Digital Swaraj Fellowship: Revisiting the Journey of DEF’s Flagship Programme
As the first cohort of Digital Swaraj Fellowship comes to an end, reflecting on the whole journey has been a mix of experiences, learnings and emotions. The seed that was sown a year back has started sprouting, and the aim, going forward, is to nurture it to become a full-grown tree in the coming years. This one-year journey has been enriching, intense and challenging. Right from designing and implementing the fellowship program, to guiding the fellows and responding to various situations, all of it has been a learning experience in itself. From the Orientation in Mysore to Rural Immersion and Project Implementation across different geographies in India, listening to diverse stories of change and resilience from the ground, directly from the fellows has been inspiring. The Reflection & Closing workshop that wrapped the one-year long journey, beautifully concluded the fellowship. Listening to the fellows’ experiences at the workshop during various sessions and presentations, highlighted the tremendous personal growth each one of them has achieved. The projects undertaken by the fellows have not only been personally enriching but have also made a positive impact on the communities they have engaged with. The evolution in their understanding of the grassroots and the digital domain has been remarkable and deep, as it has come from experientially observing and learning, by working directly on the ground. Witnessing this growth has emphasised the fellowship’s potential to develop youth as catalysts for social change. This has furthered the resolve to extend this opportunity to many more youth in the coming cohorts to learn more about the digital ecosystem and how it impacts the lives of people living in the rural heartland of India.
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