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
8th 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 7th 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.
“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
