A Journey Beyond Maps and Metrics

I have often felt that my academic and technology background trained me to think like a teacher – structured, analytical, and solution-oriented. But stepping into the field as a social worker added something far more important: empathy.

Not the kind you read about, but the kind you experience. The kind that makes you pause before taking a decision. The kind that forces you to see people, not just problems.

And when these two worlds come together, your approach changes- you don’t just plan interventions, you begin to understand lives.

Reaching Out Takes Time and Efforts 

Working in the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) dominated regions of Jharkhand has reshaped my understanding of what access and opportunity really mean. 

Many of these villages are tucked deep inside forests and hilly terrain. Roads are either broken or don’t exist at all. During the monsoon, some areas become completely cut off. What looks like a small cluster on paper often turns into hours of walking on the ground.

Household mapping here is not just data collection, it is physically demanding, time-consuming, and often unpredictable. Timelines stretch, plans shift, and you learn to adapt constantly.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that you cannot rush trust.

The communities here carry strong cultural beliefs and traditions. Topics like adolescent health, girls’ education, or nutrition are not always easy to discuss openly. These are sensitive subjects, and stepping into them requires patience and respect.

You don’t begin with awareness sessions. You begin with sitting together, observing, and most important, start listening.

Slowly, over time, conversations open up.

Stories Hidden in Plain Sight

As you spend time in these communities, you start noticing stories that are quiet but  powerful, and often unnoticed.

There are girls who left school too early.
Women who accepted their gender roles without question.
Families who never imagined alternative future for themselves.

And then, there are people who choose to change that narrative.

One Woman, Many Possibilities

During one such visit, I met Dhanwanti Devi, an Anganwadi Worker.

Her life could have followed a familiar path of early marriage, family responsibilities, and limited choices. For a long time, she believed that was all life had planned for her.

But at some point, she chose differently.

Today, she is not just performing her role at the Anganwadi centre under the Integrated Child Development Services, she is actively encouraging change in her community.

She gathers women and mothers and connects them to learning opportunities like Udaan centres, where girls who are dropped out of school are supported until they can return to formal education.

She informs families about Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV), guiding girls through the enrolment process and following up. She also speaks to families about livelihood opportunities, helping them benefit from schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) so they can have a more stable source of income. Recently, she has also started addressing the issue of alcoholism among youth, initiating conversations that are often avoided but deeply needed.

What stood out most was not just what she does, but how she does it with clarity, confidence, and a deep sense of responsibility. She takes pride in her identity as a member of her community and wants her community to be recognised not for its challenges, but for its strength.

Change Grows Slowly

Working in such areas teaches you that change does not happen overnight. It does not come through a single meeting or a single intervention. It happens when:

• A woman decides to send her daughter back to school
• A family learns about a government scheme and avails it
• A community begins to question old patterns and consider new ones

Schemes provide support to communities, but the real impact depends on workers like Dhanwanti who bring them to life at the ground level.

A Small Pause for Reflection

If you’ve read this far, take a moment to think

What does change really look like?

Is it numbers in a report?
Or is it a girl going back to school after years?
A woman helping others find their voice?
A community slowly opening up to new ideas?

In these parts of Jharkhand, change doesn’t arrive suddenly. It builds, quietly and steadily.

And sometimes, it begins with just one person deciding that things can be different and helping others believe the same.

The author is Roopika Thakur, Monitoring Officer, PCI India