Aritram

Aritram (अरित्रम्)

An Immersive Volunteering Program

Overview

Aritram, a Sanskrit word meaning an oar used for steering a boat, is an invitation to co-create. Set in a village ecosystem of Tilwari (near Dehradun, Uttarakhand) where food, farming, community, and creativity intersect, the volunteering program brings together individuals from diverse backgrounds to participate in building experiences that are rooted, regenerative, and humane.

Volunteers become active collaborators across hospitality, food systems, storytelling, design, and community engagement. The program is conceived as a six-week minimum immersive stay, where participants live on-site, share meals, and contribute meaningfully to evolving projects.

Conceptualized by the Anutraaya Foundation in collaboration with Kaaya Learning Center, the collective vision seeks to engage communities at an eco-learning space. Anutraaya Foundation is a Culture & Ecology living lab working across various experimental learning models.

Rooted in the ecological and cultural landscape of the region, Kaaya works closely with local communities through initiatives connected to education, livelihoods, and sustainable development.

This program aligns with the Integrated Smart Village Centre (ISVC) initiative in Tilwari, which focuses on strengthening digital access, livelihood opportunities, and community-led development.

Areas of Engagement

1. Café & Farmer’s Market: Crafting Experiences Around Food

The eco-space houses an operational café and an evolving Farmer’s Market. Through this engagement, the volunteers shall:

Manage guest experiences and hospitality

Participate in kitchen operations (optional but encouraged)

Co-create seasonal menu additions using local produce

Experiment with recipes, formats, and food storytelling

Design and host guest-centric experiences (tastings, themed meals, pop-ups)

Farmer’s Market:

A vibrant marketplace where local farmers directly engage with consumers. The volunteers will:

Support Anutraaya & Kaaya with farmer onboarding and market setup

Design initiatives & events to increase footfall and community participation

Build narratives around local produce and farming practices

Create digital storytelling archives (photo, video, written)

Explore creative formats such as guided market walks, tasting trails, or “meet the farmer” sessions

2. Community Kitchen & Regenerative Growing

A dedicated Community Kitchen space (separate from the café kitchen) looks to breathe life as a center where food begins before the flame. Also surrounding the kitchen is an active farming area currently growing salad leaves, with plans to expand into diverse seasonal produce.

The volunteers will:

Participate in growing, harvesting, and planning seasonal crops

Cook daily meals using hyper-local ingredients

Anchor community cooking sessions

Document recipes, techniques, and cultural food stories

Facilitate shared meals as experiences of connection and exchange

The intention is to transform cooking into a collective ritual as strangers get together and share memories over meals; a full platter.

3. Reimagining Spaces: Treehouse & Mud Cottages

Project Treehouse:

The remains of a once-standing treehouse now await reimagination.

The volunteers will:

Participate in ideation and co-design

Assist in material exploration and sustainable building approaches

Contribute to rebuilding efforts (based on skill and interest)

Mud Cottages (Airbnb Spaces):

The existing cottages are now looking for creative upgrades and renewed identity.

The volunteers will:

Support redesign of interiors and guest experience

Contribute to aesthetic, functional, and storytelling elements

Help with the ideation of curated guest experiences

4. Storytelling & Digital Presence

The learning center & the culture lab host multiple community-driven initiatives that need thoughtful amplification.

The volunteers will:

Create content for social and digital platforms as well as build narratives around people, place, and process

Develop visual and written documentation

Shape a voice that is organic, intentional, and reflective

Program Structure & Support

Duration: Minimum 6 weeks (extendable)

Location: On-site village setting (Tilwari, Dehradun)

Accommodation: Provided on shared basis

Meals: Community Kitchen facilities

Revenue Sharing: Applicable for volunteers through café/events engagements

Eligibility

Open to individuals from all nationalities (must meet legal requirements for staying in India).

Age is no bar for any of the volunteering opportunities; we would put a caution, nevertheless, about the kind of engagements as they would need mobility, energy and rigor for an active participation.

We shall be on-site at a village and the primary language of communication among the natives is Hindi. It’s alright if you don’t know the language but are keen to pick it up- the interface with the community shall shape up our projects with more intention. Nothing to worry about if you’re a Hindi champion!

Our sincere hope is that the place and the work grow on you in a way that you discover a sense of belonging. And that you visit with that shared feeling so together we own and deliver the work.

NOTE:

The volunteering program is best suited for individuals who:

Enjoy hands-on, immersive environments

Are curious about food systems, sustainability, and community life

Bring creativity, initiative, and a willingness to collaborate

Are comfortable with unstructured, evolving work

HOW TO APPLY:

To send in your application, fill and submit the google form by clicking here