Description:

Our school identified that there is a possible danger to an endangered species of Asiatic Lions. There are around 523 Asiatic Lions in Gujarat and many lions die from falling in wells. This is a serious issue to cater to and our school found an organization named “Rural Pleasure” which combines travelling and improving the livelihood of a deserved rural population. This particular project needed attention and we went to Gir to cover the wells. We had to cut, weld and polish metal bars in order to make a cover. We covered two wells when we were there.

Reflection:

LO 2: Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process

In this trip we(students) were supposed to cut, weld and polish metal bars and fence which obviously we did not know how to begin with. We had instructors who taught the basics of how to do these tasks. The instructors also gave us a demo of how to cut, weld and polish the material to make a cover for a well. We were provided with safety gloves, glasses and given a safety guidence at the start of the process. Even though we were told about all of these things it was a challenge for us or at least me to complete the work and be safe in the process doing it the first time. There was one instance where one of my friends got burnt due to the heat of the welding machine. While actually doing the task it suddenly becomes a difficult task to do than it looks when you are watching someone else do it easily. I constantly had a fear of burning myself. As I have experienced what it feels like it was a fear of mine that it would happen to me again. But my friends and teachers helped me by giving me confidence and I did actually weld and cut the pieces without hurting myself.

LO 3: Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience

This trip included all the 3 component of CAS which is Creativity, Activity and Service. We did have a plan ready to implement the idea of building cover for wells so that Lions do not fall in them. But with this idea we needed help to understand how this is supposed to be done, our school with the help of an organization named “Rural Pleasure” helped us with the final plan on how to build these covers and what materials to be used. It is necessary for any idea or project to have a plan because it helps you stay on course and makes the entire journey a lot easier. The plan included series of events like Instructions on how to work and safety measures, then came cutting the metal bars, then putting them in a rectangular shape, then welding them, then polishing them and finally to cover the bars with barbed wire. All this was included in our plan on how to successfully make a cover for a well.

LO 5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively

Building covers for wells which are around 10-15 meters wide is not a job for one person, it definitely requires a team of people working parallelly on different things to speed the process up. We were supposed to build two covers so we were divided into two groups and started working on the wells parallelly, so both of them are ready on time together. It took us two and a half day to complete the entire cover(two of them). Teamwork is necessary to increase efficiency, decrease workload and to ensure safety in this project. Everyone was equally responsible for completing the task given so everyone contributed and it was a fruitful process. I had to team up with a few guys to make the cover in modules which made the process quicker. This helped in effective communication and faster work is done.

LO 6: Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance

The issue which we were trying to cater to was the decreasing population of Asiatic Lions from the world. This little details like open well where lions fall and die or get heavily injured are the ones which make the difference. Every year around 40 lions fall in the wells and die which is a huge number when compared to the current population of Asiatic lions of 523. Each death of a lion is one more step towards its extinction. This can cause a disturbance in the life cycle and ecosystem of the place, which is a global issue. The guide who came with us had good knowledge about the Lions, Gir and how to protect them. He helped us all understand the significance of this task and similar tasks like these.

LO 7: Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions

We were highly ethical throughout this activity as we did not use plastic material to make the cover which would be a cheaper option but not an ethical one. The material which we used to make the cover for the well was metal bars and metal fence. Using metal is environmentally safe and does not harm our surroundings. We also polished the bars and fence so that it’s safe to walk over and not fall down. Also polishing the cover will keep the lions from getting any cuts from the metal bars or the fence.

Final take away:

The activity taught me many things about lions and their safety in this world. Not just lions but the safety of all the species in the world. I got to meet new people on this trip who had excellent knowledge about the lions, their habitat and their safety. I learned how to weld, cut and polish metal objects and gained a better understanding of how to work in a team effectively. Overall this trip gave me a wonderful CAS experience, where I really enjoyed working with my friends for a good cause. To know this small act can save lives on Lions is amazing and gives me joy.

I also made this video about the trip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNy3wpFK5Uw