Contribute your best BIT : My Experience for Team SCIT-SSR !!

Wow! It's good to hear that you are working in an IT MNC. And I am more elated that you are scaling new heights in your work life. Another good part is that your company has a fund allocation for CSR and you always wish to participate in CSR's group activities. But, you miss on each and every other weekend because either you are busy in office or relaxing on a much awaited weekend.

Above is the scenario faced by most of the individuals who wish to participate in CSR activities but struggle to step out of their routines. It is really commendable that you are a part of your CSR group in your company, but if not then don't feel bad. I belonged to the latter case but fortunately was part of a like-minded people group – 'Only Human'. This group is not any kind of registered group in the company .It's prime motive is – To spread religion of smiles. Though, i am now quite far away from my group (‘Only Human’ is in Mumbai), I still cherish the vivid memories I had with ‘Only Human’.

Our group is closely associated with two social orphanages – ‘Maa Niketan’ (for girls) and ‘Aasraa’ (for boys). During my course of stay in Mumbai, I can never forget the monthly birthday celebrations (at ‘Maa Niketan’), smiling faces of kids, their innocence, cheering sound during some indoor games, etc. Our team used to arrive early and prepare for the celebrations. Hide-and-seek with girls peeping in from the auditorium windows, smiling with pressed lips used to give me and the team a heart-warming welcome. Most of the times there used to be around 10-15 ‘birthday’ girls.

Inviting them on stage in auditorium, helping them wearing hats and cutting pastries with them made me feel that one sees a hand of Almighty in a self-less deed.

Although we used to play a lot of games apart from asking kids to participate voluntarily in singing, dancing,etc. I still remember one game during one of my early visits at Maa Niketan.

It was like every kid was to give a chit (written ‘My Favorite’ on it) to any of the ‘Only Human’ team members at the end of the birthday event. We interacted and played a lot with the kids. I still feel very proud that I got around 3-4 chits. I loved that moment which made me felt really special.

Thanks to Maa Niketan and thanks to the person behind ‘Only Human’ – Mr. Manish Bajaj.

Although, I visited 'Aasraa' just once, but I was in touch with all the events which took place there.

On my visit, after spending time with the kids at the orphanage, we went out and played cricket with them. It goes without saying for me that I could see future Indian cricketers in them !!

It's being said that one could have a glimpse of Almighty in a child's smile and yes, I witnessed it a number of times during my visits at both the places.

So friends, even if you are not associated with a well-renowned NGO or any social organization in your company, I would say it doesn't matter. Do Your Bit. Look Around. Form your own group and make a difference in the lives of others. A feeling which one gets after doing any kind of self-less service is something positively ineffable. I take it as an offering to Almighty. Rest assured, doing your bit will make you happier and a much better person.

Devesh K Mathur
SCIT 2011-13

Batch 2011-13 : SSR's Baton goes to you now !!

What,Why and Significance of SSR : Snapshot for batch 2011-13 ?

About Team SSR at SCIT :
World is changing everyday at fast pace but somewhere we are forgetting our responsibilities towards our society and environment, which is actually paying cost of our mutlifolded growth and acceleration. We the management students from diverse corporate as well as professional background at Symbiosis Centre for IT (SCIT) realized the gravity of this ignorance and took a firm resolution to be the change, we want to see. This committed resolution turned into a body called Student Social Responsibility (SSR) to spread the word among common mass and aware them about gravity of issues concerned with our mother earth, environment and social inequilibrium.We are resolute to be the voice of unheard section of our society, to be the eyes to look into the problem of not so fortunate strata of our community, to be the sense to understand our rights as well as duties towards our country and surroundings.

We believe for a true leader, you need to very well familiar of social dynamics around you, environmental concern as well as major issues of your society as line of growth somewhere goes through these segments only. Management is all about giving back to society by bringing a much needed solution required and that’s why SSR is making an honest attempt to closely understand these big challenges of environment around us.Altough having packed MBA schedule but SSR team has shown a pledged commitment in organizing some very influential events winning lots of appreciation across Corporate, educational institutes, print as well as electronic media.
Some of the major events we have initiated are officially partnering with WWF to celebrate EARTH OUR all across pune, Fund raising events for various Orphanage and NGOs like Manavya: taking care of AIDs students, awareness campaigns about Fuel saving, celebrated our foundation day as Green IT day all across pune especially among IT Companies and colleges, and many such events. SCIT-SSR aims to highlight, celebrate and inspire thought conscious youth into understanding and protecting Mother Earth and be a part of a vision that seeks a better planet for tomorrow !!

Aim and Meaning of SSR :
Symbiosis Centre for Information Technology's SSR, right from its genesis aims at making the leaders understanding their holistic purpose and responsibilities towards society as well as to nation by giving the growth it requires. We need to recognize that everything we do, every step we take, every word we speak – counts. Nothing is trivial. Our efforts at SCIT's SSR are a contribution to the society, we thrive in and which has given a lot to us. Now, it’s our turn to repay our bit to it wholeheartedly.
Ethics
• We believe in creating a wave among youths to aware them about various issues of our society, so that everybody of together can be the solution for creating a better tomorrow.
• We are concerned about inequality among society and committed to put our best efforts to contribute our honest effort to provide equal opportunity to everyone, be it underprivileged children or orphans, HIV Infected kids, Child labor, or it’s about empowering Women especially in rural areas.
• Management students at SCIT are also looking forward to work on various rural occupational projects to define new opportunities of employment and assist in better standard of living for them.
• SCIT also look forwards to collaborate with various NGOs or CSR groups to work together for the social as well as environmental transformation, we want to bring.
• We believe in preserving nature and strive for a pollution free clean environment through coordinated efforts of awareness and community support for the use and promotion of renewable energy, reducing waste and encouraging people to “Go Green”.
• MBA students at SCIT are committed to promote the spirit of ‘Greener business, healthier bottom line' which focuses on the awareness among Corporate regarding Green IT; bridging the chasm between awareness and perception about Green IT.
• Aims to instill in the young minds of India the awareness on saving electricity, water, food and promoting the use of renewable energy.
• SSR is also working on various Projects to come out with solutions for various issues of society with the help of IT and ITES.

Dear Batch 2011-13,

So get ready to add your vision to SSR and prove your testimony !! Lot many things are planned for you guys . All the best !!

Ram Kinkar Jha

Member,Team SSR

Team SSR's Visit to MANAVYA (NGO taking care of HIV Positive kids ): A life time Experience !!

Life is all about to keep appreciating its beautiful Journey !!

Its well said “Everybody knows, how to live life but masters are those who knows how to surpass the deadline of being dead”.It was a very unusual afternoon, I was very confused about meeting HIV kids regarding what all should I be well aware of before meeting them ,How exactly these kids would be behaving, what would be their social life, whether they are also normal playing kids and being an MBA student, whether to bunk my Finance Class to visit Manavya as an opportunity cost to pay for it.

These all were concerns kept surrounded me for around 2 hrs but never thought these worries deserved a very pleasant treat. The moment our bus reached campus and I entered MANAVYA’s compound,a kid requested me “Bhaiya,do you play cricket ?”.I was amazed to see that these kids were even normal than me as even I don’t find that much time to enjoy my life so casually. We went through orientation all across campus arranged by one of the administrator and he told us how team MANAVYA take care of 53 adopted kids.All of them were having their own tragic story, 18 of those kids were from Red Light area, few were left in front of police station, few were thrown in dark corner of street and some were came through legal process :-(

Everybody from caretaker to careless kid were HIV positive but trust me, I never seen such a positivity in any social sphere, they were not interested in cribbing about somebody, they didn’t had any complains, they were so happy with themselves. We conducted few games and cultural events for them to better mingle with them and to better understand them. What a learning event it was, never seen such a team dynamics, where everybody was supporting their colleagues to better present their talent to get recognized, everybody was so happy to clap for their friends to gift them a very special moment.

It was also nice to learn new life dimensions of our dear mentors Bharathi Sir and Rajool Mam apart from their usual deadlines notifications for evaluations and asssignments :-)

I remember one 9 yrs old kid, who was such an outstanding sketcher, everybody from our troop were amazed to see his artistic skills but he was completely lost in his work without giving any attention to anybody until he finished off his sketch. What a serious aspirant they were and when I asked his what you want to be in your career, he vey cutely answered “Bhaiya,main to painter banoonga”.I never thought they are such a masters to give so many strong lessons in such a small time to all of us .

What a spirit it was to win a game, which outside the world seems to be an already a lost game.Suddenly a boy hold my finger from back and asked me “Aapka naam Ram hai,mera bhi naam Ram hai”.Afterwards,he just kept roaming around with me and kept asking questions ,which really forced me to think other perspective of my life. It was truly an unforgettable experience.

Finally, it was our time to depart and we left that campus but somebody called me back to wish last greet of the day and took promise to visit regularly for a cricket match with him.
May god grant them all the success and best moments in their life.What we can give,is just few moments to make them feel that they are as well very special and they do have a purpose.
So, try out once to Visit MANAVYA,Pune!!

Really, feeling proud to be member of Symbiosis's Team SCIT-SSR (Student Social Responsibility)!!

Ram Kinkar Jha
Member,Team SSR