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Deal with it

Luv Thy Farmer: The Ek Glass Mosambi Juice Challenge

Mumbai’s Ranjit Pawar initiated the ‘Luv Thy Farmer’ movement under which an Aurangabad mosambi farmer reaches his produce directly to consumers.
by Shubha Khandekar

Weekends are no longer a breather for Ranjit Pawar from a hectic 10 hour job with a reputed multi-national corporation, where he works as a business manager. Rather, it’s a break for frenzied phone calls to volunteers, customers and transport operators who are pouring into his rapidly expanding loop of the Luv Thy Farmer initiative, launched to help Aurangabad’s mosambi producer Shivaji Gaikwad get respectable returns on his produce, against the backdrop of the farmers’ dismal plight in Marathwada.

“I have known Shivaji Gaikwad from before,” says Ranjit, whose father owns a farm in Satara district. “I’ve grown up on a farm and spent every vacation on one. Hence it was easy for me to feel his pain; he was being offered no more than Rs 15 per kilo by traders, which sells for anything from Rs 30 onwards in Mumbai. He can’t even break even on these terms.”

Having worked earlier in a mobile info system for farmers, Ranjit realised that the e-commerce platform for B2C transactions is available to a producer of every commodity, except to a farmer. The result is that both the producer and the consumer are being left out of the benefits of the e-commerce platform. He thought of tapping the Internet and the social media to address the issue. In less than a month, over two tonnes of mosambis have already been delivered in Mumbai and its suburbs and in Pune, purely through voluntary efforts of well-wishers who needed no persuasion to pitch in.

kids_mosambi“That’s all it takes,” he laughs. “Just the click of a mouse can place a farmer directly on a global e-commerce pathway, and open up unlimited vistas for marketing his produce.  Along with other volunteers I have merely acted as a facilitator and enabler,” he says, after having delivered some 1,500 orders to total strangers!

Ranjit found willing takers for his idea. He trusted Gaikwad for the quality of the produce while Gaikwad too was convinced of Ranjit’s intentions. Volunteers came forward and on September 6, he flashed the ‘Luv Thy Farmer’ page on Facebook, followed by the website of the same name created overnight by a volunteer from Germany. Prof Kurush Dalal in Kharghar, Anuradha Pawar in Prabhadevi, Varuna Rao in Thane, and Vaishali Narkar in Chembur kept their doors open for 24 hours as pick up points for the stocks rolling in every day.

“It’s a highly scalable, replicable model and volunteers can help without leaving their homes,” says Ranjit, who now has support from diverse quarters. “It’s not too expensive either, even though Gaikwad has arranged to pack the mosambis in 5 kg bags, and pays for the farm to city transportation. Hence, of the Rs 60 that the end consumer is paying for a kilo of mosambi, nearly Rs 30 to Rs 40 goes to the farmer, and transportation and labour costs take up the rest. Logistics players have come forward to help out and they are ready to work on a no-profit-no-loss basis. We are working on streamlining the transportation, using vans, bikes and even public transport, so as to further improve the farmer’s profit,” he says.

The ripple effect of Luv Thy Farmer has created beneficiaries in unexpected quarters. Hence, while one person in the US made an online purchase for donation to an old age home in Mumbai, a senior marketing manager at a pharma company donated a bulk purchase to a hospice for children in Mumbai.

Ranjit proposes to make the facility available to growers of strawberries, bananas, pomegranates, rice, organic jaggery, wild honey, tur dal and many other agro-products who are approaching him every day.

“The next challenge is to make Luv Thy Farmer self-sustainable,” he says.  “I wish to explore such options as angel funds and crowd funding for projects that many farmers cannot implement. This could give a boost to entrepreneurship in the agro sector, so that the farmer can thrive without depending upon a single market.”

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Deal with it

Worship, immerse and protect the seas

City based environmentalist Anand Pendharkar’s Ganesh idols stuffed with vegetable fish food are finding many takers in the State and country, too.
by Ravi Shet

Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the largest festivals celebrated in our city. But the festival creates havoc in our seas – the post visarjan (immersion) of Ganesh idols made of Plaster of Paris (POP) pollute the water significantly and also impact the marine environment badly. Nothing changes year after year – huge Ganesh POP idols are immersed in the seas, jeopardising the marine life at an alarming rate.

The answer, then, is to make eco-friendly idols. Thus, the Sprouts Environmental Trust and the good folks at Ogilvy and Mather (O&M) came together to create Ganesh idols made from corn and vegetable powder. These can be consumed by fish and other marine organisms. Anand Pendharkar, founder of Sprouts, has completed his M. Sc in Wildlife Science from Dehradun, and tells us that he has been cleaning the beaches in Mumbai post-Ganesh visarjan for the past 12 years. “Girgaon chowpatty has been on our radar, since huge idols mostly come there. People also flock to Juhu beach because celebrities come there,” he says.

The corn and vegetable Ganesh idol

For the past 6 years, Sprouts has been preparing Ganesh idols from clay and papier mache as a healthy alternative to the usual POP idols. However, when O&M’s team (comprising Elizabeth Dias, Srreram Athray, Calvin Austin, Kunal Dangarwala and Farid Bawa) joined hands with Anand, the concept of stuffing vegetarian fish food along with clay for preparation of Ganesh idols was discussed. “The idols dissolve in water within 4 to 5 hours. The journey was full of learning and we went through a lot of research and testing,” Anand says.

The team created a standard size of 9-inch Ganesh idols priced at Rs 900, which are coloured using natural materials such as Fuller’s Earth, geru, kumkum and turmeric. It takes around 3 days to complete an idol and their target is to prepare 200 idols for this year. As of now, 8 artisans on a part-time basis are working in Mumbai with Anand, while some more are working in Nagpur.

Anand recently conducted a workshop for Margam (a programme of NGO Vidya), a self-help group for women in Powai, and taught them how to make this unique Ganesh idol. He says, “People who normally get Ganesh home or in pandals every years have purchased our 9-inch idol this year.” He further adds that his family has been a huge support for his journey.

(Pics by Anand Pendharkar and Ravi Shet)

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Let your eyes be part of the 1 million pledge

Campaign to raise awareness about eye donation kicks off all over India; will be held for a year from now.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Vision Sankara Eye Care Hospital has an ambitious plan: it has launched a year-long campaign, ‘Sign4Sight – Year of Million Miracles’, to mark a fortnight observing eye donation from August 25 to September 8. The eye care hospital aims to raise awareness about eye donation through its year-long campaign, and wants 1 million pledges at the end of it.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO), corneal disease is the chief cause for vision loss and blindness. The National Programme for control of Blindness estimates that India has 20% of the global blind population. With about 1,20,000 blind people in the country, the yearly addition of 25,000 to 30,000 cases further tips the scale.

Dr Ashish Bacchav, Vision Sankara says, “In most cases, loss of sight can be corrected by eye donation through a surgical procedure of corneal transplantation. A person can gain vision only when a donor donates a healthy cornea. The corneal transplantation has high success rates of around 95%. Every pledge will give back the boon of eyesight to two individuals.”

Corneal blindness is an affliction due to a damage in the tissue covering the front of the eye, called cornea. The corneas should be removed preferably within an hour of death, but can be removed up to a maximum of 6 to 8 hours.

Mohammed P, a retired serviceman, had his zest for life replenished after his vision was restored post his corneal transplant surgery at the Sankara hospital in Coimbatore. He said, “I have nothing but blessings in my heart for the soul that has given me a second lease on life. As a serviceman I have always been very self reliant and optimistic, with my eyesight restored I can now begin to enjoy playing with my grandchildren and revel in the beauty that life has to offer.”

(Picture courtesy www.zeenews.com)

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Lessons in oral cancer at Kumbh Mela

Indian Dental Association is trying to spread awareness about oral cancer through free camps, check-ups for pilgrims thronging the Kumbh Mela.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Indian Dental Association (IDA), as part of their endeavour to create awareness about oral health and hygiene and Oral Cancer amongst the masses, are participating in the Jana Swasthya Abhiyan, an initiative of Department of Public Health, Government of Maharashtra.

Today, India has undesirably come to be known as the oral cancer capital of the world. People across the country are addicted to various tobacco products. Such habits can lead to oral cancer. The Kumbh Mela, being a meeting point of masses from diverse parts of the country, proves to be an ideal platform for IDA to provide oral care education and awareness.

Health centre at NashikAs part of the Jana Swasthya Abhiyan, IDA will conduct free oral health check-up camps for 15 days in 4 different phases during the ongoing Mahakumbh in Nasik and Trimbakeswar, starting from August 26, 2015. The aim of the campaign is to create awareness about oral health and hygiene and oral cancer amongst thousands of pilgrims who will be converging at Maha Kumbh from across the country.

According to Dr Ashok Dhoble, Hon’ble Secretary General, Indian Dental Association,“We are aiming to influence thousands of lives by creating awareness about oral health and hygiene and Oral Cancer amongst them. Through this initiative, we will be moving closer to IDA’s vision of improving oral health and quality of life, achieving ‘optimal national oral health for all’ by 2020.”

IDA will be present at 10 locations at Nasik and Trimbakeswar Maha Kumbh to conduct free oral health check-up camps in association with Karmaveer Bhausaheb Hiray Dental College and Hospital, Nashik.

(Pictures courtesy www.bms.co.in, IDA)

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5 types of employees you should be hiring

Start up companies often grapple with hiring and retaining the right talent. Knowing certain personality types can ease the process.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The best thing about being a boss at your own company is that nobody can fire you. The worst thing is that you are solely accountable for your mistakes. These mistakes can range from not being a proactive leader to not securing adequate funding, but by far the biggest mistake than can affect you on a daily basis will be hiring the wrong people to work for you.

1. The punctual one. Some people are extremely punctual, arriving in time for the start of a new working day with a few minutes to spare. They are meticulous about managing their own schedules, because they respect time. “Businesses must encourage others to emulate their example,” says Viral Shah, who runs an online trading firm with 10 employees. “Encourage punctual people to take up managerial roles, because they are more organised and their finicky attitude about time ensures that projects are completed within schedule.” If your team has a person who always arrives on time and is profusely apologetic about being late, groom that person to handle project deadlines, to begin with.

2. The first in, last one out. These people can be a pain to others, because they are always in office –they are the first to arrive and the last to leave. This behaviour is a clear indication of commitment. Such personality types often stay committed as a matter of habit, even when they are not enjoying their work. These persons can be roped in to handle last-minute jobs or assist teams which are working against deadlines. Since they normally show up to work even before others have arrived, they can be entrusted with drawing up daily schedules, following up on the previous day’s backlog and setting appointments for the day. Companies might consider making these persons assistants to the bosses.

Building your team3. The team player. This person can always be relied on to pitch in with assistance, moral support or just a sense of humour when the going gets tough. “Such people are born leaders and their commitment to the company is very high,” explains Sara Chhajed, an HR professional. “They will even help out in projects that are not theirs, simply to get the work done faster with lesser hassle. They will actually ask for more work if they see that the rest of the team is struggling, and they do not try to hog the credit.” People displaying these qualities can be focussed, easy going, friendly and compassionate. “Bosses should groom them in a team-building capacity, because they often display team spirit,” Sara says. “They are valuable employees, even if they are not the most talented.”

4. The experienced mentor. Every team needs a senior to guide the office with his or her experience. Such a person is a key asset in a young, inexperienced team that may flounder without an experienced mentor. “I have helped set up at least 20 start-ups in the last year alone, and I always advise the management to hire one senior person as a manager,” says Ankit Mishra, who works exclusively with start-ups. “These persons are capable of taking a neutral look at a project and suggest corrective ways that can save the company a lot of valuable time and effort. However, they should be encouraged to engage with the team on a regular basis, instead of waiting to be asked for help,” Ankit adds.

5. The genial, all-skills-included one. This is the best type of person to hire, after the team player, because this person keeps the office environment light and friendly. This sort of personality is needed in a high-stress, high-work start-up environment, because they can plug in the gaps in the system whenever required; thus companies save resources which they would have spent on outsourcing external agencies to get the same work done. “One of my employees started working with us as an office boy, but I soon realised that he had a fair knowledge of computers,” recalls Viral. “Later, he learnt how to read balance sheets, and make and receive payments. Now he is my personal assistant.”

This type of person should also be enlisted to plan office outings and team bonding sessions, where their enthusiasm comes in handy.

(Pictures courtesy www.gomindmerge.com, theloyaltygroup.com. Images are used for representational purpose only)

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BMC goes after diabetics in Mumbai

BMC will set up special OPDs, dispensaries and new hospitals in the city to deal with high diabetic patient load.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The highest numbers of diabetics are found in India, and many of them are concentrated in the metros. Naturally, the current public health facilities are overstretched in dealing with the large numbers of patients seeking treatment.

Recently, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in partnership with Eli Lilly announced that it had developed a unique platform that not only deliberates on the rising menace of diabetes, but that it had submitted actionable recommendations to help strengthen policies and Government programmes [such as NCPCDS] related to the management of diabetes.

The BMC is now coming up with special OPDs, 80 dispensaries, 18 peripherals and 3 major hospitals in Mumbai to address the ‘increased NCD patient load’ under NCD Programme Services initiative. “The Corporation is trying to inculcate the habit of eating healthy food amongst the citizens of Mumbai”, said Dr Daksha Shah, Deputy Executive Health Officer (NCD) RNTCP, Public Health Department, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM). She added that the novel initiative involves intensive regional consultations with relevant experts to draw up comprehensive suggestions, best practices, challenges and enablers faced by service providers in Government and private sectors in day to day management of diabetes patients.

Said Dr Ashok Kirpalani, Professor and HOD, Nephrology, Bombay Hospital Institute of Medical Sciences (BHIMS), “There is a need to check diabetic nephropathy at an early stage before the need of dialysis sets in. The ability of microalbuminuria test to pick up renal failure at an early stage needs to be recognised as there is only 3 per cent mortality in test positive patients.”

Dr. Manoj Chadha, Endocrinologist, PD Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Centre, said, “High blood pressure needs to be recognised early and treated appropriately with ACE inhibitors/ARB”. He added that “Hypertension is also an important contributor to morbidity and mortality in Diabetes Mellitus.”

(Picture courtesy www3.imperial.ac.uk. Image is used for representational purpose only)

 

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