Enactus – Student Run Organisation Uplifting Marginalised Individuals With Project Syahi

Most businesses and organisations in the recent years have realised the importance of hiring talent with entrepreneurial mindsets.  However, in India, which churns out millions of graduates every year, the stark reality is that companies are unwilling to hire them, mostly for lacking entrepreneurial and business skills.  

However undergraduate students always have the option of joining in student run organisations.  Many student organisations nowadays are not for profit organisations and have clear hierarchies and democratic ideals.  The working model of these organisations are designed in such a way that students develop competitive and entrepreneurial skills and at the same time help contribute to the betterment of the society along with developing a sense of strong sense of social responsibility and sustainability.

Enactus is one such global organisation founded by Robert T. Davis in 1975 and is currently operating in 37 countries worldwide in the form of student chapters.  Enactus Kirori Mal is one such student chapter located in New Delhi, India.  

Project Syahi:

Project Syahi launched on September 19th,2019, is one of the three projects taken up by the Enactus Kirori Mal Chapter which aims to combat and reduce the usage of single use plastic pens by introducing hand made paper pens by marginalised women.  The whole project aims to uplift the marginalised community of women based in Tilak Nagar, Delhi. Project Syahi offered the students a chance to analyze a prevalent problem in the community and come up with a sustainable business model after thorough research, prototyping and testing.  The whole project also aligns with the sustainable development goals laid down by the United Nations.

Handcrafted by indigenous women, the pens come in three different models and can be customised.  The pens are made from recycled paper and help reduce plastic usage but another unique feature is that the pens carry a seed in the rear end of the pen, which lets the user plant a sapling after disposing of the pen.

These pens have already gained popularity due to collaborations with CNBC, IBM and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS.)  The pens are also available in various stationary shops in Delhi and have even managed to reach the Northern city of Ludhiana.

Project Syahi rightly lives up to its motto Scribble. Sow. Save.