Video Volunteers

Video Volunteers: The Unsung Heroes of the 2017 Mumbai Flood

Thousands of migrant workers are employed by the BMC for the pre-monsoon cleanup every year. But they are made to work illegally in inhumane conditions. Under the Prohibition of Employment of Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act of 2013, employing individuals, directly or indirectly, to manually clean sewers without protective gears or other cleaning equipment is a punishable criminal offence. And yet this blatant criminal practice continues with impunity. Nana Kale is among the thousands of migrant workers who get brought into the city by contractors at the meagre wage of 300 rupees per day. Not only do they not have protective gear, they are also responsible for their own medical costs if they happen to get injured or fall ill.

Video Volunteers: The death of a young man in Kashmir

Gowhar Nazir Dar was an ambitious computer science student, beloved by his family, friends and teachers. On 7 November 2015, the 22-year-old engineering student went out to buy milk. But he never came back. Gowhar was brought dead to the hospital. His father says the doctors kept asking “Why did you bring him here?” The cause of death is listed as ‘tear gas shell’ and ‘bullet’ and the hospital-issued death certificate states that the exact cause of death was to be determined by an autopsy — an autopsy that doctors refused to perform. Bystanders and witnesses testify that Gowhar was shot in his head at point blank range by a Central Reserve Police Force personnel.The administration keeps changing the script: first they alleged that no tear gas or bullets were fired and then changed it to tear gas shells being fired because protesters were attacking authorities. It’s been over a year. The government probe had 18 witnesses testifying against the CRPF. No one has been arrested to date, nor has the probe report been made public.

Video Volunteers: How a retired postmaster is reviving traditional agriculture in Madhya Pradesh

The septuagenarian Babulal Dahiya recalls that in his childhood there were vast varieties of indigenous crops in his native Pithurabad in Madhya Pradesh. These gradually reduced to only a few bio-engineered varieties thanks to the green revolution. A retired postmaster, he decided to start collecting and preserving the indigenous seed varieties of paddy by growing them in his field. Today he has managed to save over 100 varieties of indigenous paddy.

Video Volunteers: How a young man found an innovative solution to water woes in Bihar's Dashrathnagar

The 200 residents of Gehlaur, now known as Dashrathnagar, were parched for two years due to lack of clean, hygienic water supply. But due to the persistent effort of Amit Kumar, a community member of Gaya district and collective efforts of the community, Dashrathnagar finally received water.

Video Volunteers: Tied to an army jeep, a Kashmiri voter’s tryst with democracy

Farooq Ahmad Dar lives with his mother in a village in the Budgam district of the valley. The by-poll for the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat was held on 9 April 2017 amidst fierce protests from civilians and heavy presence of armed personnel. Farooq got out of his home at 8 am to go cast his vote. On his way back from the polling booth he was going to visit a relative’s home. But he only returned home late that evening, traumatised and with injuries. He was one more casualty of the impunity the armed forces enjoy in Kashmir.

Video Volunteers: In Jharkhand women are targeted and branded witches whenever a calamity befalls the village

According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 2,097 murders were committed between 2000 and 2012, where the motive was “witch hunting”. People, mostly women, are targeted and branded witches whenever a calamity befalls the village – be it death, disease or drought. Witch doctors known as Ojhas, mostly men are called upon to undo the supposedly evil influences of a witch. Many a times, victims and survivors of witch hunting are also women suffering from mental illnesses.

Video Volunteers: How Goa's Canacona forest reserve was saved from an 'afforestation' project

How a few determined local residents demanded accountability and challenged decisions taken by a government department. When threatened by the lumbering bureaucratic attitude of Goa’s forest officials, local residents took steps such as filing the RTI and mobilising a public call-to-action based on video proof with scientifically-backed research.

Video Volunteers: A new education model for students of the 'Imlee Mahua' school in Chhattisgarh

The founding principles of the school came from M.K Gandhi’s nai taleem (new training) pedagogical method. Gandhi was of the opinion that a truly complete education did not separate between learning from books and work and emphasised learning traditional handicrafts.

Video Volunteers: In Varanasi adolescent girls are challenging the patriarchy with football

Playing sports can often be seen as a masculine activity. Those who challenge this often face societal censure. And even when their families are supportive, institutional neglect often force young girls from poorer families to give up their dreams of becoming sports stars. At the same time, each success story, like the gold medal, winning Tajamul Islam from Kashmir, inspire a lot of other girls. The programme undertaken by MSS is doing exactly that- creating a space where girls take up sports and encourage other girls to do the same.