“Sir, humein seekhne ka mauka dene ke liye dhanyawaad. Sir, humne sapna dekha hai.”
(Sir, thank you for giving us a chance to learn. Sir, we have dared to dream.)
These words were spoken with wet eyes by a child who had travelled 50 kilometres on his own to attend TinkerFest Sonbhadra. That single moment captured everything this journey stood for.
This is the story of TinkerFest Sonbhadra (15-16 December 2025), proudly hosted by Banwasi Sewa Ashram (BSA), Govindpur, Sonbhdra, UP in collaboration with Young Tinker Foundation (YTF) and Mission Samriddhi—a two-day celebration of tinkering, innovation, entrepreneurship, and dreams that had been quietly brewing for six months.
Six Months of Work, Two Days of Magic
TinkerFest Sonbhadra was not an isolated event. It was the culmination of six months of continuous work by the Tinker on Wheels (ToW) team in the Sonbhadra region.
Through mobile tinkering workshops, the team reached 3,000+ students across a 100 km radius of BSA—schools that otherwise have no access to labs, markets, or components.
Because Sonbhadra is a remote region, this TinkerFest was designed differently.
Unlike most one-day festivals, this had to be a two-day immersive experience. Every motor, wire, sensor, tracks, tool, and component had to be transported from YTF Bhubaneswar—so that children could build without limits.
Day One: The Quiet Before the Storm
We reached BSA, Govindpur (Sonbhadra, UP) on the night of 14th December.
On the morning of 15th December, students from schools where ToW workshops had happened were invited.
At 11:00 AM, children started arriving—from Karamgatti, Manbasa, Bakuliya, Khariahi, and many other villages.
They were hesitant at first. Curious, but silent.
It took just five minutes to unlock their confidence.
Because they had all gone through the “Diary of Dreams” program by Ullas Trust, I asked them one simple question:
“Tumhara sapna kya hai?”
(What is your dream?)
And suddenly, the room came alive.
“Sir, main scientist banunga.” (I will become a scientist.)
“Sir, main teacher banunga.” (I will become a teacher.)
“Main neta banunga.” (I will become a leader.)
“IAS banunga sir.” (I will become an IAS officer.)
That evening, I asked my team to plan a special session on dreams for the next day. You’ll see why.
Teams, Tools, and Talking to AI
Students were divided into three challenge tracks:
Rover Challenge
Rocket Challenge
TinkerHAAT (Entrepreneurship Challenge)
Every team began by naming themselves.
Through Tinker on Wheels, all children already understood Alexa and the basics of AI, but this was their first interaction with ChatGPT and Gemini.
We told them:
“Treat AI like your personal assistant—just like you ask questions to your chacha, mama, or teacher.”
And then the magic happened.
“Mama, raat mein din kyun nahi hoti?”
(Uncle, why doesn’t day happen at night?)“Chacha, murgi aayi ya murga aaya ya anda?”
(Uncle, which came first—hen, rooster, or egg?)
Laughter filled the room.
AI became a knowledge leveller—bringing world-class information into a rural classroom.
Teachers didn’t disappear; instead, they became AI-enabled mentors, blending HI (Human Intelligence) with AI.
When AI Meets Rural Entrepreneurship
The real impact of AI showed up when students used it to create brand names and logos for their businesses.
One prompt read:
“Hum school ki company ka logo banana chahte hain. Hum gobar se bani prakritik agarbatti bechenge. Renukoot jaise shehron mein bhi. 10 saral aur aadhunik brand naam batao.”
(We want to create a school company logo. We will sell natural incense sticks made from cow dung, even in cities like Renukoot. Suggest 10 simple and modern brand names.)
That is when you realise—AI does not replace imagination; it amplifies it.
Building Through the Night
Then came the real building.
Young Tinkers measured dimensions of the designed rover tracks, Built chassis, Drilled holes, Mounted motors, Soldered wires, Integrated remote controls, Decorated rockets
Each rover was unique: Sound-enabled rovers, Flash-light rovers, Camera rovers and Rovers with buckets instead of wheels
One team stood out—the youngest team from Karamgatti, led by a Class 6 student, Bikram, who had travelled 50 km to be there. His story is narrated by our CEO at the end of this blog.
By 8:00 PM, energy levels were still rising.
When we asked them to stop for dinner, they had one condition:
“Kya dinner ke baad phir se banane ka mauka milega?”
(Will you let us build again after dinner?)
They all finished the dinner finished in five minutes and got back to work. By 11:00 PM, we had to forcefully shut the hall. At 2:00 AM, hostel lights were still on.
At 4:00 AM:
“Sir, screwdriver-wa chahiye… hall khulwa dijiye.”
(Sir, we need a screwdriver… please open the hall.)
At 5:00 AM, the team reopened the facility.
Winter lost. Curiosity won.
Day Two: When Dreams Took Shape
At 10:00 AM, TinkerFest officially began with a cultural performance—
“Chake Tu Dekh Gaon” and songs celebrating Bharatiya Sanskriti.
Then came the Dreams Session.
Seven students were selected. Using AI, their images were generated in the uniforms of their dream professions—scientist, teacher, engineer.
A child whispered:
“Sir, yeh AI se bana hai kya?”
(Sir, is this made by AI?)
Yes.
And also by belief.
“Hum Bhi Kar Sakte Hain”
Students presented their rovers, rockets, and businesses with confidence.
Their words said everything:
“Jab ToW aayi, maine bhi sapna dekha.”
(When ToW came, I dared to dream.)“Ab padhai se darr nahi lagta.”
(I am no longer afraid of studies.)“Humne apna design khud banaya.”
(We built our own design.)
The Young Tinker Principle echoed loudly:
“Aage badhenge toh jeet jayenge, aur haar gaye toh seekh jayenge.”
(If we move forward, we may win; if we fail, we will learn.)
TinkerHAAT: Learning the Basics of Money
TinkerHAAT turned the campus into a marketplace.
Student-run stalls included:
- Gau Urja – organic agarbatti from gobar and neem
- Swachh Raksha – organic mosquito repellent
- Son Pani Puri Company
- Banwasi Foods
- Ashram Laddu Company (Mahua laddus rich in iron & calcium)
- DeskMitti – clay products
- Khadi Handkerchiefs
At one stall, a team proudly said:
“Sir, humne 200 rupaye lagaye aur 4 ghante mein 2000 kama liye.”
(Sir, we invested ₹200 and earned ₹2,000 in four hours.)
This is what financial literacy looks like.
Rover Challenge: Science in Motion
Nine teams competed on a track with nine obstacles: Rough terrain, Water, Sand, Boulders, Bridge, 90-degree turn, Inclined surfaces, Side slopes and Flat track.
Children applied maths, physics, and design thinking: Custom wheel diameters, Variable ground clearance, Paper-cup wheels for sand, Time vs stability trade-offs.
Seven teams achieved a perfect score, so winners were decided by time.
🏆 Rover Challenge Winners
| Position | Team / School | Members |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Astar X | Ankit (Leader), Shubham, Dev Kumar, Nitesh Kumar, Jayasant Kumar |
| 2nd | Birla Vidya Mandir | Suraj Prakash (Leader), Kishan Agrahari, Ankita Soni, Anushka Kumari |
| 3rd | Jivanshala, Bakuliya | Anurag, Pooja, Anuradha Kumari, Mahendra Kumar |
Best Presentation Award
Team Surya, Karamgatti
Bikram Kushwaha, Sunil Kumar, Sujit Kumar, Amarkant Kumar, Dipu Kumar
The inspiring story of Vikram is by our CEO, Shri Anil Pradhan:
I’m sharing the video presentation of a young boy named Bikram from Karamgatti, Sonbhadra. He is a true reminder of why we do what we do.
I never knew his story until he came to me with teary eyes and said,
“Dhanyawad sir. Aapki wajah se hum apni rover bana paye. Humein seekhne ka mauka dene ke liye dhanyawad. Humein zindagi mein kabhi aisa mauka nahi mila.”
Then he shared his journey. Bikram’s home is nearly 50 km away from the TinkerFest venue at BSA. His parents didn’t agree to accompany him. His school teacher also advised him not to go. Everyone said no. But Bikram had already seen a dream—when Tinker on Wheels visited his school. He wanted to build what he had imagined.
“For me, sir, these were battles,” he said.
“Lad liye sir. Soch liya tha—rover toh banayenge.”
He and his teammates collected whatever money they could, took multiple connecting buses from Karamgatti to BSA, walked, ran—and finally reached the venue, only to learn that registrations were already closed. Heartbroken but hopeful, they approached the organizers. Understanding their determination, the team allowed them to participate.
From 12 PM to 6 PM, I conducted a session on rover design. These children already knew how to use the tools—they only needed guidance on design. Even at 9 PM, when we asked all teams to leave for dinner, they were unstoppable. I still don’t know how a child can eat in five or six minutes.
They returned and started building again—working till 11 PM, then continued till 2 AM. The entire hostel lights were on. Their dreams simply wouldn’t let anyone sleep. Early in the morning, they went around asking everyone,
“Kya hall ki chaabi milegi? Hume screwdriver chahiye. Rover ka motor lagana hai.”
At 5 AM, a volunteer finally opened the hall and gave them the tools.
By 10 AM, the fest began—and Bikram stood there with his team, presenting their rover.
They won the Best Presentation Award and successfully crossed all obstacles, scoring 45 points.
Bikram became emotional—not just because he built a rover, but because he realized something far bigger:
his dreams were valid. He fought many battles.
And he won every single one of them.
Proud Guru,
Anil Pradhan
Rockets, Angles, and Applied Physics
The Water Rocket Challenge taught students: Pressure, Angles, Distance calculation, Scientific iteration
The goal was ground distance, not height—forcing students to think critically.
With 400+ community members present, TinkerFest Sonbhadra became a village-wide celebration.
Special Mention: The People Who Made It Possible
TinkerFest Sonbhadra was not built by ideas alone—it was built by people, partnerships, and a shared belief in children.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the partners and individuals whose unwavering support made this journey meaningful and successful:
- Manju Jain, Anand Mohan, and Suvarchala from Mission Samriddhi, for their constant guidance and belief in the power of grassroots innovation.
- Shubha Didi, Devnath Bhai, and Suresh ji from Banwasi Seva Ashram (BSA), whose deep-rooted work in Sonbhadra created the foundation on which TinkerFest could truly belong to the community.
- Jayshree Behera and Pinmay Bhutia from Young Tinker Foundation, for their relentless efforts in design, planning, logistics, and on-ground execution—often behind the scenes, always with heart.
Honouring the Changemakers
This TinkerFest was also a moment to recognise individuals whose work embodies the spirit of Young Tinker Foundation.
🏆 “Soul of the Soil Award 2025”
Awarded to Subha Didi by the Young Tinker Foundation, in recognition of her lifelong contribution to the social sector and her deep commitment to nurturing communities in Sonbhadra. Her work truly represents the soul, strength, and resilience of the soil she serves.
🏆 “Frontline Educator Award 2025”
Awarded to Sankalp Yadav and Updesh Kumar for their exceptional on-ground work as educators and facilitators. Through Tinker on Wheels, they directly reached and impacted 3,000+ students across Sonbhadra, bringing learning, tools, and confidence to the last mile.
These recognitions are not just awards—they are acknowledgements of quiet leadership, consistent effort, and belief in children who are often unseen.
Together, this collective made it possible for a child to travel 50 kilometres…
and return home believing:
“Hum bhi kar sakte hain.”
(We can do it too.)
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