Manish Jain

During his work for UNESCO and as an international consultant for UNICEF, the World Bank and USAID, Manish came to the conclusion that the existing education system neither provides students with relevant skills, nor promote their personal development or contributes to the sustainable development of local communities.

In search of alternatives, Manish and his wife Vidhi founded the ‘unschooling movement’ ‘Shikshantar’ in Udaipur, which is committed to a holistic approach to education. The term ‘unschooling’ refers to a learning philosophy and movement in which learners of all ages take their education into their own hands and decide for themselves what, when and how they learn, instead of following a traditional curriculum or school system. Instead, the learners’ natural thirst for knowledge and individual curiosity take centre stage. Since the birth of their daughter Kanku, Manish and Vidhi have been following the path of self-determined learning together with her.

Today, Manish is a leading global voice for the revitalisation of local knowledge systems and the design of holistic educational programmes. One example of this is his Farmversity initiative, which trains indigenous youth in rural India to become leaders in organic farming through hands-on training and the acquisition of social skills. As such, it is part of the Ecoversities Alliance, a trans-local community of over 200 transformative learning spaces from around the world.

The “Farmversity” enables disadvantaged young people in the Jhadol region to become pioneers in organic farming and social entrepreneurship. By revitalising local agriculture through organic farming methods, providing hands-on learning opportunities tailored to the local context and restoring healthy ecosystems, the Jhadol region has the potential to become a model region for sustainable change across India. The Farmversity is laying the foundation for this.

Through its comprehensive programme, the Farmversity provides the younger generation with valuable knowledge, expertise and a deep appreciation for the principles and practices of sustainable agriculture. Participants acquire skills in areas such as native plant cultivation, soil and water regeneration, animal husbandry, healthy nutrition, food processing, marketing and communication, and social entrepreneurship.

After the three-month programme, they can return to their family farms and convert them to organic farming. In doing so, they benefit from the contacts and new sales markets established through Shikshantar and the Farmversity programme. For other participants, various career options are available, such as managing ‘gaushalas’ (specialised facilities for the protection of old and ‘unproductive’ cows), event management, cooking and catering, water management, sustainable tourism and the operation of tree nurseries or bioresource centres that offer organic pesticides and fertilisers as well as training for local farmers.

To support their chosen pathways, Shikshantar offers further learning opportunities through its extensive partner network. In addition, selected participants receive seed capital to start their own organic farming initiatives.