Why Aditya Birla Group is big in my life?
How can you forget something that has been the bread and butter for you throughout your life. For me, that is “UltraTech”. Ours was that first cement store that our village had. It was a risky business since nobody in such a small place has ever ventured into this business. But now when I see back, I feel the sea change that UltraTech has brought not only in changing our financial condition but also, it has substantially enhanced the infrastructure of the village.
It might sound small, however, when you ask a child who could not go to her school, 10 kilometres away, due to lack of roadways in the rainy season, you would realize that UltraTech has not only touched each life but also made sure that rural people live a comfortable life that they deserve.
It was May 2013, when I received a call from my uncle informing that I got admission in my dream college and I had to leave to Delhi the very next day. Classes have already started and I got to know that a western themed fresher party has been arranged for us. Hailing from a small village, it was a cultural shock for me. My brain went haywire. That’s when FOREVER 21 saved me and till this time it has continued to be my go-to store.
Since the day I was born until today, ABG has been a saviour in every aspect I can think of.
How have I made an impact?
After the completion of my second year in college, I took a rural development internship wherein I had to go to a village called Hariharpur, in Uttar Pradesh for a month and a half. I along with two other girls from my college was supposed to study the overall dynamics of this village and to figure out as to why in spite of so many government policies in place, this village was not progressing at the rate it should have.
During the first ten days of our stay, we got to know that the key people who were supposed to pass the benefits to the public were using the money for their own vested interest. The reason why it was difficult for us to solve this problem was because of the fact that the villagers were afraid of speaking up as these people had a lot of influence in society. Refusal to accept the situation means we could not forward the case to the higher authorities.
After hours of brainstorming, we came up with an idea. The plan was to use the women of Hariharpur, the women are the ones who know in and out about their community, however, due to the patriarchal construct of the society, they could not voice their opinions. So, we conducted anonymous surveys through which the problem could be identified without making a particular individual vulnerable and also, before the survey, we conducted a counselling session for them, so that they can understand the whole agenda and be the change makers of this village. Thankfully, it was a success; women did reveal the things in the paper which ultimately helped us to forward this grave matter to the higher authorities.
What makes me share this incident over others is the fact that there were so many unfamiliar and external elements which made the whole task a daunting one. But, as every problem comes with an answer, so was this. The panacea lies in self-belief.
