Adivasi Education Project
The Adivasi Education Project (AEP) continued its efforts to preserve indigenous culture and empower tribal youth and children through a wide range of activities during the second and third quarters of 2023–24. These initiatives reflected our core belief that education must be rooted in cultural identity and community participation.
1. Akhara Rejuvenation Workshops and Intergenerational Interface
We organized Akhara Rejuvenation Workshops across intervention villages with the purpose of revitalizing traditional community spaces that serve as cultural hubs for the Adivasi people. In these sessions, elders came forward to share their knowledge, stories, practices, and lived experiences with the youth. These gatherings created a bridge between generations and established a platform for knowledge transmission.
By participating in this dialogue, young people engaged deeply with their roots. They listened to traditional songs, learned folk dances, and understood the symbolic importance of rituals and ceremonies that form the backbone of Adivasi identity. Elders actively mentored the youth, helping them understand not only the history of Akhara but also its relevance in today’s changing world. This experience helped young participants appreciate their culture in a new light and prepared them to carry these traditions forward. The process also fostered respect and strengthened community cohesion, encouraging young people to assume the role of cultural ambassadors within their villages and schools. Through this intergenerational exchange, we ensured that ancient wisdom remained a living, breathing part of the present.
2. Training of Bal Sansad on Adivasi Values and Peer Learning
We conducted structured training sessions with Bal Sansad (Children’s Parliament) members to instill pride in Adivasi values and empower children to share cultural knowledge within their school environment. The training was designed to encourage children to engage with their cultural identity in active and creative ways.
During the sessions, children explored stories, customs, songs, and social values unique to their community. Facilitators created space for reflection and dialogue, where children not only absorbed knowledge but also developed confidence to talk about their heritage in their classrooms. By promoting peer learning, the activity encouraged children to treat culture as a shared responsibility rather than a subject limited to textbooks.
The training also focused on leadership development. Children took part in simulations of democratic processes, decision-making exercises, and cultural planning. This built their communication skills, gave them a sense of agency, and helped them understand the importance of cultural leadership. As a result, we observed children taking initiatives to organize classroom discussions and cultural days in schools, making traditional knowledge more accessible and relevant to their peers.
3. Herbal Plot Promotion and Farmer-Child Learning Interface
To reconnect children with indigenous ecological knowledge, we promoted herbal plots in five villages by identifying local farmers who own small decimal plots of land suitable for cultivating traditional medicinal plants. These plots became practical learning spaces where children interacted directly with both plants and farmers.
Children visited these plots regularly, where farmers and facilitators guided them in identifying various herbal plants, understanding their uses, and learning about traditional healing practices like horopathy. This initiative not only improved children’s understanding of biodiversity and sustainable farming but also built respect for the agricultural wisdom embedded in their culture.
Simultaneously, we supported farmers with guidance on crop diversification and encouraged them to explore the market potential of herbal plants. Cultivating medicinal herbs allowed them to shift away from monoculture and toward high-value, ecologically sustainable agriculture. Increased household income from the sale of these herbs created a positive ripple effect—families began to invest more in children’s education, and some youth expressed a desire to pursue agriculture as a viable and dignified livelihood. This activity directly linked education with economic empowerment and cultural revival.
4. Training Youth on Child Rights, NEP, and RTE in Adivasi Context
We held targeted training sessions for rural Adivasi youth to build awareness around child rights, the Right to Education Act (2009), and the New Education Policy (2020), with a special focus on how these legal frameworks intersect with the lived realities of tribal communities.
We designed the sessions to help participants see how historical exclusion from education systems has shaped Adivasi experiences. Trainers encouraged youth to reflect on how colonial and post-independence policies influenced their access to education and then helped them navigate current entitlements under the RTE and NEP. By grounding these discussions in real-life village experiences, we made policy understanding practical and urgent.
Youth left the training with a deeper sense of their legal rights and the tools to advocate for better infrastructure, inclusive curricula, and representation in school governance. Many participants expressed their willingness to take this knowledge back to their hamlets, talk to families, and act as intermediaries between schools and communities. This marked a significant shift toward community-led education monitoring and accountability.
5. Exposure Visits to Birsa Munda Resource Centre
We organized exposure visits to the Birsa Munda Resource Centre and Adivasi Museum to strengthen cultural consciousness among youth through experiential learning. Participants had the chance to walk through curated exhibits that chronicled the Adivasi struggle against colonialism, the lifestyle of indigenous communities, and the legacy of tribal heroes like Birsa Munda.
These visits had a profound emotional impact on the youth. For many, it was the first time they encountered visual representations and written records of their people’s contributions to India’s freedom and development. Facilitators encouraged reflection and group discussions at the site, where students expressed pride in their heritage and eagerness to learn more.
The trip not only sparked curiosity but also helped root abstract ideas of identity and struggle in real, tangible spaces. Several participants later led cultural storytelling sessions in their schools, replicating what they learned during the visit. Through this initiative, we enabled youth to reconnect with their history and emerge as its narrators.
6. Career Guidance for Adivasi Youth
We conducted career guidance workshops aimed at rural Adivasi youth to help them envision aspirational yet achievable livelihood options. The sessions introduced them to both on-farm and off-farm employment opportunities, including skill-based vocations, entrepreneurship, sustainable farming, digital literacy, and public sector jobs.
Facilitators worked with youth to explore their interests, understand emerging sectors, and identify local opportunities that align with their skills and aspirations. The program emphasized the value of dignity in all forms of work and highlighted success stories of Adivasi youth who had carved meaningful career paths while remaining connected to their roots.
As a result, participants felt more confident in navigating career decisions and began exploring avenues beyond seasonal labour migration. Many of them started identifying skill-training programs they could join or government schemes they could benefit from. This intervention laid the groundwork for long-term self-reliance and employment that affirms cultural values.
7. District-Level Adivasi Cultural Convention
To celebrate Adivasi identity and address contemporary challenges to its preservation, we hosted a district-level cultural convention that brought together elders, youth, educators, cultural artists, and civil society representatives. The event served as a collective space to reaffirm the richness of Adivasi heritage and strategize on ways to sustain it amid increasing globalisation and cultural homogenisation.
Panel discussions focused on integrating tribal knowledge systems into mainstream education, celebrating Adivasi festivals as community-strengthening rituals, and acknowledging the central role of elders in cultural transmission. The convention also featured performances, exhibitions, and interactive sessions that highlighted the diversity of Adivasi traditions.
Participants left the event with renewed pride and commitment to preserving their heritage. The convention also initiated dialogue on the need for policy advocacy around cultural rights and education reform. By bringing visibility to Adivasi voices and practices, the event reinforced cultural solidarity and paved the way for future collaboration across generations.