Friday, January 10, 2014

Day 6: Manufacturing Companies & Kingdom of Dreams

On today's adventure, we went to 2 different manufacturing companies called Mahle and Gabriel India Inc. Mahle is a manufacturing company that produces oil filters, fuel filter, industrial filters, air filters etc. Gabriel is a company focused on manufacturing the shocks of different types of cars. Both companies are essentially automotive suppliers. In seeing both these companies today, I was able to notice that Mahle has more people in the plant then Gabriel. For Mahle, there seems to be more tedious work to be done (work that can't be done by a machine) than for the Gabriel company.

Below are a few pictures that I was able to take while in Mahle. We were able to see the process of how the oil filters are created.


(Start of the process, creating the container for the filter.)

(End product-this specific oil filter was created for Harley Davidson)

 (A view of the inside of the Gurgaon Plant)

(Marking process. This man's hands were moving so fast that it became impossible for me to steady the picture.)

(The blue letters was what the man in the above picture was putting on the filters)


To end the day, we were taken to a place called the Kingdom of Dreams. The place was exciting from the moment we got off the bus. A few of us were able to ride a camel and go on a bungee jump ride (which first and for most I want to tell my mom that I was the first dare devil to get on the ride. Even though she might not be too happy about that, she knows I had to do it!!! :D). After finally getting into the Kingdom of Dreams, were were able to do a bit of shopping, eat and watch a colorful, moving, fantastic Bollywood play called Zangoora (Promo of play can be seen using this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGU3L2-qWQk). The play is about a prince who's parents are killed and he is saved by one of his father's friends. The little baby prince (Zangoora) is left with a group of gypsies. Zangoora grows up and becomes a big ladies man and a bit of a trouble maker in the way that fairy tale movies mostly portray the male character (like Aladdin and Simba-even though the Lion King was not technically a fairy tale, but the play did resemble the Lion King movie to many of us that is why I included the name). During the play, Zangoora meets a princess and he falls in love with her. By the end of the play, we all know what is bound to happen and it does. Even though the play is what we normally know to occur in these fair tale type productions, this play was phenomenal. I enjoyed all the music and dancing even though the play was in Hindi and not in English. At the end, a few of us were able to join the cast and dance through the middle aisle. 

Below are a few pictures of some of the adventures in the Kingdom of Dreams...

(Jess and I outside of the Kingdom of Dreams by the elephant fountain)

(Chris and Lauren riding the Camel)

(Bungee Jump ride- Abdulah and Allen)

(Grant and Sean riding a camel)

(Mermaid)

(Grant doing his Hindu god pose!)


(Inside the Kingdom of Dreams. The town looks immense but in reality it is all just an illusion.) 


Thursday, January 9, 2014

Day 5: Janta Adarsh Andh Vidyalaya (Special Residential School for blind children)

Day 5: Janta Adarsh Andh Vidyalaya (Special Residential School for blind children)

This school was established by Sh. J. S. Sharma, a visually handicapped man who was inspired to do something for those like him with the motto of “Learn and Earn”, on December 25th, 1970.  This school is a non-profit organization, which provides free education, boarding and lodging for 140 blind children from different states in India and belonging to poor families. 

This school consists of students of ages 6 to 16 and they teach grades 1 to 10.  When a student is ready to go into the 11th and 12th grade, the student goes out to an integrated school (integrated meaning a school with students who are not visually impaired) but still live at the school for the blind.  Most of these students then go off to college and have jobs, they are not good jobs but they are jobs that will sustain them enough. 

I think it is great that this school is teaching these children on how to become mobile beginning at the age of 6, so that they can go and become what they want in life.  Most of these students have the aspirations of becoming teachers; this shows the value they see in their education.  Besides mobility, these students learn braille, instruments, science, computers and home economics. 

This school receives a grant from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, which covers 30% of the school’s financial needs; the rest is met through donations by ordinary people like you and me.  If you would like to make a donation, please visit their website at www.jaav.org or e-mail them at contact@jaav.org.

Below are some images and videos taken in the school!

Widow of Sh. J. S. Sharma, Principal of Janta Adarsh Andh Vidyalaya (Special Residential School for blind children)

Some of the students from the school 

One of the older students from the group introducing himself before playing his instrument

Ashah, a 6 year old who resides at this school

Some of the students from the school, others were home due to Winter Break

Entrance of the school


Link to Video of the students singing to Manhattan College:




This blog was created with images and videos taken by Eleana and Britney.
Day 5: JWT

(Before reading, please be advised that this blog contains a few links to the commercials that were shown to us today. I have included the links because unfortunately I am unable to post the actual videos. Please watch the ads so that you can get a better sense of what we experienced; the ads are very short and won't consume too much of your time. Enjoy)

Part of our trip today consisted of meeting a marketing company called JWT.

(Some of the companies for which JWT India does marketing for. 
The group we met today handles Frito Lays)

While visiting the company, we learned how advertisement has evolved in India and we also learned that India is a very hard market to tap into (if you don't believe me just ask KFC who failed in their first attempt in getting into the Indian market; coming back four years later with an entirely new menu and taste).

JWT showed us a few of the ads that were being published throughout the times. One of my favorite ads was called The Tree which was put in place by a movement called the Lead India initiative. The message that was being taught to all of India was that as a nation, India had to stop taking a back seat to what was happening around them and instead help out,  become leaders. Another ad that I really found enjoyable (and was created by JWT itself) was a Nike ad which shows a group of men on top of cars and buses playing cricket in order to pass the time because of the traffic. In the way I have explained it, it sounds very simple but in reality it is not, it seems fun.

Among the other ads that were shown to us, there was one that was even seen negative by the marketing team because even though what was being shown in the ad was a relative ideal among the nation (or even world wide I might say), it was seen as offensive by all in the room. The ad was for a cream called Fair & Lovely (while looking in the internet, I also found the male version ad for this cream). The term fair in India means light skin. Lighter skin is seen as beautiful (an idea imposed by the British in India) and even though, the idea has tried to be pushed away by some, the desire to want fairer skin is still a wide spread belief. I can relate to this because in Dominican Republic, the lighter your skin, the better it is (it is a wide spread belief in my culture that the darker you are, the more mixed your family is with the Haitian nation and  knowing about our history can explain why this is also kind of looked down on). I myself am darker in skin color but trust me, I wouldn't change that for the world. All in all, it is interesting to see how even though the general sense of the idea of being fair is there, there are many who are trying to change that but I believe it will take longer then expected to change this cultural belief.

A few of the thumb rules that we learned when advertising in India is that (1) everything here is about the added value of the product (2) when advertising, the ad must tap into "Indianism" (in simpler terms, into the India culture (3) products will have to be tweaked (ex: McDonald's with the vegetarian section) and (4) localization is key (whether it be macro or micro localization).

With this new understanding of how advertising and marketing are managed in India, we were put to the test. Every table (made up of 4 to 5 students) was given a company; we were given the task to promote the company in some way. My group consisted of Brittany, Jessica and Prof. Shah. The company we were given was Harley Davidson which in India is considered a luxury brand and is extremely expensive (the motorcycles are imported from America and tariffs are very high for imports here). To us, Harley Davidson represented freedom so we choose to create an ad that composed the sense of freedom and mileage (which is a very big deal in India) all in one. The ad idea we came up with started off by showing the snapshots of a father's daily activities (waking up, helping with the kids, going to work, etc). As this father comes home from work, he brings home some food and helps put down the kids, as the kids are in bed the dad takes the keys for his bike and is seen driving off (showing the ability for the Harley Davidson to give him a bit of freedom after a long day). At the end of the scene (while he drives off), the words "Dads go the extra mile" will appear in the screen (showing the mileage aspect of the Harley). If I say so myself, my group did an awesome job. :)

Below are some pictures of the JWT part of the day.



(The Pepsi Ad art work-full view and partial)

(Brandon, Grant, Gabe & Allen)

 (Lauren, Patrick, Clarice & Chris)

 (Kiara & Sean)

 (Jessica & I)

(My other group member, Britney)

Session 5: JWT Marketing/Advertising Firm 
Today the class went to visit JWT's office in Delhi. Their team prepared a fantastic presentation and a warm welcome. Shout out to JWT's CEO who happens to be a Jasper! Check out some of the creative advertisments they showed us during their presentation. These ads cater to the Indian consumer, notice the difference from ads in the west.
Nike Cricket TV Comercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mpvuz8gg79Q
Liril Soap: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9-1XD9VvX4
Times of India: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErbH7dT8prk


Wednesday, January 8, 2014


Session 2: Habitat for Humanity. Village welcome!

Day 4: continued...

Day 4: continued…

Below are some other pictures taken throughout the day.



(As we entered into the MRYDO site, the women welcomed us by placing the Tilak on our foreheads)

(When visiting the village, the women from MRYDO placed a Tilak in the spot between our eyebrows. Tilak is a red dot, it is made from sandalwood powder and it represents a sign of respect and welcome.)

 
(MRYDO women group, whom began their businesses based on the micro-loan)

(Me! - Waiting for the MRYDO group of women to speak)

(Allen playing Cricket with the children from the slums)

(Chris also played Cricket with the children from the slums)

(Slums)

(The children from the slums)

(Having lunch at Suribachi in Delhi, India)

(Some Manhattan College students with the Qutub Minar which is the tallest monument in India, 72.5 meters; the Muslim rule in India began with this minaret)

(MC students in front of the Qutub Minar during our tour)







Day 4: Financial Emergence of India


Day 4: Financial Emergence of India

            Today we visited a social NGO called Modern Rural Youth Development Organization (MRYDO) and Quatrro an outsourcing company.  We also took a quick tour of Qutub Minar.

            According to the pamphlet we received from MRYDO, it has a mission “to channelize the potentialities of youth, women, children and other marginalized communities for their own development and work towards a healthy society free from hunger, disease, discrimination and injustice”.  MRYDO was able to register their business in 1986 and with the help of UNICEF, they we able to actually start out the way they really wanted. Other organizations that have helped are WaterAid India, National Bank for Agricultural Development (NABARD), Delhi State AIDS Control Society, Ministry of Women and Child Development and some others.

            Below is an image of the work that MRYDO has influenced the women of these remote villages to do. MRYDO provides classes to these women for training on sewing machines, cloth making and beauty culture.  MRYDO teaches about 100 women on a daily basis and holds 2 classes in the morning and 2 in the evening with 25 students in each. We met a group of women in which 4 members spoke about the work that MRYDO has helped them complete.  These women have been able to start their own businesses such as a pickle business, a handbag business, a shoe business, a chocolate business and a tie-dye and embroidery clothing business.  MRYDO has not only supplied them with the skills but given these groups of women the confidence to help trust one another in order to start their businesses.  MRYDO helps these groups of women to join together and take out a micro-loan so that they can all start their small businesses.

(A few of the women participating in the self help groups)

(These women are being taught about beauty)
(Women being taught how to sew)
 (Bag crested by one of the women)
(Examples of what the women have made with the help of MRYDO and the loans from the bank)

            Another aspect about MRYDO that I found interesting, was that they have helped implement health classes for females and children in public schools and a program for scavengers (scavengers are those who are hired by the upper class to pick up human defecation and are considered untouchables). The health classes for females teach them about menstrual hygiene and all types of women empowerment especially about their sexual self respect, identity and dignity.  The health classes for children include a 3 step plate for children to wash their hands in before a meal. This implemented idea allows smaller children to be able to reach the water properly enough to wash their hand thoroughly. The scavengers program has added pressure to the government in order to get rid of these practices and implement something different like sewages.

            Quatrro is an outsourcing company, which began 25 years ago and is based on the concept of helping other companies become innovative.  Before, the concept of outsourcing was believed to be taking the food away from the table and putting it on another table.  Today, the concept of outsourcing is defined as putting the food on both tables.
            At about 6:30 pm (India time) we met up with a company called Quatrro. Quatrro is a business that works at night, because most of their clients are people from the United States; they have adjusted their times in order to fit ours. The majority of businesses that Quatrro helps are small to medium sized businesses. Quatrro’s services consist of (1)Technical Support, (2) Knowledge Services, (3) Interactive Entertainment, (4) Processing Services, (5) Mortgage and (6) Financial Processing

 (Quatrro Building)

(Lauren, Kiara & Eleana)
(The MC students making their mark)


More pictures to follow...