EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
across rural areas of the state of Goa. For example, students helped develop video content for school pupils during the Covid-19 crisis that could be viewed through smartphone. Given the high propensity of low-cost smartphones in rural areas, their e orts were of signi cant use to students in those locations. Another project, entitled Good touch and bad touch , centred on creating awareness around a topic that has traditionally been treated as taboo. Aimed at young children attending schools in rural areas, the students’ e orts succeeded in broaching a di cult topic and starting conversations in a safe environment. Lakshmi Sukhthankar, headmistress of a rural school in Goa that has received the support of a number of GIM student projects shared this message: “We have been associated with GiveGoa for about eight years. When I took over as headmistress, I observed that students, coming from rural backgrounds and often being the rst in their families to study, had a very myopic vision; the only profession that the students wanted to take up was that of police constables. However, through our association with GIM and the assistance of the school authorities, the student mindset has shifted and many have gone on to join professional institutions. Some have gained admission to Goa Medical College and engineering colleges, while others want to pursue acting, drama, music and other diverse career paths. This is a signi cant achievement that can, in turn, impact the generations to come.” The journey towards responsibility A common concern directed at business school students is that they lack awareness about the social environment of business and that this leads to a paucity of sensitivity and understanding of grassroots realities in their future careers. GiveGoa was rst introduced in the PGDM programme at GIM and then, when the school launched new full-time programmes, similar community immersion and experiential projects were incorporated into the curricula. This year, we have expanded the initiative’s reach beyond the state of Goa and are now running projects across India. This is because we believe that students must improve in the areas of social awareness and responsibility towards society. GiveGoa is a great opportunity for students to experiment and gain sensitivity in their journeys towards becoming responsible and empathetic managers.
of awareness among disabled people about their rights and the government’s guidelines relating to ATM access. Financial inclusion: Over the past 12 years, a number of student groups have participated in nancial inclusion projects. The primary objective of these has been to improve access to various nancial inclusion schemes among underprivileged segments of society, including those initiated by the government and banks, such as the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying and the National Bank For Agriculture and Rural Development. Engaging with communities, students have worked on raising awareness among farmers, self-help groups, vegetable vendors and school students regarding schemes that are available to them. Projects in this area have been instrumental in helping farmers to form joint-liability groups, enabling them to access government subsidies and bank loans, without the need for them to be landowners. Education: Student groups in the GiveGoa initiative have participated in content development, teaching and motivation programmes in government schools
Divya Singhal is a professor in the area of general management and public policy at Goa Institute of Management (GIM), where she also leads the Centre for Social Sensitivity and Action. Singhal was part of the founding team of the school’s GiveGoa initiative
Padhmanabhan Vijayaraghavan is an associate professor in the area of organisational behaviour and human resources at GIM, where he is also chairperson of the GiveGoa initiative. In 2023, a business case he authored was recognised as an Ivey Publishing Best Seller
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Business Impact ISSUE 1 2024
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