Project Sattva: A Nostalgic Recollection

Project Sattva, an initiative to refine and transform the dairy sector in Karnal, is yet another endeavor of Enactus SRCC to mould the lives of communities in need. The journey from shaping to launching the project has been an enriching and exhilarating experience. Find out more as Divyat Rungta and Manik Garg, Directors of Project Sattva, share their insights.

Q.1. When and why did you start researching for a new project?

Manik:

It all started after the Enactus India Nationals’ Competition 2014. We took great pride in our projects. At the same time, we were inspired after observing many wonderful projects of different teams across the country. The pride coupled with inspiration motivated us to contribute even more to our projects and the organisation as a whole. Thus we wanted to research about a new field, however at that point we didn’t even think of starting a new project.

Divyat:

As a matter of fact, we did not even have a formal Research team. Whatever research we undertook was independent. My father suggested we explore the field of dairy and agriculture, as this was completely different from anything that we had done in the past. We came across many engineers and entrepreneurs who had left their well-established jobs to venture into this booming sector.

Manik:

So we started looking at how this industry works and where it was prevalent. We came across NDRI as the pioneer institute in the sector, and its location was close to Delhi, in Karnal, Haryana. We fixed up a meeting with them on the 8^th of August, and a new project had begun taking shape in our minds. In retrospect however, we never thought we would partner with the NDRI for such a large scale project. However, the meeting went well and we were advised to get in touch with Arpana services, the NGO which would go on to be our second project partners.

Divyat: 

Yes, the meeting with Aparna was really fruitful. Infact they wanted maximum participation of the young lot in the dairy sector! They invited us to visit the dairy for a couple of days, observe the working, and give our inputs. We were very eager to go for this visit. On 7^th October, we met the women in Karnal, who would go on to be our community, for the first time.

Manik:

This was it. We were inspired by their sheer dedication and hard work. We knew we wanted to work with them and started brainstorming and researching even more passionately.

Divyat:

And then slowly and gradually, after months of hard work by every member of the team, SATTVA happened. The entire journey is really close to my heart. It is something which will be with me forever. It will define my college life.

Manik:

Absolutely.

Q.2. You carried out research in various fields and finally chose the dairy sector. What prompted you to make this decision?

Divyat:

In 2014-15, we constituted the Research Department of Enactus SRCC for the very first time. Extensive research was carried out in various fields ranging from water and waste to dairy and agriculture. We found out that India had the highest number of cattle, yet the dairy farmers were not empowered. There were several challenges faced by these dairy farmers as a result of which the productivity of cattle was marginal. Also, milk was a product that almost every household demanded, be it rich or poor, urban or rural. Thus we felt the need to step into the dairy sector and take initiative to solve the existing problems.

Manik:

Adding to that, two of the most important reasons for choosing the dairy sector were our project partners and the community. We successfully collaborated with NDRI and Arpana Services, and both the organisations have been of tremendous help. Also, the small community of women that we have is extremely dedicated and determined. We couldn’t have found better partners or community! 

Q.3. Were there any funny and light hearted moments during field visits to Karnal?

Manik:

During the field visits to Karnal, we used to joke that this project would surely take off. If we ever fail to sell the milk, Divyat would drink the unsold milk and hence, we would not need to worry about the demand! The amount of milk he drinks in a day is enough to get 4 women employed in a dairy and hence the project would always be successful. It is apt that he is the director of this project as he truly and honestly loves milk!

There is another incident that pops up in my mind whenever I see cows. When we hit a roadblock initially and started discussing it with our seniors, they often joked that we could name this new project “ C.O.W.” on similar lines as “L.O.W.” (Life on Wheels).

Divyat:

Another thing worth sharing is the “This is it” tradition. Whenever we found something useful or had a successful meeting, we came back home, looked at each other and exclaimed - “This is it”. Be it any positive meeting or any final decision, every time our reaction was “This is it !!” As a matter of fact the password for the research account was the same – “This is it”.

The rooms in the guest house in Karnal are awesome. The hospitality offered by Arpana services is beyond imagination. During our first visit, we were expecting hostel like atmosphere, but got a 5 star experience. Thus, one of the reasons why we look forward to Karnal visits is the king like treatment meted out to us there.

Q.4. How was the name “Sattva” zeroed in on?

Divyat:

Choice of the project name was a major decision that we, as a team had to take. The name had to completely relevant to the work done under the project. It had to be simple, easy to remember and such that it would sum up the entire project. We discussed several names in our meetings. When the name “Sattva” came up, there was a unanimous agreement amongst all of us in favour of the name. Later on, voting was conducted where each and every member of the team voted to choose the name. Most of us preferred “Sattva”, and hence it was chosen.

Manik:

“Sattva” is a Sanskrit word that means goodness and purity. It is the quality of spiritual goodness, manifested as intelligence, virtue, and joy, one of the three gunas (qualities of nature) of Hindu philosophy. Objects that are free from contamination and promote purity are regarded as “Sattvic Objects”. The milk of a cow which has grown in good surroundings, is healthy and has been obtained after the calf of the cow has been fed well, is considered to be pure and a “Sattvic Object”. Since, we are promoting and marketing pure milk through this endeavour, the name “Sattva” truly sums up the activities undertaken under the project, and is the most appropriate name.

Q.5. Share some striking moments from the first visit to Karnal.

Divyat: 

This was the first outstation trip after the recruitment of first year team. So, three second year members and three first year members went for the visit. I was sharing a room with two of my batch mates and one junior. We visited a whole lot of villages that morning and after a very hectic day finally went off to sleep. However, in the middle of the night Shubham, our junior, stood up and began shouting Arpana, Arpana, which was the name of the NGO we were visiting. All three of us got scared, tried to calm him down and put him to sleep. Next morning, he didn't remember a thing. So we tried to play a prank on him by convincing him that he was loud enough to wake the entire ashram up!

This was one of the first experiences which helped us bond with the juniors. Since then I have been for many Karnal visits, but none have been as epic as this one. 

Manik:

There were quite a few funny incidents that happened on the first trip. But on the whole, I was impressed with the hospitality with which members of Arpana Services treated us. They were a pretty old couple, and treated us like their own children. The food there was just like ghar ka khaana and I especially enjoyed the morning paranthas which were made out of the previous day’s leftover vegetables - a very interesting concept. Apart from this, they were so kind as to send six food packages along with us to the villages so that we would eat proper lunch while visiting the villages. Juice tetra packs, chapattis and vegetables were kept ready for us whenever we left the Ashram. The warmth with which we were received on the first visit was heart winning and will remain memorable.

Compiled by Jaideep Mann, Medha Verma, Vaibhav Chowdhury and Vishal Aditya Sahoo

Hasta La Vista!

The pride on their faces every time we succeeded, made us want to achieve more. Their guidance enabled us to achieve more.

Every time we needed their help, they were just around the corner. Every time we lost track, they showed us the right way.

As time passed, we realized that this held true not only for the projects we take up as Enactus, but also for each and every one of us in our personal and professional spheres.

Words will never be enough for us to describe how inspiring they are, how crazy they can be, or how thankful we are to them for all that they’ve taught us.

Read on to know what makes us so fond of our Advisory Board 2014-15!

Aanavi -

Stuck with grammar related doubts? Need to learn the difference between 'their' and 'there'? Aanavi is the best person you can approach to clear your queries even at 1 a.m. But be prepared, you may end up receiving extended gyaan on nomenclature, usage, exceptions, metaphors - often peppered with classy sarcasm. Aanavi is one of the most patient and hard working members the organization has ever seen.

Akanksha -

A girl whose best friends are her treasured novels, Akanksha has a flair for writing.  Often described as the 'sweetie' in her batch, Akanksha is gifted with a beautiful smile that can light up any one's mood.









Anmol -

There is never a dull moment when the ever-cheerful Anmol is around! She has managed to develop a close relationship with every member of the team across all three batches. If ever you need anything, from a good word of advice to an insane conversation Anmol is the person you should go meet!

Dhriti -

 Dhriti loves Roger Federer more than Free Wi-Fi! She’ll only miss a tennis match if it’s for work. She will always give you the bravest and most honest opinions, which is what makes her stand out. She is undoubtedly the most frank and straightforward person we know yet graces a soft spoken appeal to her.



  

Samin -

Samin is the perfect blend of professionalism and fun. The quintessential Punjabi boy, he is the perfect supervisory presence across all departments. He possesses the fantastic ability to make the drabest of work enjoyable through his positive and cheerful attitude.

Manav -

Manav is one of the friendliest, most warm-hearted people we’ve come across. His edgy sense of humour never fails to charm anyone. Thank you for making the Nationals’ train journey from Delhi to Bombay a memorable one with the great stories.

Kanika -

Kanika gels with the junior batches just as well as she does with the senior ones! You can talk to her about anything under the sun. She never judges the confiders and has retained this childish essence in her that we all find absolutely adorable!

Rohith -

Our favourite South Indian, our tech-wiz and our source of all hostel gossip! Preparation for the nationals would have been a real nightmare without Rohith and his never ending knowledge and expertise.

The banker who constantly likes challenging himself, Rohith has an aura of calm surrounding him - he is a borderline saint!

Mitali -

Perhaps the most effervescent presence at the coop, Mitali is a people’s person with a passion for everything HR – related! She possesses a unique perspective, true to her dramatist self. She loves playing Agony Aunt and does a perfect job at it, as well.

 

Swoyan -

Despite his irrational love for the colour black, his heart is pure gold. When this “chilled out” person is not busy giving free advice to people, he likes to sing and entertain everyone with his beautiful voice. His sharp business acumen is sure to take him places!

Shikha -

Shikha is the first person to walk up to for a heart-to-heart conversation, who is sure to lighten up the atmosphere with her cheerful smile! She is the one to look out for on any special occasion for her wonderful clothing collection.

 

Ojas -

Known for her “insanely bad yet funny in a weird way” jokes, she can light up any room she walks into just with her smile. Ojas is very creative and fun loving, and has a positive outlook towards life! Her simple, uncomplicated approach to life is ever inspiring.

Swarnima -

She is the person who will take care of everyone and ensure that no one is hungry while working. Her genuine concern for everyone makes you warm up to her instantly. She is very soft-spoken, yet she exudes authority when needed. One could always expect the trademark “Ha Bollo” whenever you meet her.








We wish you get everything you've dreamt about. We hope you get more than you ever could have imagined. Who knows where life will take you. The road is long and in the end, the journey is the destination.

We are lucky to have seniors like you all, who have moulded us tirelessly to make us what we are today. For this, we are ever grateful. Saying goodbye is difficult, but we bid adieu with the warmest wishes.


Thanks for the memories, Seniors.

         

We love you all!

- Written by Ria, Vaibhav, Rai & Nistha
   Edited by Anshika, Devika, Kanupriya, & Mihika

Ten Types of Freshman in an Enactus Interview

In our experience with Enactus over the years, we’ve taken countless interviews and interacted with many Enactus-hopefuls – so much so, that we can classify the juniors into 10 distinct categories, each with its own unique characteristic! So here’s a glimpse into what the waiting room for our interviews would consist of:


The Busy One
This person is perpetually busy, and can be identified by the constant need to move and rush off to places. He will ask for his interview to be rescheduled because of a timing conflict with some class or other society obligation, and then have a panic attack if he is asked to wait beyond his time-slot. On the positive side, he’s an extrovert; on the negative, he’s also an opportunist who promises to “manage his time” but often ends up struggling with the pulls of his many commitments.

The Stalker
To say that this person has done his research is an understatement. Not only does he know the names of all our projects, but he also knows our names too! His knowledge would've been impressive had he not had the creepy instincts to add us on all social media platforms already.

The Clueless One
He’s the opposite of the Stalker, and the word ‘research’ doesn’t exist in his vocabulary. What Enactus, what projects, what communities… it often seems like he’s the one interviewing us when he enters! He does a good job of selling himself despite not knowing the exact work we do, but his first impression isn’t always the most favourable as he can be deemed either uninterested or lazy – and both aren’t good!

The Gandhi Disciple
When asked for his reasons for wanting to join Enactus, he will quote the quintessential line “I want to give back to society.” Commendable thought, of course, but also an echo of the countless clichéd answers we’ve already received from a million other people before.

The Elite Chic
She walks in with a really expensive bag, heeled shoes and manicured nails. She shows signs of shock as we tell her about our communities and the conditions they live in. It's for certain that she's never stepped in the real India. Her interview doesn't go all that bad until we reach the community interaction part, where it's obvious that even pretending to speak in Hindi is equivalent to doing 100 calculus sums for her.


The Sassy One
This person thinks that he's too smart for the entire world, let alone our society. He walks in with an air of superiority and lists 100 accomplishments when we ask him to tell us about himself. He answers questions by quoting the project descriptions on our website and thinks we either won't notice, or even if we do, it would actually impress us.

The Hostler Breed
These one-of-a-kinds own a wardrobe of stag print pyjamas and do not know another dress code. They play the Residents card and win over the interviewees in the first ten minutes, before they stump them with their pre-prepared speech and close the deal. Their Hotel room and their proximity to the campus is a precious commodity indeed!

The OCD – Obsessive CV Disorder
He is willing to run a hundred miles just to get Enactus printed and highlighted on his CV, to show off before his future employment prospects. He divides his CV into four parts and spreads the best of achievements through the three years of college among them, Enactus still at the top. His standard response for "Why Enactus?" definitely starts with, "Along with adding value to my CV..."

The Comic One
He is witty as hell and sure knows how to get the ball rolling. He cracks the rocks on the interviewer bench and is a necessary evil in the interview game, giving us a much-needed respite from some of the more intensely serious candidates before him.

The Ones with the Spark
These people have a personality that lights up the entire room. Suddenly taking interviews for days at a stretch seems worth it. Their passion for our cause can easily be seen in the way they speak.


- By Ojas, Aanavi & Rohith
Our Advisory Board Members who have spent 3 years in Enactus and experienced and sat through many Interviews.

Project Kayakalp In The City of Dreams

Mumbai- A city unbound by time, a city where everybody is always on the move, indeed a city that never sleeps. More importantly, Mumbai was the next big step in our march towards sustainability of Project Kayakalp. It gave us the platform to present our project to a host of investors and budding entrepreneurs.  

 We stood at the New Delhi Railway Station along with our 4 puppeteers and the 18 bags, suitcases and tote-bags that we had to load onto the train. Most of these were brimming with the face masks, the “Kathputli’s”- the Jadugar, the Behrupiya and the Magician, the rest held the folding stage and other necessities required for our Puppet Show at ‘The Barclays Social Impact Investment Forum’ at the Taj Hotel, Mumbai.

 

 

We gathered courage and set off for a 16 hour long train journey to Mumbai- The City of Dreams. We shared jokes & food, played cards and other nail-biting games, and stood at the train doors as the wind brushed through our hair and faces.

We reached Mumbai CST at 7 pm. From there on, we were always on our toes. We split ourselves into three teams. The first team took a taxi to a prestigious institute in Mumbai for research work; the second took the luggage to our place of stay while the third accompanied the puppeteers to their accommodation. All of us finally met at Café Montegard and had a gala dinner which was followed by a mesmerizing walk along the Marine Drive.

Day 2 in Mumbai was an important day for all of us. We, along with the puppeteers assembled at the Ball Room of the Taj Hotel in Colaba. The stage was set for the Puppet Show and we crossed our fingers, showered good luck wishes upon our extremely talented artists and hoped for the best.

The thunder of claps and the kind and generous   words of appraisal made us realize that the audience was indeed captivated by the performance of our puppeteers. We had done it! Our puppeteers had done it! The enthralled audience had witnessed a show with a strong message that they would never forget. The conference was followed by a scrumptious dinner at the hotel. We met some passionate entrepreneurs who took us through the journey of their lives. This gave us an insight into how we could take our projects further.

After the conference came to an end, we could finally relax a little. We headed straight to our favourite place in the city: The Marine Drive and later took a cab to Carter Road. Through the cab windows the puppeteers gazed at the Bandra-Worli Sea Link and admired its beauty. Home to over 100 million people, Mumbai buzzed its usual, with fast moving local trains, kids dreaming of becoming movie stars, beggars planning their next strategy and every other kind of human being one could think of! The puppeteers too agreed that Darwin’s theory of “Survival of the Fittest” applied aptly to this city.

On Day 3, we met some of our alumni members. Over a cup of coffee, we discussed life and Enactus with Krishnanunni and Tuhina. Our approach towards Enactus changed after the conversation. Earlier, Enactus for us was just an organisation that helped the ones in need. We then realised how it’s a lot more. Enactus is a way of living life. It is a commitment to empower people through the positive power of entrepreneurship. It is the happiness that one acquires by bringing a smile on others’ faces.

It was now time to bid farewell to the city that helped us achieve the next major milestone in our journey. We rushed to Mumbai Central to catch our train & left ‘Bombay’ with bags and totes full of resplendent memories and significant learning.  

The Mumbai Journey for us is one of the MOST cherished experiences that we have had in Enactus till date. A feeling of achievement and pride rushed through us as we headed back. Enactus SRCC had taken Project Kayakalp to the next level.

A City of Hope, A City of Dreams;

Mumbai always feels like it is about to burst at the seams.

From the Coolies to the Seths, from the Slums to the High Rise Buildings;

This City has given us the ‘Never Say Die’ attitude!


- Written by Ria Golecha & Jay Suneja

Enactus SRCC: Behind the Scenes

Amidst our endeavour to transform and revive the lives of our communities in Nekpur and Shadipur, there have been a number of humorous instances, which have left an indelible imprint on our minds and which bring a smile to our faces each time we remember them. First year members of Enactus SRCC recall some such moments from the first six months they spent in the organisation.

While returning from Nekpur, our Project Director got into a taxi which looked similar to ours. She was startled when she couldn’t find her belongings inside the car. The driver, understandably, was very surprised at her sudden appearance in his taxi. After a while, my friend and I indicated to her that she had boarded an entirely different car.

 ~Sarthak Agrawal

This incident took place in Tilonia where seniors, fellow Enactus first year members and I had gone for a two day visit. At night, one of the seniors spoke to us about his fear of lizards and had his bed changed with me as it was close to the wall and he was afraid of lizards falling off the wall, and on him. Another senior, while talking, accidentally dropped a tube of toothpaste, and the sound from the impact led the first senior to believe that it had been made by a lizard. He instantly jumped onto a bed in his panic, coupled with emphatic screaming on account of his terror that the lizard would reach him somehow. We laughed our hearts out!

~ Vaibhav Chowdhury.

After exasperating hours of witch hunting for an office in the lanes of Meerut, asking for directions and consulting Google Maps, we finally reached our destination - a cowshed!

~Abhishek Naulakha
                                                                  

On 5th September, during the Durga Puja days, I stepped onto the stage at a Pandaal in Dwarka, to address 1500 people. I was confident that it’d be a piece of cake, but as soon as I saw 3000 eyes staring at me, I realised that I was completely out of my element. Brimming with nerves and unease, I committed a blunder that I will always remember. “Now everyone, I present to you – the puppeteers from Kathputli colony, Nekpur", I announced. I made every attempt to take the words back – biting my tongue and covering my face with my hands in abject horror and disbelief. Kathputli colony is in Shadipur!

~ Parth Luthra.

A fellow team member and I reached Shadipur, to meet our community of puppeteers at around 01:20 p.m., panicking that the accompanying senior would be very annoyed, since we were 10 minutes late. Little did we know that she herself was going to be 2 hours late! We waited for her at the metro station till 3 p.m. She promised to take us out for lunch and to write the minutes for the visit in order to make it up to us.

~ Shrivika Dhawan.

After concluding a third party meeting at Hauz Khas, our Project Director, my fellow Enactus first year member and I left in an auto-rickshaw. Our Project Director thought that we would get down at the metro station and he planned on using the same auto to take him to his house, which was further ahead. En route, my friend and I decided to go to Hauz Khas market to grab a bite and relayed our plans to the senior. He got out of the auto, so that we could de-board and he could take the auto to his place. Unaware of his intentions, my friend asked the driver to carry on, waving to our senior, who had been left stranded by us. A few minutes later, realization dawned on us, accompanied by embarrassment and unreasonable hilarity. We called our senior to apologise, but I still tease my friend unmercifully whenever I recall the incident.

~Shubham Khemka

Such moments and experiences bring about bittersweet memories that make us realise how close Enactus really is to our hearts and how it has shaped us in the short time we’ve spent as its members. It has given us everything we could possibly want – memories, excitement, adventure, the inexplicable thrill of doing something by ourselves and most of all, a poignant sense of fulfillment. We sense the change in ourselves as we undergo a metamorphosis from “Helpers” to “Social Entrepreneurs” and we will reflect on these remarkable experiences when we spread our wings and take flight.

- Compiled by Rai Sengupta, Shubham Khemka, Aayush Aggarwal and Sumedha Arora