In a significant endeavor to tackle poverty-related issues, sixty graduate students at?, a member institution of the?United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI)?in India that also serves as the initiative’s Hub for the?Sustainable Development Goal 1: No Poverty, undertook a mission to make a difference at the grassroots level. Committed to understanding, advocating, and initiating a meaningful dialogue on critical socioeconomic issues, these students have taken on the challenge of addressing the often-overlooked plight of internal migrants in India.?
While the term?migrant?is generally understood through its international scope, a??used by the International Organization for Migration says that it is actually “an umbrella term, not defined under international law, reflecting the common lay understanding of a person who moves away from their place of usual residence, whether within a country or across an international border, temporarily or permanently, and for a variety of reasons. The term includes a number of well-defined legal categories of people, such as migrant workers (…).”
“Labour migration is one of the defining features of the contemporary world of work and is integral to the process of India’s social and economic development,” says the published by the International Labour Organization. So, not only in terms of numbers but also concerning its economic relevance, internal migration in such a country is a rather important issue. Recognizing the unique complexity of poverty and internal migration in India, the institution’s students adopted a multifaceted approach.
In doing so, they were able to combine research, advocacy, and dialogue. In the preliminary stage, students could identify the core issues at different migrant settlements. “In our study, we examined for example, the portability of drinking water, and the findings were quite concerning as in our initial tests, most water samples were contaminated,” commented Microbiology graduate student Sharon Mary. Students from other disciplines have delved into various key areas, which are also crucial to comprehensively understanding the overall situation.
Such areas include analyzing employment stability among the internal migrants, emotional well-being, financial literacy, substance abuse, digital safety awareness, availability of food and nutrition, and women’s chore-life balance in these settlements. All this research provides a grassroots-level comprehension of topics directly affecting internal migrant communities, emphasizing the need for multifaceted support. “The efforts of these students are a testament to the potential of higher education institutions to drive positive change,” explained Dr. Juby Thomas.
In the second phase of this project carried out by Kristu Jayanti College, the students designed awareness campaigns based on their own research findings. “In light of their extensive field observations, our students began a campaign with the theme #Sip Right, Live Bright, to empower internal migrants to access and effectively utilize safe and clean water sources. This initiative seeks to educate migrants on purifying water independently by employing the sand filtration method and boiling or solar disinfection,” Dr. Augustine George, the institution’s Principal, said.
Through live demonstrations made in the field, students could explain in simple terms the usage of each element and encouraged the adoption of these purifying mechanisms. For instance, in the sand filtration method, different layers of materials such as silk cloth, fine sand, small pebbles, large pebbles, charcoal, and others are used to improve the filtration of water samples and remineralization. Charcoal (activated carbon) is present in the filtration method to the extent that it can remove dissolved Chlorine, Iron, Manganese, and Hydrogen Sulfide.
In addition, during the project’s third phase, the students are designing adult literacy plans, understanding that when adults are equipped to read, write, and comprehend information, they can access a wide range of opportunities that can directly impact their economic well-being. This student’s journey shows how perseverance, effective strategic plan, and vision can result in long-term transformation. As they progress, their stories serve as a beacon of hope, illustrating the potential of higher education institutions as a pathway to break the cycle of poverty.
