From The President’s Desk

Working happily is a culture at Navkshitij

NOVEMBER was one more month dominated by production at the workshop. Diwali and Christmas is a time when we put up stalls at corporate houses and residential colonies. We have already told you about the feverish activities at our workshop. This time I would like to talk about another aspect of the workshop activity, the offsite work, that is the job of putting up stalls, including the before and after. Quite a few of our staff members man the stalls in rotation. This activity involves a lot of work. In most corporates, we need permits to enter the premises with the products. This is usually arranged for by the organisation itself, provided we are ready with details such as the inventory and names of staff at the stall, plus any other documents that the corporates may require.

The next major task is loading the products into a van and unloading them at the venue. If the parking at the destination is far away from the venue for the stall, the staff needs to port the boxes. They then showcase the products, put up flex boards and attend to all other tasks related to setting up the stall. Of course, there is accounting and tallying, and finally wrapping up and bringing back unsold products. I am so glad that everyone involved executes these tasks with a smile on the face.

I celebrate the team spirit at Navkshitij. The helping, sharing and working happily are not confined to Navkshitij premises or picnics. It goes everywhere with us. It is a culture at Navkshitij.

In November, we also celebrated Diwali with a party and faral before we broke up for the holidays. Everyone is now back with renewed energy, and practising for the 13th Annual Day celebrations. We hope many of you are there to witness the event.

‘It was my mistake’

It happened to me a few days ago. A Friend used my pair of spectacles and broke it. He knew he should not take it. When I asked him why he broke my specs, I got a prompt reply, “I want to wear it. It is so exciting. I want to see how I look in it.” I lost my temper and shouted at him, “You will look just the same.” I went back to my work, carrying with me my broken glasses.

After some time, the Friend came to my room and asked, “Sir, you have five minutes?” I was still mildly irritated. But the tone of his voice quieted me. Actually, it touched me. There was so much humility in that voice. I forgot my irritation and said, “Yes.” “I will be like this till I die? I won’t change?”

I was stunned with the questions. I was speechless. I could not talk. I went back to the situation and realised that I had used strong words. I felt guilty and apologised to him. “I am sorry, but you should not have taken my specs?”

He answered me so innocently. “In morning you look very cool with specs. I thought I will also wear your specs. I felt cool. I looked into the mirror. That time specs fell and broke.” With that explanation, I realised that shouting or using harsh words is not the way to handle such situations.

When a Friend makes a mistake, we have to explain the situation with love and patience. We should make them understand that what they did was not correct. Very importantly, we should explain to them why it was not correct. How I reacted was totally wrong. The incident was an unforgettable lesson for me.

By Mahendra Suryavanshi,Assistant Manager, Navkshitij.

Upcoming Happenings

• December 10: Navkshitij Foundation Day
• December 15: Visit to other NGOs
• December 24: Trek
• December 31: New Year Party

Month’s events

• November 8: Office reopens after Diwali vacations
• >November 9: Hostel reopens
• >November 18: Visit to Adhar Institution, Nashik
• >November 23: Monthly Traffic Awareness program at Emcure Square, Hinjewadi
• >November 26: Monthly trek to Shivtharghal

Navkshitij now needs:

• One Laptop – Approximate cost Rs. 30,000
• 2 Cricket Nets – Approximate cost Rs.6000
• 1 Garden Bench – Approximate cost Rs. 9,000
• 2-Seater Park Swings – Approximate cost Rs. 20,000
• Table Tennis set – Approximate cost Rs. 20,000
• Biometric machine – Approximate cost Rs.15,000
• Notice Board 4 x 6 – Approximate cost Rs.10,000
• 3 Wall mounting Fans – Approximate cost Rs. 3,600

Thank you from Navkshitij to:

• Emcure Pharmaceuticals, Ltd
• Mrs. Ashalata Nandedkar & Mrs. Usha Nandedkar
• Mrs. & Mr. Shintre
• Dr. P K. Sharma
• Mr. Yogesh Dixit
• Mr. Rajan Jategaonkar
• Mrs. Madhavi Gangapurkar
• Mr. Abhay Khanapure
• Mrs. Shamal Khaladkar
• Mrs. Rachana Pandey
• Mr. Ajaykumar Sahani
• Smt. Suniti Laxman Phadke
• Mr. Milind Patwardhan
• Matru Education Society
• Fiserv India Pvt. Ltd.
• Mr. Ashok Bhatt
• Smt. Kumkum Mahendra
• Mr. Nitin Patel
• M/S Flextronics Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
• Mr. Suresh Sarmalkar
• Lumax Charitable Foundation
• Sant Nirankari Mandal, Marunji

(A monthly newsletter published by Dr. Neelima Desai and edited by Kanaka Cadambi on behalf of Navkshitij)