A one-of-a-kind social fest and ultimate celebration of the goodwill and innovation in mankind, was organized from the 31st of March to 2nd of April, by the NSS chapter of IIT Delhi. In collaboration with Bhumi, title sponsor, and several other NGOs and social startups, and with a three-day lineup of events, workshops, competitions and round-the-clock stalls, pinnacled by esteemed guests and enthusiastic participation from across the country and beyond, it was the very manifestation of its own vision – planting a flag of awareness, recognition and communal efforts for growth and positive change in the face of hardship – truly, a beacon of light in the darkness that surrounds us.
Kicking off day one with Aaghaz-e-Kaizen, the grand opening ceremony, the fest was already off to an impeccable start with guests such as Mrs. Babita Phogat, Indian wrestler and Commonwealth gold medallist, and Mr. Leo Akash Raj, Pretty Little Hearts’ founder, gracing the event with their presence and inspiring words. The next two days were filled with unique events which targeted some or the other sector of societal welfare and development – ranging from YuvaChetna, a panel discussion on youth engagement in social work featuring IAS and IPS officers, to Rangreza, a gala of sustainable clothing and fashion technology.
There were competitions aimed towards achieving the interest and enthusiasm of the youth – such as The Social Sawal, a quizzing competition, Ingenious Geeks 2.0, a science exhibition for school students to showcase their socio-preneurial creations and Satirical Spardha, a parody-making event which tried to bind together modern trends with existing issues in the status quo and highlight this irony via forms of performing arts. Additionally, there was also Case Samadhan, Rise of the Influencers Economy, and Sociopreneur Samvaad, all ultimately giving a platform to those who wish to have a voice and speak up about their ideas, journeys and experiences – which Kaizen is most fitted for, and fulfilled wholesomely in all of these avenues.
Kaizen also has a history of aiming the spotlight at the things that matter – meaning, it has always attached the utmost importance to the spreading of awareness about differences and shortcomings, and preparing the youth to survive in the world that awaits them, all while trying to make it a better place. True to the spirit, there were workshops by NGOs who have specialized in those particular sectors in order to bring effective and comprehensive knowledge to students; this involved Soch, the gender sensitization workshop, Goonj, the menstrual health workshop, Rakshin, the talk on prevention of child abuse. There was also Shiksha Talk, a guest lecture by the Winner of the 2020 Global Teacher Prize, Ranjitsinh Disale, on the empowerment of Rural India through education. These events were not only well-received by their attendees but also sent a rippling wave among the students and drove even more participation to the fest.
Samapan, or the closing ceremony, featured Aneesh Karma, inventor of MASC-KAFO, a stalwart device for facilitating differently abled people’s rehabilitation into society, Kriti Bharti, founder of SAARTHI Trust and Hannah Wojno, the creator of Good Deeds Day. All through the weekend, several IIT Delhi professors were also involved – with Professor Samrat Mukhopadhyay, NSS coordinator, and his team at the forefront, making sure everything runs smoothly. Kaizen ‘23 ended with a more profound perspective of the very vision it had started off with – one of hope and a relentless spirit. It is this spirit which lives on in our hearts and rejuvenates the self. We await, with equal parts faith and excitement, the next edition of this social extravaganza – a new year, a newer Kaizen
