In the words of Robert Swan –
“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”
Putting these thoughts into practice is an internationally run not-for-profit organization ENACTUS, with the blend of words – Entrepreneurial, Action, and Us. Members at Enactus Kirori Mal are committed to something bigger than themselves and believe progress is always possible, to achieve change intending society through entrepreneurial action & sustainable business solutions.
Withholding the views that ‘Changemakers are tenacious about the greater good‘, EnactusKMC bears under its banner three projects namely:
Project Dor, which works with migrant women to revive the dying art of tie-and-dye; Project JanBhoomi, which works with farmers, nurseries, and schools to promote organic farming; and their most recently launched initiative, Project Syahi which makes paper pens.
“Syahi“, meaning “ink” in Hindi, is a unique idea that translates to a business having a significant impact. Launched in September 2019, Project Syahi strives to make zero waste a reality and sows the seeds of a plastic-free tomorrow by creating pens out of paper. This initiative strives to combat India’s growing problem of single-use plastic waste. The stationery industry is a large contributor to the menace of plastic waste. In India alone, more than 1.65 crore pens are discarded every month, Yet, there is very little awareness of the pollution caused by this small disposable item of which everyone seems to have a collection.
As pens are an indispensable part of each individual’s everyday schedule, Syahi comes forward as the show stealer in the market with huge potential. By being fully customizable, it gives its customers a unique writing experience with absolutely any design; be it floral, abstract, fandom or any company logos to be a part of brand merchandise, these pens can do it all.
With the product being a utility one, its market lies in both B2B and B2C channels. With such distinctive and unique selling points, Project Syahi has collaborated with corporates like IBM and reputed hospitals like AIIMS and CNBC. Along with those, Syahi has its products in various schools, universities, and stationery stores across India. Though the world has come to a standstill, the reach of Syahi pens is unstoppable even amidst this pandemic.
The impact that Project Syahi has created is enormous, replacing a huge amount of plastic with each batch of paper pens. It also saves water, as well as prevents a significant amount of carbon emission. Paper pens by Project Syahi create triple the impact, by not just reusing waste paper and replacing plastic, but also by attaching a seed at the rear-end of the pen, so that one can plant hope by planting a sapling.
Syahi pens are hand-crafted by our skilled beneficiaries based in Tilak Nagar, New Delhi. Financially dependent and burdened by patriarchy, these women relied on their families for their growth keeping in veil their inner potential and capabilities.
With Syahi, these migratory women now, aim to live an independent life as entrepreneurs thereby making themselves self-reliant.
Financial independence is the first step to eradicate rigid societal constraints on women. With Project Syahi, our beneficiaries will eventually run the business themselves, cultivating valuable skills like marketing and financial management that would not only benefit them but their families as well.
Syahi started as a mere idea, and since then, has become a tool to smash the tyranny of patriarchy and a ray of hope in the lives of many.
We, at Enactus Kirori Mal, are not claiming to be liberators or saviors, but merely facilitators, who enable women to realize their potential and make something that truly belongs to them.
Project Syahi reiterates the words by Mahatma Gandhi, ‘Be the change that you wish to see in the world’, echoing the fact that small united steps can bring constructive changes on seemingly unsolvable issues. With this Enactus Kirori Mal presents everyone with a remarkable opportunity to collectively hit the reset button and make changes to build back a better and more resilient world.
It also reiterates that sustainability has to be a way of life for businesses.
Scribble. Sow. Save.
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