Acknowledging The Change: CDC 2013

Sound, check. Lighting, check. Video, check.

That’s how my morning on September 28, 2013 began. It was Enactus SRCC’s Certificate Distribution Ceremony for the year 2012-13, an occasion I couldn’t really relate to until I entered the seminar room. There was an air of positivity around the room, with all the current members working to get things ready, albeit not looking to mess up their formal attires!

Once we were set, in came our alumni members who were greeted with warm hugs by the seniors. We were also fortunate to have amidst us Shuchi ma’am from Enactus India, as well as Abhay Sir who has always been the backbone of Enactus SRCC.

To kick things off, we had the presentation given by the presenting members at last year’s Nationals, which was absolutely awe-inspiring. The meticulous precision between their delivery of speech and the timing of the video was simply amazing! It was evident that an enormous amount of time and dedication had been spent, to reach that level of perfection.

We then had the distribution of certificates, starting from our alumni members down to the second years. Courtesy my role of being the photographer for the day, I was the lucky one to have all the recipients beam their smiles at me! Zooming through the lens, I noticed the smiles they wore were clearly not of happiness for receiving certificates which would decorate their CVs, but more of a deep fulfillment and satisfaction. Deep down, they knew their real achievements were the smiles they had brought to the faces of our communities. Clearly, in the words of one of our alumni, a certificate is the least that one gets out of Enactus!

We then had some of our alumni members share their Enactus experiences, followed by some refreshments. What unfolded next was an informal and light-hearted interaction session that turned out to be an ice-breaker - the first years were spontaneously asked to talk about the person sitting next to them, and there were some embarrassing discoveries too! But the real fun was when we got to know some interesting facts about our current seniors, with the alumni members obviously on our side!

To sum up, this event was a reflection of the very spirit which unites all members. I am certain every first year member left that room as a changed and inspired person, with the fire to continue the great work which our seniors have been doing till now. On a personal note, I can safely say after that day, I’d found my extended family for the next four years of my life.

-Divyat Rungta

Three: Azmat, Repossessing Respect

Part Three: Azmat

Each day, a group of 20 women in Nekpur woke up to clean dry latrines in other people’s houses. They were shunned and distanced from society.

"I was forced by my in-laws to adopt the family practice of lifting human excreta from temporary toilets in the locality. When I recall how I used to do it – with the help of a metal piece and dumping it in my basket – it gives me goosebumps. Each time I used to put the basket on my head, I had to cover my face with my dupatta to avoid the stench and shame as I crossed the streets.”  – Ballo Didi

“We do not like cleaning the dry latrines. But we have to do it to fill our stomachs. If we leave this job, where will we get our bread from?”    – Suman Didi

 

And that's how Project Azmat was started. The project aims to rehabilitate manual scavengers by providing them with an alternative source of livelihood and turning them into independent entrepreneurs. It focuses on eliminating the need for manual scavenging by constructing eco-friendly two pit toilets, thereby conserving water, providing organic rich manure and improving hygiene for over 7500 inhabitants of the village. This is done in partnership with Sulabh International Social Service Organization.

Today, with the help of Enactus SRCC, these women are independently producing detergent under the brand name of 'Neki.'

 

“We have our own life now. We sell the detergent we make. We are self-reliant; we don’t need to suffer anymore. All this was made possible only because of Project Azmat.”  – Bindeshwari Didi
 

Three years since the project first started, we've all gained something from it. The 20 women manual scavengers have gained the most as Project Azmat has impacted their lives both socially and economically. They now lead a life of dignity and respect and have become entrepreneurs of a detergent making enterprise, which has exponentially increased their income! The owners of the two pit toilets have also benefited due to improvement in sanitation and living conditions.

However, these are simply statements based on facts. What truly tells us of our success is when these 20 women talk about all that Project Amzat has brought into their lives in these testimonials. 

And that is the change which Enactus SRCC aims to bring about in society. That is the change in people's lives that we're committed to strive for. With this, we end the tri-series that encased the change in our as well as our communities' lives. This change is dynamic, growing and multiplying its ambit each day. The series may end here, but the lives will continue to change for the better.

- Compiled by Bhumika Gupta and Devika Mathur