Project with iCare India

Anand S, Akshay Khatri, Achyuta, Tanuj Maggon and I had a great experience working with iCare India. iCare is registered under SUSWA, an environmental trust that supports conservation education, research, and outreach activities that increase understanding of the cultural and natural heritage of the Doon Valley. It is a non-profit, youth-based organization that works towards creating a beautiful and sustainable future by promoting community involvement and educational outreach.

iCare wants to encourage young people to become envi­ronmentally aware and actively promote heritage conservation. Therefore they have decided to organize iCare Awards to felicitate the unsung heroes who have taken up the mantle to save the precious resources for the future generations.

As a part of their endeavour, our team helped them to plan the iCare Awards ceremony which is scheduled for January 2012. We designed the Corporate Communication and Promotional Strategy for the Awards including the following:

• Preparation of presentation, sponsorship letter and cover letter for the Sponsorship drive

• Preparation of the list of companies which are actively participating in CSR activities and which could be approached for sponsorship

• Cost Accounting: Identification of the probable financial headers

• Design of the Social Media marketing plan to promote the awards

This experience has instilled in us the passion to pursue similar endeavours in future for the betterment of the society. We wish them success in all their future aspirations and hope that they continue their good work.

Yet again!

It was yet another set of experience to add to these resources, a new day to begin with the kids. As usual eager enough to absorb the positive energy flowing around them and enthu to respond to us. Today was yet another day, got to check the retention power of the small 4th standard kids and you wont believe it they had everything intact, right in the way expected. All set to show their tasks and ask questions on why this n why not that...oh!  another lecture for us!!...this time not for us but definitely by us..:)

Good to see them answering my tests well...the plural form of words(in Hindi). Now was the time for initiating today's lecture-English class. " The Lion and The Rat " ...it was great recalling that story and the students enjoyed reciting the same I believe. A little bit of basics, as in what is a letter, how to form a word and then finally how to frame a meaningful sentence.Tried my maximum to give them an insightful analysis of things they have probably studied earlier also in their respective schools, just to cover up any gap which was left unfed.

Well it seems they were excited to read the story and mostly hear it in a fully charged environment around them....young elated crowd of competitors and friends. Ohh!  got to meet them soon again.................hope to make it !!!!!.....God bless the kids!!!

Philanthropy: A new chapter in B-Schools

Who had thought there would be lessons to teach the humane aspect of mankind.This life full of materialism and high on speed did not suggest anywhere that we would look back to promote human welfare at the cost of our own time and resources.Still, this love for humanity has come, be it in the form of,corporate social responsibility or corporate governance.A separate field of education has altogether come up to study the social aspect of the course of business and society. B-schools MBAs are taking immense interest in weaving philanthropy into a social-enterprise course catering to the increasing realization and demand for social management instead of a capitalistic approach to problem-solving.This affinity is also a by-product of the urge of students to register their presence outside the academics, to create a valuable impact, to practice active learning and to serve the society at the other end. The ones who ultimately are desirous of serving on the boards of non-profits or to embrace philanthropy as a career are passionately coming up to join hands with various trusts and organizations. As a member thereof, they are also actively contributing in the raising of funds and simultaneously ensuring that these rare funds are invested in the most productive activity amidst huge competition for the scarce resources. Wise decision is to be made by the allocator owing to the priority and rarity of the situation.

There comes the importance of a proper structure to be brought in place to develop the students socially aware and responsible. Philanthropy as an academic subject has been designed and adopted worldwide with strong likes(as in social networking) and some 36  B-Schools have floated about 100 courses including those  at undergraduate levels.An appealing term for the business students, philanthropy is imbibing in them the essence and art of giving and sharing. Business students grab this as an opportunity to create an impact on their community voluntarily.They can actually implement what they have learnt and make a difference to the world around them and this is what drives them to an effort and then to a goal, big enough to earn smiles for many.

Pay It Forward, a U.S. University philanthropy program in 33 college campuses of Ohio,Michigan and Kentucky offers each selected course a certain sum of money-$4500 annually for the past 2 years. Students need to rationally allocate the money to local non-profits and devote 15 hours minimum serving one. At some institution. they spent a whole year researching how best to divide the funds after a proper evaluation of the quality and financial health, analysis of tax filings and systems of operation of other charity organizations.The students selected from among so many options to finalize the institution in Columbus called Directions for Youth and Families,whereby the funds hired a dance trainer who would train students to maintain their energy level and engage in some activity after the classes.

As an MBA student they have the eagerness to become better-educated and savvier philanthropists,they need
to assess how good can they do with the given sum, a strategic issue which calls for application of business skills and thus an enhancement of the present skills.In the quest of creating a direct impact they go for a hands-on experience in serving the needy.

The experienced say “It really drills down into your belief system and helps you discover what you believe is an effective strategy,” You get a holistic view of the philanthropy field  and as a result you feel more effective at your job.“It just gives the students a taste of what they would be doing later.”

Ch. Lakhiram Arya Anathalaya

Aug 21,2011

This was the day when our journey with Ch. Lakhiram Arya Anathalaya gained momentum. When we reached there early in the morning, the children were busy playing and we thought it would naturally be a tedious job to make them sit and study. The first thing was quite true but they proved our second assumption wrong by the great interest they showed in learning. We started our mission with each one of us handling a particular class of students. We had to get back to our school days to explain their lessons. It was interesting and at times challenging too when they asked questions which sounded simple but needed some extra effort to explain them in the simplest form which they can understand.

One of the interesting things was we had to teach even English in Hindi!! It was a real challenge to Krishna and me as we don't know Hindi. It was a good experience. When the kids learnt English, we learnt Hindi from them by the way.The classes went so interesting to the children and us as well that we realised very late that we had to leave.There came a touching moment, when we were about to leave the place, two kids came running with their books and were pleading to teach their next lessons too.We were dumbstruck and then somehow managed to do some part of the lessons which the kids asked for.

It was a great experience which gave us that feel of contentment and complacence. Not only the kids, even we are eager and excited awaiting our next class....

Another day-out with the kids!!

It was yet another step in the direction of being of some use to the society, a step towards the accomplishment of the said objectives: Educating the kids!!..These things actually work..trust me...the satisfaction you get from service to the ones from whom you might not get much materialistic stuff  in return is huge!...simply undefined!

We went there with the intention of taking classes and finally could succeed in the endeavor to our excitement and expectations.I was to teach a group of  seven students: Surya pratap, Sanjiv, n the rest Hindi grammar.Yes a very tough subject for me i believe after this class.Singular and plural may sound very easy in English Grammar but extracting the complicated threads of our mother tongue ....that was something worth it!

The kids super-excited by our arrival were all ears to whatever I said and excuisitely receptive.It seems they were not in standard fourth instead I got to learn some frequently used Hindi words to my rescue.
Two of them very bright to pick up the rules and principles of conversion from singular to plural n vice-versa.
But yes all of them were equally eager to learn.It might take time for them to pick up but well said saying goes true here: "Where there is a will there has to be a way"(slightly amended as per my convenience)...with me determined to make them learn n them with  even more quest for knowledge would definitely catalyze the hopes and path further.

Like my profs never forget  even i made sure to give them some assignments but to be a milder one made sure to discuss the solution for the same before leaving them on the onus of completion at least.More important was them to realize that they have potentials as much as other kids have and to develop interpersonal communication skills.Yes, though very small to understand this i tried to initiate in them a need for each other n to communicate with each other.To discuss the classes after i would leave, to encash upon the other fellow's  expertise and intelligence, to share ones own potentials and knowledge to the benefit of others n oneself.

Tried my level best to inculcate in them a thirst for discussions and small get-togethers so as to learn from other's experiences and thinking. To contribute to each other's upliftment and use brain sometimes apart from the bookish content.

Did my level best to add to their current state of behavioural and course knowledge.Am due to take a test of the same in the next class(time to check if could accomplish what i did say or is it just on paper). Will see what could i change and add in a positive way on the whole.

Time to leave had come and these kiddies : Didi kab aoge?...aj sham ko?.....(oh! these questions even i am wanted somewhere at least). Got to meet them soon!.....:)

Independence day:A day out with my special ones!

A day of huge reverence in every Indian's life : Independence day celebrated with loads of zeal around the corners of the country,channelized me to do something worthy enough to be recalled with pride and joy. Yes, today i.e. 15th of August'11, would be a chapter I would love to go through again-n-again with all enthusiasm every time. Yet another day in the orphanage left behind some memories to be shared by you all.As intimated earlier,a quest to contribute my part of effort to the development of few deprived in terms of education and love,lead me toward this institute. A batch of some 48 children of the Ch.Lakhiram Anathalaya and we,IIM-R students-what a fun it was! As an exercise to give the children an environment full of fun and content, six of us as described earlier : Dipti, Adithya,Krishna, Renuga, Ajay ,Chitranshu and me reached the institute with the members of cultural committee and few other batchmates with all preparations. All energetic n excited kids and lots of fun activities for their meal:oh! what can you expect? A wonderful participation.We organized an event consisting of various games starting from a quiz competition coming out with talented kids being awarded chocolates and appreciation.Name of India's first P.M.,Why do we celebrate Independence Day,they knew all these....:)...This was followed by a drawing competition between the kids of the institute.Small,innocent kids sketching their heart out on blank sheets some depicting the National Flag,some a house,some a scenery,and the list goes on and filling vibrant colors of their dream,imagination and purity(and of course the crayons too). A very interesting interaction with the kids to reach their self,some of them performing much above our expectations trying to portray things not even obvious otherwise at their age in life.Then party time for kids: serving refreshments and drinks to their great happiness. An attempt to reach out to their emptiness and fill it up with few moments of joy and achievement was hopefully successful. Next came  a musical chair game, all of them running for a chair ....that was real fun!...but the most precious thing was the glitter in their eyes,the smile on their faces,the caliber in their presence,all so amazing.!.The longing to sit made them catch hold of a seat even before the music stopped(well this is way we still do).The first runner up and winner exhibiting tough competition and ending up earning so many chocolates for themselves..hmm..much more than their counterparts!

The way they mixed up with us and we engaged in their sweet aura is something which can't be wrapped up in   a few ostentatious words and presented here.Its a feeling inexplicable in exact forms.We were rather getting acquainted with our childhood days full of mischief and masti. Some of us stealthily helping our favorite kids over the paintings to make them win the first prize,correcting them from any kind of deviations though we ourselves were into it by helping them... ;)

Last of all a voluntary show of talent:dancing,reciting poems,cracking jokes,all were unique performers,difficult to figure out who was the best of all. Nursery rhymes: Twinkle-twinkle, Machli jal ki rani hai; some patriotic songs ; some jokes and yes extra-ordinary dance performances at just this level of facilities is commendable. Even our batchmates could not match their typical standards(though they tried hard to)......yup...they were star performers claiming full right over the ever acceptable and wanted chocolates.

Among so many boys there was a very small and the only girl...Naina.i think the cutest of all and everybody loved her like anything. Deprived of her father's love and protection at this tender age,hope we did succeed in bringing a true smile on her face.

Then came the final moment of prize distribution for drawing competition winners: all happy and gay. So many prizes,trophies and constellation prizes to boost their confidence and participation in future.We turned kids with them...yeah enjoyed the fun-rides: sea-saw,swing and merry-go-round a tonne!....some guys enjoyed playing with them ..ant yet others got totally engrossed with them...did even remember their them when returned.

Such is the warmth of kids,the purest soul on earth.They could win our love and attention in just some 3-4 hours of time..isnt that very small to take a big business investment decision but its definitely not for a social cause.The satisfaction which these moments brought to us is not comparable with any any business merger or joint venture,its something beyond:intangible but yet the effect is profound. I am working when will you begin,that is the only question i have!