Leave a Footprint of Goodwill 🚐

 I just saw this line from the prompt on ChatGPT. What a good line or a mantra for people, biz and state to live by - Leave a Footprint of Goodwill! Thanks to Chatgpt for sharing such nuggets which otherwise wouldn't come to my eyes!

Btw, this post is related to the earlier two post on Champal Ghati ( Valley) tour. So, while digging on one post, another idea emerged and then one more. 

So, this post is about how each foreign tour group could “leave a footprint of goodwill” — funding one small project per trip. Over time, dozens of groups would collectively transform Chambal villages while experiencing its outlaw history and rugged beauty.

That’s a powerful idea — combining tourism with rural upliftment in Chambal. If guided tours for foreigners are organized, each group could directly fund or support a small social project in the villages they visit. This creates both a memorable experience for travelers and a lasting benefit for locals. Also, each such funding or activity should be posted on the FB page or insta or website so that other travelers will be motivated to fund similar projects. 

Here’s a tiered list of possible projects, from small-scale (per tour) to larger, cumulative impacts:

 Small, Quick-Impact Projects (1 tour group can fund in a day)

• School Kits for Children – notebooks, pens, and bags. umbrellas 
• Solar Lanterns Distribution – for houses with unreliable electricity.
• Mosquito Net Donation – reducing malaria & dengue risks.
• Community Library Corner – a small shelf in a school or panchayat bhavan with books in Hindi & English.
• Water Filters for Households – basic filters or clay filters to improve drinking water safety. 

 Medium-Scale Projects (needs consistent funding by multiple groups)

• Kitchen Gardens / Polyhouses – helping women’s self-help groups grow vegetables in arid land.
• Vocational Training Workshops – tailoring, carpentry, or mobile repair for village youth.
• Small biz loans - setting up a tea stall or a food dabha, etc 
• Rainwater Harvesting Tanks – small rooftop collection tanks for schools or homes.
  
  
• Support for Women’s SHGs – seed money for micro-businesses like handicrafts, spices, or dairy.
• Eco-Tourism Jobs – training locals as storytellers, guides, or homestay hosts.
  
• Street benches and wifi - Public space for relaxation and Internet connectivity ( Starlink, just saying ) 
• Public Notice board - Where people can post job requirement, or wanted, buy sell, etc 

Larger Legacy Projects (funded collectively by multiple tours)

• Village Health Camps – tie-up with doctors to provide basic checkups & free medicines.
• School Infrastructure Upgrade – build/repair classrooms, toilets, or provide digital boards.
• Clean Energy Projects – install solar street lights in villages.
• Water Supply Projects – borewells or community tanks for areas with water scarcity.
  
  
• Cultural Preservation Hub – create a small museum or storytelling space where local history, outlaw tales, and folk traditions are showcased (could also employ locals).
• Electric auto for widows or differentially abled people. 

Such projects can be done in any part of India - from Allapuzha ( backwaters) to the rainy Chirapungi. 

Btw, what are the common challenges of people living in Mitaoli village and its living conditions, especially about the broader Chambal–Morena area which are the heartlands in the old dacoity area. 

Basic Infrastructure & Challenges

Usually distant ones like in the Chambal belt—commonly face the following issues:

1. Water Scarcity & Quality ( Mongabay-India )

Groundwater decline, contamination, and unreliable tap supply are widespread rural issues. Even where infrastructure exists, actual water delivery can fail.

Residents often rely on intermittent tanker services or unprotected wells, leading to health issues like diarrhoea and skin infections.

2. Electricity Challenges

Many villages rely on single-phase electricity, which is prone to frequent outages and low voltages—impacting even basic tasks.

3. Education & Schooling

Smaller villages often operate under-resourced schools, with challenges in infrastructure, teacher availability, and functional facilities.

4. Healthcare Access

Remote villages usually lack nearby medical centers. Health emergencies during extreme weather or routine ailments may require long travel for care.

5. Transport & Connectivity

Rural connectivity to nearby towns or markets depends on road quality. Even though major highways (NH-509, NH-21) are accessible via Morena, local roads may still be inadequate.

source: chatgpt 


Probably, another spinoff idea would be to have a "Footprint of Goodwill" as a theme for responsible toursim in Kerala or any state! 

Btw, which state will take this up. Not just putting this into a campaign by really doing at least a small thing consistently. Also, showcasing that goodwill activity through the social channels like FB, Insta and YouTube.