Signature Programmes
Bridging The Gaps (BTG)
Bridging The Gaps Of Gender, Caste, Poverty And More
From inception Katradi's mission has been to combat social injustices stemming from the polarising factors of gender, caste, religion, race, colour and socio-economic status among others. Youth from over 20 States and Union territories in India have participated in different types of workshops, modules, youth leadership camps and fellowships, becoming peer leaders in their communities. These transformative programmes utilise diverse art forms, sports, and play to address deeply ingrained inequalities. Several of our programmes were conceived in partnership with Transformational Sports, a charity headed by the dynamic Liz Haynes, that uses Ultimate Frisbee in community development. With Transformational Sports, using the Katradi Method, we have designed several integrated art and sport curriculums to address gender, caste, and other divisive elements in India, through youth camps, fellowships, and the seeding of a new organisation named Volunteer For India.
We strive to help children and young people become aware of the unconscious absorption and perpetuation of these injustices across generations. Our actions have made a significant impact, directly benefiting over ten-thousand individuals; extending to more than one-million people through peer group exchanges, youth leadership programmes and teacher training initiatives.
Transformation in Action
"It was an experience of a lifetime. At the end I felt my journey to the far south was worthy and I felt the gaps being bridged. I believe it will surely help me in the days to come. I lived, loved and laughed with people I have met for the first time in my life."
- Coach, age 23
Bridging the Religion and Caste Divide
Across our work in 17+ states, we’ve seen how caste and religion quietly, and sometimes violently, divide communities. From something as subtle as separate utensils in kitchens to villages slapping unconstitutional fines on inter-caste marriages, discrimination continues to derail lives, often without being questioned.
At Katradi, we created ‘Love panna edhuku odi ponum?’ (Why should we run away if we fall in love?) - a module for both youth and adults that uses humour as an entry point into one of India’s most taboo topics. By asking a simple, disarming question, we open space for vital conversations around age old injustices and deep degradation of people, and encourage inclusive practices.
This programme has been carried out at different levels of society - from villages and slum communities to schools, colleges, leading NGOs, and corporates - with partners including Arunodhaya Centre for Street and Working Children, Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), and Pudiyador.
Architecting the Future
One of India’s deepest divides is between the privileged and the marginalised. Talent exists everywhere, but access does not. Children from lower-income backgrounds are often denied opportunities, no matter their potential.
Through our youth workshops, we nurture confidence, spark curiosity, bolster presentation skills, and expose participants to possibilities beyond the barriers of gender, caste, or class. They learn to recognise their strengths and passions; and to see them as powerful tools for shaping their future.
Children studying in Class 10 and 12 need to discover the importance of choosing subjects that lead to fulfilling careers rather than blindly emulating their friends and peers, or choosing courses without guidance.
Participant testimonial:
"I didn't know my love for arts could lead to high-paying careers like graphic design, cartooning, or film. Thrilled to discover my talent has value!"
Volunteer For India: 2019-2020
Transformational Sports, partnering with Katradi, in collaboration with the U.S. Consulate General in Chennai, spearheaded the creation of the Volunteer for India programme. This initiative is a vibrant youth volunteer network that actively contributes to communities across India.
Transformational Sports, received a second grant from the U.S. Consulate in Chennai, aiming to establish the groundwork for India's inaugural national youth volunteer network. Working closely with Katradi, the 9-month programme commenced with a 4-day immersive workshop in Chennai in February 2020.
This transformative workshop brought together 33 young adults from diverse regions of India. One of the key focuses of the programme was to promote understanding of gender equality and inclusivity. Rishi Moudgil from the Greenlight Fund, Detroit, and Korvi Rashid, Founder for Volunteer for Bangladesh both heading immense volunteer based organisations, gave keynote speeches.
Katradi played a pivotal role in designing this workshop, which aimed at developing an inclusive, non-transactional idea of volunteerism and its power to change the individual and society. The activities were aimed at fostering a deeper understanding of volunteerism, the challenges that volunteers face, the causes we all work towards and building ethical, equitable and inclusive teams. This intense 3-day workshop created the building blocks for Volunteer for India to move towards becoming an independent organisation. The lessons learned and bonds created between some of the brightest and most sensitive young minds in India from this workshop served as the foundation for the Volunteer for India initiative.
Here are some of the key highlights of the workshop:
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Introspection and Self-Care
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Day one began with participants reflecting on diversity, acknowledging various states, linguistic backgrounds, and abilities.
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Sangeeta Isvaran facilitated an activity that showcased the multiplicity of identities, emphasising their power to both unite and divide.
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Mindfulness exercises followed, guiding participants to consider volunteer burnout and the importance of self-care.
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Capacity Building
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The morning activities centered on challenging stereotypes and discrimination, addressing issues faced by marginalised groups, including the LGBTQIA+ community, individuals with mental illness, specific professions, and the homeless.
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Engaging activities prompted participants to introspect on their teams' composition and share personal experiences, leading to valuable discussions and a recognition of the need for open conversations.
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Participants learned the significance of innovative collaboration to ensure the success of Volunteer for India.
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Unpacking Volunteering and Constructing VFI
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During the afternoon, participants appreciated each other's passions, perspectives, and skills.
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Sangeeta explained the rationale behind the activities, encouraging breaking barriers and fostering safe spaces when working with children.
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Boundaries and rules were emphasised for interactions with minors, ensuring a supportive and respectful environment, especially when addressing abuse.
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An independent evaluation was carried out by Yashasvini Rajeshwar and her team from AuxoHub. Please click here here for a more detailed report on the workshop.
The impact of the Volunteer for India programme was substantial. It reached over 1,650 individuals, spanning across 24 states and 4 union territories. The programme's influence was felt in various communities throughout the country. Transformational Sports went on to select Gautham Ravindran and Ramalingam Natarajan from among a host of applicants to register Volunteer For India (VFI) as a public charity trust and they are building exciting programmes to support volunteerism in India.
Social Action Lab: 2018-2019
Encouraged by the success of the BTG Youth Camps (held between 2014 and 2018), Transformational Sports, in partnership with Katradi, applied for, and received, a grant from the U.S. Consulate in Kolkata, to expand the coach training programme to work for gender equality across the North and Northeast of India.
The programme included a successful 5-day workshop at the American Center in Kolkata, addressing gender issues through sessions and Ultimate Frisbee. Six funded projects focused on gender equity, stereotypes, reproductive health, violence prevention and more. These projects were implemented in both urban and rural areas across Delhi, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Assam, and Meghalaya, impacting over 700 youth and adults. Activities included workshops, storytelling sessions, and training modules. The programme sparked transformative experiences, encouraging participants to challenge gender stereotypes and address issues such as sexual abuse and harassment. Follow-on projects targeted diverse groups, including trafficking survivors, women in red light areas, and underprivileged youth across these 6 States in India.
Here are the testimonials of some of the participants:
This is the first time I’m playing outside in 10 years
Male, age 24
The last few days were filled with lots of love and respect.
Male, age 30
This is the first time I’m saying it - I’m a lesbian and I know it’s normal
Female, age 21
I have never shared what happened to me in my youth. This is the first place that has released me from my feelings of shame and fear. I want to do the same for others.
Female, age 24
For a more detailed report on the programme please visit:
Disc Trail:
Disc Trail 2017 - Street Frisbee brought together Ultimate Frisbee and street theater to initiate dialogues on gender. Throughout the year, we traveled to six cities across India, including Surat, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Auroville, and Chennai, collaborating with communities of our BTG Fellows. Street Frisbee was an innovative and exhilarating project that bridged the gap between athletes and artists, aiming to engage with the community.
Teenagers paraded through the streets of their communities, sharing the challenges they faced due to pervasive gender stereotypes and inequalities. Our dedicated BTG Fellows worked closely with these teenagers, raising awareness and developing strategies to combat gender inequality and gender-based violence. However, we recognised the importance of extending these conversations to the larger community to foster sustainable transformation.
Disc Trail 2016 - Embarked on its journey across the Northeastern States of West Bengal, Sikkim, and Meghalaya. We visited schools, orphanages, and Non-profit organisations in remote villages, stepping off the beaten path. Our primary focus was to conduct workshops on gender, child sex abuse, and sex education.
The idea of the Disc Trail, along with our efforts to positively impact communities along the way, proved to be tremendously successful.
Bridging The Gaps - Youth Camps:
Between 2014 and 2018, we accomplished a successful run of 6 youth camps, gathering young individuals from more than 18 States across India. These camps were designed to challenge teenagers to break down the barriers of gender, language, caste and socio-economic status, creating a transformative experience. The camps were carefully crafted to overcome these societal barriers through sports like Ultimate Frisbee, art, dance, and personal development sessions. An atmosphere charged with positivity and infused with non-judgment and respect provided teens with the space to undergo their personal transformations.
The camps targeted two age groups - teenagers as participants and college-aged young adults as coaches. The majority of the participants and coaches came from underprivileged backgrounds, having never traveled outside their communities and lacking the means to afford such camps.
The final iteration of the camps was a BTG fellowship. 21 fellows from diverse NGOs across India underwent immersive training on sports, theatre games and gender. They taught a curriculum combining Ultimate Frisbee and discussions on gender-related topics to over 100 school students each. The fellows also conducted Lorry Lolakku performances in multiple cities, engaging over 3,000 youth and young adults. The fellowship culminated in an iconic Bridging the Gaps Youth Camp and successfully raised awareness on gender injustices, leveraging sports and arts for positive change in Indian communities.
Participant testimonials:
It’s a feeling - all of the kids on the last day were so happy. You can see the gaps being bridged but if you ask me to say it in words I can’t.
- Camp Participant, age 15
Youth Leaders had to speak first in Spirit Circles. People needed me to translate into English. I really had to step up and I realised how much English I knew.
- Youth Leader, age 16
Each day at the camp made a difference in my life. So many realisations, so many learnings!
- Coach, age 21
First day of camp, I didn’t feel very comfortable with my teammates, but during the t-shirt making process, I grew closer to my teammates because it was an activity that required two people to work together to accomplish.
- participant, age 15
Why Ultimate Frisbee?
In many of our camps and workshops we use Ultimate Frisbee because its unique elements allow more opportunities for personal and team development than other sports.
Ultimate Frisbee is a 7 on 7 person game played on a rectangular field with two end zones developed in the U.S.A in the 1960s. The object of the game is to score a point by catching a pass in the opponent’s end zone.
Ultimate Frisbee’s unique elements include:
CO-ED & NON-CONTACT
The sport requires boys and girls to play together on a team - an aberration to cultural practices within Indian communities where boys and girls rarely mix in sport.
SELF-REFEREED
Settling contested fouls through discussion between the players involved is a focus of the game - this facilitates open communication between players and fosters conflict resolution.
SPIRIT CIRCLES
A Spirit Circle, unique to Ultimate Frisbee, has teams come together post-match and sit in a large circle making sure each person is seated next to a player of the opposite team. Camp Spirit Circles are held at the end of every sport session and are an amazingly effective tool to help youth build empathy.