SIFE is an international non-profit organization that works with leaders in business and higher education to mobilize university students to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills to become socially responsible business leaders. Participating students form teams on their university campuses and apply business concepts to develop outreach projects that improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need.
As SIFE SSCBS, we are harnessing this positive power of business through our project, Sanitation Solutions. Started in June 2009 and currently present in 5 major slums of Delhi, the project fulfils our twin objectives of promoting healthy and hygienic practices by slum women during menstruation while providing them an additional and sustainable source of income.
The methodology adopted for this project is quite simple - the napkins are procured at a very cheap rate for a handful of slum women who further sell them to other women of their community. By establishing a direct supply network between the manufacturers and these women, we ensure the price of the napkins is kept minimal, which translates into affordability for the buyers and a fair profit for the sellers.
To raise awareness about the benefits of using sanitary napkins, regular awareness camps and presentations are conducted in the slums by the students, where women are encouraged to talk freely about menstruation, associated stigmas, and diseases that may be caused by lack of hygiene during the time. For our sellers, who are themselves slum women, training camps are held, where financial skills relating to book keeping, saving and investing are imparted. Role plays and interactive demonstrations are also used to expose them to the different situations they may face on the job.
The team has successfully qualified for KPMG’s Business Ethics Grant of Rs. 1,00,000 and HSBC’s Financial Literacy Grant of Rs. 50,000, providing corporate endorsement of our project. SIFE SSCBS was also the recipient of the Best Rookie Team award 2009, and came second nationally out of 47 Indian SIFE teams the same year. In 2010, we received the Best Faculty Advisor Award, and our faculty advisor, Ms. Jyoti Sikka, was invited to the SIFE World Cup 2010 in Los Angeles.
Backed by a conviction to be the change, SIFE SSCBS aims at initiating a new project the coming year, while strengthening our current program. As our mission states, it is time to bring together the top leaders of today and tomorrow to create a better, more sustainable world through the positive power of business.
to know more, visit www.sifecbs.org
