Jagriti Yatra is a journey in more ways than one. Not only do 500 youngsters travel 8,000 km across India, but internally, they also go through a transformation. This 15-day journey results in a change of a lifetime. This is what we gathered when we spoke to the yatris who undertook this yatra from December 24, 2018 to January 8, 2019, stopped at 12 destinations to meet phenomenal role models and since then, their life, as they know it, has changed. Apart from travelling together, another thing they shared in common was terming this experience as ‘amazing’, unanimously.
I am into social work and through the yatra, I understood aspects like collaboration, peer-to-peer learning and more. I want to inspire youngsters to participate in the yatra and tell them that if they have an idea to solve a problem, they will get hands that will help. Also, special thanks to my father Pradip Kumar Dora
Adarsh Kumar, 25, Puri, Odisha | (Pic: Adarsh Kumar)
My aim is to contribute to a sustainable future, so this journey helped me understand more about sustainable energy. I understood what more I can do towards the cause. I used to get up at 4 am and chat with the kitchen staff as well. I want to appreciate the efforts of the Jagriti Yatra team
Pramod Satish Rapeti , 25, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh | (Pic: Pramod Satish Rapeti)
This has been one of the most memorable and beautiful experiences of my life. I used to be bothered by several social issues and I wanted to understand what others feel about it. I was most inspired by the founder of Aravind Eye Hospitals, Madurai, Govindappa Venkataswamy
Harsha Naga Vardhan Poloju, 22, Hyderabad, Telangana | (Pic: Harsha Naga Vardhan Toloju)
I am a teacher and being a facilitator for Jagriti Yatra opened up my mind. I met encouraging personalities like Bunker Roy (Founder of Barefoot College), Anshu Gupta (Founder of Goonj) and others who really inspired me
Amrita Sarkar, 30, Balasore, Odisha | (Pic: Amrita Sarkar)
I have been away from India, so my aim with the yatra was to understand India. And the team ensured that we experienced the essence of every place. Like in Rajasthan, we were welcomed with dhol and Rajasthani pagri
Nataraj Tunuguntla, 24, Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh | (Pic: Nataraj Tunuguntla)
The conversations I had along the way really enriched me. The inspiration I gained from one-on-one conversations and the network I built will help me with my own start-up, Life of Girls. The several motivational speeches also inspired me
Shravani Meeriyalkar, 25, Hyderabad, Telangana | (Pic: Shravani Meeriyalkar)
For more on Jagriti Yatra, click on jagritiyatra.com
