Dear ComMutiny,

I’ve known you for almost a decade.

My first interaction with you was shortly after I had graduated in Journalism and joined Jagori Grameen in 2009, when I attended a Community Video workshop at your office in Delhi where you were trying to build the capacities of young people to tell their own stories. During my training in journalism, although I loved the idea of telling stories through documentaries, I was intimidated by the idea of handling a big camera and the cumbersome process of editing. But during the workshop, I was able to play with a small camera and shoot whatever I liked. I learnt how to use a simple editing software and made a video about a man who maintained the water channels in the village where I used to live. It was a wonderful experience for me.

I was constantly supported during this time by your team, and by the time I finished the workshop, it had generated confidence inside me to take this medium further. As I built upon this interest, I went on to become a part of a pan-Indian fellowship for women video bloggers. It was so exciting to take my small handicam and meet different people to capture their stories. Inspired, I went on to study documentary production. For four years following my studies, I worked in film and media production, but slowly I realised I had no opportunities to create because I was young, and as a young person you were expected to “pay your dues” before you were allowed to have a creative voice. So I decided to take an alternate path, taking the time to connect the dots between myself and my purpose in the larger world by learning more about myself, exploring new things and volunteering.

Along with my entrepreneurial journey in the area of environmental sustainability, I decided to freelance on the side. Soon, I found myself sitting in your office again after 8 years - this time as a content specialist. It is amazing how life brings you full circle. It was only after engaging with you that I could deepen my understanding of the concepts of youth centricity, youth development and 5^th spaces. I believe 5th spaces are essential because they unburden the young - they are places where you can be yourself, no matter what you have done or not done.

I’ve been working with you since almost a year now to create content that is truly useful to youth workers across the country to help create transformational journeys for more young people. Along with this, I write a blog about living zero waste called The Conscious Desi, which is also an early stage social enterprise. I work as a community organiser to bring together young adults in Delhi who want to live more sustainably by reducing waste at a personal level.
Looking back, I can see how 5^th spaces that were completely youth centric, nurturing and very accepting have influenced me deeply and helped me become the person I am today. One such space for me has been Sadhana Forest, a reforestation community in Tamil Nadu run by volunteers who are largely young adults, which fuelled my interest in working in environmental sustainability.

My inspiration to work with young people started during my time with Jagori Grameen when, while working with tribal and rural youth, I saw how youth could take initiative in their communities when they were encouraged, provided with access to information and resources, and supported through youth group meetings. For instance, a youth group in a village learnt that the local authorities were collecting plastic waste which would be shredded and used for paving roads. The youth went door to door and collected all the plastic & deposited it with their panchayat. Even though this was a small initiative, it was led by the young people in the village.

Through my work, I have learned that young lives are touched by most of the issues we have in the world today. That is why I strongly feel that development has to focus on youth and their needs. Otherwise, any kind of development will remain incomplete and ineffective. The storytelling I do for you has provided me the opportunity to refine my creative process. I wrote articles featuring former Changelooms fellows and forum members who've started their own social enterprises/non-profits. I've come to realise that my creativity blossoms when I pursue human interest stories because that's what I enjoy the most. I absolutely love the work I do with you because it has helped me realise how I, too, am a youth worker. By interacting with experienced youth workers, I learnt some lessons I value immensely. For instance, the importance of establishing clear boundaries which helps me deeply engage with my work while practicing self-care. I started to work further on my capacities of self-awareness, reflection and empathy which are critical to the work I do with and for my community. I also began to learn how to hold spaces for others in my interactions using deep listening.

Also, I must thank you for being open to my ideas. For instance, to get a better understanding of your audience and their needs and interests, I came up with the idea of doing a user survey on which we worked together. Now we can see how beneficial that exercise was. I am also glad that I was able to show you how your website can be used as a powerful tool to engage with youth. I was particularly happy when I was able to place the stories of two Jagrik girls in larger digital platforms and see the positive feedback they got. More than anything else, working with you has strengthened my belief in the need to create more spaces where young people can express themselves - spaces that come without a price tag, pressure and judgment. I believe that you are making an impact and I hope that I am able to multiply this impact with each story I tell. My dream for CYC is that it becomes the most accessible, useful and comprehensive go-to resource for youth workers in India. We can do this by consistently creating informative, intelligent and fun multimedia content that showcases stories of inspiring youth. Let’s keep working on it. Onward and upward!

With love and gratitude,

Vandana