Make The Future of the Country - Living up to their name

On 29th July, Laxmikant Borase and I went to meet Mr. Naresh Dhall, the founder of Make The Future of the Country (MTFC). Mr. Dhall runs the MTFC school in the Kanheli area in Rohtak, where he provides free primary education to children from nearby slums. Our journey there was quite eventful as well, having to change two autos to reach Kanheli. Once there, we met Ms. Sonia Gupta, one of the 40 volunteers at the school, who showed us the way to the school. During the 20 minutes walk there, Sonia told us about the school and herself. There were 150 students in this branch of MTFC, and another 50 in another branch that they have opened in the Bhiwani slums. We were impressed to know that Sonia herself was doing her B.Com (Hons.) from a college in Rohtak, and made sure she was at the school to teach the kids everyday.

On reaching the school, we saw about 60 kids aged between 5 and 10 sitting in the ground and studying in their 'classes' under different trees. Sonia informed us that most of the kids had not come that day since it was Shivaratri, and they had been forced by their parents to go to the temples and bring back food and money that the devotees would be handing out that day. It was disheartening to hear this, since for these kids, festivals were a time to go and collect food for their families, instead of actually enjoying and doing what they would want to.

Sonia then introduced us to Mr. Naresh, who invited us to his office to further tell us about MTFC. Pictures of various functions and ceremonies where the kids had performed adorned the wall of his office. He told us about how he had started MTFC on 27th September 2007, with a group of student volunteers, after they had realized that kids in the slums nearby wanted to learn, but did not have an opportunity to. Nareshji had personally visited the homes of these children to convince their parents to send their kids to the school. Most parents refused to send their kids, since they believed that a kid going to school would not be able to earn money by polishing shoes or begging. Yet, Nareshji persevered, and today MTFC is truly doing its part in making the future of the country with a strength of 200 students.

Nareshji went on to tell us about the various problems faced by MTFC. Their biggest concern was funds, since they did not have a bigger NGO or sponsors backing them up. MTFC does have 111 monthly donors, whose donations vary from Rs.20 to Rs.2100, but this amount is far from sufficient when it comes to meeting the needs of 200 kids. MTFC itself ran a fund-raising campaign, where they made cloth bags and sold them for Rs. 20 each, collecting funds for the organization as well as doing their part in helping to save the environment. Yet, a lot of plans made by Nareshji for the kids have not materialized due to the lack of funds. . That being said, they have received one-time donations from some generous organizations, like a few computers from Punjab National Bank, and file cabinets and book shelves from the Lions Club and Bharat Vikas Parishad. Also, since MTFC does not have a pool of funds, Nareshji ends up approaching organizations for material donations, like buying shoes or notebooks for the kids when they run out of them. Though it was impressive to hear about the generosity of these organizations, it was also sad that MTFC were not able to get a greater amount of support for their benevolent cause.

One of the biggest problems that we could highlight with MTFC was that the excellent work being done by them is unfortunately not being publicized to the outside world. Nareshji showed us a scrapbook of newspaper clippings of functions and activities that the kids from MTFC had taken part in. We were delighted to see more than a 100 clippings in there, which were a showcase of the hard work that Nareshji and his 40 student volunteers had been doing over the past 3.5 years. Despite having so much to show for, MTFC has not been able to publicize itself. This was one of the key issues that we identified during out meeting with him, since having done all the hard work over the past few years, they do deserve to have the world know about it.

Nareshji went on to discuss his experiences in the field, and how organizations like MTFC run more on the inspiration of the volunteers than funding. He then requested us to talk to his group of volunteers, as they were all very excited as well that someone from IIM had come to their school. We talked to the volunteers about the Social Development Project, and how we intend to contribute to their wonderful cause. The volunteers were a truly inspirational bunch, since all of them were pursuing their Bachelors degree, and yet made sure they turned up daily for the sake of the kids. They were also extremely enthusiastic, and they asked us several questions about SDP, IIM Rohtak, and even the Teach For India Movement.

Our visit ended with us meeting some of the students there. This was the best part of the visit for me. Six students took turns to recite poems, sing songs, and tell us jokes, all beginning with "Good Morning, my name is _____ and today I will be reciting/singing/telling you _____", and ending with "Thank You". Seeing these small kids speak good English made my respect for Nareshji and MTFC grow severalfold. Following this, we took our leave, proud of what a small NGO like MTFC was doing for the country, and how we needed to do our part in making them recognized for their achievements. What MTFC is doing is truly commendable, and having seen their work first hand, we felt even more committed to the SDP project.

Ch. Lakhiram Arya Anathalaya- A new beginning!

Hey folks!!

The NGO which we approached was Ch. Lakhiram Arya Anathalaya, an orphanage hosting education and boarding facilities for 47 orphans who couldn’t afford to study. We started off on a good note by meeting the warden of the organization. He was very cooperative and answered all our queries patiently. We discussed about the various issues faced by them. The major issues were collection of funds for their new hostel as the old hostel is getting crowded and teaching the children after school hours.

We found the place to be good and the people running the institution were very co-operative and warm hearted. We got a chance to interact with the children who were there studying in a room. And we were so happy to talk with them as they were of different age group starting from 7 to 18.We ended our day by meeting the head of the institution Mr..Zile Singh Chhhikara who was quite old. He elaborated us about the history of the institution and was quite eager to explain us the various activities going on in it.

Overall it was a day well spent by us leaving alone the hilarious beginning (contacting a matrimonial company... :P). Wish we get such days in future too!

By
KARTAVYA

-Adithya G
-Chittranshu Verma
-Dipti K
-Krishna Prakash
-Renuga A
-Shalini Kumari

Jan Seva Sansthan- The Road Ahead

Date: 21^st July, 2011

We had our first official meeting with swami ji of Jan Seva Sansthan. We made some propositions as to in which fields can we help them perform better being management students. He listened to our proposals patiently.

Our proposals included helping them manage their accounts, helping them in other documentations related to the organisation. But he emphasized on this organisation being more like a family and offered us to provide basic domestic help. He also mentioned that we can also teach the children in the organisation on the weekends as in to help them develop on their weaker areas. We agreed to help the students in their vocational courses and also computer learning.

While talking about the organisation, Swami Ji mentioned that except for the children who live in the sansthan, around 290 children come there from the community. They are offered education, food and other basic needs till they stay there before returning to their homes in Bus service provided by the organisation. Thus we offered for providing counselling to the parents of the students who play a vital role in the development of their child. Swami Ji was impressed with the Idea and agreed upon taking this initiative ahead.

Then we also discussed about the development of the child in this organisation. A child can be assessed on the basis of his/her social development using various parameters. We are basically concerned about the factors which are tangible and can show a child’s personality development distinctly. Swami Ji seemed really interested in this analysis as we offered to provide information about the growth in a child’s social behaviour and development.

So this all sums up to our focus being on following points:

1. Providing help on the educational front so as to improve on child’s weaker areas.

2. Carrying out vocational training which helps in personality development.

3. Visiting community houses to provide counselling to ward’s parents.

4. Preparing analysis on Social Development of the child using various parameters.

Keenly looking forward to challenges and opportunities ahead.

SMART Goals- Jan Seva Sansthan

We have listed down our goal so that we can work towards attainment of the same in a realistic time period.

Goal: Looking to aid Jan Seva Sansthan in its problems, processes in the field of education.

Our Goal is a SMART goal because

Specific Jan Seva Sansthan runs a CBSE affiliated school. We would like to help teach these kids.

Measurable We can check the kids' progress by conducting pre and post effort tests.

Attainable We plan to invest 1 to 2 hours every sunday into the kids' education for the rest of 2011.

Realistic Our own schedules and limitations have been taken into consideration before finalizing the goal.

Timely We plan to accomplish this by the end of this year.

Jan Seva Sansthan: An Initiative

As part of our social development initiative, we decided to visit Jan Seva Sansthan on Bhiwani Road, Rohtak.

About Jan Seva Sansthan

Jan Seva Sansthan is in existence for nearly two decades now. It is being looked after by Swami Param Chaitanya Ji Maharaj, who had completed his Masters in Business Administration in 1979.He had worked with Oswal Agro as a senior official before deciding to dedicate his life towards the noble cause of philanthropy.

The Sansthan, over a period of 25 years, has forayed into several divisions to address issues like care for the elderly, for women, for kids and also for physically and mentally challenged people. They are doing a wonderful job of managing so many activities together with a staff of just fifteen people. Most of the work is being done on a sharing basis by inmates themselves and there is a very strong sense of community belonging among themselves.

At the Sansthan we met Ashok ji, who is one the senior members and he was courteous and hospitable with us. We were offered kheer and it was delicious. Ashok ji talked about how the various divisions came into existence and how activities were being conducted within various divisions. The ashram was very neat and clean and had a lot of greenery there. We were told all this was maintained by the inmates themselves. They even have an English medium CBSE affiliated school specifically for the underprivileged kids. Students from well to do families are not admitted there as the institute is meant specifically for orphans or for children whose families are below poverty line. Moreover it was a pleasure to learn that the ashram inmates belong to different castes and creeds and are not just from Haryana but from all over India.

Apart from its current activities within the ashram, the sansthan also organizes blood donation camps in the city. They have successfully helped 110 people get new vision through eye donation camps.

Our experience

Ashok ji took us on a round of the ashram. He showed us around the rooms where kids were staying, the kitchen, the rooms of physically and mentally challenged people. The entire experience was an eye opener for us. We felt a need to help them in whichever way it was possible for us.

Next Steps

We plan to go there again in a few days, spend some quality time with the kids and also seek Swami ji's advice on how we could help the sansthan further in their quest to make the world a better place.

'EARTH' NGO

The "Social Development Initiative" at IIM Rohtak and the "SDP Cell" - 2 terms that will forever be etched in my memory as the way I first connected with PGP life at IIM Rohtak. Having submitted our names to the SDP Cell in the initial burst of enthusiasm, I and my team members were immersed in the labyrinthine thought process of choosing an NGO and perhaps more importantly, which facet of life did we wish to make an impact upon in the process. Finally, after much deliberations we zeroed in on "EARTH" NGO.

My team mate Akshay Jangra first contacted Mr. Ajay Godara, the Director of EARTH NGO and we finalized a meeting with him in the evening of 13/07/11. On the day of our meeting, as Akshay, Deepak Sachan and I were on our way to meet Mr. Ajay, I had my own trepidations mingled with mild consternation to deal with it- "What are we going to ask him, What are the ways we can get into a mutual, fruitful relationship" et al. We arrived at Chotu Ram Chowk around 6:30pm and went in to meet Mr. Ajay, each armed with a notepad, pen (and hopefully, a bagful of questions).

Mr. Ajay was quite a warm person and after the usual exchange of pleasantries, we ventured out with our queries, slow but steady. The NGO's primary objective is working at creating and developing Environmental Awareness. They have tied up with the Finnish mobile maker Nokia to collect unused mobiles and accessories in each and every school in Haryana, starting from Rohtak. These, in turn, will be sent to the Nokia plant for recycling and conversion of non-harmful waste material. To enhance participation, they will be giving away goodies to all those who come forth with some or the other mobile-related waste. They sought our cooperation in creating environment-awareness amongst the school children by preparing presentations which we have to deliver on the day the NGO visits a particular school's campus.

Furthermore, the NGO is in talks with the State Forest Department for undertaking plantation drives in and around Rohtak. In this regard, we sought their help in beautifying the hostel and administrative block of IIM Rohtak to which they have consented to. Further, we also discussed ways to make the IIM junta more responsible towards energy conservation in the campus and have come up with some novel methods to implement the same. I will be touching upon this aspect at a later point of time when something concrete and relevant is drawn up.

The NGO has taken up another initiative "ECO-KARMA", aiming at proper maintenance of livestock, proper domestic waste disposal methods, popularizing bicycle as a mode of short-distance transport and the consequent conservation of fuel and reduction of environmental pollution, reducing noise pollution by making the masses aware about unnecessary horn-honking et al. Mr. Ajay waxed eloquent on their plans and targets and further informed us that the NGO comprised almost entirely of part-timers who worked as employees in the morning hours and came in the afternoon and evening time to work for the NGO.

Hoping to successfully develop some of the much-discussed plans into action in the upcoming days and consequently, giving back something valuable and tangible to the society in general and Mother Earth in particular who has sustained and nurtured us right since our birth. Eagerly anticipating suggestions, queries and any help (if possible) from all of you and last but not the least, earnestly seeking your best of wishes ...

SAVE EARTH .... SAVE HUMANITY

Our humble beginning: Social Development Projects Cell

“Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. The joy, the moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits. These dark days, my friends, will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be ministered unto but to minister to ourselves, to our fellow men.” - Franklin D Roosevelt

Ever since my first day at Teach For India, a non-profit organization working in the field of education for the under-privileged, I have been consumed by the thought of how the collective intelligence of the privileged few can help India become a better place for our countrymen. 


Today, as I write the first post on this blog out of my hostel room at the Indian Institute of Management at Rohtak, I feel immense joy at the possibilities of what all my intelligent,resourceful and "best amongst the best" friends at IIM Rohtak can do for the communities both now and later. 


We initiated this group with an overwhelming response from 33 students from my batch and encouragement coupled with direction from the senior batch. It has been a pleasure interacting with the senior batch particularly in this regard for most of them are very keen on shaping the college as one of the top management schools known for its focus on developing managers with strong social development foundations. 


To that effect, Our Social Development Cell has two-fold objectives -

• a) Community Development Initiatives in Rohtak, Haryana -  Teams are researching and making field visits to local NGOs for understanding how we can be of help to them.
• b) Live consulting projects across India - Another team is engaged in finding live projects in the field of devising strategies for various non-profits, public enterprises and consulting organizations working in the field of social development.

While, (a) aims to give us an first-hand experience and exposure to handle local issues, (b) lets us apply our management knowledge and collective intelligence to tackling some of the key issues in the social space by partnering  with different organizations as knowledge/thought partners.


Initially, our team members were apprehensive of their first step (as most of people are!), but eventually their passion to work for the society and commitment to learn and enhance personal skill sets in this field made them pursue the community visits in Rohtak (Haryana).
However, Once our teams made field visits to local NGOs in the last couple of days they brought back a wealth of knowledge and invaluable experiences. Debriefing with the group two days back, I was reminded of my first few days at Teach For India - when we are given an object (or a toy) and we are supposed to venture into the communities (completely new to us - linguistically and socially!) and "connect" with a child. Such experiences not only bring out the best in me as a human being but also made me aware of your strengths and weaknesses. Well, the take-aways are subjective!


We at the Social Development Projects Cell will henceforth share our experiences and our knowledge of working with the communities and on live projects. We would also provide updates on our progress as we move forward in our tryst to becoming socially-conscious managers. 


As we embark on our journey we solicit your good wishes, blessings and constructive feedback.

1st SDP meet (July 13th, 2011. 9 PM)

The room was filled with highly enthusiastic and committed students. We all had something to learn, something to share, and something to understand; and we all were gathered for our 1st SDP (Social Development Programme) meet...

This is the first time that I have joined a programme which is working for a noble cause; and I am proud of it. Members from each of the groups shared their experiences about their 1st interaction with some NGOs. Our group is in initial talk with an NGO named Satyam Seva Sansthan.

This NGO is located in Rohtak itself so it will be easier to reach them. We had a telephonic conversation with Mr. Ajay Agarwal, one of the co-founders of the NGO and we made him aware about IIM Rohtak and the SDP initiative. We shared with him the objective of our programme and how it will help to bring a change in society. He was very happy to learn about our initiative and gave whole-hearted response.

About Satyam Seva Sansthan:

This is a newly formed NGO which will be providing its services in the health sector. Currently it is in formative stages. Plans are being chalked out by the co-founders to come up with a solution to provide inexpensive treatment to all. They are planning to offer their services in the form of charitable hospitals which will provide healthcare and medicines at cheap prices to the needy.

Well, our objective is to help them getting some funds for their initial programme. We can also help in the better functioning of their organisation. We are planning a visit to them next week as soon as we get an appointment. Hoping for good results. I will provide the updates soon.

Please leave your thoughts or comments.
Thank you.