We laughed, We painted, We belonged. Team Samarthan's Initiative to Create a Better Society

How long does it take to become a known member to an unknown family?

For most us, this question may seem as alien as the isolation that succumbs around it. Most of us are privileged, to live and feel loved in the shelter of known faces around us. It is something we often take for granted as we grow up.

That random Sunday, when we headed towards Chennai, we didn’t even know how beautiful sometimes life can seem to be without the shades of pretense or protection. Samarthan, the social service club of IFMR, aimed at making this society, a happier place to live in, teamed up with “Bhumi”, to organize a painting camp at Gracious Homes, a home away from home for children who have lost their loved ones.

After some moving around, we finally managed to reach there and to our surprise, we found a lot of children waiting. Within minutes, we were their family. The acceptance in their world, made us feel vainer than they did.

We painted, laughed, danced, had animated conversations and discussed movies. Though not many of them knew Hindi, but love transcends all languages. 

It was a very special day for all of us. When we were coming back, we hardly spoke to each other.  That random Sunday, we left a little part of ourselves with the kids.

Team Samarthan has taken up a great initiative and we hope to attend many such camps in the days to come.

As I sign off, I just have a thing to say; sometimes you create better stories with strange faces, to be with them, without expectations, without demands and just letting life go by, quietly. Stay for long and you will be one of them.

Urmilesh

(PGDMB-15) With Prabhav Mishra, Ramya Ramakrishnan, Snegaa, Surbhit Srivastava, Karthik RM, Sundar Nagarajan 

Pic Credits: Kartik RM

Team Samarthan Batch 15 (Ashwani Rajendran,  Ashutosh Pandey, Sruthi Gadhar, Swetha Raghu)

First two weeks @IFMR

It was 6 AM in the morning. My mother was almost done with those customary rituals that we have
before leaving home for a holy purpose. After spoiling my last 4 days at the railway counters in vain for
that elusive tatkal ticket, I had finally decided to take a flight to Chennai.

11 AM and I was already above the Indian Ocean, fighting so many thoughts that debarred me to enjoy
the scenic beauty beneath. Not that I was not used to travelling alone, but at the airport, waiting for a
taxi, I did feel as lonely as a landline telephone. In the meanwhile, I had the most expensive maggi of my
life, which taught me a lesson of self-control with every bite.

Taxi came soon and after a glossary of awkward expressions, I managed to tell him where I wanted to
go. After finishing the formalities, I was already in Sri City by 3 PM.

Those untraveled steps outside our comfort zone, which we conveniently dodge. For me, coming to
IFMR was indeed one of them. I came alone, but the baggage was heavy. The baggage of apprehensions
flirting with bundles of expectations. It was like being in a room full of strangers. Amidst everyone
fighting their own mini battles, we shared the same dreams with different eyes.

The first week just rolled past by. Getting to know each other, cribbing about weather, food, Acs and
what not , trying to present the "best me" and the immense loneliness of that. Life inside the campus
was consuming enough to let everything take a backseat. We were introduced to our faculty members
who tried to tell us how stressfully exciting our next two years will be. It was fun in it’s purest academic
form.
The second week, the real world, and the transition was as smooth as switching on to something as
exciting as Game of Thrones from those epic Ekta Kapoor's sitcoms. The mind was ready, the heart and
the body wasn't. Classes began and we took those baby steps towards becoming future managers.

As I write this, I am done with half a dozen tests, a dozen assignments and presentations and most of the
acquaintances have inched closer to become friendships. My life has been upped a gear and I am
enjoying every bit of this madness.

If Engineering is a battle, MBA is war where you just have to keep running and running to stay ahead in
the race. As they say, some wars are just about fighting, beyond the grey shades of winning and losing.

The journey has just begun and so has the dream. More to come later..........



Urmilesh
PGDMB15