Nurturing leadership- Insights from Playquity project in Assam’s rural communities

In early May, I had the opportunity to visit two partner organizations of Pudiyador, Rural Volunteer Center in Dhemaji district and Jeevan Shiksha in Chabua district in Assam, facilitated by a Professional Development Grant opportunity provided by the AIF Banyan impact fellowship. This visit was extremely insightful to say the least. 

The evening that my colleague Jyoti and I reached Chabua, we were warmly greeted by our Playquity Coach Anjona, and her enthusiastic cohort of girls at a sports ground near the Balijan Tea estate. The 4-day visit to Chabua allowed me to see her life up close, dine with her and speak to her cohort. On day 1, we met her family, and had a conversation about Anjona’s leadership progress, opportunities and her initiatives. Listening to the conversation, I gained a better idea of how the Playquity project at Pudiyador along with their partners work together, helping girls like Anjona strengthen their leadership abilities.

Prior  to our arrival, Anjona had organized a frisbee event that involved mothers in the community, providing them with an opportunity to engage in the game of Ultimate Frisbee. This initiative exemplifies the inclusive approach taken by coaches like Anjona, who serve as bridges between her cohort and leaders in their communities.

 Over the next few days, Jyoti and I deeply engaged with Anjona and her team, interacting with them about their perceptions about gender equality, confidence, safety, education and sports participation, as part of a monitoring and evaluation survey. The girls openly shared their views, and about five of them named Anjona as their role model, highlighting her undoubted exceptional sports skills, teaching methods and her independence and confidence. 

Additionally, I had the opportunity to observe and learn from the outdoor frisbee sessions conducted by Anjona. While my involvement was limited to observation and practicing a few throws, witnessing the girls play was truly remarkable. At Chabua, we saw the girls assemble even before we had reached, practicing throws in teams of 2 or 3. Apart from witnessing a frisbee game between two teams, one of the activities that the girls engaged in as an entire team, was to practice 30 throws, without dropping the disc. If they dropped, they would start over. After multiple rounds, when the girls succeeded, the joy and the sense of victory on their faces was incredible to watch. 

Additionally, we also managed to conduct sessions on good touch and bad touch with two of Anjona’s cohorts. Personally, while planning these workshops, I was unsure about how to introduce concepts such boundaries, consent, good touch and bad touch. We made the girls repeat these words after us, drew comparisons between boundaries in a house and personal individual boundaries, explained why consent is important, discussed seeking help and exhibiting respectful behaviour. As part of the session, we made the girls pick a close friend in the group that they could discuss anything with/can confide in. I found that Anjona’s girls participated enthusiastically. To support and enhance the workshop, Anjona shared examples and experiences to support and better explain the workshop material, which provided much needed insight and context that the girls needed.

I also had the opportunity to speak to interact with members of the Jeevan Shiksha, the NGO locally supporting Anjona. The conversation helped me understand the various projects and initiatives that the organization engages in, apart from Playquity. I learnt that Jeevan Shiksha runs projects focusing on mental health, nature conservation, and education. The conversation also allowed me to understand that they see no divisions between the communities and beneficiaries they serve. Additionally, I gained more insights on their needs and requirements, support available and the profound impact they had created on society. 

The next four days we spent in Dhemaji, we met Coaches Junmoni and Rashmi, met their families, and stayed with them. We carried out similar activities with both Junmoni’s and Rashmi’s groups. One significant challenge during the trip, particularly with Junmoni’s group, was the language barrier. Many of the girls primarily spoke Assamese. Therefore, when interacting with them, we relied on Junmoni or Rashmi to translate our questions and relay the responses back to us. When we were not able to provide examples to support our questions, Junmoni and Rashmi stepped in to provide relevant examples and explanations.  While it doubled our time and efforts overall, it highlighted the strong bond between the coaches and their players, fostering an environment of trust, comfort, and mutual understanding. Through observing these interactions, I gained valuable insights into their leadership. Additionally, while surveying the girls at Dhemaji at Junmoni’s cohort, we also caught the attention of a curious parent, who later invited us to their home home and served us delicacies. 

At Dhemaji, the sessions on good and bad touch saw participation with the girls telling us about their boundaries, what they like and do not like. With fun games and icebreakers, a session that I anticipated to be sensitive and difficult, went smoothly. 

As part of our M&E survey, we spoke to nearly 30 girls in Assam. Each conversation was unique. Speaking to Anjona, Jun and Rashmi about their thoughts on gender equality, confidence, household responsibilities was insightful and inspiring. Their perspectives and views stemmed from a place of hope, motivation and showed progress and belief in the philosophy of Playquity.  Their efforts and leadership extends beyond the hours they spend teaching Ultimate Frisbee on the ground, encompassing a focus on education and overall personal development of their cohorts. 

I also had the opportunity to meet and interact with the members of Rural Volunteer Center, understand their various projects, challenges, and future plans. From supporting disaster management efforts in phases in flood prone districts, engaging in WASH projects, efforts towards digital inclusion in rural areas, farmer trainings, they worked extensively in Dhemaji. Additionally, they provided insights into their support network and expansion plans, gaining much needed understanding about the organization and their beneficiaries. 

One of my best experiences, as with all the other field visits as part of the Banyan Impact Fellowship, has been my participation in spirit circle discussions. (*Spirit Circle: After a game or session, all the players form a circle. This space that involves post-match feedback, conflict resolution, recognizing players, etc).  At Chabua, I also observed that the girls were provided with a nutritional snack post the session, while discussing the aspects of the sessions we liked, what we learnt, etc. The space also allowed us to introduce ourselves. We also participated in spirit circles in Dhemaji, involving similar discussions. It provided the space to appreciate others, reflect and celebrate achievements together.

As I reflect on these days, I recognize the difference in culture, language, transporation, attires, food in Assam was very different than my own. At Dhemaji, we crossed a small river by boat to reach Rashmi’s house. By the end of the trip, I was grateful to be in Assam, to be immersed in a new culture and to be able to learn from the unwavering spirit and motivation of the coaches we had been fortunate to interact with over the nine days. 

The coaches served as a bridge between us and the girls they coached, allowing us to know a little bit more about each other’s lives, understanding them, their families and communities they work in. These interactions with the coaches and their support network underscored the transformative impact of the Playquity project, which not only fosters sports talent but also instills confidence and empowerment in young women, preparing them to challenge societal norms. 

 With the opportunity provided by the fellowship PDG grant, as well as Pudiyador, I am grateful to them for this experience. Overall, this immersive experience highlights the significance of collective efforts in creating lasting impact. I am grateful for the opportunity to witness firsthand the transformative work of Pudiyador and its partner organizations, and the resilience and spirit of the individuals driving change in Assam.