Leadership Village
Wayanad is the 12th district in Kerala, the southern most state in India. Formed in 1980, the folk etymology says that the name ‘Wayanad’ is a combination of Wayal (paddy) and Naad (land), making it 'The Land of Paddy Fields'. Set high on the majestic Western Ghats with altitudes ranging from 700 to 2100 m, the place is characterized by educational backwardness, quite ironically in a state which is well known for its literacy rates.
LeadCap, along with its partner Anne Frank Research Centre is striving to create the first ‘Leadership Democracy’ (a place where every individual has equal opportunities to discover their true potential irrespective of birth or living conditions) ever in the world, in Wayanad. The project starts from the village called Kaniyapatta, and would then spread out in to the rest of the regions. It is undertaken with the support of the villagers, students, parents, teachers and civic associations. This project would bring in a revolutionary change – a change that can only be achieved when people are pointed towards their true potential and when they are shown the true change that they could create in themselves, and in their communities.
The focus of the ‘Leadership Village’ project would be:- Individuals 15-25 years old
- Empowerment of these individuals through creation of self-awareness - that leadership is not reserved for a select few, but for everyone who wants to discover their true potential; that leadership is a personal decision, rather than a position or a set of skills
- Having achieved this self-awareness, we shall mentor these individuals to help them discover their hidden skills – in the areas of communication, self-motivation, problem solving, decision making etc.
- In the next step, we shall enable these self-aware leaders in conceptualizing and implementing larger causes that can value-add to the society.
You could associate with the ‘Leadership Village’ in several ways:
- Sponsorship of materials used – laptops, Internet data cards, distributional CDs, educational material etc.
- Being part of the community development team – who would work at the grass-roots helping the village and the individuals