First Impression of Ms. Meghana Maduri, MBA intern from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai

First Impression of Ms. Meghana Maduri, MBA intern from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai On my first day of the social internship, I had the opportunity to meet Mr. SM Arasu, the founder of Prime Education and Social Trust. He spoke passionately about how and why he started the NGO and the various areas in which they work. I learned that they focus on helping children and women because they are more vulnerable and in need of assistance. Through their various programs like education, evening schools, home for girls, micro-credit for women, tailoring classes and SHG for women, infant care center, and healthcare for children, Prime Education and Social Trust not only provides for the underprivileged but also empowers them and helps them become self-sufficient. It was inspiring to learn about the impact the NGO has had on the community and how they strive to make a difference in the lives of those they serve. I am excited to be a part of this team and contribute to its mission in any way I can. Subsequent Work – During our first meeting with Mr. SM Arasu, the founder of Prime Education and Social Trust, he shared with us the various projects we could take up during our social internship. He explained that our work would range from social media campaigning to raise funds for the NGO, teaching kids, enhancing content for public platforms, creating marketing posters, and conducting market research to help the women utilize the tailoring machines they have. One of the urgent projects that Sir mentioned was to raise funds to buy the building of Janani home, which is currently home to eight underprivileged and orphaned girls. We were excited to take up this challenge and started brainstorming ideas on how to raise funds quickly. Our team came up with a crowdfunding campaign, and we also reached out to organizations for donations under their CSR initiatives. We took it upon ourselves to market the campaign extensively, creating posters and sharing them on various social media platforms. In addition, we also visited the Janani home located in Puducherry to get a first-hand experience of the situation. It was inspiring to see how our small efforts could make a significant impact on the lives of these young girls. Working on this project gave us a sense of purpose and fulfillment and we were proud to be a part of this initiative. As we spoke with Mr. SM Arasu during our social internship, we learned that the landlord of Janani home had been increasing the rent every year. To address this issue, Prime Educational and Social Trust had set a goal of raising a substantial amount of Rs. 1.6 crores to buy the building and provide a stable home for the girls. We were moved by this cause and knew that we wanted to help in any way we could. Learnings – During my social internship, I came to understand the various challenges associated with running a foster home for girls. I learned that the government has strict rules and regulations, making it difficult to operate a home, and requires an immense amount of paperwork. Furthermore, we discovered that the properties in Puducherry are quite expensive, as we had to purchase a house for Rs. 1.6 crores, even though it can only host a maximum of 15 girls. Moreover, the number of girls sent to our home depends on the government, and they are free to adopt anyone into the home. Despite these challenges, it was inspiring to see the positive impact our organization is making by providing a safe and nurturing environment for these girls. We are committed to overcoming obstacles and continuing to make a difference in their lives.