Malgudi Days- Time to go Rural

Malgudi Days- Time to go Rural

 

 

Mumbai. The city of dreams. The city that never sleeps. The city of bright lights.

 

When you spend more than 18 years of your life in a city like Mumbai, the definition of “your world” gets restricted to the perimeter of the bright lights. And yet, just three hours away from the city, there sits, perhaps another 18-year- old, only a few 100 kilometres away, and yet worlds apart. Her age, the same as yours, and yet her aspirations and her dreams completely different. Just three hours away from each other and you manage to see a whole different side of India; as some call it, “the Real India”. After all didn’t Mahatma Gandhi himself say “India lives in its villages”.  

 

Aaah , the glorious, and highly under rated rural life; even with its placid monotony has a certain kind of serenity that can never be achieved in urban life. Sleepy cows grazing vast expanses of land, little children playing games with stick and stones in the dust, the women of the village patiently working in the aanganwadi; a picture of beautiful bliss. Half of us in the cities don’t even know the persons staying across the hall, and yet, in a village, the door to your house is always open, for your neighbours are your friends and are truly welcomed in your home.

 

The bigger our cities get, the more compact our worlds become. We begin to filter who we want in our lives and who we don’t. We live in sky scrapers made of glass, and yet our world has never been more opaque. Our problems often become superficial, and when we don’t have any, we attempt at creating some for ourselves.

 

But don’t get me wrong; life in a village is not always refreshingly lazy. Often copious amounts of hardwork is put in for a family to barely get by. What an average urban citizen spends on their daily transport is sometimes, double of what an entire family earns per day. Running water in taps, or 24X7 electricity are distant dreams for many village homes. And with all its simplicity, there is still a kind of complexity in the social life of a village. An unfair caste system, a dismal status of women in the social hierarchy, child marriage, untouchability, exploitation  by money-lenders; issues like these continue to plague majority of rural India.

 

The helplessness a farmer feels, when yet another year in a row, the monsoons disappoint, and he

doesn’t even have enough to feed his own children. The plight of those young girls who are made to drop out of school because water is so scarce in their villages that they have to spend most part of their day going to far off sources just to procure a few litres of water.

 

Lack of adequate educational facilities, lack of infrastructure, and sometimes just a plain lack of opportunities forces countless families to migrate to cities like Mumbai in hope of a better life; and yet it is rather sordid that majority of these families end up in the overcrowded squalor of slums, leading a life even more debased than before.

 

I do not wish to preach through this article. I merely wish to remind you, that while you spend twenty minutes with the shower on full speed, surgeons in Marathawada region, in the same state of Maharasthra, don’t even have enough water supply to conduct surgical operations.

 

It's time for a change, it’s time for a revolution.

 

“You may say I’m a dreamer

But I’m not the only one

I hope someday you will join us

And the World will live as one”

 

It’s the last line of this iconic song that truly means so much to me now. More than 70% of our nation’s population lives in rural areas. For our country to remain united and strong, its people must be equal. Equality in status, equality in opportunities, and equality in lifestyle. A gargantuan rural population like ours is a repository of potential, a treasure of some sorts. To make India the next super power, we need to focus on reducing the disparity between the urban and the rural; because when our villages prosper, India as a nation will thrive.

 

 

Here's to making a change. Here's to becoming the change. Collective effort on part of the youth of  this country can truly revolutionize the way things are run. With our latest initiative Project Jalvruddhi, Enactus H.R. College hopes to become a small wave in this sea of change. It's time, you, the reader, took charge as well.

 

-Aanchal Maheshwari

(SYBMS, H.R. COLLEGE)

 

The Surreal Feel

It is difficult to describe something that means so much to you and that you’re so passionate about, nonetheless I will give it a shot.

Enactus H.R. College – An organization very close to my heart, one that has taught me some of the best things I know, opened my eyes to the harsher reality that is the life of the less privileged, and made me an ardent follower of the ‘Do Good. Feel Good.’ way of life.

It is commonly known that a massive part of the human race is below the poverty line, lacks access to basic facilities and suffers from a number of diseases, but we tend to ignore these and find more sorrow in our “trivial” day to day problems. I used to be a part of this ignorant section of people, until 10 months ago, when I was introduced to Enactus, and it’s been a life-changing experience ever since.

Some of my best memories are my trips to the less-explored suburban parts of the city for CHIP Mapping and Saarthi Training. This was quite the struggle for me, taking the crowded trains, making the long journey, waking up early even during vacations and missing out on outings with friends as, but looking back, it was worth it all and I feel privileged to have come across the people I was fortunate to meet during these training sessions. They struggled to make bare ends meet every day, their life was a busy routine of endless odd chores and errands. But they did it all with a wide smile of their face. Every time I met them, they would run us through their day to day lives, crack jokes with us, narrate stories about their families. Those wide grins never left their face and they encountered every struggle without a single complaint, thanking God for all they had been blessed with. It was a huge life lesson for me and an eye opener, to say the least. They helped me understand the difference between ‘need’ and ‘greed’, and taught me that greed was not a need.

Another key thing Enactus has taught me, is to think in different ways, and never give up on ideas, no matter how challenging they may seem. The entire brainstorming process we undergo, for everything we do, never ceases to amaze me.

Being a part of this wonderful organization has definitely increased my self-confidence. I have pitched ideas to a several corporates and salons, under Project Peach Vibe and Aasha. I’ve connected with corporates at senior levels, convinced them to collaborate on our projects, among a lot of other things that Enactus has given me exposure to.

Last but definitely not the least, the club has introduced me to a number of passionate, enthusiastic and ever-supportive seniors and peers. I’ve made a lot of friends through Enactus and am sure there are many more yet to come my way.

What is most inspiring to me, is the energy and the passion to transform lives. That is what Enactus is about. ‘Transforming Lives Positively’. I joined it with the same intention, but little did I know that it would land up transforming me in a manner and magnitude, simply unthinkable.

Vedant Lakhotia,

Member

Enactus HR College

Why is India the Chosen destination for Venture Capital Firms ?

" India is not Simply Emerging , it has already Emerged " - Barack Obama

          

                                 

 " Venture capital is about capturing the value between the startup phase and the  public company phase." -- Fred Wilson

India has risen as a key destination for global venture capital investing and a prominent hub of technology innovation with one of the fastest growing economies globally driven by a large middle class leading to vibrant domestic consumption , robust domestic talent pool and strong manufacturing base.

1. Start Up Boom 

The entrepreneurial boom and dense tech talent are creating many big opportunities and India is set to become the largest economy beating China.

The Indian start-up ecosystem is rapidly evolving driven by an extremely young, diverse and inclusive entrepreneurial landscape. This is leading to emergence of focused domain solutions for verticals like healthcare, agriculture, and education etc. An additional driving force is a four-fold increase in access to capital through VCs, angel investment and seed funding is allowing Indian entrepreneurs to work on building tailor-made products for their customers.

As per NASSCOM Report, India is The Fastest Growing and 3rd Largest Start-Up Ecosystem globally.

According to Google Capital " In the next 5 years , 30% of the world's billionaires will be from India."

2. SETU

The Government has established a mechanism to be known as SETU (Self-Employment and Talent
Utilisation) under NITI Aayog. SETU will be a Techno-Financial, Incubation and Facilitation Programme to support all aspects of start-up businesses, and other self-employment activities,
particularly in technology-driven areas.

Also, India Aspiration Fund (IAF) under the Small Industries Development Bank of India with a capital of Rs. 2,000 crore to give a boost to start—up ecosystem in the country.

3. Untapped Market with Huge Potential 

- Despite being the 2nd highest user of internet worldwide after China , the penetration is still at a low of 30%, which means it has a huge untapped market.

- 1.21 Billion Population with 30% Urban and the rest is Rural which is untapped and has a huge potential for any product.

4. Reforms by the Government

The writing on the wall seems clear. New policies, regulations and improvements in India’s macroeconomic parameters, as well as its growth prospects, seem to be taking it to the next level of development. Investments within and outside the country are therefore expected to bear fruit. More importantly, these investments and the visible changes caused by them can be sustained over a period of time. It’s time investors made the best use of these positive developments.

5. Internet Boom 

A total of 354 million users of internet, and an average of 20hours per week spent on internet by an average user and the advent of low-cost smartphones, coupled with low mobile tariffs, has empowered consumers in the hinterland to use data connectivity and we will be seeing more usage of internet from these areas in the months to come. Also, the increased internet usage will boost digital commerce in India.

The size of the internet economy of India by 2020 would be $ 200 billion with current analysis.

                               

CONCLUSION :

Well for India , this is that once in a lifetime moment to seize the opportunity and show the world that it is no more an underdog and be the start-up and skill capital of the world.

The Start-up boom and the growing middle class with internet reach and usage growing exponentially has given the VCs to invest in a growing world power.

Venture Capitalists are looking at investing in high-potential technology and technology enabled businesses with the following characteristics:

 Strong leadership and management teams

 Potential to become disruptive category leaders

 Capital-efficient business models

 Targeting rapidly growing domestic or global market segments


Useful Links :

1. Total Funding of India in 2014 : http://yourstory.com/2015/01/india-funding-digest-2014/

2. Funding Report for 2015 Q1 : http://yourstory.com/2015/01/india-funding-digest-2014/

3. Total Start-up Investments in 2015 : http://trak.in/india-startup-funding-investment-2015/

-Akash Kakkar
 Vice President
 Enactus H.R. College

Leading The Way!

Fresh out of school, in the summer of 2011, I taught at the NGO Akanksha. Out of the 20 students I taught, I yet remember these 2 primary boys who made fun of my English accent

“Didi, aapke pas aise accent kyon hai?” and they laughed at me and I joined them. This was one of my first interactions with children from marginalized communities. Externally, you could have seen many faults in their environment, but within them was a spark that brought out a childish gleam within me. I later went on to teach Mubashir, a boy my age, as frazzled as I was, looking for a college to get admission in. He scored a 74%, which is fabulous considering the limited resources he had while growing up. He later went on to get a seat in Wilson College.
                                                 
Now why does this story matter? Well, you see, Mubashir, a boy my age with limited resources achieved marks as good as mine.

Mubashir was lucky, he had the teachers at Akanksha to help him and guide him.

But what about the lakhs of other students such as Mubashir? The ones who do not have the backing of an organisation.

 Imagine the possibilities, the success stories that all those students would become, if someone was able to guide them, to give them that opportunity.

And that is what Enactus does. We give them the opportunities or rather we get them.

Enactus gives us a platform to sit together and help develop the community around us. We create sustainable and scalable business models to help improve the lives of those in need.

We get the opportunity to do something meaningful, an opportunity to change a life, an opportunity to make a difference.

In the 3 years of working at Enactus H. R. College, I am proud to say that through our Projects we have uplifted the lives of more than 175 women and the number keeps increasing.  We continue to give opportunities to those who are shackled by social backwardness, the ones who lack the confidence or means to achieve their fullest potential.

Through our Projects we wish to fuel hope into those souls who have been overlooked. We don’t want to simply donate or share their story but want to make them completely self reliant. We aim to make them entrepreneurs and teach them skills for them to make a livelihood from it.

From homemakers to bread earners, we have improved the standard of living and quality of living of many. But our journey continues. We will be unstoppable until we improve the lives of all Indians across the country and give them the opportunity that all of them deserve. Through our projects we do believe we will or will strive to create a nation with equal opportunities because only if we believe we can make a difference, we will make a difference.

-Shikha Thakore
President
Enactus H.R. College

Put your rights in your mind first, not on paper.

"Dear people of the world,

This, is not a rant. Neither is it some kind of an attempt at a sermon. And it is definitely not a condescending open letter trying to force a set of foreign beliefs down your throat. What it is, though, is a plea to be heard patiently, without interruptions, or distractions, or judgement. 

It doesn’t have to be a plea though. I possess the right to be heard and I shouldn’t have to plead to exercise it. But I need to. Why, you may ask. Because, in a world of over seven billion people, most norms and rules and regulations are simply reduced to enforcements nobody follows, and sadly, human rights are a part of the list.

We, as a society, are becoming increasingly averse to the idea of others’ sovereignty, for we have developed this absurd notion that having them avail their sovereignty somehow affects ours.
You’re probably arching your eyebrows right now, thinking that if anything is absurd, it is the above statement. But why else would we have an issue with what someone else is filling their stomach with? Why else would someone else’s choice of apparel cause a conflict in our minds? What else could be a possible reason for someone’s choice of profession to affect the way we behave with them? How else can we explain the fact that while some people choose to express their opinion by speaking it out, we choose to express ours by murdering them? Do we even have a satisfactory reason about why someone’s happiness and their choice of who they want to be with is an eyesore to us?

It has been 67 years since the need to establish basic human rights was first recognized, but most of these basic rights still remain neglected. Putting them on paper wouldn’t do much until we put them in our minds, once and for all.

And let’s start with understanding that we’re all more or less equally deprived of rights, and hence, we should focus on achieving ours first, rather than bothering with others’. Let’s enlighten ourselves with the fact that we can only truly exercise all our rights upon the realization that the fulfilment of others’ rights does not affect ours.

Sincerely
Someone who needed to say this"

We all have a voice, some of us just need a mouthpiece. Enactus HR College has repeatedly been that mouthpiece for me and so many others. Here's to our fight for to make human rights available to all. 

Snigdha Bansal

Student Member, Enactus HRC.

Mission 'Let's Empower' is a Go!

"I’ve come to believe that each one of us has a personal calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint-and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you.”- Oprah Winfrey.

These are golden words I have always strongly identified with. A desire to contribute to the betterment of society is what brought me to Enactus. So, why Enactus? Why not join an NGO or a Rotaract Club? Well, Enactus as an organization is different. I believe it’s relatively easy to simply donate clothes, or food, or absolutely anything for that matter, to people in need. But the real challenge lies in empowering people to uplift themselves. And that is exactly what Enactus aspires to do.  Sustainability, Scalability, Creation of Entrepreneurship – all features that form the very core of any Enactus project. That is why I joined Enactus, a wonderful platform for social entrepreneurship, empowering society as well as creating young, innovative and welfare-oriented business leaders.

It’s been six months of active participation at Enactus HRC now and it could not have been any better. I initially went for assessment visits to different BMC schools, for our Project Saarthi. It was a shocking eye-opener for me, to say the least. Children skipping school four months in a year to help their fathers in the villages, the sheer lack of interest and awareness of the importance of education among the parents and the lack of water and electricity in these schools were just some of the many problems the teachers in these schools face. In such a scenario, it felt really good to be part of an organization that wants to make a difference and is dedicating it’s heart and soul to see a literate India.

Another thing I love about Enactus is the liberty and encouragement provided to the first-year students. Within the first 3 months itself, we were all encouraged to come up with new project ideas. The idea some of us came up with required us to visit the rural areas, which was a completely different experience altogether. Spending a day in a region where electricity is a luxury, pregnant women carry 25 litres of water on their heads right upto the day of their delivery, and people rise before the sun every single day to earn a livelihood, seemed amazingly difficult to me. I cannot even begin to imagine the obstacles the majority of our countrymen in the villages encounter every single day of their lives. I have Enactus to thank for making me aware about the extreme, deteriorated conditions that prevail in the majority of the nation. It sure did strengthen within me the desire to help these people provide for themselves a better lifestyle and human living conditions. Trust me when I say this, living in the city, with an air-conditioner operating all the time and a car to chauffeur us everywhere, (and a roof above our heads that is not made of hay), we cannot even begin to understand the complexity of the daily lives of people in our villages.

My first few months in this wonderful organization with some really amazing seniors and peers, a super supportive teaching faculty and a ‘Let’s Change the World’ spirit have been beyond incredible. It teaches you so much more than any regular internship at any MNC possibly can. Most importantly, it sensitises you to the environment around you. And I guess , at the end of it all, if you haven’t been able to make a difference in the lives of those around you, you haven’t really achieved the ultimate objective of your being. 

-Saloni Gopani 

  Member 

  Enactus H.R. College

A Conglomerate of Will, Effort and Determination.

We at Enactus H.R College wish to be a part in plaguing our society with a disease. A disease of education that does no harm be it 4 or 40. It is easier said than done in our society that is diagnosed with brain drain. But we believe in doing our little bit and letting our work do the talking.

As a member of a new chapter I wish to share my experience. The first feeling you get is that you are standing in ‘no man’s land’. Then comes the part where you test yourself, how well you know your project. Honestly at the end, your determination for the cause counts the most. If you believe in education to the uneducated, there is no barrier too high to cross. ‘Test your marketing skills, sell the project to them’, is what your mind tells you. Making them want to do it or giving direction to the ones who want to becomes your motive. Logistics comes as a daily dose, no matter how much planning you do, it’s all different on ground and the most educating. Just within a week of knowing them, you feel family, it’s all first name bases, laughing, knowing them and friending. And the feeling of known territory is embedded too deep to be subject to minor setbacks.

The feeling of doing your little bit at an age such as ours is enriching enough to motivate us to be the light to their path. If this isn’t enough,h the pride you feel when they learn even a letter new because of your effort, has to do the job. Having people looking up to you calling you “teacher” is as energizing as any medicine could possibly do.

The feeling of a true business mind that later makes you think, ‘how could we pull it off just such less resources’. The feeling of travel and time being barriers no more and long distances physiologically shortening is what makes you a true member of Enactus HR College. It’s what made me.

-Mitanjali Singla

Member

Enactus H.R College.