When twenty Rich’s associates planned and executed a community outreach event at a local school, they never dreamed they would learn so much from a group of children that have so little. While donating supplies and interacting with children at a government school near Rich’s manufacturing plant just outside Pune, India, associates encountered an experienced that was as impactful for the givers as it was for the students on the receiving end of kindness and generosity.  

Rich’s global technology hub, known as the Enterprise Technology Center (ETC), is based out of Baner, Pune. Within that team, a newly formed group of associates called the ETC Impact Builders is dedicated to organizing outreach activities in the community. The Impact Builders were assembled by Prince Adlakha, Manager, Software Engineering, who got inspiration from Rich’s Generations of Good program, his prior experience helping at farms and schools while living in Himalayas, and as an active member of community programs at previous employers. 

“There is great chemistry between my personal motivations and Rich’s Generations of Good program,” said Prince. “I wanted to bring Rich’s culture to the ETC, and I knew that with a larger group we could make a positive impact, not just for the kids, but for our associates as well.” 

On July 4, 2024, twenty Rich’s associates visited a school called Yashwantrao Chavan Prathamik Madyamik Ashram Shala, MIDC, in Bhosari, a subhurb of Pune with a population of just over 250,000 people. The event planning team of Rita Minj, Shubham Deshpande, Dilip Chobisa, Prashant Maulikar, Swathi TV, Sunil Deokule and Salman Dewani, organized activities such as drawing and games to share with some 170 students ages four through sixteen.  

“We thought a government school was a place where we could make a difference,” explained Rita Minj, Manager, IT Procurement. “These schools are full of students from a variety of backgrounds and very humble beginnings.” 

The first half of the day was spent playing, interacting, and talking with the children.  

“We got to learn quite a lot from them,” recalled Rita. “They have such a positive outlook towards life, they are really smart kids, and they have so much to share.”  

In addition to spending time with the children, the team also donated stationery and snacks, and nearly 200 books to set up a small school library. It was important to the associates to expand the book offering to include reading materials outside of the curriculum and government-sponsored books, such as fiction, science, and math.  

Shubham Deshpande, Solution Leader, IS – Service Line, Supply Chain, said the event was planned around three pillars, beginning with donations and delivering an experience to the students by interacting with them.   

“The last piece was to educate them,” explained Shubham. “I think this is something we can continue to build upon for our next event. We’d like to offer the students some career building advice, provide insight into the different fields we work in, and help the students understand how we reached our career aspirations.”  

While intention of the activity was to offer a memorable experience, school supplies and a bit of joy to the children, the associates that participated also took something meaningful away from the event.  

“You always take something back,” remarked Prince. “It is impossible to go into such a setting, be there 100%, and not to take back anything.” 

Rita agreed and elaborated on her experience, “When I entered the school, I saw the vibrancy and the smiles on people’s faces. The children don’t care if they don’t have shoes or a proper uniform. The very idea that they can come to school, and they are so happy about it was impactful to me because, on the contrary, we complain quite a lot. So, when I saw these children having so little and still being very happy, it gave me a new perspective.”  

Shubham was equally impacted by both planning and participating in the outreach event. He said he doesn’t typically play sports or games, but while planning the activities for the children, the team of volunteers played some games, which was fun to experience together.  

“They have very little resources there, but they don’t really care what they have and what they do not have,” said Shubham. “They are eager to learn and do something to get ahead. Life is very inspiring.”  

Rita also recognized the strong character within the group of children. As the Rich’s associates distributed snacks and prizes, she observed how eager the students were to share. They were sharing with each other, and they shared with the volunteers.  

“The children have all of these remarkable qualities within them, and it really shows you that no matter what these people know the basic values, which makes them so special,” said Rita.  

The ETC Impact Builders say they are off to a great start with activities and donations. They intend to continue their community outreach efforts with a focus on children and foster their partnership with this specific school to really add value to the students’ experience. They hope to expand their contributions to include career counselling and volunteering to teach certain subjects. The team would also like to broaden their future scope to include support to elders in the community.  

“With Rich’s vision and culture, we know that we are going to have the support that we need to hold these events,” said Shubham.  

The team concluded their event by cutting and enjoying Rich’s factory-made cake with the students.   

Prince is proud to have seen his vision through and to have helped shape a meaningful event for children in his community, and for his teammates to participate in something that contributes to their overall work experience as a Rich’s associate. 

“It is important to me to work at a place which allows you to grow in your career and take risks while also encouraging you to explore other areas of interest, especially like where you can give back to the community,” concluded Prince. 

Stay tuned for further updates from the ETC Impact Builders of Rich’s Products of India.