A Grounded Exchange at Desi Store
On 4 January 2026, students from Yale University visited the Desi Store for an educational and interactive session facilitated by Desi Trust.
The session focused on interconnected themes of the farming sector, women entrepreneurship, artisan livelihoods, and mental health offering students a nuanced understanding of how social, economic, and ecological systems intersect within rural and handmade production contexts.
Voices from Practice and Research
The interaction was guided by three resource persons whose work spans climate research, rural livelihoods, and public health:
- Bhargavi S Rao – Independent Researcher and Trustee, Environment Support Group
- Sharada Ganesh – Managing Trustee, Desi Trust
- Aruna Raman – Independent Researcher in Public Health
Through conversation and reflection, the session created space for students to engage with lived realities of rural producers and artisans, while also acknowledging mental health as an integral yet often overlooked dimension of livelihood systems.
Learning Through Dialogue
Rather than a formal lecture, the session functioned as an open exchange allowing students to ask questions, listen to experiences from the field, and situate their academic learning within real-world contexts. The setting of the Desi Store itself offered a tangible connection to the themes discussed, grounding the interaction in place and practice.
This visit reflected Desi Trust’s ongoing commitment to fostering learning through dialogue and direct engagement connecting students with grassroots perspectives on livelihoods, care, and sustainability in meaningful and honest ways.