SIGMA (Social Initiative Group for Managerial Assistance) 2013-14

Believing that learning does not happen only in the classrooms, XLRI consciously promotes an institutional context, which supports and encourages the students to engage meaningfully with the society and to contribute to it. SIGMA (Social Initiative Group for Managerial Assistance) is committee at XLRI, which undertakes socially relevant projects on a regular basis. Most of these projects are handed down to the subsequent batches, and thus, become part of students activities. Association with Oikos, Switzerland: SIGMA has tied up with the international agency Oikos, Switzerland in 2012 and this association gives SIGMA a network of like-minded students and practitioners across the world to share ideas and work together for a better tomorrow.

1. Uttarakhand Flood Relief Fund Raiser

A Fund Raiser was organized in XLRI for the victims of the Uttarakhand Flood, which aimed at raising funds from the students and faculty members of XLRI. It was a huge success and SIGMA raised Rs. 5 Lakhs through the fund raiser. The amount was later donated to two NGOs, Goonj and Pragya (Rs. 2.5 Lakhs each) for their flood relief operations. The fund raiser was organized in the first week of July.

2. Benny Dayal Fund Raiser

Keeping up its tradition with celebrations with a cause, XLRI had its cultural cum sports festival called Valhalla from Jul 26-28, 2013. SIGMA organized the charity concert by Benny Dayal and used the funds raised from the ticket sales to donate the amount to Milaap, which is a microfinance based organization based out of Bangalore. The total fund raised from the event was Rs 1.7 Lakhs. Last year too, the amount raised from the concert was Rs. 2 Lakhs, which was donated to Milaap and then used to provide loans for Self Help Groups in Jharkhand Bihar.

3. XLRI- Clothes Bank

The XLRI- Clothes Bank was inaugurated on 5 August 2008 by Mr Anshu Gupta an Ashoka Fellow & Founder Director of Goonj. The Clothes Bank is managed by SIGMA, and students collect, sort, and process the clothes on a regular interval through clothes collection drive. These clothes are then reached to people who need them through the help of NGOs. To ensure that clothes reach the intended beneficiaries, SIGMA has a tie-up with NGOs like SEEDS, Kalamandir & NEEV. In addition, the XLRI Clothes Bank also contributed clothes to the leprosy hospital.

4. Basic Computer Literacy Program (BCLP)

The Basic Computer Literacy Program was started in 2007 as an outcome of XLRIs Village Exposure Program for all students. This initiative was a result of the desire to fulfil the needs expressed by the youth to have basic computer literacy skills. BCLP is a 15 module course, designed and delivered by the students to a group of 40-50 young people, who come from less-privileged backgrounds, but have an urge to learn. The program uses the Computer Lab facilities of XLRI and is delivered over weekends - and is now a regular student-managed activity at the institute.

5. Messages for Kargil Jawans

SIGMA organized a campaign on Independence Day to collect messages from the students, faculty & other members of the XLRI community for Jawans at Kargil. A scribbling board was kept in the college and messages were collected. The messages were then sent in printed personalized greeting cards through a vendor. We sent around 115 personalized messages to the Jawans at Kargil.

6. Joy of Giving Week

Since 2009, when the Joy of Giving Week was launched as a nation-wide festival of philanthropy, XLRI has been anchoring it for the entire city of Jamshedpur. During the last five years, by involving and mobilizing support from the local community (corporate, schools, civil society organizations, etc.), SIGMA anchored and facilitated the Joy of Giving festival in Jamshedpur as "Jamshedpur JoyFest". During the week, the XLRI students engaged in a variety of events involving volunteerism and giving.

Beneficiary-Benefactor: In 2011, SIGMA initiated a program to fund tribal childrens education in order to prevent dropouts from schools due to lack of funds. This ongoing program includes providing for tuition and hostel fee of the beneficiaries. Our benefactors included students and alumni of XLRI who have come forward to make a difference. Quarterly reports are collected from schools to monitor the progress. This year was a huge success for the program as it helped us generate funds amounting Rs. 2, 95, 000/- for the education of Tribal Children managed by the Jamshedpur Tribal Fund. Vastra Samman & Ann Daan (Donation of clothes and dry ration): Students visited faculty and staff residences during the entire JoG Week and collected the items. Collection bins had also been put in the hostels. The collection drive was facilitated across the city of Jamshedpur with schools as collection point. SIGMA also collaborated with the Auto Association of Jamshedpur to spread awareness about the event.

The Gift of Time Visit to Nirmal Hryuday: Nirmal Hryuday is an Old Age Home and Orphanage in Baridih, Jamshedpur, meant for those who have been abandoned by the society or their families. It is run by the Missionaries of Charity. During the Joy of Giving Week, students of XLRI visited them, took sweets, provisions for a month along with love and affection and spent time with more than 100 residents of Nirmal Hryuday. Donation and Distribution of Un-used but Usable Medicines: An initiative to collect unused but usable medicines was rolled out in association with a city-based NGO, Cause for Change. The medicines collected were sorted and distributed to charitable clinics and health camps organized by NGOs and some civil society bodies. Shadow A CEO: An event was organized in partnership with ISB Hyderabad and IIMs (Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Calcutta). The students were to bid online during Oct 2nd- Oct 8th, 2013, for a chance to spend a day with one of the 25 selected CEOs. The winning Bid amount was donated to a charity/NGO selected by the CEO.

Capacity Building of SHG Members: Students launched the 4th round of training/capacity building of SHG members organized by Kalamandir during the JoG week. The training was provided with the help of student volunteers who imparted the training on bookkeeping, starting from the basics of record maintenance, also elaborating upon the benefits of saving and accountancy.

Kehkaha Day: We facilitated a talent show for the children of XLRI workers and 70 children from an orphanage in Jamshedpur called Somaya Children Memorial School on XLRI campus. Students of XLRI acted as Secret Santa for the kids and gifted them with school bags and pencil boxes Wish Tree: The students of XLRI fulfilled the wishes of the kids from the orphanage & the elderly of the Old Age Home through a Wish Tree which was kept at various locations on campus and had the wishes. Serving Those Who Serve Us: The students of XLRI felicitated the workers of XLRI by celebrating 'Serving Those Who Server Us Day' and playing a football match with the workers. It was also an opportunity for us to give back to the workers of XLRI as we organized breakfast and lunch for them. Nukkad Natak: SIGMA, with the help of DRACULA staged Nukkad Nataks around Jamshedpur during the week to promote the initiative.

7. Blood Donation Camps

Three blood-donation camps were organized by SIGMA in the month of June, October & December in 2013, in association with the Red Cross Society of Jamshedpur & the Government Hospital of Jamshedpur. These camps are the annual feature at XLRI, and blood donated by the students at these camps goes to the cancer patients hospital or the government hospital where people of extremely modest means from nearby villages come for treatment. In all, more than 200 units of blood is normally collected during these camps.

8. XAT training
SIGMA conducted specialized classes for quant, data interpretation, English and GK to support XITE students in their preparation for XAT and other MBA exams. These classes were focused on enhancing the problem solving skills. These sessions were conducted in a manner that ensured individual attention to each student. Students who topped the XAT exam conducted these sessions to ensure maximum benefit to the aspiring.

9. Udaan: Childrens Public Library

In June 2009, XLRI students did a book donation drive and started a Childrens Public Library for the kids of the outhouse and XLRI staff. The idea behind this initiative was to expose these underprivileged children with the kind of books which they would find enjoyable to read, and thus develop a habit of reading. XLRI students also volunteer to do story-telling sessions with these children and help them perform their own skits.

10. Super 30 Talk

Sigma organized a talk by Mr Anand Kumar, the founder of the coaching institute Super 30, during the flagship management festival of XLRI, Ensemble. The talk received a huge participation from the students and faculty of XLRI as well as from the students & teachers of various schools of Jamshedpur. Mr. Anand talked on the theme, "The Role of educated youth in the Social Sector: Cultivating the spirit of giving back to the society".

11. Conference on RTE

A one-day conference on RTE with the theme, Educating India: Every Child in School, was organized by SIGMA under the esteemed guidance of Prof. Sharad Sarin which involved teachers & parents from many government and private schools in and around Jamshedpur.

12. XL Teaches
Every year SIGMA conducts Career Counselling Sessions in schools across Jamshedpur, where students of 9th, 10th and 11th classes are counselled by student volunteers from XLRI about various career opportunities. It is helpful in opening up the mind-set of students and giving them a wider perspective of the opportunities available.

13. Collection of Paper & Utilities from seniors

Every year SIGMA collects the photocopies/handouts/books from the batch and the ones which are printed on one side are sent for making notebooks & the two sided ones are shredded and used for recycling. The academic year ends with collection of utilities from seniors who graduate and leave behind a lot of usable utilities. The same is donated to local NGOs in Jamshedpur.

14. National Conference for Social Entrepreneurship

Since the past 6 years SIGMA is working under the esteemed guidance of Prof. Madhukar Shukla and organizing the National Conference for Social Entrepreneurship at XLRI. The 6th National Conference on Social Entrepreneurship was organized during Jan 31st-Feb 2nd, 2014 and was on the theme Rethinking Development, Strengthening the Grassroots. It received huge participation from more than 200 participants which included development sector professionals, social entrepreneurs, academicians and students. The event hosted 28 renowned social entrepreneurs as the speakers.

15. Career Counselling for School Students

Every year, SIGMA organizes career counselling sessions for students of Class IX & X to create awareness about available career options apart from Medical & Engineering. This year too, SIGMA conducted the counselling session in schools of Jamshedpur. The kids were counselled by student volunteers from XLRI about career opportunities. It was helpful in opening up the mindset of students and giving them a wider perspective of the opportunities available.

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