The document outlines objectives of experiencing rural life, developing an understanding of village problems and opportunities, and providing solutions. It then describes Koladur village which has 300 families and a population mainly involved in agriculture. Most women and teenagers are shy to participate socially. The village has common water taps but no street lights or adequate infrastructure. The elementary school lacks sufficient classrooms resulting in large class sizes. Government provides mid-day meals and milk. Self-help groups like Bhuvaneshwari were started to promote savings and lending. Health services are lacking and residents must travel to access care. NGO Jana Jagaran works on development projects like biogas from toilet waste.

1. Objectives
To experience the life of the rural population
To develop an understanding of the problems and opportunities of the villagers.
To provide solutions to their problems.
.
ABOUT THE VILLAGE
Koladur village comes under Nesargi town in Belgaum. Thevillagehasatotalpopulationof 300
families.
Socialisation:
Mostofthewomenandteenagersofbothgenderdonotcome forward to take part in any social activities
they feel shy to express themselves. All the villagers are very warm and caring in nature. in
general are good at heart,very loving and caring.
Occupation:
Their main occupation is agriculture. Main crops(corn, wheat, sugarcane, cotton, sunflower,
green chilli). Some villagers have their own land whereas some do not own land and work as
agricultural labours in other fields and in nearby villages ,they also carry on agricultural allied
activities like cattle rearing and poultry etc.
Infrastructure: -
The village has common taps from which they get drinking water.
It has got no street lights, House infrastructure.
Education:-
The village has a elementary school which has classes up to 6th
standard. School timings on week
days is 10 am to 4 45 pm and on Saturday its 8 am to 11 40 am. For further education the
villagers have to go to the main town Nesargi which is 1 km away from the village. Moreover
the present condition of the school is not good either which is evident from the fact that the
school has got no enough classes due to which students of two classes are made to sit in one.
Because of this no proper attention is given to their individual needs. The children are not so
interested in attending classes and hence they are not even regular to school and classes. This is
mainly because the children are not so motivated by their parents as the parents themselves are
not aware of the need of education.
Card system, Mid-day meal scheme
Government provides mid-day meals to children of the school in the village. On the other hand
they also provide milk to children during the break before lunch time.
Thestudentsnotonlyconcentrateonstudiesbuttheyhavetohelptheir parents in house hold works, farm
works, look after the cattle and no privacy for personal learningwithallthislimitationonlyoneortwois
abletodohigherstudies
Health: -
Health is wealth. The rural people are blessed with pollution free environment and they enjoy
good air and water and noise free atmosphere. But the drawback is they fail to keep their

2. surroundings and their own self clean. open toilet facility makes it all the more worse. Above all
thesethere is no health centre in this village. They have to go to nesargi for any treatment.
Jana Jagaran-
Fr Tom Kurien and Fr Joe Chenakala have the NGO called ‘Jana Jagaran’. They too have been operating
there for over 20 years and looking after the development of the villages through SHGs. One of the unique
projects initiated by Jana Jagaran is the production of biogas for cooking from toilet waste which has helped
the people of this region Self help group
Bhuvaneshwari
It was started in the year 1995. A group of 20 members comprising of women was formed and at
present the same members are continuing their membership. It mainly promotes the collection of funds
as savings from women as well as lending money as loan to women in need at a certain rate of interest.
The members assemble once in a month and relevant transactions are carried out with the initiative of a
lady who is a member of Jana jagran foundation. The initial transaction was started with Rs 10. The total
amount once reached up to Rs 5 lakh, out of which Rs 1 lakh was deposited in the bank and the
remaining Rs 4 lakh was a turnover within the members. For every Rs 100, there is Rs 2 interest which is
charged for the loans lend to the women. The members maintain a separate pass book as in case of
bank pass book where the entries will be made. Though most of the women are illiterate, they are really
aware of the money being transacted either it may be savings or loan or interest. The main purpose here
is to encourage the women to save as well as to support them in case of financing housing facilities,
education for children, marriage, development, etc. At present there are six other such groups formed
of 20 members in the same village kolladur due to self interest arising out of women. Hence this has
really been working for the benefit of the women and society in general.

3. Village Immersion Journaling and Experience Management
Table 1: A Simple Village Immersion (SOPE) Journaling Manual
Journal
Entry Item
by Day
Significant
Subjects
To
Remember
Significant
Objects
To remember
Significant
Properties/Experiences
Significant
Events
Day1:
Morning
Fr Tom, Br
Anderson.
students
Christ Niwas Warm welcome and
anxiety.
Small introduction about
Nesargi and people.
“jana
jagaran”
documentary
(about
shephards)
Day 1:
Afternoon
Deshnur
village
Math(church
come temple)
Unity of all religions Sarva
dharma
samelan and
kumbha-
mela.
Day 1:
Evening
Koladur
village.
(Owners
name)
Village houses Warm welcome by the
owners.
Day2:
Morning
Nanjappa
(farmer),
highway
farm
Filling water
for the house
needs
No water facility at home
thus causing difficulty for
the villagers.
Small kids
working and
doing
household
work
Day 2:
Afternoon
Suresh Anna,
Laxma amma
Corn
plantation,
groundnuts
Working in the fields,
removing waste of the corn
plant. Helped farmers
Usage of
waste plant
resources for
feeding cattle.
Day 2:
Evening
The only well
of the village.
Water
Tankers
taking water
from the well.
Cleaning
crops, feeding
buffaloes
Co-operative nature of
people while teaching us
various chores.
Tractor ride
Day3:
Morning
Shobha
Akka,
Members of
SHG’s
Ledger and
account books
for managing
the Financial
transaction
Women of the village came
together and were keen on
saving and using the funds
for their future needs
SHG “jana
Jagaran
Meeting”
Day 3:
Afternoon
Kaveri
amma,
-do- -do- Continuation
of the meeting

4. Day 3:
Evening
Village kids,
Laxmi Akka
Village park,
chikku ,
mango,
goosberry
No maintenance of the
parks due to which the
plants have dried.
Teaching
games to the
kids
Day4:
Morning
Fakiravva Shiva temple
of the village,
hill
plantations,
spring
Believe of the villagers on
God and customs and
traditions.
Day 4:
Afternoon
Mahadeva
amma
Spinach
plantation
the vegetables sold for very
cheap price
Plucking
spinach
plants,
Day 4:
Evening
Manjula
akka
Village Hill,
Snakes lair
Women taking long distant
walks in search of fire wood
Farewell
celebrations
Day 5:
Morning
Manjula
akka
Buffaloes
dead body
surrounded
by people
Villagers consider their
animals as a family
member. Moaning on
buffaloes death.
Buffaloes
death
Day 5:
Afternoon
Four teachers HSP school Three class rooms in which
six classes were conducted
simultaneously.
Teaching
school kids
Day 5:
Evening
Farewell
time
Waiting for
Bus, Clicking
pictures with
family.(for
remembrance)
People came to see off us
and got emotional, gave us
their blessings.
Panchamrith
were given to
us before
leaving.
Table 2: A Simple Village Immersion (AIO) Journaling Manual
Journal
Entry Item
Significant
Activities
Significant
Values/
Interests
Significant
Opinions/Attitudes
Significant
Impact on
you
Day1: Reached Anxiety.

5. Morning Nesargi Interest in
knowing
more about
Nesargi
Day 1:
Afternoon
Sarvadharma
Sammelan
(Vajara
Mahotsava)
Knowledge
about other
religions
Unity in religion Promotion of
harmony.
Day 1:
Evening
Reached
Koladur
To know
more about
village life
Caring people
Day2:
Morning
Filling water Helping the
villagers
Villagers are facing
difficulty in getting water
They should
be provided
with more
water supply.
Day 2:
Afternoon
Visiting Corn
groundnuts,
sunflower
farms
Getting more
knowledge
about
farming
Proper use of resources More labor
needed.
Day 2:
Evening
Cleaning
crops, feeding
buffaloes
Helping the
villagers
It is a very difficult task
and need more
concentration
More
equipments
required
Day3:
Morning
Jana Jagran
meeting
Ledger and
account
books for
managing the
Financial
transaction
Women of the village came
together and were keen on
saving and using the funds
for their future needs
Need proper
management
in
conducting
the meeting
Day 3:
Afternoon
-do- -do- -do- -do-
Day 3:
Evening
Visiting Village
park, chikku ,
mango,
gooseberry
In knowing
more about
the village
Park is not managed
properly
Need water
supply in the
park as the
tree are
drying.
Day4:
Morning
Visiting Shiva
temple of the
village, hill
plantations,
spring
To get more
knowledge
about village
culture
It is secluded from the
village hence not many
people visit it often.
The temple
surroundings
need to be
managed
properly. No
caretaker
Day 4:
Afternoon
Spinach
plantation
To get more
knowledge
about
farming
The vegetables are sold for
a very cheap rate through
direct sale.
Middleman
are avoided
to get more
profit.
Day 4: Village Hill, To find Beautiful view. However it Village has

6. Evening Snakes lair uranium
rocks.
dangerous due to presence
of many slippery rocks
got its own
scenic beauty
Day 5:
Morning
Buffaloes death Supporting
the family
members
Villagers consider their
animals as a family
member.
Sad moment
Day 5:
Afternoon
HSP school Knowing
more about
education in
village
Less classes. Students have
good IQ and potential.
Lack of
classes thus
affecting
students
education.
Day 5:
Evening
Waiting for
Bus, Clicking
pictures with
family
For
remembrance
Villagers love and care Sad moment.
Table 3: A Simple Village Immersion (RBV+) Journaling Manual
Journal
Entry
Item by
Day
Significant
Physical
Resources
That define
the Village
Significant
Industries
That define
the Village
Significant Products
That define the Village
Significant
Services
That define the
Village
Day1:
Morning
Christhu
niwas
- - -
Day 1:
Afternoon
Math(church
come
temple)
- - Promotion of
harmony
Day 1:
Evening
Village
houses
- - Love and care of
villagers
Day2:
Morning
Cattle Manure Milk and milk products The village has a
public well

7. through which
water is
supplying
through tankers
throughout the
village
Day 2:
Afternoon
Field,bullock
car
sunflower,
corn
Corn, groundnuts,
sunflower
Agriculture
Day 2:
Evening
Tractor - Paddy,wheat Agriculture
Day3:
Morning
Ledgers and
account
books
Banking(SHG
groups)
SHG groups
working as a
banking system in
the village
Day 3:
Afternoon
-do- -do- -do- -do-
Day 3:
Evening
Village park - chikku , mango,
gooseberry
Space for
relaxation
Day4:
Morning
Shiva temple - - Bullock cart for
transportation,
ploughing
Day 4:
Afternoon
Sickle Farming Spinach Marketing
vegetables
Day 4:
Evening
Uranium
content on
hill
- - -
Day 5: Buffalos and - Milk and milk products Providing milk

8. Morning sheeps and milk
products
Day 5:
Afternoon
Class rooms
and play
ground
School - Providing
knowledge to the
students
Day 5:
Evening
- - - -

9. Table 4: A Simple Village Immersion (RBV-) Journaling Manual
Journal
Entry Item
by Day
Significant
Physical
Resources
that constrain
the Village
Significant
Industries
that
constrain the
Village
Significant Products
that constrain the
Village
Significant Services
that constrain the
Village
Examples Lack of
rivers, dams,
wells, water,
clean
drinking
water, roads,
agricultural
land, forests,
estate
Child labor,
Child abuse
Sweatshops,
Prostitution,
Alcohol,
gambling
Lack of livestock;
Lack of fodder;
Lack of greening;
Lack of firewood;
Lack of media,
library,
Lack of
teachers/schools
Lack of adequate
schooling;
Lack of recreation
parks;
Lack of sanitation
facilities;
Lack of worship places;
Lack of Town-hall
gathering spaces;
Lack of representation.
Day1:
Morning
- - - -
Day 1:
Afternoon
Lack of
cleanliness
Day 1:
Evening
Lack of
electricity
Smoking and
tobacco
Lack of firewood Lack of sanitation
Day2:
Morning
Lack of water Child labor Lack of milk (using
milk powder)
Lack of sanitation
Day 2:
Afternoon
Lack of
irrigation
facilities
Small bulls
carrying
heavy load
(animal
abuse)
Lack of well Lack of workers
Day 2:
Evening
Lack of
equipment
Child labour Lack of livestock Lack of water
Day3:
Morning
Lack of space illiteracy Lack of stationery No adequate place
Day 3:
Afternoon
Lack of space illiteracy Lack of stationery No adequate place
Day 3:
Evening
Lack of
playgrounds
Ettiquttes Lack of playing
objects
Lack of playing area
Day4:
Morning
Lack of
cleanliness
Child labour Lack of
transportation
Lack of space
Day 4: Lack of Child labor Lack of greening Lack of workers

10. Afternoon irrigation
facilities
Day 4:
Evening
Lack of water Small bulls
carrying
heavy load
(animal
abuse)
Lack of well Lack of safety
Day 5:
Morning
Lack of
caring
Lack of
veterinary
care.
Lack of medicines Lack of safety
Day 5:
Afternoon
Lack of
drinking
water
Lack of
rooms
Lack of teachers Lack of adequate
schooling facilities
Day 5:
Evening