Centre for Circular Economy

Trash walk by Ramgarh Center Digital skilling students.

One of the things I really like about FIN’s activities is its trash walks. FIN’s idea is to promote Clean India along with digital skilling for the holistic development of children. I am so happy that in our digital skilling centers, we are not only teaching youth how to use a computer, but we are also motivating them to make our country as clean as Singapore.

The last trash walk was eye-opening and mind-blowing. The students of the Digital skilling class were thrilled and they felt such pride after doing social work at Maya Tungri, Ramgarh cantt Jharkhand (Temple on top of the mountain with 300+ stairs) for another trash walk.

This time we decided to clean the space just back of the temple which is unnoticeable. People enjoy their picnic and throw the packaging over the back of the temple. we collected 4 bags of waste and disposed of them. The trust of the temple also cleans the surroundings of the temple and burns the trash but we requested them to do waste segregation in the temple and then dispose of them properly with the help of the Ramgarh cantonment board or the concerned authority.

Thank you

Abhishek Pathak

Junior Manager, FIN India Trust

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India

Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India
May Lord Ganesha bless you with wisdom, prosperity, and happiness this Ganesh Chaturthi! We wish you all a happy Ganesh Chaturthi🌟

FIN principle: #MinimizePollution

The idol of Ganesh is generally made up of clay, Plaster of Paris (POP), plastic and cement. Toxic paints containing heavy metals like lead and mercury are often used in decorating the idol. After the immersion, the ingredients of the statue does not completely dissolve in water which then leads to environmental pollution. Oxygen levels in water go down, acidity goes up and heavy metals percolate into water – killing fish, plants and causing skin problems for people bathing in the water.

So, as part of FIN’s Green Academy Project, FIN staff, Meena, Nagalaxmi and Ranjita teach extracurricular activities for an hour every week in the two Panchayat schools in Kameswaram village. In recent weeks, they have guided the children in making Ganesha idols in flour (maida) and painting them in non-toxic water colours. The children were made to understand why we were doing this and were really very proud to take their bio-degradable non-toxic Ganesha idols home. On Monday, when they will be immersed in some pond in Kameswaram – the fish will get some food and be happy!

Less Pollution – More Happiness for all Animals and Human Beings!

So, why don’t we ALL celebrate responsibly by choosing eco-friendly Ganpati idols and protecting the environment for future generations?

#GaneshChaturthi2024 #EcoFriendlyGanpati #SustainableCelebrations #MinimizePollution District Collector Nagapattinam Nagapattinam MLA CLEAN-India Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India
Meet our recent Interns!

1. Federica Balia

My name is Federica Balia. I am a student of the School of Business and Economics of Maastricht University. And my last task to graduate was to do an internship and I decided to do it with Friend In Need India Trust!

Prof. Shyama Ramani has given me an interesting challenge to explore: What about building a FIN alumni group? Did you know that FIN has already hosted 224 Internships (145 international students and 79 Indian students) – as of January 2024? I guess that it’s high time we started working on a FIN alumni group!

Well, the first thing to do is contact all past interns and ask them what they think. So, we have created a survey and I have been sending it to all interns whose contacts I could trace! In case you haven’t heard from me so far (which means I don’t have your correct email address) – please complete this survey for we would like to hear from you – here’s the link https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSc4c69Ax…/viewform…

Thank you so much for your help – Indeed grazie mille!

For an Internship write us at fintrust.india@gmail.com.

#FIN #fintrust #fintrustngo #friendinneedindiatrust

2. Sourish Dey

My name is Sourish Dey. I grew up in Delhi, India, before my family moved to Cologne, Germany when I was 9 years old. Now 20 years old, I am currently studying for my bachelor’s degree at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. This internship with FIN is part of my specialization in emerging markets, which I took during my second year of studies.

After graduating from high school at 18, I was eager to embark on my university journey. Having grown up in an international environment, moving from India to Germany exposed me to different cultures, behaviors, and ways of life from a young age. This sparked my curiosity about the world beyond my own experiences. Maastricht University, known for its diverse student body and unique problem-based learning approach, seemed like the perfect fit. For the past three years, it has been my home away from home, where I’ve made lifelong friends, created cherished memories, and experienced profound personal growth.

With my Indian heritage, I often found myself drawing comparisons between routines, behaviors, and expectations I observed in the West and those back home. I frequently asked myself, “How would this work in the context of India?” For example, while studying economic policies at Maastricht University, I often reflected on how Western models of economic development could be adapted to suit the unique socio-economic landscape of India. This realization motivated me to delve deeper by specializing in emerging market studies.

The main purpose of the emerging market studies program is to understand the economic, social, and political dynamics of developing countries. It focuses on analyzing the challenges and opportunities these markets present, including issues like economic growth, market development, and integration into the global economy. The program equips students with the tools to critically assess how global economic policies can be adapted to support sustainable development in emerging markets.

My background and this specialized education provide a unique perspective that I believe is crucial for addressing the complexities of emerging markets. By understanding both Western and Indian contexts, I aim to contribute to creating policies and strategies that are not only effective but also culturally and contextually appropriate for developing regions. This knowledge will serve as a valuable sounding board for my future in both academics and at the workplace.

In my free time, I try to stay active through basketball and tennis. Having played competitive basketball from a young age, it instilled discipline and provided an outlet to release stress in a healthy manner. Exposure to passionate crowds boosted my confidence, composure, and organizational skills. For example, during a national championship game, my team and I were faced with an intense crowd, the pressure was high, but I managed to stay calm and orchestrate plays effectively, ultimately leading my team to victory. This experience not only enhanced my leadership skills but also taught me the importance of maintaining focus and poise under pressure.

When I was introduced to FIN through my university’s internship office, it immediately felt like the perfect fit. The team welcomed me with open arms, making me feel like a valued member from day one. While my tasks vary weekly, I am primarily responsible for researching how to reduce socioeconomic disparities in India, creating content for FIN’s social media, and developing Wikipedia pages on the FIN trust, Kameswaram village, and Prof. Shyama V. Ramani. Additionally, I serve as a research assistant to Dr. Raja, exploring topics like plastic waste management to promote a more circular and sustainable economy in India.

Alongside the internship, I am working on my thesis, examining if at all wealth impacts health outcomes in Kameswaram village based on household-level data collected by FIN on Kameswaram. I hope this research can further inform NGOs, policymakers, and students about devising targeted policy solutions to uplift the local community there.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this enriching experience so far and look forward to continued growth during the next phase of my internship with the phenomenal FIN team, especially with the guidance of my mentors Prof. Shyama V. Ramani, Dr Raja Venkatramani, and Mr. Abhishek Pathak.

Best regards,

Sourish Dey

3. Amy Koehn

My name is Amy Koehn and I am a bachelor’s student at University College Maastricht. I am also currently an intern at FIN. For my bachelor’s dissertation and also internship I am doing research on ‘Youth perception and behavior towards environmental challenges and sustainability’ comparing European and Indian students. For this purpose, I am conducting a survey of youth to gather data. If you are in the age group 18-24, it would be great if you could take 8-10 minutes of your precious time to answer the survey and help me out! You are also most welcome to share this survey with your friends and family in this age group! All standard research protocols for data privacy and protection will be observed.

Thank you so so much! I hope to host a webinar in July to present the main findings of my dissertation and I hope you will join in that – whatever your age!

Lastly, thanks in advance for contributing to the broader body of knowledge on how perceptions of environmental issues are shaped across the world so that we can design better policies to address climate change challenges.

Amy Koehn,

FIN Intern

For an Internship write us at fintrust.india@gmail.com.

#FIN #fintrust #fintrustngo #friendinneedindiatrust
FIN appreciated for holding its third annual May summer camp for children in Kameswaram village!

In cities as well as in villages, summer vacation is a time for relaxing, but sometimes there is so much free time the children get bored! Then parents worry about children seeing too much TV or playing with the phone and can’t wait for school to restart!

That’s why FIN’s May camp is so popular – with both children and their parents!

Every week a group of children, maximum 20 are registered for a fun day of games, sports, music, dance, handicrafts and spoken English classes in a fun way! There are sessions in the morning and in the afternoon and children can be registered in either. Every session is offered free of cost! Snacks are provided in each session. Children are enrolled in the program on a first come and first served basis. This year 42 children joined for the morning session and 55 for the afternoon session. And what was the most usual remark of the children? “ma’am, why can’t school also be fun like this? “

FIN Summer Camp Activity 1: Game of waste segregation

In the past FIN Trust conducted many surveys, webinars, and research related to waste management and the segregation of biodegradable and non-biodegradable materials. What we found is that people want a clean environment and want to contribute to a clean society but they lag in behaviour and lack knowledge. Behavior has been reinforced by decades of habit which is difficult to change, leading to rampant littering and pollution.

FIN Trust came up with a game to teach waste segregation. We printed photos of biodegradable and non-biodegradable materials and crafted dustbins (red for non-biodegradable and green for biodegradable). The rule is simple, there will be two teams in the match and each team has to take a picture from the referee (FIN Staff in the video below) choose the appropriate dustbin, and drop the picture in it. The team who finishes first will be the winner.

This game not only teaches waste segregation but also helps in behavioral change and can be played individually. Also, we didn’t leave out the adults! Additionally, we hosted webinars and awareness campaigns for the same cause.

FIN Summer Camp Activity 2: Dance Session for Physical and Mental Development of Children.

As far as we can tell, dance has been around all over the world since the most primitive of human civilizations: early cave paintings seem to depict dancing figures as early as 3300 BC. Early on, dance seemed to be used for ceremonial purposes primarily or to communicate stories. Dancing promotes confidence, self-esteem, personal expression, and flexibility of the body and mind.

In our summer camp, we included dance as one of the activities which is headed by our FIN Staff, and children loved and enjoyed so much during dance sessions which is very helpful in the overall physical and mental development of children as follows:-

1. Improves Motor Skills: Dance involves a wide range of movements that help children develop fine and gross motor skills. These movements require coordination, balance, and precision, which enhance overall motor development.

2. Enhances Physical Fitness: Dance is a form of aerobic exercise that improves cardiovascular health, muscular strength, flexibility, and endurance. Regular dancing helps children maintain a healthy weight and build strong bones and muscles.

3. Encourages Posture and Alignment: Dance training emphasizes proper posture and body alignment. Good posture is essential for preventing injuries and ensuring the healthy development of the spine and muscles.

4. Boosts Flexibility: Many dance styles include stretching and bending movements, which increase flexibility. Enhanced flexibility reduces the risk of injuries and contributes to better overall physical health.

5. Supports Brain Development: Dance requires memorization of steps, rhythms, and sequences, which stimulates cognitive development. The connection between movement and rhythm helps develop neural pathways that enhance learning and memory.

6. Fosters Social Skills: Dance often involves group activities, fostering social interaction, teamwork, and communication skills. Children learn to work with others, take turns, and develop a sense of rhythm and timing in a group setting.

7. Reduces Stress: Physical activity, including dance, helps release endorphins, which are natural mood lifters. Dance provides an emotional outlet and can reduce stress and anxiety in children.

8. Encourages Creativity: Dance allows children to express themselves creatively. This creative expression is important for emotional development and can boost self-esteem and confidence.

If you want to make a change and work with us or incorporate our model projects in your locality, then please drop a mail at fintrust.india@gmail.com or contact us at 8709369285

Thank you

FIN India Trust

#FINcamps #FINKameswaram #FINeducation
September, 2021

Let’s find out with FIN Interns

FIN has started a series of theme based internships, which impact sustainability. The first to be rolled out in this series was the ‘ALL THINGS DIGITAL’ during June-July 2021. This internship was offered to a set of interns from the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun Uttarakhand, and also to earlier FIN interns interested in the topic.

The ‘ALL THINGS DIGITAL’ internship included four tracks: Digital policy, Skilling for Digital world, Digital Empathy, and Digital Empowerment.

The internship aimed to make students more aware of the potential of our digitally transformed world and improve their research and science communication skills. It was also designed to help them build empathy and develop employer-valued skills such as effective teamwork and time management.

What did they get from the internship? Hear our interns : Kirti Chandani (00:08-00:32) , Parag Samant (00:33-00:59), Kshitij Singh (01:00-01:35), Manav Bhatia (01:36-02:05), Akshita Kapoor (02:06-02:40) and Abhishek Pathak (02:46-03:10).

Education

Want to improve your employability? Want to build new skills for your future career? Our education mission is to narrow the knowledge gap between educators, practitioners, students and policy makers through multi-stakeholder forums, problem based learning and practical projects. Our programmes hopes to ensure hands-on learning and skills building through knowledge and experience sharing between […]

Finterns! (FIN interns and trainees)

FIN INTERNS / TRAINEES 2022 Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad (8) January 15, 2022 – March 15, 2022 Top row left to right – Chandra Sekharan.S, Sabari Santosh S, Sivaraman Santhanam, and Swetha Ravichandran Bottom row left to right – Shreyas Seshadri, Shrinaath M, Chockalingam Harisankar, and Srinathji M These students worked with us on […]

Engagement

At FIN, over the years, we have noted that though students have theoretical knowledge, they are not able to apply it to solve real problems. Moreover, they often lack effective communication skills, analytical thinking, professional courtesy and ability to give constructive feedback. To contribute to closing such skills gaps we have designed a Sustainability Project […]

Here are the latest events organised by the Center for Circular Economy

“Feminism isn’t about making women stronger. Women are already strong, it’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.” ― Geena Dunne Anderson. In 2022, FIN conducted a webinar entitled “Don’t periods matter?” to commemorate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, featuring females of all ages who are impacted by menstruation- […]

Gender Issues

FIN World Water Day Webiz – March 22, 2023 Time 12.30 Hrs CET and 5.00 PM IST Urban Sustainability: How can Cities Tackle Floods? Join us for this online discussion with quizzes! Registration link – https://forms.gle/TcsBv2WHhWGRJWjCA Why is this issue important – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSC3l1auXtA Floods inflict high socio-economic costs on communities and individuals. In the past […]

Water

FIN’s Webinar on how to make Bharat more Swachh through community engagement – a great learning experience! India generates 62 million tonnes of waste each year. About 43 million tonnes (70%) are collected, of which about 12 million tonnes are treated, and 31 million tonnes are dumped at landfill sites. With changing consumption patterns and […]

Sustainable Communities

FIN’s Webiz (Quiz with Discussion) to celebrate World Toilet Day a big success! On Friday November 18 – a day before the actual World Toilet Day on November 19 – FIN hosted an online event in collaboration with the United Nations University UNU-MERIT, where I am Professor. It is always nice to wear two hats […]