janwaar! +91 91713 74294 or +91 78049 65146

The Barefoot Skateboarders Organization is an independent section 8 company, registered in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. It serves the village of Janwaar. It is an off-shot of the The Rural Changemaker gem. e.V. (Berlin in Germany), which is the publisher of this book.

The company was founded by the youth of Janwaar in August 2019.Two of the young leaders, Asha Gond and Karan Yadav are directors and have taken the responsibility to make Janwaar a better place – while at the same time become financially independent.

Primarily the work focusses on the development of the children. With the skatepark and the community centre ”Villa Janwaar“ at its heart, this NGO will broaden the work which has been done over the past five years and transfer it to marketable services such as skateboarding sessions, building ramps and skateparks, informal learning activities and a school for differently-abled-people.

Posters by Bea Gschwend

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Villa Janwaar is open for 3-6 year old children from Panna!

Villa Janwaar is open for kids with special needs!

Daily session on creativity, play, music, dance and sports!

Call Asha: +91 91713 74294

Daily session in small groups!

Call Asha: +91 91713 74294

Part of the Open School Project in collaboration with Prakriti School, Noida

Part of the Open School Project in collaboration with Prakriti School, Noida

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Shivraj Yadav, one of our skateboarding kids and meanwhile a young adult, Seglal Adivasi und Jagprasad were invited by the VITS School in Satna (70 kilometres from Panna) to build skateboarding ramps for the school. The three left Janwaar in March 2020 by bus and were picked up in Satna. There, they stayed at the hostel of the school.

Together with the carpenter of the school and under the guidance of the technical director they’ve built the wooden ramps – carefully reading the plan and measuring the material. After one week the job was completed and they returned happily to Janwaar.

The project was the first of its kind for the Barefoot Skateboarders Organization. More projects are in the pipeline – so whenever COVID19 is gone, work will be there.

Photos: Ulrike Reinhard

126

127

Asha Gond, director of the Barefoot Skateboarders Organization, is handing out fruits and vegetables to the poorest of the poor in Janwaar.

We’ve started the program “Food for Janwaar“ in the second week of the lockdown in Madhya Pradesh (March 2020). Since then, Asha and two other kids go twice or thrice to Panna and buy 120-150 kg of fruits and vegetables for those families, which are holding a belowthe-poverty-line card.

During the crisis prices went up while at the same time job opportunities vanished.

So hunger became just a question of time. We didn’t wait for government support.

Instead we did it our own way – asking friends and family for support. And it worked.

Photo: Arun Kumar

128

The ladies of the families are coming to Asha’s house to pick up the fruits and vegetables.

It’s a woman’s job! Men would hardly do this.

Asha’s mother, Kamla Gond, is standing at the entrance of the house.

The alley we see is a very typical one for Janwaar.

Photo: Arun Kumar

129

In November 2019 the five teenagers who are participating in the Open School Project (see pages 186-199) invited the villagers to the Villa Janwaar to listen to their project reports from their first year. “The Five“ prepared short presentations, took notes, discussed their key messages and practiced the talks. It were four days of mentoring and encouragement. They were in full swing.

Each of them focussed on a different key message – from personal learning experiences to serious requests regarding old traditions and habits.

“The Five“ didn’t shy away to challenge the status quo.

When we started, the Villa was packed, excitement was in the air. The kids were a bit nervous at the start, but Anil and Asha broke the ice with their opening remarks.

130

During the talks, rounds of applause took turns with silence. It was an important evening for the entire village and it clearly showed what is cooking in the kids’ minds.

Not only did ”The Five“ speak out, also Shanti (photo lower left) stood up and made an almost heartbreaking statement. She asked the villagers: ”Why do I have less rights than my two brothers? Why can’t I walk through Janwaar freely without being harrassed by someone?“ She said: ”It is high time that we girls have equal rights!“ Everyone was stunned, shocked, ashamed. A moment of dead silence followed her demand.

And the “Five“ were very happy and relieved. They were proud!

Photos: Alsam Saiyad

131

Villa Janwaar The Villa Janwaar has become our new epicentre. It opened its doors in January 2018.

Since then the kids – from the youngest being less than two years old to the “young adults“ – have embraced their Villa and have taken ownership. It’s their space – they feel comfortable and secure. Downstairs we have one big room with a library, all our toys, games and the stationary are there; and it’s also the place where the skateboards are stored. On the first floor there is a huge terrace and two smaller rooms for individual sessions. The rooms are equipped with fans. The best part of the Villa though is its outdoor area – we have a kitchen, a fireplace and at least 300 sqm of “garden“ and a huge Imli (Tamarind) tree. And a little skatepark for absolute beginners. There, the little ones learn to stand firm on the board.

It’s all playground area and we use it for play, village gatherings, movie screenings ….

You name it!

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

132

The Villa is centrally located in Janwaar and has a huge terrace as well as a beautiful backyard. No wonder that the men of the village are more than tempted to occupy the space. They gambled, chew tobacco and sometimes drank there. It used to be an ongoing challenge to keep them away.

One day the kids had enough and started a guerrilla action which put them on the frontside of the local newspaper.

They wrote slogans on the walls of the houses in the village, handed out flyers with sentences like: â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want that we end up like you, do let us learn at the Villa!â&#x20AC;&#x153; This made an impression and the fact that the kids were on the cover of the newspaper disgraced the men and made them move. Finally!

Photo: Arun Kumar

133

Little Shiva aka Spiderman looking for “his“ book. Shiva loves the library and he loves to flip through the books.

They are opening a whole new world for him. His eyes are bright and shiny when he is “reading“ a book.

Shiva is probably four or five years old. He has bigger and smaller siblings – almost each year a new “arrival“ adds to the family. His parents are both alcoholics, they are fighting a lot and hardly take care of their children. So you will always see the elder sibling carrying the youngest around. They do take care of each other. All of them found a safe space at the Villa.

When they wake up in the morning, they walk over and start the day, probably waiting for Asha to learn with them.

Luckily their little house is opposite the Villa.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

134

Krashne in heaven. He is laying down on the table in the lower floor of the Villa, right next to the library. He is lost in his own world â&#x20AC;&#x201C; simply enjoying himself and the moment. Safe and happy.

Most of the time he is following his older brother Vinay to the Villa.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

135

The only three â&#x20AC;&#x153;realâ&#x20AC;&#x153; dustbins in Janwaar. At the Villa we separate the waste â&#x20AC;&#x201C; paper, bottles and plastic. The first thing in the morning, when the kids arrive at the Villa, they clean the backyard. They collect all the paper, plastic and bottles and throw it in the bins. It has become a habit.

Slowly they are applying this idea at home. Parents do tell us that their houses have become cleaner.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

136

Girls first! This is one of our two rules – marked at the entrance of the Villa Janwaar.

The other rule is “no school, no skateboarding!“ The rule (more or less) guarantees that whenever a girl wants something a boy has, she will say “girls first!” and she will get it.

The rule was introduced right from the beginning to make sure that girls will get skateboards as well and has now permeated in all aspects of the Villa- and skatepark-life.

And it’s working!

Photo: Basumatary Tunu

137

Veer Singh – our landlord at the Villa. He is the eldest son of Hetsingh and his wife Gyaan Yadav (see page 102). Veer Singh got married at the age of 15 and he has two children, a girl and a boy. He is living with his wife and the children in an extension of his father’s house – they are sharing the same inner courtyard. The entire family – but mainly Veer – are running one of our homestays.

At the frontside of the Villa, Veer has a shop – it was the first shop in Janwaar. He is selling cold drinks and junk food – we haven’t convinced him yet to sell healthy food and drinks. That’s work in progress. He also has a “chakki“ at his shop – the villagers bring him their wheat and he makes flour out of it. His shop is THE meeting point in Janwaar.

Photo: Matjaž Tančič

138

Ladies on the swing. Ramrati (in the pink shirt on the left), Kallu Bai standing, Jalsa Bai sitting on the tyre and Kamla Gond “making“ speed – four mothers are having fun!

These four ladies (all Adivasi) always help us – whenever a job needs to be done, they are there. Unlike the Yadav women they do go out on their own and yes, they do express feelings – something rare in Indian public life.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

139

140

Wall in the courtyard of the Villa – painted by the kids.

Every now and then the kids re-paint parts of the Villa or the skatepark. It’s always work in progress.

Photo: Matjaž Tančič

141

Homestays We have 4-5 homestays in Janwaar.

During wintertime (mid October – mid April) it happens frequently that they are all fully booked. We have guests coming in from schools, skateboarders, people who are holding workshops at the Villa and quite some media people. Once in a while “regular“ visitors are joining us to experience the Janwaar story. For some of the families the homestay has become an important source of income. A night at a homestay costs 300 Indian Rupees (€ 4.20), including breakfast.

Each additional meal costs 100 Indian Rupees.

From this money, 100 Indian Rupees goes back to the Barefoot Skateboarders Organization to buy stationary for the Villa Janwaar.

142

This is the frontside of Karan’s homestay. Karan is one of our oldest kids within the “Janwaar gang” and is very warm-hearted. He just became father! He is one of the directors at the Barefoot Skateboarders Organisation but, unfortunately, not really very much involved in the daily work. His main job is to run his parents’ farm. He is the son of Geeta and Anand Singh Yadav (see page 92 and 93).

It was the first homestay in Janwaar – and it started with a micro credit given by us.

With the money they bought a brand new charpie (Indian bed), a mattress and a pillow, towels and bed sheets. Within less than a year the loan was paid back – enough guests had come!

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

143

The washbasin outside the lavatory of Karanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s homestay.

It is located right opposite of the house and it was only built three years ago. Hardly any house in Janwaar has a bathroom.

Photo: Alsam Saiyad

144

View from the roof terrace into the inner courtyard of Karanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; house. The inner courtyard is the shared space. Usually the people have their little place there where they worship, they come together here and eat.

This is also the space where the guests take their meals.

Photo: Alsam Saiyad

145

This is the most occupied room of all our homestays.

People love to stay there and enjoy the hospitality of the village people. It’s in Anil’s and Arun’s parents’ house, just down the road from the Villa Janwaar. You’ll have sweet “pink dreams“ :-) It is not exaggerated to say, that this homestay has doubled the income of the family. One year after opening they’ve added a bathroom – the father said to me: “I think our female guests will feel more comfortable with a bathroom!”. All the meals are served in the courtyard. In cold nights they will make a bonfire and tell village stories and share experiences.

It really feels like home.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

146

Once we have guests, we host all kind of events at the homestay. It becomes a meeting point. Jalsa Bai, the landlord lady, makes a very good chai (home made Indian tea with all kind of spices) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; everyone loves it.

In this case here, we are discussing our schedule with our artist guests from Mumbai. We had them with us for one week for a photo documentary.

Photo: Aslam Saiyad

147

Women in Janwaar

148

Malti Bai is currently the sarpanch in Janwaar.

The sarpanch of a village is the focal point of contact between government officers and the village community and retains power for five years. She/he is an elected member of the village Gram Sabha, a constitutional body of local selfgovernment in India. It sounds like “Power to the People“ – but from what we see, it is still more of a rhetorical slogan than an actual practice. It is also required in the ”election rules” that the sarpanch has to be a woman and/or an Adivasi at least every fourth term.

In Janwaar, Malti Bai is the “official“ sarpanch, but the job is executed and controlled by her husband. All the village men deal with him instead of her – she rather seems to be a place holder for her husband than an active political and administrative figure.

Photos: Arun Kumar

149

This is a very typical photo: Adivasi women carrying wood out of the forest to Panna to sell it. It takes them four to five hours to collect the wood and then they walk seven kilometres to Panna – and they will “earn“ max. 200 Indian Rupees (€ 2.80).

Such a load of wood is very heavy. To this day we wonder how they balance it out on their heads. You hardly see a man doing this kind of work.

Collecting wood in the forest is actually forbidden by law, but for many women it is the only source of income.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

150

Raniya (85 years old) is a role model for Asha (21 years old). These two women are two generations apart. Asha has written a Facebook post about the old lady in which she said: â&#x20AC;?Raniya has three sons, but she does not live with them, she lives alone and works and runs her own home.

I love her way of living. She is a very honest, hardworking and true hearted woman!!!â&#x20AC;&#x153; Nothing more to add!

Photo: Arun Kumar

151

Kamla Gond â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a true hero among the Adivasi women.

She is Ashaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother. She stood firm by her daughter and resisted all bad-mouthing and lies when she decided to let her daughter travel to England. She trusted Asha and us. She went with her to Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, to get a passport.

For the very first time she and her husband went to Delhi to pick up Asha on her return from England. What a surprise it was!

Kamla Gond has become an active voice in Janwaar, encouraging other women to follow her example and provide their daughters with more freedom.

She is always there when we need help at the Villa Janwaar.

In this photo you see her at work during the construction of the new skatepark.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

152

Kallu Bai has a beautiful smile. Like all the other women in Janwaar she is very hard working. One of her kids, Sachin, was very sick. He suffered over years from skin TB and couldn’t live a normal life. His open wounds on his head and around his neck kept him away from other kids and he couldn’t play.

One day we offered her help and asked if we could bring Sachin to Delhi to a proper hospital. She and her husband Seglal agreed and a nine months healing journey started. Litte Sachin, nine years old when he went to Delhi, showed extraordinary strength and an unbreakable will – and he recovered. Today he is fit, happy and smiling.

It was a tough time for the family.

We took the parents twice to Delhi to visit their son – and every time we heard them talking on the phone, it made us feel happy to hear the tenderness and kindness in their voices.We’ve never heard this kind of lovely tone in the village before.

Photo: Arun Kumar

153

Geeta Yadav is making dahi, traditional yogurt, from her buffaloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s milk. She has an electronic mixer.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

154

This lady (unfortunately we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t research her name) is making mattha out of dahi â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you can drink it like lassi.

Photo: Aslam Saiyad

155

Rampyari Yadav is 90 years old. She has given birth to six sons, all of them living in Janwaar â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in the same lane.

She and her husband Halke (see page 176/177) live together in their own house.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

156

A typical mid-age Yadav woman. She came as an in-law to Janwaar. Whenever she steps out of the house, she has to cover her face.

Even inside the house she has to cover it when an elder men is there.

This is what the tradition has taught them and it is very hard to break the rules.

Photo: Deepa Yadav

157

Two generations â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but rather no hope. Ravitto sitting right next to her mother Sunita.

What gives us hope, is that Sunita is living in the area in Janwaar where quite some change is happening and her daughter is in touch with the young kids who drive the change.

Photo: Arun Kumar

158

Mahanti Adivasi sitting in front of her house. She is the grandmother of Asha.

The house is a very typical Adivasi house in Janwaar: the rather small door, the locally produced tiles on top of wood and the small “holes“ just below the roof, which function more as “air-conditioner“ than as windows. In front of the house the charpie – a typical Indian bed which you see in the villages.

Photo: Arun Kumar

159

We called this photo: “Dreams, but no future!”. When we first saw this photo it made us sad.

We think it’s staged.

The colours are just like in the eighties back in Europe. It shows Yadav girls – they are all looking somewhere with some kind of ease, but they don’t see anything. It shows their nothingness so to speak.

The truth is that these girls can’t determine their future – they will get married and locked behind the doors of their houses.

Photo: Shailendra Yadav

160

Same family as the girls on the opposite side â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bharti Yadav working at her sewing machine.

Photo: Aslam Saiyad

161

162

In front of an Adivasi house.

It is quite “normal“ that people write blessings and wishes on the walls of their houses. You see this for Diwali (Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights, usually lasting five days and celebrated during the Hindu Lunisolar month Kartika – between mid-October and mid-November) but also when people are getting married.

They will welcome the newly weds by writing their names on the wall.

Photo: Aslam Saiyad

163

The Elders

164

Buddh Singh Yadav is father of some powerful Yadav men in the village. He has four sons and four daughters. His wife has died. He is a frequent visitor at the skatepark and at the Villa. He is walking around with a huge stick which – we assume with a blink in the eye – he won’t hesitate to use to beat someone up, if needed. He hardly talks and therefore it is hard to figure out what’s going on in his mind.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

165

166

One morning during the monsoons we came to the village and parked our motorbike in front of the Villa Janwaar.

There, this old man was standing with a small bag of wheat waiting for Veer Singh (see page 138) to open his shop. This man is not from Janwaar, he is living in a village close by. First we were hesitant to take a photo, but the entire scene was just so surreal that we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let the chance go. The rain, the colours, the dirt, the expression in his face.

Without showing any kind of emotions he would sit, stand, knee in front of the shop.

When he saw the photos he smiled. We guess it was the first time he had seen himself on a photo. A weird encounter.

Photos: Ulrike Reinhard

167

Chandan Singh Yadav is the son of Buddh Singh Yadav (page 164/165). He runs a homestay and is pretty well off. His children are too old to participate in our programs. He always looks at us with a critical and suspicious eye. He is controlling the food which comes from Panna district to the government school and the Anganwadi in Janwaar.

An Anganwadi is a type of rural child care centre. They were started by the Indian government in 1975 as part of the Integrated Child Development Services program to combat child hunger and malnutrition.

Anganwadi means courtyard shelter.

Sometimes people complain that there is not enough food coming to the Anganwadi â&#x20AC;&#x201C; so once in a while we have a discussion with Chandan and do take care that the right amount of ingredient is reaching the Anganwadi.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

168

Rupp Singh Yadav – he belongs to another Yadav cluster (one could also say clan) within Janwaar. We are aware of five clusters in the village. The clusters are defined by family and from what we hear, the family clusters do not always live in harmony. It’s the usual daily ”village life“ twists they live through such as the own standing in the village, issues with the sarpanch, elections and so on.

His granddaughter Deepa is a very good skateboarder but unfortunately her family doesn’t always allow her to participate in our activities.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

169

Sure Lal is living at the far end of Janwaar, just behind out first skatepark. One of his sons, Brejesh, is a good skateboarder. Sure Lal is not very much involved in our activities, but every time we ask if Brejesh can participate in something he will allow him to go. So he really trusts us.

The day Aslam took this photo, was the first time we had a longer chat. Sure Lal said, he is appreciating what we are doing and that very often he is torn apart between the fact that he needs his children to help him in the fields even though he knows that they should go to school. Sure Lal said he needs to make sure that all of them have enough to eat, only then they can think about the other things.

Photo: Alsam Saiyad

170

Shyam Lal is the grandfather of one of our best skateboarders, Ramkesh. Last year his wife went to Jaipur with their granddaughter. It was her first time out of the village and he had no issues with this.

Unthinkable in the Yadav community.

Shyam Lal and his wife are living with their children and grandchildren in one household â&#x20AC;&#x201C; each generation having their own little house. Once in a while Shyam Lal takes our visitors into the jungles to show them the surroundings of Janwaar.

He is the best guy with the slingshot! And he does take care of the bicycle rental, he and his son are running.

Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got six bicycles from Decathlon and they rent them out to make a little income!

Photo: Alsam Saiyad

171

A guest who came for a wedding. He stayed in one of our girl skaterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house for a marriage.

At a marriage, men will sit separately from the women and the Adivasi will sit separately from the Yadav.

The guests will arrive in buses and when they leave it looks like a mess. There is garbage all over, mainly plastic plates and plastic sheets â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it takes days to clean up!

Photo: Deepa Yadav

172

Babu Lal is carrying one of his grandchildren, Labbhu. He is not working anymore. He used to work for the government. Now he is spending his time in the fields and with the grandchildren.

In the background is Ashaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grandfather, Manik Lal. He is still working in the fields.

Manik Lal and his wife own a piece of land a little outside of Janwaar, a beautiful spot.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

173

Asharam â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Indiana Jones of Janwaar, at least by his look. He has two sons and one daughter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all of them are in the age to get married.

He belongs to the family of the sarpanch.

The bicycle is the main mode of transport in Janwaar.

There is only one car in the village and a few motorbikes.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

174

Deshraj Yadav â&#x20AC;&#x201C; he is always cycling back and forth to Panna to sell the milk. He is living a bit outside of the village, up on a small hill, with his sons and their families.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

175

176

Halke Yadav, husband of Rampyari (see page 156), â&#x20AC;&#x153;residingâ&#x20AC;&#x153; on his land. He is frequently roaming around in Janwaar and every now and then he pays a visit to the skatepark and Villa Janwaar.

Halke is always open for a chat and a little flirt. He is spreading good vibes and the fact, that he is looking what is going on, makes us feel good! Two of his grandchildren participate in our Open School Project.

Photo: Makarand Ranavde

177

Prakriti School Our close cooperation with Prakriti started right from the beginning of our Janwaar experiment. We were introduced to the school

by Mrytyunjay Mishra. He had all his three children at Prakriti and has helped us in the beginning in Janwaar. We instantly liked the inclusive and open concept of Prakriti â&#x20AC;&#x201C; learning by listening to your inner self. These ideas aren't empty lip service but are deeply embedded in the foundersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; minds and even in the architecture of the school buildings.

No wonder, it were the Prakriti students and their parents as well as some teachers who were our first visitors in Janwaar. It was then when the seeds for an ongoing and on-growing partnership were seeded. Today, some of our kids are regular students at Prakriti and Ulrike Reinhard is helping Prakriti in everything which is related to culture and digital.

Meanwhile we share a common network and continously exchange ideas. https://prakriti.edu.in/

178

The idea that learning has no boundaries and should be open for all, is expressed in the way the Prakriti Schools are built. It is an open architecture without any doors. Everywhere you ďŹ nd a lot of meeting places: outside the classrooms, community spots for conversations and paintings and art, made by the Prakriti children.

Photo: Jasvinder Singh

179

Vineet Swaroop (centre) used to coordinate all the activities between Janwaar and Prakriti.

In this photo he is actively involved in a teacher program in which our kids participated as well. It was about Prakriti Culture and how we can create a common understanding of what Prakriti is standing for â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and how this understanding is communicated to and perceived in the outside world.

Photo: Shiva Trivedi

180

Anil Kumar (the elder boy in the green hoodie in the back) is one of our Janwaar kids who participates in the Open School Project (see pages 186199). Twice a week he is giving skateboarding sessions to the young Prakriti children.

These are regular sessions for which the participants pay. It generates income for the Barefoot Skateboarders Organization (see page 124131) and pays some bills in our Open School Project. Besides this, instructing the kids is a great possibility for Anil to improve and practice his own â&#x20AC;&#x153;teaching and social capabilitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x153;. A win-win-situation for all. Once in a while, Vineet will jump in and help in case too many kids are joining the group.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

181

Arun Kumar, the older brother of Anil, also participates in the Open School Project (see pages 186-199). Hands-on learning by solving every day problems. This solution-based concept of learning is deeply embeded in Prakritiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and our culture. In this case, it is fixing a bicycle. Arunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role in this group is to facilitate the group and to learn how to pass on his knowledge. It is overseen and he is guided by a Prakriti teacher.

The goal is, that he implements these things in Janwaar and helps the village kids to grow.

Photo: Shiva Trivedi

182

Once in a while Prakriti passes on excursion tipps. Last year Asha, who is also participating in the Open School Project (see pages 186-199), went with four of our Janwaar girls to the Rainbow Dream Camp in Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a 40-hours-trip from Janwaar.

The camp follows and is driven by the same values as Prakriti.

The girls-team had a wonderful week in Tamil Nadu and enjoyed the program with 30 other girls from all over India.

Such initiatives and trips open up new horizons for our kids and show them, that they are not alone in their daily efforts to go to school and pass exams.

They understand that learning can be fun and they carry it back home and challenge the local government teachers at their school.

Photo: Unknown

183

Bharti Batra, chairwoman of Prakriti School and our main contact there, initiated the first medical camp in Janwaar. It aimed to raise awareness for basic hygiene and health care for children. The first medical camp was a huge success.

Bharti brought Dr. Sethi, a paediatrist from Gurgaon (close to Delhi) and provided all the medicine (vitamins, de-worming etc.). The camp went on for three days. During the first day the mothers were hesitant to come with their children but then the numbers grew and people were standing in line for advice and medicine.

More and more children were brought to us. We appointed two women who proceeded to give the medicine to the kids and we explained them when to give which medicine.

Dr. Sethi also meditated with the teachers from the government school and included them in the effort.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

184

The medical camp took place in the courtyard of the Villa Janwaar.

It was nice to see that the entire community came together.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

185

Open School Project Our Open School Project is a collaboration between the Rural Changemakers gem. e.V/ The Barefoot Skateboarders Organization with Prakriti School in Noida. The project started in Januar 2019 and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s based on an assessment Prakriti did in Janwaar. We invited five teenagers to participate in a two-year program which aims to close the existing gaps these five young teenagers have in regular school subjects (Hindi, science, maths and so on) while at the same time it encourages them to guide and teach the kids back home.

The program is hands on and deals with real life problems and solutions for rural villages.

Besides social and leadership skills the teenagers learn English and media/computer skills.

This project is designed as an experiment and is fully funded by private donors.

186

Rina Singh, a Canadian writer of children’s books, is a mentor in our Open School Project.

She has visited Janwaar and is thinking about a children book about Janwaar. She also practiced individual online English sessions via Skype with some of the participants of the program.

In this photo she is seen during a session on “conflict management and working as a team“ at Prakriti School during one of her visits to India.

Arun, Asha, Brejendra, Anil and Ajeet (left to right) listen carefully.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

187

188

After one and a half years down the road, we can clearly say that Anil Kumar is the most advanced in academic learning. He really wants to learn and puts effort in it.

He is still struggling to get out of his comfort zone â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but he is getting ready for it. He certainly has learned to speak in front of the public and how to use a computer.

He is an engaged self-learner (with guidance from the teachers) and wants to pass 10th grade under the Open School Curriculum.

He has also found his passions in playing the guitar and reading books.

Photos: Arun Kumar

189

The “Five“ – Brejendra, Ajeet, Anil, Asha and Arun – on the balcony of their new home in Noida, right opposite of Prakriti School. We’ve leased this apartment for the kids who’ve been selected for the Open School Project. Part of the project is that they run the household on their own (breakfast and lunch is served at Prakriti School), that they do budgeting and accounting for all their spendings and that they live and work as a team. It is challenging at times, they learn a lot about conflict management and social responsibility.

Photo: Ulrike Reinhard

190

Asha, the only girl in the group is playing a ball game with the Prakriti teachers during a workshop. Asha has certainly found her way during the Open School Project.

She is deeply passionate about working with young children and differently-abled kids.

As a fellow for Ashoka and The Connecting Dream Foundation she is in the process of setting up our own school in Janwaar. Also Asha has become the director of the Barefoot Skateboarders Organization in 2019.

Asha grew as a person and has truly found her way.

Photo: Shiva Trivedi

191

Asha in her element: working with the little kids at Villa Janwaar. The kids adore her and love working with her.

If she is out of the village she is really missed by the crowd.

No doubt. Every morning and afternoon Asha is holding sessions with the kids. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about playful learning, nurturing their creativity and social behaviour.

Asha has a good standing among the mothers of the children and she is taking the responsibility which comes along with it serious. She is arguing that all little kids should come and learn. Even the local government teachers are now taking her advice how to push forward those at school, who are behind.

For all the activities Asha has a mentor group with Prakriti and our network.

Photo: Arun Kumar

192

These three little rascals David, Raj and Sameep are regular participants at the Villa Janwaar sessions – held

by Asha. They love to come to the Villa in the morning and literally inhale Asha’s sessions.

They’ve become eager to learn and enjoy it. This is an important first step. It will surely impact the way they see the government school and they will challenge the teachers there! It has some kind of snowball effect which overall is fostering learning in the village.

Photo: Matjaž Tančič

193

194

Neha, Poorti and Asha (left to right) are creating puppets out of mud. The kids of the Open School Project did a workshop in the village to raise the awareness of hygiene to fight the Covid19. They used theatre as the medium. They wrote the texts and dialogues for the little kids, they practiced with them and then helped them to perform in front of the village people. In the play they talked about the necessity of keeping distance and washing the hands. And they used the puppets for the play.

At the Villa the kids have their very own circle, painted by each kid itself, in which they sit during the sessions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; practicing social distancing.

Photo: Arun Kumar

195

An important part of the Open School Project: Every week, one Open School kid comes back to Janwaar to teach at the Villa – while at the same time one Janwaar kid visits Prakriti School for one week to experience new ways of learning. We’ve selected five younger children who regularly commute between Noida (Prakriti School) and Janwaar.

In the photos you see little Durgha. She is one of them. Durgha is still a bit wild, un-tamed so to speak, but she is very curious and open. With an older Open School kid she takes the overnight train to Delhi and crosses the bridge over to Noida by bus or auto rickshaw. She stays with the kids at their apartment and attends Prakriti School. Usually Asha is “hosting“ the girls and is taking care of them.

The Janwaar–Noida–Express has triggered an eagerness to learn in the entire village and it carries the spirit of new ways of learning back to the local government school when the kids go back there.

Photos: Unknown.

196

197

Brejendra Yadav ( far left photo) was the first to build a hand-washing machine. We showed videos to the Open School kids how they could do it. When Brejendra came back from Prakriti School for his one-week-sessions to Janwaar, he built a hand-washing machine together with the kids. Back then it was a tool to implement simple hygiene rules at the Villa. And the kids followed it.

No one thought about Covid19 at that time.

Photos: Arun Kumar

198

In the backyard of the Villa Janwaar the kids use the hand-washing machine BEFORE and AFTER their sessions. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a fun way to implement hygiene rules.

During Covid19 more handwashing machines were built.

At the Villa the kids do take care that the little ones wash their hands frequently. The goal is that the kids take this back home to their parents and encourage them to wash their hands as well.

199

photo index

Divy Bhayia 8 Gabriele Engelke 119, 121 Arun Kumar 103, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 117, 128, 129, 133, 148/149, 151, 153, 158, 159, 188/189, 192, 194/195, 198/199 Vinati Makijani 106/107 Makarand Ranavade 92, 176/177, Ulrike Reinhard 105, 108/109, 110, 120, 122/123, 126/127, 132, 134, 135, 136, 139, 142/143, 146, 150/151, 152, 154, 156, 164/165, 166/167, 168, 169, 173, 174, 175, 181, 184, 1 85, 186/187, 190

Aslam Saiyad 90/91, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 116, 118, 130/131, 144, 145, 147, 155, 161, 162/163, 170, 171 Maninder Singh 102 Jasvinder Singh 178/179 Matjaž Tančič 88/89, 104, 138, 140/141, 193 and the book title Shiva Trivedi 180, 182, 191 Basumatary Tunu 137 Deepa Yadav 157, 172 Shailandra Yadav 160

Prakriti is our closest partner and collaborator.

With Prakriti we developed our Open School Project and Bharti Batra, their chairperson, started the medical camp in Janwaar (see pages 184/185).

They are mentioned all over in our book and explicitly on pages 178-199.

Prakriti is an inclusive school oďŹ&#x20AC;ering progressive learning to children with diverse socio-economic background and learning disabilities. They run under the IGCSE Board. www.prakriti.edu.in

Stefan Kaduk and Dirk Osmetz (together with Hans A. Wüthrich and Dominik Hammer) have written the book “MUSTERBRECHER – Die Kunst das Spiel zu drehen“.

In June 2020 the lastet updated edition was published.

It included Ulrike Reinhard and our Rural Changemakers project and showed, how we broke with the existing patterns in the world of development aid and experimented and explored new ways to trigger change. They clearly understood and pointed out that our project is not FOR the village people but WITH them. They drew similarities to the business world and concluded that it doesn’t make a big difference if you deal with village or corporate culture.

The tools and processes are the same (see page 54/55 and page 68-72).

And the MUSTERBRECHER support on a monthly basis our Open School Project! https://www.musterbrecher.de

Ulrike Reinhard, founder of Janwaar Castle and The Rural Changemakers gem. e.V., has been working with time4you GmbH in the early 2000 years – when e-learning was just about to become a topic. After a long break she re-connected with them only in September 2019 and immediately time4you agreed to support our Open School Project in which e-learning plays a significant role. With their support we were able to send three of our Open School kids on a learning excursion to the Barefoot College and an Unlearning Conference in Rajasthan in early March 2020. It was a 10-day-trip and the kids learned a lot self-learning and how to create an impact in Janwaar with small well-defined actions (see p. 22-25). https://www.time4you.de

Decathlon Skateboarding has been with us since our first skateboarding challenge in Janwaar in 2016. Back then their management teams from France and India seamlessly dove into village life and conquered the skatepark. It was huge fun! And it was the beginning of a well trusted and honest relationship. We learned about each other at various quite different events, and we in Janwaar understood that their ”slogan“ ”Skateboarding for the many!“ It’s not an empty lip service – no. It’s deeply routed in their company mission and values. Decathlon Skateboarding has supported all the skateparks we’ve helped to built in India and is our strongest supporter for any kind of ”hardware“ we need. @decathlonskateboarding

Maria Pelzer, ART+IMAGE Berlin, is one of our most loyal and trusted partners. She runs a small, very ďŹ ne consulting agency for cultural events.

Maria is supporting our NGO over the last three years and she regularly comes up with new ideas. She is exploring various merchandising opportunities for us. Her latest endeavour is a Rural Changemakers shop on Spreadshirt.

https://shop.spreadshirt.de/RuralChangemakersGoodsShop/ https://www.artundimage.de

Ulrich Otto has been supporting our activities over the last two and a half years. Being a former IT-entrepreneur and now trainer and coach for personal development, his main interest is our Open School Project – there he is helping Anil Kumar to pursue his dreams.The Open School Project perfectly matches his business mission: ”Unfolding your full potential to become even happier, healthier and more successful. Be the creator of your own path of life!“ Ulrich and his wife Inge visited Janwaar in March 2020 to experience first hand what is going on in the village. https://www.erfolg-durch-entfaltung.de/

digitaleheimat – digital homeland – a Berlin-based consultancy, is one of our earliest supporters. They advised us in administrative issues with our server, they’ve helped to implement our shop and they connected us to the right people to print this book. But their support goes way beyond ”digital“. In an easy and very relaxed way they’ve been with us over the last couple of years.

Thank you for this! https://www.digitaleheimat.de

Anupam Bansal, founder of atelier for built-environment research & design, and his partner and team are here for us, whenever they are needed. Let it be for the maintenance of our skatepark or translating architecture plans into village Hindi, the renovation of our Villa Janwaar or supporting our kids in Delhi. We can count on them.

Their Delhi-based oďŹ&#x192;ce has seen many Janwaar kids. abrdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s help is really hands-on. Anupam has been a couple of times in Janwaar. And so have members of his team.

They know about the circumstances. And they certainly know what they do.

https://www.abrd.in

A few years ago – in the early days of our skateboarding narrative – I received a message from Gurneet, saying that he would come to Janwaar in the next few hours.

I wasn’t able to meet him. He spent the day in Janwaar and a week later I received a lovely short video showing him and the kids having fun in Janwaar. We kept in touch since then.

Gurneet Singh is the founder of Simac Industrial Machines – two of their sewing machines we have in Janwaar. With these machines a few ladies in the village sewed the bags of our last book and made some money. The machines serve as a source of income for the ladies. Gurneet is strongly supporting our Open School Project and our ”Food for Janwaar“ campaign during the COVID19 crisis. Thank you for this!

+919888180063

Thank You Nicola Claire Shail Desai Doris Eichmeier Bea Gschwend Paul Morland Dagmar Quentin Bettina von Stamm Matjaž Tančič

If you wish to support our work please contact us via: hello@rural-changemakers.com Or make directly a contribution to: The Rural Changemakers gem. e.V. Berliner Sparkasse IBAN: DE44 1005 0000 0190 7388 98 BIC: BELADEBEXXX

1. Edition 2020 Copyright: The Rural Changemakers gem. e.V. HauptstraĂ&#x;e 17 10827 Berlin Germany www.rural-changemakers.com hello@rural-changemakers.com Idea and Concept: Ulrike Reinhard Layout: Bea Gschwend Printed at LASERLINE, Berlin, Germany.

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Photo: Matjaž Tančič

Janwaar. Beyond Skateboarding Bea Gschwend / Ulrike Reinhard