"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
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