A ray of Hope

It had been a tough life out there. The only whiff of hope was the care she was receiving from everyone around. She felt indebted to the women of the village for the love they were showering on her team. But still nothing could keep them going in that scorching heat and raising temperature. It was getting intolerable with every passing day with hell breaking loose during noon, when the fan refused to move an inch.

Today, like every other day, the team woke up early to visit one of the colonies for the awareness programme. They took hold of their sun glasses, a thin white scarf to cover themselves, a few bottles of cold water, their promotional kit and set out on foot since there was no other mode of transport to reach there. On the way, she even made a call to one of the schools which they had to visit and scheduled an appointment with a doctor to educate the kids about menstrual hygiene..

As soon as they reached the colony, they waited for a few minutes for the women to settle down. She started with her sermon about women health, moved on to menstrual hygiene, usage of sanitary napkins, etc. As always, the women refused to discuss and ask questions despite repeated requests from her. When she stopped, her friend took over to demonstrate the simplicity of usage and promote the brand. While her friend spoke, she made a quick scan of the audience present there. A young girl caught her attention. The girl’s eyes were fixed on her and refused to stray despite her stare. She gazed at the teenager’s eyes, dull brown with darker orbital rings, yellow streaks radiating from the lens, like the sun rays she would draw when she was a kid. There was something intriguing about her gaze. There was hope of a better tomorrow and all those hopes were pinned against her. She got deeper into those eyes and it seemed like she was looking at her younger self. The image was begging to free her from the discomfort she had to go through during her teen years.

She recollected her days as a teenager where she had to go through a lot of embarrassment and discomfort due to the usage of not just clothes during those days but also the myths and taboos associated with the topic. At that moment she found it so fulfilling to be working towards a cause which can bring smiles to millions of rural women who still follow traditional practices during those days.

“Do you have anything to add partner?”, her friend turned to her. “Y..Y..Yes”, she said recovering. “Let’s vow today to help make every woman’s journey more comfortable. After all it’s a woman who can feel for another woman”. There was silence for a few seconds. Maybe it was too profound to be understood. But then, the women started smiling, nodding and clapping, as though they have got a new lease of life. The young girl had a smile too.

The experiences narrated here is that of my team which worked on providing low cost menstrual hygiene to rural women. It’s a shame that despite all the talks given on women empowerment only 7% of women in India use sanitary napkins and close to 93% of Indian women use unhygienic means for menstrual protection. 14% of Indian women suffer from urinary tract infections and 2% even use ash and sand during menstruation. We can reduce these numbers by just spreading the word. All we have to do is to encourage women to discuss the issue openly. On a lighter note, women should ask for a sanitary napkin as confidently as a guy asks for a shaving razor

-Nagashree Natarajan
PGDM 2008-10

What does Social Responsibility mean for an MBA?

Corporate Social Responsibility has become a buzzword these days. What relevance does ‘social responsibility’ have in the life of a B-School student? Especially in these turbulent times of recession, plummeting Sensex and collapsing i-Banks. Does CSR really matter now? Yes, it does matter! There is one component in MBA education which sadly is missed in most of the Management schools today. That component is developing a social perspective among the students.
Is CSR limited to taking a few English classes or for that matter a few computer classes in an NGO and then preparing a report and submitting to the institute? Does it end there? Or, is there something more to it?
When we heard of this programme called DOCC (Development of Corporate Citizenship) of S.P.Jain Institute of Management and Research we took it like any other assignment in a B-school. When we came to know that it was a 6 weeks program where we have to work with an NGO, we thought what an unnecessary hassle it is, working in a village in this summer!!
But four weeks into DOCC, we believe it has been one of the most fruitful, rewarding and satisfying experience in our lives.
As responsible members of the society, MBAs do have a responsibility to proactively participate in activities of relevance to the society.
The social sector which is still unorganised and unstructured gives the students a unique opportunity to work in such an environment. Compounded by the tough conditions faced here, the challenges become all the more difficult and demanding. Thus it is not only an excellent opportunity to apply and test what the students have learnt but also to make a meaningful impact for the betterment of the society. They say that the taste of fire makes pure steel. What can be a better taste than the taste of ‘Social India’ at the beginning of one’s career?
Working with the social sector for quite a considerable period of time will imbibe a sense of social responsibility in these future managers.
The key for the students is to keep in mind that when they are working with the social sector, they are not merely students complying with the requirements of the curriculum rather a capable consultant investing time and energy in contributing to a social need.
On the other hand, the social sector benefits by getting managerial inputs. NGOs have financial limitations. Hiring external consultants can be a significant strain on their financials. Through programs like DOCC, NGOs are able to overcome this problem.
The inputs provided by the student after intensive study of a particular NGO, benefits not only that particular NGO, but also similar NGOs working in the same field. Such studies can bring forth best practices which can be adopted by other NGOs.
At the end of the 6 weeks the students are sensitized about their role as a contributor towards the society. When these students will join the corporate sector, they will not only be sensitive to the issues of Corporate India but also the issues of under-privileged India. They will have a comprehensive understanding how things can be implemented and they will not be confined to the comforts of their air conditioned rooms.
It’s only two of us working here. All our batchmates are working in various parts of the country with different NGOs. Some helping the shawl weavers at Kullu to develop a marketing plan, some at Ladakh, and some at Andaman and other places. This is 176 of us. Now if 20 more MBA schools with on an average 140 participants work for 6 weeks with 6 hrs per day in the social sector. That is (20*140*6weeks*5days*6hrs/day) which comes out to be 504000 hrs of management expertise going into the social sector! If all the B schools in India can do the same just imagine what a great change we can achieve which will transform the lives of millions of Indians for better.
- Siddhartha / Ritesh

Understanding what life means at 45 Deg C

Well, just to give you a background. The author was an investment banker, and had worked in some of the plushest places on the face of the city, with the best facilities around, and without ever stepping out anywhere which was not under a climate control. Having work for 3 years in such conditions, the author had little know how of what life would FEEL like in a place with no electricity, no air conditioner. A general perception was that of difficulties galore!DOCC - Development of corporate citizenship, goes the formal name. But this one initiative at SPJIMR goes further than just creating corporate citizenship. It goes to the extent of making one realize that things in life are difficult to come by, and that the intensity of your struggle is only a relative measure against the benchmark. You set a benchmark that you see convenient.DOCC changes this benchmark. It takes you to unexplored shades of life itself. And in these shades, when you see how even water and hygiene are a luxury, you first feel disgusted.This is normal, because whatever you may want to feel, you do not like what you see.But then you see, how people still live with something like this. You imagine, have they evolved to become zombies, numb of all pain, and sense of reality? You imagine, who can survive such a thing.As you spend time with them, you begin to understand, that how these simple folk, never complain. Their resilience continues to grow with each passing day. Do not mistake them to be passive about not improving their lot. They do have aspirations, but their aspirations are not at the mercy of their present situation. They don’t give importance to what gets them to think lowly about who they are. There is enough fire in that belly, to beat the heat of the sun.AS they take another stride to silently achieve what they desire, you begin to see, the heat (read difficulties) can only take away their (your) soul, it cannot take away their (your)spirit. Lesson's like these don’t come from the text book or cracking case studies, they only come only when you experience the world at 45 deg C.
- Gunjan Bothra
PGDM 2008-10

The spirit of Mumbai

The “Spirit of Mumbai” is a phrase which will be much abused over the coming days by politicians, and administrators alike. But quite seriously, this time it has become nothing more than a standing joke.

When you do not have a right to live safely, work safely, and return home alive, you can only relate to spirits.

Yes, Mumbai is a spirit, hail the Spirit of Mumbai.

-Gunjan Bothra
PGDM Batch of 2010 (Finance)

Anandwan- the abode of joy

When you hurt your knee, did you remember that old man by the lane with one foot? When you threw an old rotten fruit into the bin, did you realize there was someone out there whose limbs were being cut and thrown coz they were rotten too. When you sang for your picture perfect partner, did you realize that there are thousands who have been painted in haste? Yes, there is a world other than the perfect one etched out for you. There is a world that believes in carving out the best from what has been given to them. This little world, set out to make the impossible possible, taking the deaf and dumb, the blind and less fortunate along in the march, is a small abode of happiness we happened to take a peek into. It is Anandwan – the abode of joy.

Year after year, Anandwan has been inviting the students of SPJain, silently though, through the special bonding both the organizations fondly share. When PGDM batch of 2008 set out on a 20 hour journey, little did they know that they would bathe in bliss on reaching this little town. Anandvan is a noble initiative, started by Baba Amte, to treat and rehabilitate leprosy victims from the disadvantaged sections of society. Today it is not just a shelter for these patients, but serves the livelihood of 3500 people, serving the blind, deaf and dumb. It is a self-sufficient village with people engaged in more than 100 different occupations. All they need from outside is oil, petrol, salt and sugar. It’s only after this visit we realized how handicapped we were.

When our bus entered the Ashram, the first thing that struck us was the peace and serenity of the place. We could hear the chirping of birds, watch people busy at work, catch students of a nearby school hopping around, cattle grazing – there was rhythm in every action. We grabbed a quick yummy lunch and were ready to travel another 3 hours to talk to Dr. Vikas Amte, a man who calls himself the jailor of the prison called Anandwan. As we passed through the open fields, we could witness the sun setting behind us and a new spark dawning in our hearts. Dr. Vikas Amte, a man of grit and vigour, might not be too refined in his talk, but it’s his heart you connect to when he speaks with such passion about his work. Here is a man who lives in a remote village in Yawatmal with a “Land Army “ of 100 people to save their own people. They have set out to stop the suicide of farmers, provide irrigation by building dams and through rain harvesting. Now we know there are people who crib and here are people who act. We received a cordial welcome with delicious poha and steaming tea while Dr. Vikas spoke about his father and family, their journey till date, the innumerable obstacles they faced, the initiatives they have undertaken and how successful they have been in their endeavours. He displayed various products made by the people of Anandwan. There was truth in his talk, confidence in his walk and passion in the future he wished to chalk out for India and her people. When he left us or rather when we left him, we knew that our society needs many such people and we could be one among them. We had dinner and went back to our dormitories. Anandwan had taken care of every minute detail of our stay. We felt grateful to them.

We woke up the next day to walk around Anandwan and witness the miracle they have built over years. A group of us took a stroll by the nearby lake, a walk which we can never forget. The scenic beauty was breathtaking. We walked across a school where students were melodiously singing ‘itni shakti hame dena data, manka vishwaas kamzor na ho’. It meant a lot and we could relate to the context very well. Groups of villagers passing by greeted us with a warm smile, talking to each other with sign languages, carrying those who could not walk and leading those who could not watch the road ahead. It was extremely heartening. Then we were guided through the different occupations that are done there. We witnessed footwear being made of tyres, x-ray sheet flowers, beautiful greeting cards out of twigs and husk, jute bags, huge machines weaving clothes, artistic wall hangings made of mint covers and many more. The artisans were so skilled that it took us a few seconds to realize that people who were sewing were blind, cards were being made with the help of toes, nails were being hammered with precision despite not being able to see anything. How many of us are deaf, dumb and blind towards the job at hand? Here was a lesson to learn.

The real big thing was yet to come. We were told that there was an orchestra of performers awaiting us to make our stay memorable. This one was mind blowing. You can even list it as one of the wonders of the world. This troupe of handicapped people has been keeping anandwan running for the past 6 years earning crores for it. A couple of songs and the audience contributed a staggering 16k rupees to Anandwan’s kitty. That is good enough to say how captivated they were with the performance. Voices as sweet as nectar, steps as perfect as on screen and a narration that strung them as that of the beads of a necklace, made it look elegant and beautiful.

When we wound up for our journey back, our backpacks seemed heavier. We now knew the responsibilities we carry as we sketch the future of an emerging india and the worlds we have to take along with us to have a complete inclusive growth. We also realized that all of them whom we term as disabled are just ‘differently-abled’. They do not seek pity, but an opportunity to live, just like you and me or as Dr. Amte subtly frames it - All they need is a chance, not charity.

-Nagashree Natarajan

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