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R HEART U O Y S E H C T H AT T O U Y L I A D G IN AN INSPIR Vol. 1 No. 15 Pages 16 PUNE, WEDNESDAY MAY 9, 2012 Rs.4 WEATHER
GRANDPARENTS’ LOVE
Sunrise .....................06:03 Sunset ......................18:59 Moonrise .................21:32 Moonset ..................08:58 Temperature Min ...........................21 0c Max ...........................36 0c
ACE OF ILLUSIONS
BEING ON THE SPOT
Enter third-generation magician Jitendra Raghuvir’s fascinating world >> P7
An ode to the golden generation >> P6
The science of penalty kicks debunked >>P13 Pics : Nitin Lawate
Three decades back, foreigners in Pune were mostly knapsack tourists or Osho sannyasins. Today, a vibrant community of professionals reside in Pune. Madhu Patel is the man who makes them feel comfortable in the city by addressing their social needs. Life 365 speaks to him
Enhancing the expat experience BORIS DIGHE
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t’s definitely hard for the expatriates to not only come to terms with the chaos that India represents but also eventually try to settle down to a routine that includes work and entertainment. Pune, which has seen a growing number of expats come here to work in MNCs, fortunately has organisations that reach out to such expats and try to make their transition as smooth as possible. Madhu Patel has lived most of his life abroad. He knows then what it is like to not worry about corruption, cross a road only when the signal turns green, rely on government facilities that work with precision and conduct business with people who are polite and experts in their domain. Therefore, when
Patel decided to settle down in Pune, the first thought that crossed his mind was about what the expatriates coming to India would be undergoing through. He therefore set up H P International, an organisation that offers business consulting services and investment opportunities to major corporations. He now spends much of his time working with NGOs that offer various services to the community of expatriates in Pune. Excerpts from the interview: What is it that you do for the expat community? I coordinate the activities related to the expat community in Pune and work with organisations such as the Pune Expat Club, Inter-Nations Pune and so on. All these organisations support expats when they first arrive in Pune.
in the US I made my way to Pune and set up the British Business Group in 2006 to bring together Britishers and Indians in business. Originally this was a networking group to help the British gain access to the Indian market and connect them with the Indian business community who would be able to act as guides. Madhu Patel
This could mean helping them gain consular assistance to assisting them in choosing residential and commercial properties or even organising workmen for various fixtures and other services required in their homes. How did you get involved in these activities? I originally grew up in the UK and travelled all over the world due to my family business. After spending time
Are they mainly professionals or students? There are a lot of both. However, there are now over 10,000 expat professionals in Pune. Most of them work for automobile giants like Volkswagen or Rolls Royce who have moved their research and development along with manufacturing operations to Pune. There also are many in the IT sector as, for example, Cognizant. How do they manage
to adapt to Pune and the Indian lifestyle? When they first come to India it turns out to be a massive cultural shock for them. For instance, just crossing the road becomes a problem. Then there is the food, weather, bureaucracy, disorganised traffic and the high noise levels. All these can be a little overwhelming and what we aim to do is make them feel comfortable. We help them deal with the culture as best as we can, providing our inputs in all and sundry matters, right from opening a bank account to dealing with autorickshaw drivers. Do they mingle with the local population at all? They usually do not unless it is work-related. Most of them prefer to use a car with their own driver and their focus is primarily on getting to work
and back home apart from the little bit of socialising they do within their own groups. Which are the localities they prefer in Pune? They mainly shop either at Koregaon Park or in the malls. The Pulse Mall is a particular favourite. Most will prefer living in Koregaon Park and Kalyani Nagar areas and therefore the restaurants they frequent are located in the vicinity of these areas. Which are the countries they usually come from? The two countries they mostly come from are Britain and Germany with smaller numbers from Japan, Korea and the African sub-continent.
EXTRAA Contact Madhu Patel madhu9patel@hotmail.com
PMC provides a nest for the city’s displaced Since the past six years, the PMC has been supporting street kids by providing them with shelter, food and education
Pic: Rahul Deshmukh
DHEERAJ BENGRUT
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n a bid to consolidate allinclusive development efforts by partnering with existing NGOs, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) initiated ‘Ghartta’ (Home to homeless children) six years back.
The Ghartta Project Under this project, the PMC runs four centres in the city, at Somawar Peth, Yerawada, Wagholi and Hadapsar. While the collaborating NGOs take care of the centre operations, the PMC provides financial assistance to them.
How it works? Children aged 4 to 14 years are eligible to seek admission in
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Masters in Social Work, to look after the children. The number of admissions is dictated by the individual capacities of the centres; the Yerawada facility leads the list with 130 kids, followed by the Somwar Peth centre (64), Hadapsar (80), and Wagholi (50). While an entire floor of a PMC school has been designated for operations in Somwar Peth, at Yerawada, a single-storeyed hospital building has been spared for the initiative.
Facilities at the centres these centres. All the four NGOs employ stringent background verification before admitting
Just like Pune is a city that still respects values, welcomes ideas and supports genuine efforts, Life 365 is more than just a daily. Going beyond news that has already been done to death, Life 365 rejects negativity,
the children. Every centre has qualified staff members, each of who has completed a
sensationalism and superficiality in its columns. We are here to promote good values, good people and good work. As a cosmopolitan, commercial hub, the city today abounds with enlightened individuals, talented
The centres’ management does their level best to ensure that the kids here enjoy a sprightly lifestyle. Bearing the intention in mind, the authorities get
creators and innovators, genuine activists and social groups. All inspired and inspiring citizens. Life 365 will strive to capture the mixed ethos of it all. We promise to function as a responsible and
the children admitted in PMC schools. Apart from the curricular undertakings, various activities like trips, movie screenings, craft and drawing classes, dance lessons, etc., are hosted for the students. Festive times are joyous occasions at the centre, when the kids have a ball and are treated with goodies like sweets and new clothes. Annually, three medical checkups are carried out at all the four centres by the PMC. Many citizens make voluntary contributions, either financially or by donating in kind. Talking about the project, Indrayani Gavaskar, head of the Somawar Peth centre, says, “We have been running the centre since five years. >> Continued on Page 5
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