Students of GIM work with villagers of Morlem and Harvalem to chalk out a blueprint for sustainable development in rural Goa
A part of the Give Goa Project, the programme outlines specific annual actions and targets over a five-year period. Commissioned by GIM’s Centre for Excellence in Sustainable Development, the programme also documented the current scenario of the village on various parameters like demographics, economic parameters, electricity consumption, water sources and consumption, waste management, natural ecosystem and other relevant parameters
Goa,
Feb 2021: Student outreach on sustainability practices and solar
power systems featured prominently in the study done by students of
B-school Goa Institute of
Management(GIM) while working with the villages of Morlem and Harvalem in
rural Goa.
As
part of the Give Goa Project community outreach programme, students of B-school
Goa Institute of Management are working along with the villagers of Morlem and
Harvalem located in the hinterlands of Goa to develop a roadmap for sustainable development
of the village with specific annual actions and targets over a
five-year period.
“The
project which is focussed towards creating a sustainability blueprint for the
village involves identifying needs of the villagers, community engagement,
mapping data, analysis, identifying funding opportunities and more,” explained
Prof. Vithal Sukhathankar, Associate Professor and Faculty Guide on the
project.
Student
outreach initiatives to educate young minds about sustainable practices
including judicious use of natural resources, waste segregation, water usage,
energy saving methods are at the core of the programme.
Explained,
Sonali Sahoo, a student at GIM, “When we met with the local authorities,
schoolteachers and villagers in Morlem we realised that children and adults
alike were not aware of basic waste segregation practices and awareness on
natural resources. Climate change is a global issue which is being addressed
across counties. We felt we needed to educate young minds on sustainable living
practices and educate children on respecting nature, avoid wastage of any kind,
reduce use of plastics and keeping surroundings clean.”
The
team working on the Harvalem project received similar findings during their
assessments and joined into the efforts. Said,a student, Jonathan Fernandes,
“The students were extremely smart and eager to learn and engage but lacked
practical knowledge about sustainability.”
Together
the teams from GIM planned contests, art sessions and fun interactive workshops
for the children in Morlem and Harvalem to drive home the point on
sustainability.
Added
another student, Shruti Chandra, “The residents were very accepting to the
suggestions regarding sustainability practices wholeheartedly. The Panchayat
representatives and school authorities especially the headmistress came on
board with our plans and offered whole-hearted support to the initiative.”
The
students also recommended the creation of a localised grid connected solar
power system for the sole purpose of meeting some of the energy needs of the
villages and surrounding areas.
Said
Michelle Barretto, “The average use of energy in each household in the village
is estimated to be relatively low. Power outages are frequent, especially
during the monsoons. These two reasons warrant the effectiveness of the
proposed idea. As far as profitability is concerned, the initial investment
will be fairly high, but it will prove to be lucrative in the long run.
The
student lead team discussed the solar project concept with the local panchayats
and with Goa Energy Development Agency (GEDA) to discuss the feasibility of
solar panel installation on the roof of the Morlem panchayat structure. The
students went a step ahead and also contacted dealers and received the cost
estimate which was presented to the concerned authorities.
Commissioned
by GIM’s Centre for Excellence in Sustainable Development, the
programme also documents the current scenario of the village on various
parameters like demographics, economic parameters, electricity consumption,
water sources and consumption, waste management, natural ecosystem, and other
relevant parameters.
Added
Prof Ajit Parulekar, Director, GIM, “GIM’s community engagement program aptly
named Give Goa Project offers opportunities of holistic learning than
complement the institute’s rigorous study programmes. The B-school has always
stayed consistent to its mission to nurture leaders for sustainable business of
the future. Ethics, values and corporate governance has been at the core of our
pedagogy.”
At
the end of each year the student group share a hand-over to the next batch of
students ensuring continuity. The faculty guide stays constant during the
5-year period.
Demographics of
the village of Morlem:
· Wards
– 7
· Population
– 3528 (Males: 1756 and Females: 1772)
· Houses
– 600
· Primary
schools – 5
· High
School – 1
· The
average daily wage is 400 INR. Avg hours of work per day is 8 to 10 hours
· Occupation:
Most are engaged in coconut, cashew and areca nut farming. Some are engaged in
dairy farming
Demographics of
the village of Harvalem:
· Harvalem
had a population of 1647. Males constitute 51.8% of the population and females
48.2%
· Alcohol
abuse amongst the male members of the community was a key issue faced in the
community
· Valwanti
river is a major water source with purification plants located at Dattwadi (12
mld) and Paroda (40 mld).Other local water sources include 21 to 25
wells(public and private). Ample of water supply with natural streams of water
coming down from the hills.
· Illiteracy
and school drop-out rate is high. Largely because the population includes
migrants coming from low-economic backgrounds.
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