Down the Memory Lane: Enactus 2013

When I first entered college, I was expecting to see a bunch of studious kids with their heads always buried in the books. That was the general aura of SRCC, the college with the highest of the high cut-offs. But when I actually got in, I realised that it was not the number game of pointers, but the sanguine student culture that made this college one of the best in the country. On interacting with my seniors, I found out that Enactus is a major society and being a part of it is both prestigious and tough. Not knowing much, I gave my best. After clearing vigorous rounds of group discussions and interview sessions, I finally found myself as a member of the team.

"Earlier, I had only heard of the professional effervescence. But being a member of the Enactus team, I witness it, everyday." 

We are given insights into the working of the projects, detailed explanations of their business models, technicalities and the success rates achieved, something which is unusual for a student body of teenagers.

I remember my first field visit, Kathputli Colony. Prior to this visit, I had prepared myself to see the award-winning slums of Slumdog Millionaire in front of my eyes. That’s when I realised that how Danny Boyle had conveniently shot only the aristocratic areas of a slum colony. As compared to the reality, those lanes now seem very wide. But I know that while these people may be staying in small cramped homes, they hold love and affection that surpasses all the need of physical space.

Very soon, I was a part of their families too.

Some might think that their dreams loom like a mirage in a hopeless world that disregards them. But we beg to differ. If the world would want to shut its eyes to their plight, we will give them a reason to look up. We, as Enactus members don’t work with these people because we want to see ourselves getting placed in the best companies, but because we want to secure their futures. We want to take away the tears and give them hope. We want to take away the struggle and give them the fruits.

My association with Enactus SRCC dates back to barely a few months. But in this brief period, I can sense the changes in my personality. Now when I see myself back then, I think that I was a typical urban brat who lived in a dreamy world, where everything fell into place without much tribulation. Now I have matured in many ways. I have seen what happens in the harsh reality. I have seen how even little steps can help scale the heights of success. Earlier, I believed in the spirit of sympathy and compassion. But, now I know that compassion is a virtue and feeding the blind a noble ideal, but blind compassion is pointless. In the end, it is the action you take that matters the most.

In the coming year, I look forward toward channelizing all my energy into creating opportunities for our communities. I look forward towards trying to change the world around me, for the better.

I sincerely hope and pray 2014 rings the bells of optimism and peace in abundance.

Wishing everyone A Very Happy and Prosperous New Year.

- Anshika Gupta

Offshoots of Growth: SVP

I remember how I always wanted to bring about change in the society, to help people in need, to empower women and make them self-sufficient.

Becoming a part of Project Azmat made all this possible for me! I cannot begin to express in words how it feels, having the power to bring a change in the lives of those women while watching them smile and work for something that gives them joy and dignity.

We recently organized two rounds of the Student Volunteer Programme (SVP) as part of this project. The program was designed with an aim to serve the two-fold objective of supplementing the community’s income and also widening our customer base to residential areas.  We invited volunteers from different colleges to sell 15 kg of our detergent, "Neki Supreme" at Rs.70 each. The rule was simple - sell the stock within a time frame of 15 days and in return, take home a letter of appreciation from Enactus SRCC. An incentive that worked wonders in the past, when we'd conducted the first phase of SVP last year, making us believe that we could do it again this year as well.

Easier said than done! Implementation of such a program entailed large scale production, to begin with. But with Diwali just around the corner, the whole event acquired an almost festive air! The women worked relentlessly with renewed zeal and an unbending will to defy the odds and accomplish the challenge that the situation posed. Things unfolded with pleasant outcomes. They managed to produce 435 kgs on a rather short notice. At this point, the onus of the whole project’s success shifted to the hands of the volunteers who sized up the situation and did not let us down. The first round delivered a perfect launch, and the entire detergent was sold within the required time frame!

In the wake of this phenomenal response, we embarked upon the second round with much optimism and confidence. This involved a further production and distribution of 480 kgs of detergent, resulting in further financial consolidation.

Diwali came by, and so did the smiles on the faces of these women.
As Deeksha, another team member would put it:

"Under Project Azmat

The pleasure of detergent making

With women so committing

The blessings we received

And the bonds we weaved

Gave me unforgettable memories

Of those serene Nekpur streets"

Working for these women has always been a  pure pleasure. We all look forward to a great and eventful year ahead!!

- Aisha Khandelwal

The Ideas, Innovation and the Experience: C2P CASE Grant Competition

We were told about the C2P Case Grant Competition in one of our very first team meetings. At that time, Enactus was still new to us and there hovered a hesitation in talking to our seniors and even to our batch-mates, for that matter!

But at that point, C2P proved to be a bonding mechanism. It was to be our very first team event and the responsibility of making it a success was on our shoulders. Together, we marketed the event in various colleges. The theme was social entrepreneurship – positively impacting the lives of a community in need by devising an alternative business model for them. A competition spread across 3 levels, its winners were granted Rs. 30,000 each to implement their projects.

After two weeks of online and offline registrations, we were done with the first round. As the second round progressed, we were also on our way to becoming more familiar with our Enactus seniors and fellow team members. On one hand, the teams were expressing their ideas on paper and on the other we were learning to execute the existing projects of Enactus SRCC.

Then came the time for the final round. On 19th October we were all present in the Seminar Room, dressed in formals and eagerly looking forward to the event. We were excited not only because it was to be the conclusion of such a major competition, but also because we were going to have some amazing judges amongst us. It was truly an overwhelming experience to hear Mr. S Ravishankar – Director at Metis Consultancy, Miss Barsha Poricha - Director at National Foundation for India and Mr. Joyonto Chaudhury - General Manager of the Delhi NCR Operations, Coca-Cola India Pvt. Ltd.

The 13 finalists presented their project ideas in front of the judges. It was enriching to hear them. 


"The ideas were very innovative and well thought out. At that moment, the impact and social relevance of C2P hit us."

Soon we had the winners amongst us. Carol, which stands for “Creating And Redefining Opportunities for a Lady”, began its operations in May '13. Their project aims to engage underprivileged women in the contemporary art of quelling, in order to enhance their income and standard of living.

Project Laadli focuses on the basic problem of health and sanitation amongst women. The team aims to not only provide women with low-cost biodegradable sanitary napkins but even engage them in the production of the same. It also covers the aspect of environmental conservation.

Last but not the least, Project Clay Coolers uses science to help people in rural areas to preserve food. They aim to make use of a simple technology wherein a small earthenware pot can be fixed inside a larger one and the area between the two is filled with sand and water. This acts as a refrigerator to store food. This will not only help to reduce wastage of food, but also provide gainful employment to potters.

 

Thus, as we stood up and applauded the winners, we realised that C2P brought together the people who wanted to genuinely contribute for the betterment of communities. It is a platform for socially aware people who can make things better for the masses with their ideas!

-Kanupriya Puri