HSBC Gold Award Participants share their Residential Project at Kemri experience

To complete the residential project requirements of IAYP Gold award participants in HSBC, they have partnered with Kemri Conservation Project, run by Mayur Singh, Senior Vice President, Credit Risk Management in HSBC Bank, India

About Kemri Project: Kemri conservation project is a residential project that will engage 20 of the IAYP Gold Award participants. They will travel to the project site near Udaipur, Rajasthan in 2 batches. This project is designed based with two key priorities - ecological restoration / conservation and community outreach. Both these provide participants with a sense of teamwork and leadership in their fight against climate change.

This unique initiative that seeks to restore greenery in the country will allow participants to learn first-hand the importance and benefits of conservation. It will also enable them to share their insights with young people in rural India. Most importantly, the Kemri conservation project helps build bridges of understanding between rural and urban dwellers.

Aloysius Chrispin Franklin, one of the participants shares his experience:
I always wanted to be a part of an organization that looks not only for its own benefit but for its community and our home "The Earth".I am really proud to say that HSBC follows it and encourages its fellow people to implement simple but effective steps in making this a better place to work and better place to live.

It is such a great opportunity to be a part of IAYP because it not only enables you to set simple and realistic goal but actually be driven towards it, whether it is personal goals or an aim to reach out to the community in providing service. The best part of the program was that we got to work with Kemri Conservation which is sponsored by HSBC. It was a one week stay at a village near Udaipur. It was an amazing time that I got to spend there with other volunteers from different locations in India, a motivated and passionate group of people, with a common theme.

Well our theme was setting a strong foundation for a beautiful and healthy home "Earth". From being total strangers, it changed to being good friends as if we have known each other for ages. We ended being so pally-wally by the end of the program .The program was focused on creating a clean and green world, plastic free and mainly "team work".Everyday was something different to work with, right from clearing the forest area from weeds and invasive plants, painting metal tree guards, digging trenches to set pipe-lines; planting saplings and even tagging them with our names. The work was enjoyable while we even got a great physical workout. We even had a chance to interact with the local people and interact with few schools in guiding them which was more like counseling them for a better future. It was so fruitful that end of day you get this intense feeling of satisfaction that you've done something really good! We even had our daily walks into the forest late afternoons sighting variety of species of flora and fauna. The presentations and explanations given by our project leader at Kemri conservation have given me an entirely new perspective on climate change and the effect it could have. Even though we were a small team to work with I am sure each one of us volunteers have grabbed enough information and sustainable methods that would be seeded out to our friends and their friends just like a network of a spider's web! Well that is what we are doing Team work! It takes willing hands and willing hearts to achieve what we want.I would like to conclude by saying that, if given a chance I would love to be part of this amazing project forever! Joining hands to heal our world!

Srikanth Ganti, summarising his experience:
The IAYP award has provided us a wonderful opportunity to feel the urge and work for the community. I am very satisfied and happy after spending quality time exploring the beauty of the nature and take part in conserving it. The long treks across the terrain envisage more on the need to conserve nature and preserve the ecological balance. Watching birds and understanding them creates a strong sense of responsibility to protect the nature.

The aftermath of Kemri trip has left me little scope for ennui in life since I’m constantly doing my own bit for the environment. Thanks to Mayur and team for this interesting, inspiring, insightful and illuminating journey of my life.
I also urge people to be more enthusiastic and opt for IAYP and experience the exhilarating, enervating and extravagant journey @ KEMRI and enlighten self that merely “feeling” the brand is totally different from “being” the brand.

- As shared by Ms. Vasavi Madhira-HSBC Technology and Services