Field Project
SSBF sensitizes its students towards society. For it, students have formed Corporate Social Responsibility committee. CSR committee conducts activities like financial quiz, exposure trip of underprivileged students; interaction with HIV affected children in consultation with various non-profit organizations. In line with it, SSBF has made a space for these kinds of activities in its curriculum. We have “Minor Project”, a course dedicated to provide exposure to the students about financial conditions in underprivileged society. Under it, we have covered issues like financial awareness, financial inclusion etc. in nearby villages. This year, a group of students visited BAIF, a leading NGO in the country. They visited BAIF’s center at Uruli Kanchan to see their Micro Insurance, Micro Finance, and Training Programme. Another group of students visited R-SETI of Bank of Maharashtra to gain exposure of training programme customized for underprivileged women. Two more issues covered were Financial Inclusion, and CSR. For Financial inclusion, students went to rural as well urban areas and conducted a survey to gain understanding of topic under consideration. For CSR, students took the view of bank employees and customers to gain their understanding about it through survey.
Some of the feedbacks of students for the visits are as under:
“I had a good and interactive experience with the trainees and faculty of RSETI- Hadapsar. I learned about the organization and its noble initiative towards rural economy. After having interacted with the trainees, I came to know that it is helping them to get self-employed and help their families in improving their financial condition. I Hope this program reaches all the unemployed youth and help them in lighting their future. I wish all the best to the organization to achieve their goal.”
-Madhura Sunil Gangurde
After visiting RSETI- Hadapsar, I got to know about the steps Bank of Maharashtra has taken to uplift the status of poor and needy people. BOM conducts many training programs which is helpful for many people. I wish all the best to the Organization.
-Minu Pandey
“My visit to RSETI was excellent – exceptionally informative, balanced and interactive teaching about RSETI organizing comprehensive training programs to upgrade skills of prospective entrepreneurs, existing workforce and also develop skills of new workers. It is a training institute, where the trainees are exposed to rigorous theoretical and practical training in the respective activities. A fabulously well-equipped centre with the knowledgeable and friendly staff. I was engaged and came away with a wider understanding of RSETI working system. A great day with abundance of resources for us to use. It was well paced and clear and always an incredibly useful experience.”
-Reshma Shaikh
“I had a good interaction with a self-help group "Samarth Mahila Arth Bachat Gat” and got to learn about the working of an organization, how they help each other in time of emergency, and how the group works as a whole.”
-Camellia Prabhakar
"It was a very good experience, visiting BAIF at Urali kanchan. I have learnt lot of things about micro finance, how is it practiced in the SHGs, and how they get benefitted from micro finance. It helped me gain knowledge that would help me pursue my MBA in a better way. Mr. Shashank Mokashi is not only an amazing organizer of BAIF, but also a very good teacher. I got to learn about BAIF's importance and many other enlightening things from him. We also spoke to few members of SHGs. Those women spoke about how they manage their SHG. I was amazed by the confidence levels these women have. Overall, it was an amazing experience. Wish we could have got more time to do some more extensive research on BAIF."
-P.Ragha Keerthana
“I had the chance of visiting BAIF as a part of Minor Project undertaken by the institute. It was a great learning experience as I got to see how the micro insurance and the micro finance activities are actually implemented. Meeting with the women of SHG, helped me to understand,how these groups operate and function. Interaction with Mr. Shivthare and Mr. Mokashi taught me how to initiate the formation of SHG’s and also the concept of looking for “entry points”. The efficiency and the cost effectiveness of the organization was worth making a note of and also the hospitality, courtesy and co-operation extended by them. A point to be noted was the way they were handling various activities and how by their constant perseverance they had achieved self-sustaining, independent and efficient units. It was really heartwarming to see how their women empowerment program had given results and the women had small enterprises of their own and were economically independent. The discussion of the problems faced all these years was very insightful and helped me see the true picture of how the world works and the practical problems faced when you set out to do something. It was a great learning experience and it helped bridge the gap between theoretical and practical knowledge. In the process I got to interact with different kinds of people, understand the situation from their point of view and also eat really authentic and tasty lunch at a small meal home which was run by one of the women with encouragement and support of BAIF”
-Jayalaxmi M. Desai
At Symbiosis School of Banking and Finance, we believe in the importance of experiential learning, and it is part of our program at multiple places. We provide in-campus experiential learning opportunities in the form of providing access to Bloomberg Lab, using case studies, simulation, role play, etc., whereas, for experiential learning from the field, we have Summer Internships, Field Projects, etc.
The idea of the field project is to expose students to the role and performance of development and microfinance institutions in rural finance and to make them understand the need for women’s empowerment and initiatives taken by various stakeholders.
As a part of a field project, this year, we took our students to the BAIF Development Research Foundation’s operational area at Lachchkadi, in the Navsari district of Gujarat. The topics that we covered, included the Wadi project, Livestock development, Women empowerment (hotel chain-Nahari), FPOs/Vasundhara Agri-Horti Producer Co. Ltd (VAPCOL), Microenterprise, Microfinance, Water Management, and Rural Tourism. Students were appreciative of the programs implemented by the BAIF for the benefit of rural people.
The idea of the field visit is to expose students to the role and performance of development and microfinance institutions in rural finance and to make them understand the need for women’s empowerment and initiatives taken by various stakeholders.
This year, we took our students to the BAIF Development Research Foundation’s operational area at Lachchkadi, in the Navsari district of Gujarat. The topics that we covered included the Wadi project, Livestock development, Bamboo Handicraft, Turmeric Farm, Women empowerment (hotel chain-Nahari), FPOs/Vasundhara Agri-Horti Producer Co. Ltd (VAPCOL), Microfinance, Alternative medicine practices, Water Management, and Rural Tourism. Students were appreciative of the programs implemented by the BAIF for the benefit of rural people.
During the four days of visits (from 12th to 15th January 2023), students saw various activities done by BAIF in villages, where they were successful in helping the farmers to create a sustainable livelihood for themselves. Students stayed at the hostel of BAIF and had the opportunity to interact with the various officials working with BAIF as well as the beneficiaries of the program. The visit not only provided the firsthand experience of relating the concepts under academic discussion in the class, like Microfinance, but also sensitized the students about the socio-economic issues prevalent in the rural area.
On the 19th of June, the second year students of SSBF started off their session with a field trip to Dang, Gujarat. The three-day trip gave the students an opportunity to take a closer look at one of the most backward districts of the country. It enabled them to get a better understanding of not just the issues faced by such places, but also the kind of opportunities they have to offer.
SSBF was assisted by Bharatiya Agro Industries Foundation (BAIF) in this endeavor. They have been working towards the upliftment of such regions for the last five decades. They have come up with, and successfully implemented, various models that have greatly advantaged the rural population of this country. The journey didn’t just include field visits but also lectures and seminars by the professionals of BAIF. They talked about various activities that were being undertaken by the organization and how they found success despite facing tremendous odds.
Overall, it was a fruitful experience for the students and helped them gain deeper insights about rural life.
