Graduating from a university degree can sometimes mean you have lots of theoretical knowledge but not so much practical know-how. So imagine if you could include on your resume that you also have on-the-ground experience setting up a social business in a rural Indian village as part of your qualifications.
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40K Globe offers a one month internship in India, providing undergraduate students with grass roots training in social business, which can also count towards their academic credit points.
Students are sent in groups to rural villages in India to build a sustainable businesses that will improve the lives of the local community.
The University of Wollongong is a partner in the project and grants scholarships to fund the Globe Program. Last year Bowral’s Erin Schymitzek spent five weeks in Bangalore as part of UOW’s contingent.
“40k’s mission is to enhance the lives of children living in rural India and empower the women of these communities. This is achieved by providing primary school aged children with supplementary education programs using electronic technology tablets and alternative work opportunities for the women through the operation of various social businesses established by tertiary students,” Erin said.
She said prior to applying for the Globe program, she submitted a communications plan for Roka as a part of her public relations course.
“This of course had me interested and feeling passionate about 40K initiatives. I saw the Globe program as an invaluable opportunity to put my theoretical skills into practice while helping those who do not have the power to help themselves,” Erin said.
Erin lived in a village called Marenahalli in Bangalore where her team worked on the continuation of the Roka project initiated by a group of previous Globers (the name given to participants) and also helped out in the local school.
Roka is the brand name of handmade necklaces created using the bi-product of granite dust which are made by the women of a village. It provides an alternative source of employment to hard labour in the granite quarries. They are paid by 40K, and their children are enrolled in 40K education at the cost of one dollar each month.
“During the time I was there, we worked with the women training them how to make the necklaces, and developed the marketing of the product. Our team also came up with the Roka slogan ‘your piece of their story’. The necklaces are now being sold in a few Sydney markets,” Erin said (see more at the Roka website www.rokajewellery.org).
Erin said she received training before she left and found the whole experience very well planned.
“Living in a rural community, working with the 40K kids and their teachers, developing Roka and training the women was an unforgettable experience. Importantly I worked within a team of young skilled and quirky people who continue to inspire me.”
The experience was also humbling. Erin tried her hand at smashing up pieces of granite in the quarry and after an hour had blisters on her hands, cuts from where granite shillings had flown off the block, and was sunburnt from the severe reflection of the sun on the granite.
“Not to mention I couldn’t even carry my pile of granite to the truck,” Erin said. “The touching moment occurred when I saw these workers laughing, eating and working together in the quarry. While their sense of community was overwhelming for these people, no work means no money and no food for their families. There is no ‘pension’ to retire on, you work until the day you physically can’t, from dawn till dusk every day.
“This simple, raw exposure to the many layers of their lives was my touching moment and I feel blessed to be a part of something that aims to empower these communities.”
Erin said she highly recommends the 40K Globe program
“I believe in social business, I believe in the power of the upcoming generations of skilled, innovative, entrepreneurs and I cannot even explain the feeling you get when you see the 40K kids learning new things and the women learning new skills.
“There are opportunities to continue with 40K into the Globe Leadership program, where Globers are trained to lead the next group over to India. There’s plenty more for Globe Alumni to get involved in and this is something I would love to be a part of when I am back from my current travels.”
BREAKOUT
What is 40k?
The structure of 40K is an example of a ‘social business model’ (profits are injected back into making a positive social impact). Currently 40K initiatives are funded by donations and 40K consulting (working with big companies to integrate social business into their operations). However the goal is to become self- funded where all overheads are covered by social business income streams.
The organisation has various handmade products produced from various social business such as yoga matt bags, happy pants, banyan bags as well as Roka. It is always looking for distribution outlets.
The tertiary institutions grant scholarships to fund the Globe Program (training weekend, accommodation, food for the month stay in various villages in Bangalore and wages to staff) to those students who are accepted through an interview process run by 40K. There are several groups of students heading to Bangalore each year, with four, one month programs running between June-July and Dec-Feb. Groups are divided into teams, assigned to live in different villages and work on a particular project for the month.
For more information visit https://40k.com.au/about/
