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India Dominates the Enactus World Water Race, Six out of 12 Projects Belong to DU

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Six out of the top 12 and three out of the top four projects shortlisted for the World Water Race belong to India, more specifically the University of Delhi. With a very strong Indian representation in California, the Enactus World Cup will be held from 9th to 11th October. DU Beat brings to you the highlights and details.

This year, the Enactus World Cup is being held from 9th to 11th October in Silicon Valley, San Jose, California, USA. 36 National Champion Teams from across the world have been invited to compete, collaborate, and celebrate their victory at the World Cup.  The Enactus National Champion from India this year is Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), University of Delhi, who will be presenting their Project Virasat at the World Cup. According to their website, Project Virasat revolves around, “ reviving the dying art form of handcrafting copper and brass utensils using hammering techniques, by mobilising artisans and providing them access to organised credit, contemporary designs, and better demand avenues.”

The Enactus World Cup also features the prestigious World Water Race, a competition that recognises and mobilises Enactus teams and their projects tackling the water and sanitation crisis. The top 12 teams are given an invitation to collaborate at the World Cup. This year, six out of the top 12 projects are from India including Project Tabeer by Sri Guru Gobind College of Commerce (SGGSCC), Project- Swachhalaya by Ramjas College, and Project Iffat by Jesus and Mary College (JMC).

A representative of Enactus JMC at the World Water Race and Project Iffat’s Co-Head, Kritika Malik, says, “This is the first time JMC will be attending the World Cup and we’re looking forward to it. We’re all really excited and at the end of the day, we all win since it’s all about lending our best hand to help. Best of luck to everyone, the world water race is on!”

The top teams advance to the impact stage, are given executive mentorship, provided with Enactus World Cup travel stipend, and expert presentation coaching. This year, the top four projects include Project Dhara by Jesus and Mary College, Project Asbah by Shri Ram College of Commerce, and Project Raahat by Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies (SSCBS).

The Impact Stage will be held between October and December 2018 and the winner would be granted up to $20,000 in scaling funding and continued executive mentorship. This year, two out of the top 12 projects are by Enactus JMC. “I feel really proud of the entire team for working so hard that both of our projects were selected as part of the top twelve teams in the World Water Race and that we get to present Project Dhara at such a large platform. I hope we can make the best of this opportunity and learn and grow from this experience,” says Charvee Gupta, Co-Head, Project Iffat, Enactus JMC.

A contingent of 16 members will be representing Project Dhara and Project Iffat from JMC in California. Sakshi Gupta, former head of Project Dhara, Enactus JMC, says, “While doing our bit for the betterment of the community we never had winning in WWR as the main goal, it was definitely always there in the back of our heads to win so that the awareness is increased and we can impact more people but we never worked to win. To reach this level without an absolute aim is an even bigger achievement than the winning trophy. It really feels surreal at times during practices and expansion meetings. And now we’re all just gearing up to give our very best and get the best experience back home so that we can do better for our project in the future.”

Five members of Enactus SRCC will be representing Project Asbah at the Water Race. Raghav Jhawar, President of Enactus SRCC, says, “We started with this project two years ago, with terfil filters. That technology, we soon realised, failed. So we came back full circle and started researching on the technologies. We then diversified our project into community RO and sodium hypochlorite solution. One thing we have all learnt at Enactus is to never give up. Carrying the same spirit with us, we are proud to say that we provide 6,000+ people with access to clean drinking water. Therein lies our true victory.It’s a big opportunity for the team and we look forward to it.”

“This is the first time Enactus SRCC is getting the opportunity to participate in World Water Race and the success is due to the scalability, sustainability, and comprehensive nature of our project Asbah which brings impact in the life of more than 8,500 people through clean drinking water and reduced health expenditure. The major credit goes to the entire team led by Rakshith Chhajed and Insha Pandit who made sure that these dreams are realised,” says Arjun Goel, former President, Enactus SRCC.  

Last year’s World Cup Champions, Enactus SSCBS will be sending a team of 18 members to represent Project Raahat at the Water Race. Yash Dhawan, President, Enactus SSCBS, says, “Representing the country at the Enactus World Cup and the Enactus World Water Race is a great experience for every Enactus member. One not only learns about the cultures of different countries but also networks with delegates from across the globe, gaining insight into projects running all over the world. We wish every participating team luck, and hope for a great competition.”

Feature Image Credits: Enactus

Muskan Sethi

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A 19 year old who believes in ice cream and purple skies, Muskan spends her days listening to Prateek Kuhad and The Lumineers on repeat while playing copious amounts of Chess. If you'd like to discuss conspiracy theories or share something that needs to be reported, do drop her a line at [email protected].

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