The Indian society has faced several challenges over the past decades, including education and skills, urbanization, health and sanitation, gender equality and women‘s rights, water scarcity, and livelihood security. Governments followed the idea of sustainable and equitable economic growth and development, but the reality is that high levels of both economic and social discrepancies continue to exist.

The Impact Week in Delhi in 2018 was the first to take place in India. It was hosted by University of Delhi, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University and AUD Centre for Incubation, Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

A man with a great vision

Firdaus Malik, a student and former participant of the Sunshine project says “I like the approach of helping people and the society to solve social problems. I learned not only what teamwork is about
and how it works, but also how to identify and address problems”.

Many people in India do not have access to adequate education. Firdaus’ dream is to help people, especially women, who have no opportunity to work, who have to clean toilets or sewers, or are forced into prostitution: “These women have no chance, but we can help them”.

The basic idea developed was the self-determination of women in rural areas who have no job opportunities. Firdaus wants to offer them a place where they could come for free to participate in courses such as in disinfection methods and self-defence.

But then they would stay, because they would receive the opportunity to work in the facility. Most of these women are uneducated, but they can cook. One of the businesses in the facility is a small catering company that offers home-cooked, hygienic food for students.
The women are to receive the turnover as wages and they can save part of it in our „Women‘s Piggy Bank“, the bank within the institution. This is important for the women, because many men take the money away from their wives when they bring it home. This would give them the opportunity to save for the future and give them some independence. In addition, they can take out a microloan if needed to start their own business.

“I am very grateful to the unique ideas created within the Impact Week and look forward to participating in similar seminars and workshops in the future.” Firdaus states. “With methods like design thinking, I have found that I am very good at finding ideas. Maybe I will found a non-governmental organisation whose focus is really on helping these women, not on profit orientation, as is the case with many NGOs today. India is a huge country and I just want to make a difference in every corner of the country”.