ROOTS Newsletter

RRRR OOOOOOOO TSTSTSTS NEWSNEWSNEWSNEWSLETTERLETTERLETTERLETTER सव� भव�तु सुखनः

I S S U E 4 | J A N I S S U E 4 | J A N -- F E B 2 0 1 2F E B 2 0 1 2

In this IssueIn this IssueIn this IssueIn this Issue

Nestling in the spectacular Dhauladhar ranges of the Himalayas is the

Chinmaya Tapovan Ashram, this ashram is special as this is also Swami

Chinmayananda's last resting-place, who attained Mahasamadhi in

August 1993. The ashram is named after the guru of Swami

Chinmayananda, Swami Tapovan Maharaj. Located in the scenic foot

hills of Himalaya, with its cool climes and fresh air, far away from

the madness of city life, the ashram provides the environment

necessary for meditation, spiritual fulfilment and introspection. People

in search of spiritual succour make their way to this ashram from all

across the world.

There were many sessions, trips, classes that were held including a

mind opening CORD Village Trip. CORD has done an exceptional value

addition to the village, children, agriculture, livelihood, Women &

life-style. We got a golden opportunity to spend an entire day

understanding & witnessing all the empowerment CORD has brought to

the village - right from rehabilitation & vocational courses, women led

panchayats, primary education to women-forum, self-help-groups to

introduction of best practices in agriculture.

When you talk to the

villagers and ask them the

challenges - they would just

smile & tell you that they're

waiting for one to turn up.

Their positive approach

towards their life & the

togetherness with which they

work are things one should try

to adopt & adhere to.

CORD is dedicated towards it objective & continuously improving to

touch the lives of many more people. For most of us, it was not only the

trip of our lives but also a transformational experience.

by Amit Puri, Business Leadership ProgramAmit Puri, Business Leadership ProgramAmit Puri, Business Leadership ProgramAmit Puri, Business Leadership Program

VOICE OF SIPVOICE OF SIPVOICE OF SIPVOICE OF SIP 2

SIP SIP SIP SIP ---- The gift of ‘3G’ The gift of ‘3G’ The gift of ‘3G’ The gift of ‘3G’

Mentoring Mentoring Mentoring Mentoring ---- A A A A

fascinating experience fascinating experience fascinating experience fascinating experience

Star of the Month Star of the Month Star of the Month Star of the Month

MY NGOMY NGOMY NGOMY NGO 3

Deepalaya Deepalaya Deepalaya Deepalaya

iCONGO iCONGO iCONGO iCONGO

Saakaar Outreach Saakaar Outreach Saakaar Outreach Saakaar Outreach

SRF Foundation SRF Foundation SRF Foundation SRF Foundation

NGO DIL SE…NGO DIL SE…NGO DIL SE…NGO DIL SE… 4

Voice of NGO Voice of NGO Voice of NGO Voice of NGO ----

Founders Speak Founders Speak Founders Speak Founders Speak

NGO Buzz NGO Buzz NGO Buzz NGO Buzz

ROOTS SnippetsROOTS SnippetsROOTS SnippetsROOTS Snippets 5

‘‘‘‘The Mime ActThe Mime ActThe Mime ActThe Mime Act’ by ’ by ’ by ’ by

Mobile Crèches Team Mobile Crèches Team Mobile Crèches Team Mobile Crèches Team

Christmas time means Christmas time means Christmas time means Christmas time means

‘‘‘‘Time for Toys’ Time for Toys’ Time for Toys’ Time for Toys’

Our Foreign guest’s Our Foreign guest’s Our Foreign guest’s Our Foreign guest’s

visit to Sidhbari visit to Sidhbari visit to Sidhbari visit to Sidhbari

ROOTS ColumnROOTS ColumnROOTS ColumnROOTS Column 6

Social Sector in Social Sector in Social Sector in Social Sector in

Developed Countries Developed Countries Developed Countries Developed Countries

Upcoming Events Upcoming Events Upcoming Events Upcoming Events

© C

op

yrig

ht

20

11

RO

OT

S |

Sch

oo

l o

f In

sp

ired

Lead

ersh

ip

Spiritual Retreat to the HimalayasSpiritual Retreat to the HimalayasSpiritual Retreat to the HimalayasSpiritual Retreat to the Himalayas

The star of the NGO for this month goes to the Team who are working for Tamana, a

non profit NGO. The tamana team comprising of Balasanjeevi, Ankit Ahuja and Vinod

Krishnan have contributed immensely to their NGO which includes modifying the staff

appointment formalities, fund raising for a sum of Rs 35000 within a span of two

weeks, online brand building through social networking and extending hospitality to industry leaders as part of

the Tamana Fashion event. They are also in the process of making a 2 Minute short Movie portraying Tamana’s

cause that is to be telecasted in Multiplexes for promotion and awareness. With so many feathers in their cap,

the Tamana team definitely deserves to be recognised as the star of the NGO for this month. The roots team

congratulates them and wishes them the best for all their future endeavours.

Voice of SIPVoice of SIPVoice of SIPVoice of SIP ‘SIP‘SIP‘SIP‘SIP————The Gift of “3G’’The Gift of “3G’’The Gift of “3G’’The Gift of “3G’’ ---- Prof. Snehal Shah, SIP MentorProf. Snehal Shah, SIP MentorProf. Snehal Shah, SIP MentorProf. Snehal Shah, SIP Mentor

Typically, when we talk about our involvement with the social sector, the

conversation revolves around how we can contribute to the poor strata of the society

and make a difference in their lives. On the contrary! I would like to challenge this

conventional wisdom and turn this thinking upside-down. At the “root” of this

altruistic behavior, is the feel good factor that appeals to our conscience. It makes us

feel less guilty to have such a privileged background where others around us are not so

fortunate to have. And finally, it also helps us to set a good example in the eyes of our

family and others in the society who “perceive” us as doing something worthwhile.

Once the intention behind our act of benevolence is clear, our work takes on a

different meaning altogether. We are then bestowed with a unique gift of “3G”. First

“G” is gratefulness. We develop a sense of gratitude to those who are being helped by our efforts - they are

helping us develop our own sensibilities of compassion. The second “G” is grace. When we truly believe that we

are at the receiving end and not “them”, ego gives way to grace and humility. Finally the third “G” is glee. It is

only when our work is overflowing with gratefulness and grace is when we receive the gift of glee – the inner

joy of helping ourselves while helping others. In my vocabulary, this kind of SIP work is akin to an act of GOD –

our own gift to the Almighty!

’Mentoring’Mentoring’Mentoring’Mentoring———— A fascinating experience’ A fascinating experience’ A fascinating experience’ A fascinating experience’ ---- Ankush Chopra, SIP MentorAnkush Chopra, SIP MentorAnkush Chopra, SIP MentorAnkush Chopra, SIP Mentor

Mentoring It has been a fascinating experience for me to be a mentor to the SRF team. It is

very nice to see the enthusiasm that the team demonstrates and the keenness to do

something beyond their scope for the villages in Mewat. The time spent at SIP is one of the

best investments a student can make. They not only get connected to their sense of com-

passion but also learn to work with constraints, unfamiliar settings and an environment

where the rewards you get for your effort are intangible.

The team working with SRF Foundation has shown tremendous commitment in connecting

with the community and also empowering them to take responsibility for their own

development. They have been successful at forming a special bond with the school students there. As a SOIL

student I had the privilege of working with SRF Foundation and that is an experience which stands out. Now, as a

mentor watching the game changers take this initiative a step further has been even better. I wish them all the

best!

STAR OF THE NGOSTAR OF THE NGOSTAR OF THE NGOSTAR OF THE NGO

© C

opyri

ght

2011 R

OO

TS |

School of

Inspir

ed L

eaders

hip

I S S U E 4 | J A N I S S U E 4 | J A N -- F E B 2 0 1 2F E B 2 0 1 2

My NGOMy NGOMy NGOMy NGO

iCONGO iCONGO iCONGO iCONGO by Yash Dogra, Business Leadership ProgramYash Dogra, Business Leadership ProgramYash Dogra, Business Leadership ProgramYash Dogra, Business Leadership Program

Sakaar OutreachSakaar OutreachSakaar OutreachSakaar Outreach by Wasim Raja Kabir, Business Leadership ProgramWasim Raja Kabir, Business Leadership ProgramWasim Raja Kabir, Business Leadership ProgramWasim Raja Kabir, Business Leadership Program

Founded In collaboration with the Government of Haryana, SRF Foundation is working to make holistic improvement

in 25 primary and 15 Middle schools in the Nuh Block of Mewat District of Haryana, close to NCR of Delhi. MREP focuses

on pre-primary, primary and middle schools in the region by imparting quality education for all with a holistic and

value based approach through ongoing research & innovations and applying global best practices in education.

Through this programme, the Foundation is engaging 16,000 children and 250 teachers in the teaching and learning

process.

SIP Team work with SRF to improve the co-ordination amongst School, Village Community, Sarpanch & SMC as well as

to increase the awareness of education amongst villagers. We also work with students on health & hygiene issues,

career counseling and take classes. We work on increasing awareness on the need of education among villagers by

talking to them and persuading parents to send their children to school.

SRF FoundationSRF FoundationSRF FoundationSRF Foundation by Raj Sekhar, Business Leadership ProgramRaj Sekhar, Business Leadership ProgramRaj Sekhar, Business Leadership ProgramRaj Sekhar, Business Leadership Program

© C

opyri

ght

2011 R

OO

TS |

School of

Inspir

ed L

eaders

hip

DeepalayaDeepalayaDeepalayaDeepalaya by Hersh Sharma, Business Leadership ProgramHersh Sharma, Business Leadership ProgramHersh Sharma, Business Leadership ProgramHersh Sharma, Business Leadership Program

Deepalaya is a non - government development organization working on issues affecting

the urban and rural poor, with a special focus on children. For the past 32 years since its

inception in 1979, Deepalaya has been working in the urban slums of Delhi and has also

made inroads into rural development in the states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh .

Deepalaya launched the Community Health Program providing access to health care,

encouraging a health seeking behavior among the people and strengthening the

existing health delivery mechanisms in the target villages. It has reached to more than

80,000 people and has been providing medicines to the patients at special subsidized rates. In order to reach out to

more patients in the surrounding areas and to encourage the use of the Health Center and its facilities, Deepalaya and

Soil SIP Team has been working together in making the Health Center sustainable and distributing medicines free of

cost to the local population. The SIP team has been working continuously to collaborate with various partners who

can further contribute in the cause of providing better health services in this region.

Sakaar Outreach is a voluntary social organization that has been providing vocational training to empower vast

population of India that is economically backward, marginalized & without sources of education health care facilities

Our SIP team started the journey at Meethapur and was quite happy to meet the people. Our project is to help the SHG

women build a sustainable spice business and form a co-operative society. Initially there were certain challenges in

motivating the people to start a business as they were quite skeptical about the risk and the outcome, but we were

able to motivate the women to at least start a business on a small scale. Our business plan is ready and we are on our

way to complete the co-operative society formalities. We hope that we will be able to start the masala production in a

small scale setup in the coming weeks.

The iCONGO is the acronym for the Indian Confederation of NGOs. iCONGO is not only an NGO but a PEOPLE SECTOR movement and endeavour to encourage social justice and citizen action through involvement with social issues and causes.

For the SIP Team working for ICONGO, it is really a great experience to understand compassion better as they are working for the upliftment of the society at the ground level. Our team has been involved in various tasks like creating a framework to bring initiative partners from different Schools, B-Schools, Corporate and NGO’s for iCONGO’s “Karamveer Chakra” campaign. We have created and implemented social marketing strategy for iCONGO’s different social initiatives. We also had an opportunity to spearhead and manage “Electoral reforms” seminar and “Karamveer Puraskar” ceremony organized by CERI with the help of iCONGO.

I S S U E 4 | J A N I S S U E 4 | J A N -- F E B 2 0 1 2F E B 2 0 1 2

NGO BUZZNGO BUZZNGO BUZZNGO BUZZ

Founded in 2006, ETASHA which translates to ‘shining’ in Hindi is a relatively new NGO, but we’re proud

to say our work is already making a big impact.

Working primarily in slum communities and with NGO partners, we provide skill development and

vocational training to young people from under-served communities, giving them access to entry level

careers in growth industries in the organised sector. Last year over 1000 young people across 4 states

benefitted from our programs. We have doubled our reach in every year of operation.

We believe that by helping young people to develop new skills, by giving them access to relevant vocational training and

connecting them with industry, we enable them to take control of their own career and lives. We spend a lot of time

developing the behavioural skills of our trainees, developing the confidence they need to join the formal sector

At present, we have over 700 young people across 5 locations in Delhi in our programs which are run by a team of 20. Our

philanthropists currently include Maruti, Barclays, Tata Capital and the Aga Khan Development Network. The team from

SOIL comprising of Krishnan, Kshitiz, Anand and Vikram are working on business planning, social media and fundraising

strategies to help us become more sustainable in the long term. We know how demanding their program at SOIL is and

we really appreciate the time and commitment they show to ETASHA. Social engagement programs such as SIP are truly

commendable and can be beneficial to the student, the NGO and Society – a win, win, win, if you like!

NGO DIL SENGO DIL SENGO DIL SENGO DIL SE Voice of the NGO Voice of the NGO Voice of the NGO Voice of the NGO ---- Founder’s Speak Founder’s Speak Founder’s Speak Founder’s Speak

© C

opyri

ght

2011 R

OO

TS |

School of

Inspir

ed L

eaders

hip

iCONGO organized the Right every

Wrong Conclave and the Karmaveer

Chakra Ceremony on 27th November,

2011 at IDSA (Institute for Defence

Studies and Analysis), New Delhi.

The REW Conclave is a knowledge

Forum which is organized every year,

as a part of the Right every Wrong

Movement, to discuss various socio-

political issues. This year the main

Theme of the Conclave was ‘Active

Citizenship for Fulfilling Fundamental

Duties’. There were two roundtables

and an open house that was held. The

theme of the Panel 1 was Democratiz-

ing Governance – Citizen’s Role. Panel

2 discussed about Addressing MDGs-

Who’s mandate? The iCongo SIP team

from SOIL comprises of Sourvi Paul,

Swetanshu Anand, Yash Dogra and

Chetan Ahuja.

Right Every Wrong conclave & Right Every Wrong conclave & Right Every Wrong conclave & Right Every Wrong conclave & Karamveer Chakra by iCONGOKaramveer Chakra by iCONGOKaramveer Chakra by iCONGOKaramveer Chakra by iCONGO

Apne Aap Women Worldwide is an NGO

with a mission to increase choices for

at-risk girls and women in order to ensure

access to their rights, and to deter the

purchase of sex through policy and social

change.

As a next step to achieve its vision, Apne

Aap is in the process of filing a petition

before the President of India to

criminalize sex purchase in India. For this,

the NGO needs more than 10,000

supporters from across India to file the

petition. Students from SOIL have

participated for this cause and they are in

the process of getting ample support.

During the ILC event in SOIL, students set

up a stall for spreading awareness and

get the supporters to sign the petition.

So far, the students have managed to get

around 500 supporters for this petition

and are thriving hard to take this number

to 1,000.

Petition to criminalize sex Petition to criminalize sex Petition to criminalize sex Petition to criminalize sex purchase by Apne Aappurchase by Apne Aappurchase by Apne Aappurchase by Apne Aap

A discussion on education beyond

literacy was recently organized at

SOIL by the CARE team. The event

was aimed at kick starting the CARE

Volunteer Engagement Program –

iCare. The guests for the event

were Rahul Bhattacharya, author

2011 Hindu literacy prize winner,

Shruti Debi, Sr Agent, Director,

Aitken Alexander Associates,

Suman Sachedeva, Program

Director, Girls education, CARE and

Rustam Sengupta, Founder,

BOOND-NGO.

The team from SOIL working for

CARE NGO comprises of Anil Bisht,

Sansad Panigrahi, Ritu Bhatnagar

and Souvik dey. The ROOTS team

would like to congratulate this

team for their wonderful efforts

and wish them all success.

Education beyond literacy Education beyond literacy Education beyond literacy Education beyond literacy by CAREby CAREby CAREby CARE

Dr. Meenakshi Nayar, Founder, EtashaDr. Meenakshi Nayar, Founder, EtashaDr. Meenakshi Nayar, Founder, EtashaDr. Meenakshi Nayar, Founder, Etasha

I S S U E 4 | J A N I S S U E 4 | J A N -- F E B 2 0 1 2F E B 2 0 1 2

Sulabh Public School was set up in 1993 as the Education wing of the worldwide sanitation

based NGO, Sulabh International. The school is a crucible of human rights, liberalism and

social change which it seeks to bring about through education. To these children, education

is provided free of cost along with a free mid-day meal or fruits. Additionally, the mothers

of these children are also given vocational training in diverse areas operated under the ITI,

Delhi Government.

To this family which is striving to become independent and self-sufficient, they would

definitely not spend money on Toys and fun! This Christmas season, the members of Sulabh

NGO initiated the toy collection drive at SOIL. The drive was an instant success with 8

carton full of toys collected in the campus. Our special thanks to Susie Roy for having extended her support for the cause

by buying brand new toys for these kids. The ROOTS team would like to congratulate the Sulabh SIP team comprising of

Suchitra Ravichander, Ram Sundaresa Kumar, Kushal Prakash and Abhishek Saxena for this wonderful initiative and

wishing them the best for their future endeavors.

Christmas Season means ‘Time for Toys!’Christmas Season means ‘Time for Toys!’Christmas Season means ‘Time for Toys!’Christmas Season means ‘Time for Toys!’

When we got the information that we have to present our NGO and our SIP

contribution in the form of a 4 minute skit at Sidhbari, my first thought was to

do something differently. Accordingly, I came up with the idea of presenting a

mime. The story, roles, music and basic choreography was drafted the day

before we departed to Sidhbari and I take this opportunity to give full credit

to my team members for their immense support in bringing the idea alive on

stage. The umpteen rehearsals post dinner at Sidhbari, the learning from each

mistake, the add-on and improvement tips from every team member and the

overall enthusiasm kept our motivation high. Face painting was great fun too.

A big challenge was getting the audience to connect with our story without letting down the values of Mobile Crèches.

However, our hard work paid off and everyone connected with the story of the kid of a construction labourer, at an

emotional level. We were appreciated for our initiative to make a difference and efforts. My biggest take away from the

experience is the strength of team work and the difference it can bring about.

ROOTS SnippetsROOTS SnippetsROOTS SnippetsROOTS Snippets I S S U E 4 | J A N I S S U E 4 | J A N -- F E B 2 0 1 2F E B 2 0 1 2

The ‘MIME’ Act by Mobile Creches Team The ‘MIME’ Act by Mobile Creches Team The ‘MIME’ Act by Mobile Creches Team The ‘MIME’ Act by Mobile Creches Team

© C

opyri

ght

2011 R

OO

TS |

School of

Inspir

ed L

eaders

hip

Our Foreign Guest’s visit to Sidhbari Our Foreign Guest’s visit to Sidhbari Our Foreign Guest’s visit to Sidhbari Our Foreign Guest’s visit to Sidhbari by Faustino Musicco Faustino Musicco Faustino Musicco Faustino Musicco , MIP Italy, MIP Italy, MIP Italy, MIP Italy Tell us about yourself

I am Faustino from Italy. I am a MBA student from the MIP business school, Italy. I

have come to SOIL as part of my exchange program. I have one year of experience

in a real estate company.

Please share your experiences from your Sidhbari trip

When Kanupriya proposed the Sidhbari trip, it seemed very exciting. I then made a

trip to CORD at Sidhbari for three days to understand and know more about the agri-

cultural production in India and the current problems. I loved the hospitality that

was showered upon me by the villagers and the work of CORD is commendable.

What were your three key learnings from the trip?

i) It taught me to adapt to different situations

ii) Hospitality and Compassion through the warm people at Sidhbari

iii) Money is not everything and the work of CORD in giving people their time than money.

What does Social Innovation Program mean to you?

The Social innovation program is an excellent opportunity to open your mind and put yourself in other’s situation. I am

currently working with Adarshila NGO as part of my SIP program at SOIL where I am involved in teaching children and

helping them prepare for their exams.

-As told to ROOTS Team

Enjoyed Reading? Share your photos, experiences and stories with us and we will include them in the coming issues of ROOTS! Write in along with your feedback to: [email protected]

Upcoming EventsUpcoming EventsUpcoming EventsUpcoming Events

The theme of this article is on “how the developed countries like US and China were able to address and handle the issues of rural empowerment back in their developing phase”. These developed countries achieved “inclusive

growth” during the industrial revolution using tools to improve productivity of agriculture, technology inventions, resources for education to create a larger pool of skilled labor, mass produced goods, solvent tax structure and mar-ket creation.

China has essentially followed the same model. Due to extreme poverty coupled with large population, they chose to grow rapidly using a stable authoritarian govt and chose not to invest in research for new development technology.

Major Problems with India:

1. Acute shortage of skilled workers and excess of unskilled labour

2. Government is not solvent enough to do long term investments.

3. Corruption

It is important to note that agriculture reform is the key to inclusive growth in India and there are immense opportunities in this field. India has inherent entrepreneurism capability. With many capable NGOs that can provide semiskilled labour, the information revolution has provided business with capital.

In summary, Business methods can remove poverty and it must take the lead for India. A change from within (as in business) as well as outside (as in Government) is required. The government must be solvent enough to do long term investments.

ROOTS ColumnROOTS ColumnROOTS ColumnROOTS Column Social sector in developed countriesSocial sector in developed countriesSocial sector in developed countriesSocial sector in developed countries

© C

opyri

ght

2011 R

OO

TS |

School of

Inspir

ed L

eaders

hip

For the fifth year, CanSupport is organizing the

‘Walk for life’ event. The walk is aimed to raise

awareness about cancer and raise funds for

CanSupport’s free of charge and much needed

services. Mrs. Gursharan kaur, wife of Dr. Manmo-

han Singh will flag off the walk. The walk will take

place on 5th Feb 2012 from Man Singh Road on

Rajpath at 8.30 am. The walk aims to cover a

distance of 3 kms and expects a turnover of 8000

participants. A registration fee of Rs 300 for

individuals and Rs 100 for students is being

charged. The registered participants will get a

T-shirt, Cap and Scarf along with snacks. Walk for

life is an excellent opportunity not only to show

your support for a worthy cause, but also to enjoy

a day out with your colleagues, friends, family.

Come and participate in this walk to support the

stride against cancer.

Walk for Life & Against Cancer on Walk for Life & Against Cancer on Walk for Life & Against Cancer on Walk for Life & Against Cancer on 5th of Feb 2012, Organized by 5th of Feb 2012, Organized by 5th of Feb 2012, Organized by 5th of Feb 2012, Organized by CanSuportCanSuportCanSuportCanSuport

I S S U E 4 | J A N I S S U E 4 | J A N -- F E B 2 0 1 2F E B 2 0 1 2