imagine • inspire • ignite
JANUARY 2022
VOL 17 | ALL COPYRIGHTS RESERVED TO AGAPPE DIAGNOSTICS LTD.
Message from Chairman
In Fond Memory of Our Beloved Chairman
Prof. M.Y. Yohannan (13.01.1937 - 02.01.2022) You will always be our inspiration, spreading the light of Divine Love. Your legacy & memory will live in our hearts eternally.
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Message from Chairman
PRAYERFUL HOMAGE TO OUR DEAREST CHAIRMAN Dear Agappeans, Our beloved Chairman of Agappe, Prof. M.Y. Yohannan, has bid adieu on 2nd January, morning. He was a great visionary, the most revered person of Agappe family. From the inception of the company, he was the main inspiring force behind the ethical stature & phenomenal growth of Agappe till date and for future too. Our Chairman was instrumental to establish & uphold the core values of Agappe: Trust, Respect, Excellence & Care, the four pillars on which Agappe sustains. To our family and the society, he was the guiding beacon to our entire Mechankara family and the Christian Revival Fellowship (CRF), where he was the spiritual Guru for millions of people across the
globe. We all miss our Chachan’s love & affection to the family members, the frequent spiritual discourse enlightening countless numbers without any distinction on cast, creed, denomination, or religion. Our family have lost his unequal love, timely advice, intimate warmth & tenacious tenderness, but we are happy that Chachan is beside his ever-loving Lord Jesus Christ. Chachan’s selfless service to the mankind & his great spiritual ideologies do remain as a living testimony to his soulful presence in our hearts forever. May God rest our beloved in everlasting peace and joy. In Deep Grief, Management
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EDITORS DESK “To Everything there is a Season!”
Dear Agappeans! It is with great joy we present to you Insight volume 17, the theme chosen for this edition is ‘Seasons’! Our lives are premised upon change, growth and evolution and it is inevitable that we navigate through the different seasons of life. The cycle of life is only wholesome when there is ‘The Sunshine of Summer, the Dullness of Monsoon, the Bloom of Spring and the Bleakness of Winter’. The cover page of this edition of Insight is a beautiful painting done by Ms. Durga Rajesh (Sister of Divyamol KK). This magazine encompasses articles, poem and many more content that signifies the importance of various Seasons of life. Presenting Insight January 2022 – Imagine, Inspire, Ignite!! Hope you enjoy reading it as much we enjoyed compiling it! Shamin C Abraham, HR
CONTENT PRAYERFUL HOMAGE TO OUR DEAREST CHAIRMAN
04
MESSAGE FROM MANAGING DIRECTOR
06
ARTICLES
COLDEST WINTER
09
MY 20 YEARS AT AGAPPE
10
THE JOURNEY OF COMPLEXITIES, CONTRADICTIONS & CONFUSION
11
HOW TO EXCITE YOUR TEAM
12
YATHRA
MISTY MOUNTAINS
14
PERIYAR IN PANIYELI
15
BHUTAN - THE LAND OF HAPPINESS
16
HUMANE TOUCH 17
BHAVANA
MY FAVOURITE DECEMBER
18
RANGOLI
TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON
19
WHEN NAILS SPEAK
20
SALKARA
RICH DRY FRUITS CHRISTMAS CAKE
HEALTH TIPS FROM DIETICIAN
22 23
EVENTS 24 NAKSHATRA 28
Message from Managing Director
2022, A YEAR BRIMMED WITH HOPE Thomas John, Managing Director, AGAPPE Logistics, Distribution, Purchases, Quality Control. They have showcased remarkable commitment for work in the past months consistently keeping up with demands. The efforts made by each of our employee has helped us achieve this success. We have concluded last 2 quarters’ meetings successfully. We have launched the 28th edition of TechAgappe in July & Insight has been revamped and launched in July. With all these initiatives, we are engaging our employees in more activities to ensure a wholesome development. Agappe has newly introduced service awards for those competed 5 years of service, who joined from April 2013. This award has been distributed along with other Service Awards for completion of 10, 15, 20 and 25 years during Review meetings in respective zones & CO.
The COVID-19 spread is slowing receding and all the vistas of life including diagnostic industry is slowly opening up. Travel restrictions are being lifted across many states and we are seeing positive changes across various sectors. Our efforts are still seeing results and our presence in this market should be made visible even more prominently, in spite of the new Omicron variant reports. Coming to the updates of the yester months, we have showcased exceptional performances in Sales and Operations. The Sales and Sales Support team of the Domestic and International has consistently put in their best efforts for the last 9 months for achieving remarkable success. We have successfully closed last 2 quarters with a very impressive achievement. This achievement is a remarkable milestone in our history, and I wholeheartedly congratulate the Sales and Operations team in coordinating and planning this success. This success was a result of the untiring and continuing efforts by our Reagent Production and Equipment Production teams. This effort has properly laid foundation to this success and the Reagent and Production team has surpassed many achievements. This notable achievement was a result of support from all departments with special mention to the INSIGHT • JANUARY - JUNE 2022 • 6
We have completed the production of 10,000th number of Mispa Viva, our semi-auto biochemistry analyzer, during September. Congrats to whole Production team, Purchase team, R&D etc. Mispa Viva was launched in 2015 and is the first indigenously developed product by our R&D team. It is also one of our most moving products of Agappe, as well. Similarly, we have completed 1000th number of CountX, our prestigious 3-part Hematology analyser within 9 months. Claps go to entire Kinfra team and R&D Equipment teams.
We participated at EGYMEDICA 2021, along with our business partner France Lab Company Egypt, during September 2021, at Cairo, Egypt. More than 300 customers visited our stall and we received good response for our product ranges. We did the soft launch of Mispa Plus, Mispa CountX and Mispa CXL Pro. Agappe exhibited in Medica after one year gap. Our Mispa LUME and AG Insta LUME kits attracted many visitors and received excellent response. Our international team had very fruitful discussions with
Message from Managing Director
many new customers as well as existing customers. Congratulations to Sreevisakh, Vargheese George and Reju for their active involvement and successful performance. As CSR Initiatives, we supported the Labour Office, Perumbavoor, by distributing syringes and N-95 masks. We had also supported Pattimattom Police Station as well as underprivileged students in Pattimattom by providing desktops and mobiles, respectively. Besides, we have contributed spending around 30 Lakhs INR for the Aganwadi building, at Pattimattom south. We built two storied building with 1500 sq.ft in total, one hall and one library. The Inauguration function of this completed Anganwadi building was held on 1st November, on Keralappiravi day. Congrats to Paul Abraham & KP Eldhose for the timely completion of the project.
We have launched the prestigious, unique & innovative Agappe Virtual Reality Demo Rooms both for domestic & international viewers, so as to ‘touch & feel’ all our equipment & experience the machines in virtual reality platform, by a simple click of your fingertip. Agappe is the first Indian IVD company in India to provide you with this innovative 3-dimensional virtual reality experience of each machine, so closely and descriptively & feel the machine.
category. Thereafter, we proudly launched Automated Prefilled Viral RNA Extraction Kit on virtual launch during July 2021. The technology of our Automated Pre-filled Viral RNA Extraction Kit is completely developed by the Molecular Diagnostics division of our R&D Reagent department, special mention to Mr. VS Arun and Mr. Sarath K V. The performance of this product is validated and approved by ICMR. Again, we got ICMR and CDSCO permission for new RNA extraction free ‘AG INSTALUME’, The Fastest Rapid Molecular Diagnostic Confirmatory Covid-19 RNA Extraction Free Test Kit On RT-Lamp platform, first time in India. It is the first Rapid Molecular Diagnostics Test kit in India on RT LAMP Platform, with more than 98.7% sensitivity & 100% specificity. The reagent kit is approved by ICMR & Govt of India.
Launch of Demo Van – Agappe to reach at the doorsteps of our business associate we launched a novel project called ‘AGAPPE ON WHEELS’, where we showcase an excellent display of our decisive pieces of equipment for an ideal lab setup. Our most innovative diagnostic tools and solutions are available for demonstration purpose in our mobile unit at every nook and corner of India for demonstration. My congrats to team Purchase, PMT and TSD. AGAPPE is selected under the Product Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme by Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Govt. of India. We are one of 55 manufacturing companies achieved this prestigious Incentive from 278 companies applied for, based on the strategy of “Atmanirbhar Bharat- Strategies for enhancing India’s manufacturing capabilities and enhancing production and contributing to product diversification to high value goods in the pharmaceutical & IVD sector”. We appreciate and congratulate our Finance team mainly and all R&D Equipment, Regulatory and all other team members who has contributed their effort for this remarkable achievement.
Mr. Sarath K V
Mr. VS Arun
We have launched POC hemoglobinometer HbX on virtual platform which can detect your Hemoglobin in blood with one finger prick in 3 seconds, the best of this kind in that
We have new joiners like - Mr. Nirajan Umesh Kamath has joined Agappe as CCO (Chief Commercial Officer) who is heading domestic & international Sales & marketing depts, Technical dept, Sales Force excellence & Digital Marketing. Similarly, Mr. Rajendra Kashinath Margam joined Agappe as Associate Vice President Marketing. Mr. Sunil Nair joined as head of Mispacare, TSD, CTS divisions. INSIGHT • JANUARY - JUNE 2022 • 7
Message from Managing Director
HR team has initiated wonderful & innovative employee engagement programme in this financial year. In order to support our staff Flexi-attendance policy is implemented in CO, KINFRA & Branch Offices flexibility is limited to 15 minutes every day. With the objective to ensure that our employees spend valuable personal time with family, 1st Saturday of every month will be an OFF DAY for all employees of Agappe, in addition to the existing second and third Saturdays. On 14th November Sunday, Children’s Day was celebrated. A zoom meeting as conducted where children of 58 Agappe family members participated in different contests arranged for children. Smiling contest was arranged for children from age 0-3 yrs. Dress Up contest was orchestrated for children 4 -12 years with the theme swadeshi or India culture for children. Prizes were awarded to the participants. Children have exhibited wonderful & unique creative ideas in the programme. A token of appreciation was shared to the participants of Children’s Day event. World Men’s Day Celebration was observed in detail. There was lot of activities based on the current theme “Better relations between Men and Women”. Agappe HO team was divided into groups and female employees planned to make it a wonderful day for the Men at work in each section. The
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best event got a prize from the management. HR tram has done a good job. Agappe has started salary accounts with alternative bank, SBI, Kolencherry too. SBI offers many benefits to the account holders from Agappe like special considerations for personal loans, car loans, Guidance to Pension schemes etc. All the credit go to HR team. Agappe is one of the sponsors for the Kerala Corporate Cricket League, where corporate cricket teams across Kerala (IT & non-IT sectors) compete against each other. Our team is also participating in the event which is planned for Jan 2022. The selection camp is successfully completed, and our team is all geared up for the tournament. Our Delhi office has been shifted to a better and different area with larger plinth area to accommodate more people and for more convenience. Even as the COVID cases have reduced, we still need to take necessary precautions. Wearing masks, maintaining social distancing should be practiced with great priority to keep ourselves safe. Do get vaccinated at your time to make ourselves safe from the virus attack. Thank you all for your dedication and loyalty to Agappe. You are our biggest investment for many more years to come.
Message from Managing Director
COLDEST WINTER
Dr. D.M. Vasudevan, Technical Director, R&D Reagent It was February 2014. I felt a little lazy and started to procrastinate doing things. If I am supposed to write a letter today, I wanted to keep the matter away for a few more days. I also felt that I am slow. If I used to take 10 minutes for writing a letter, the same work now needed 30 or 45 minutes. I thought it is the manifestation of age catching up. For past many years, I used to get up at 5 a.m. in the morning without any difficulty. In March 2014, I started to wake up late. As days go by, the waking up time became more and more late. I again thought, that this is part of the ageing process. By April 2014, the first abnormality I noticed that I lost the sensation of smell. (Well, this happened 5 years before the Covid pandemic). I thought it is a bad cold, but it continued for a longer period. In May 2014, one day I noticed that my hands and feet are feeling cold. May be due to the change in climate, I wondered. But it was not for one day. The feeling kept on. It was really hot sunny days of the month of May. In June 2014, once I was in a supermarket, I had to pay Rs.1300 or so. I wanted to pay 3 x Rs.500 notes to the girl in the counter. I opened the purse, paid 3 bank notes. In my mind, I paid 3 x Rs.500 notes. So I am expecting the girl to pay back Rs.200 to me. To my surprise, she was asking for more money. Then my wife pointed out that I paid 3 x Rs.100 notes. In fact, I confused Rs.100 note as Rs.500. Such confusions became common place. Sometimes I pay Rs.500 instead of Rs.100, at other times, vice versa. Again I consoled that this is due to ageing. By July 2014, I noticed that my movements are sluggish. If I wanted to take a book from the shelf, it is a big effort to get up from my seat, reach the shelf, a bigger effort to hold the hands up, take the book, and reach my seat. Every bit of movement needed much effort. In effect, I became very lazy and movements became lethargic. Well, I thought, this is rapid ageing. In August 2014, slowly, my comprehension became blunted. If someone asked me “how are you”, I am at a loss to understand the meaning of it. I am familiar with each words, “how”, “are”, and “you”; I know the meaning of all the three words; but I could not get the meaning of the whole sentence. Thus, it will take half a minute for me to comprehend the
question. If it is a long sentence, I may not comprehend it at all. Now I became seriously concerned with my condition. Is it ageing process, or some real disease? By September 2014, I noticed that I needed more sleep. Getting up at morning became very difficult. I started to sleep till 8 am or so. Then I started to sleep any time of the day. I will be in the middle of some important meetings, but my mind will shut down and slowly go into slumber. It started to affect my routine work. If I go to major international conferences, my main work will be to sleep while important lectures are going on. By October 2014, I started to feel very cold. As I told previously, even by May 2014, my hands and feet were felt cold. Now the whole body is feeling cold. At first I started complaining that the AC is too much, while others in the room are feeling comfortable. Later, I used to feel very cold even in non-AC rooms. I started to wear sweater in the office, which others thought it very odd. In normal circumstances, this much will be sufficient to diagnose my disease. But I could not comprehend what is going on. I used to feel that my attention has been divided into 10 different places, and when somebody asks some question, I have to bring back attention from these 10 different positions, and then think over the question. It was a big mental process to give even simple answers for me. By the end of October or early November 2014, I started to feel difficulty in breathing. For a normal person, beathing is an effortless process. But for me, I have to consciously take an effort to take each breath, otherwise my chest wall will remain as it is. To sum up, I became so sluggish that even breathing needed a conscious effort. Finally, in November 2014, I went to consult the Medicine Professor, who after taking my history and physical examination, ordered for a laboratory test. The result came, my thyroid hormones are next to nil. Diagnosis is hypothyroidism. Immediately, I was ordered to take a few pills of thyroid hormones. Then I started the journey back in the reverse order. First, the breathing became easy, then my cold feeling is lost, then my comprehension became normal, my sleepiness is cured, and I became completely normal within 2 months. However, I had to continue the pills for life long. Looking back, those were the coldest winter I experienced. INSIGHT • JANUARY - JUNE 2022 • 9
Articles
My 20 years at Agappe Varghese Thomas, General Manager - TAM
The third is when I opened the box in front of my family members. It was opened in the presence of my mother who is 78 yrs old and my better half and children. Along with other items there was an 8gm gold coin. Can you believe?! I could see the proud feeling in the eyes of my family members. We all shared the chocolate received along with the hamper and spent quality time together. My daughter has taken the responsibility of keeping the gifted box safe. Another family get-together..
We all like surprises and appreciations, but it seldom happens combined. My 20 years passed over without anyone’s notice. I never knew some surprises are awaiting on the way. Twenty-year completion was only known to me since only 5 colleagues are there who joined before me in the company. When the list was announced and day was fixed, the first person who came into my memory was our beloved chairman Prof. M.Y. Yohannan Sir. I was privileged to get the 10th year completion award directly from him and I still remember the few words he uttered to me while handing over the memento, “Your Song was fantastic”. I collected the award after singing a solo (without karaoke) in front of the audience and his words gave me more happiness and encouragement at that moment. I really miss him in this 20th year celebration because this accomplishment was only because of his guidance and blessings throughout. As usual, we expected a certificate and a memento on this occasion, but I was amazed by the way the program was conducted and the token of appreciation was given. I was expecting my name to be called at the end since I am the only person to collect 20-year completion memento instead they called me first. It took 10 seconds for me to realize that it was my name. First surprise is, instead of memento and certificate I have been given a box engraved with my name. I have been honoured by our MD Mr Thomas John who is my first boss in Agappe. After the photographs and claps, I returned to my seat where a second surprise was awaiting me. HR Manager tapped on my back and handed over a framed photograph to me. I thought that it might be the 20-year completion certificate, but I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was the photograph of myself collecting the award from our MD. It was so quick that the photo was printed and framed by the time I reached my seat. Kudos to team HR for creating the second excitement. INSIGHT • JANUARY - JUNE 2022 • 10
The journey of twenty years was exciting and eventful. There are no regrets but lot of self-improving lessons. It is not only knowledge and experience but also the wisdom and maturity that grows on. Those who stick on and those who part ways are always contributors to a great organization. Learned lot of things from seniors as well as colleagues and team members. Sharing of happiness and sadness rejuvenate personal relationships. Whenever there is a joy, there is team to join with. When there is sadness, same team is there to take the share and reduce it. Achievements are always a proud moment but sharing the incentive gives much more excitement in the eyes of receivers. Lot to learn but life goes on…. Thanks, Agappe and Team HR for making these moments a memorable one!
Articles
The Journey of Complexities, Contradictions & Confusion Abraham KC, Associate Vice President - Lab Diagnostics As we celebrate the Christmas-2021 let us ponder on to the similarity to the first ever Christmas. Upfront the original Christmas would look like the shattered dreams of the Young Couple – Joseph and Mary. They had t h eir ow n dre a m s w h i c h w a s s h a tt e r e d by the visions of angels and dreams. This Covid era we have a lot of shattered dreams – lost jobs, bereavement, mental health issues, illness, business losses. When Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem there was no place for them. Was there no place in their own town or the rich and powerful appropriated more space for themselves or were they prohibited from getting the space? An analogy to the same happened when we witnessed the migrant labours who lived among us had to travel long distances carrying their children and belongings during the Covid. Herod the King was revealed that the eternal king is born which sent shivers of fear on him. He issued the decree to kill all children below 2 years to safeguard his Kingship. The same insecurity of losing the power is driving the kings of this generation. Without any concern for human life, they go all out to hold on to our power whether in politics or at home. The cries of children who
have lost the parents, the anguish of the elderly who has lost their children during the Covid are all around us. The cries of the children who are exploited and used by strangers and relatives alike. The Almighty creator has always revealed His plans to the creation which as a Hi-Tech generation are we able to decipher? What does the message of Christmas-2021 signify to us? Though the Journey of Mary took her to the Cross where her child was crucified yet she was called the Blessed Mary and Joseph known as Saint Joseph for the generations to come. This is the divine recognition of accepting the Will of the Almighty being the channels of his work on this earth. We must accept and live the dreams of the creator. This dream has its own complexity, contradictions, and confusions but it is the journey the creator wants us to undertake – To share our space with others who are in need, to value the life, to care for the children and elderly. This Christmas and New Year is not the celebration of pleasure seeking but a journey of blissful life of sharing our blessings with others, to bring the smile on the face of others, to glorify the Almighty creator with divine love in our hearts. INSIGHT • JANUARY - JUNE 2022 • 11
Articles
How to Excite your Team! A Message to Field Managers Jiju Varghese, Assistant General Manager, PED Any leader who leads a team would like to know how to motivate or excite the team on their tasks or daily work. Here are few suggestions the managers can execute for their team’s motivation….
them tickets to the cricket game, or pick up a gift for their pets. Your thoughtfulness will go a long way in motivating them.
Motivate with praise:
As well as developing your staff for progression opportunities, it’s important to show them where you think they’re headed and helping them get there. Regular appraisals and target-setting provide a good setting for this, and are also a good opportunity to review and praise your employees’ work.
Your team members have a desire to be recognized and praised. They may not come out and say this specifically, but they crave praise. Your team wants to know you see the hard work they’re putting in. And it’s easy for you to recognize the work. You don’t have to go big or go home here. You can simply recognize the hard work they’re doing by specifically praising the actions they’re taking. Watch what they’re doing. Then tell them you noticed what you did and you’re proud of them.
Motivate with special events: Who doesn’t love celebrations? All organization knows that this is a great way to motivate their staff. We should hold regular employee events where team members come together and have fun. Whether the special event is a Christmas celebration, a party at the local trampoline park, or another way to celebrate, find a way to get your team members together and having fun with one another.
Motivate with gifts: The amount of time you spend with your team is more than you spend with your family. With as much time as you spend with your team, you begin to learn about their hobbies and desires. This knowledge gives you an advantage in motivating your team. You know what they’re working for. You can motivate your team by giving unique gifts to each team member. As you discover what they enjoy, create a list you can consult when you want to do something special. Get a commissioned piece of art from their favourite artist, give INSIGHT • JANUARY - JUNE 2022 • 12
Motivate by defining career path:
Motivate with an empowering culture: Cultures are an important part of any organization. They can make it a great place to work or hell on earth. As a leader, you can create the culture you desire and one that is great to work for. But you must be intentionally in creating a great work culture. Culture includes a lot of different things. The attitudes of the people you hire. The compensation packages you offer. Or the way you interact with your staff. All these things impact culture and can be changed. Work towards creating a culture that empowers and motivates your team.
Motivate with an investment in their personal growth: Growing your people can be a huge motivation to those on your team. They see you believe in them and care about their careers. By investing in any kind of courses where their skill level can improve, or any useful books, or online classes you can help your people go to the next level. You will also motivate them. Be someone who pours into their teams.
Motivate with understanding what employees want: An effective way of finding out how employees really feel in their role, is an anonymous employee survey. The findings of
Articles Motivate with kindness: Business practice has taken away the humanity from many of their leaders. Leaders want to make everything about business and results. But leading is a human business. People don’t want a leader who is always condescending and negative. These types of leaders demotivate their teams rather than motivate them. Turn it around and become a kind leader. Show understands and compassion while being firm in seeing results. This isn’t an either-or type of situation. You can lead with kindness.
Motivate with gamification:
the survey may highlight issues you were not aware of and help you to identify changes you need to make. Keep staff informed by displaying the monthly results where they can be clearly seen. Staff appraisals are an official route to find out how employees are feeling, although you may find they might be less willing to talk directly to you. It really pays to frequently monitor how your staff are feeling and create different avenues for them to give their honest feedback. This will also be of benefit to your business when you next hire, as you clearly demonstrate to potential new staff the various methods in which you motivate your employees.
You can also motivate your team by bringing gamification. If you don’t know what gamification is, it is the process of applying elements of video games to everyday activities. There are many ways you can do this. One way to gamify the office could be to create a “level up” chart where salespeople are given a new “title” based on the number of sales calls they make. Make things fun and you might see motivation increase.
Motivate with your example: Finally, your example can be a motivator. Your team is watching how you perform and what you do throughout the day. If you’re negative, downtrodden, or bored… Don’t expect your team to be any different. However, if you come to work energetic and ready to work, your team will be inspired by your example. Your example will motivate them – always.
Welcome to Agappe Family
Mr. Niranjan Umesh Kamat Chief Commercial Officer
Mr. Rajendra Kashinath Margam Associate Vice President - Marketing
Mr. Sunil Nair Vice President - Technical
INSIGHT • JANUARY - JUNE 2022 • 13
Yathra
MISTY MOUNTAINS Nethanya Elizabeth Paul, D/o Paul M Abraham AVP SCM, Smitha Paul AGM SFE Friday passed and on came Saturday. We did enjoy waiting for shuttles {little Mahindra vans that took us to the restaurant}while shivering in our jackets . It was fun going swaying right to left in the narrow road and bumping against each other. On Saturday night , bad news struck us. There were floods and rains all over Kerala! I was afraid that we would not be able to leave on Sunday, like we had planned to. But my little sister and brother didn’t seem to mind. In Fact, I think they were happy to spend a few more days in the hotel. My mother and Father received many calls from colleagues to check if we were safe. “We have no rain at all in Chinnakanal, only mist,” we told everyone who called. As we checked the news we really doubted if we would reach safely home like we had planned. All the roads leading home seemed to be blocked! We decided to leave everything in almighty god’s hands.
It was a Friday but not a normal one. It was filled with enthusiasm and happiness, a Friday we will never forget. It all started at 5, I woke up readily and was not a sleepy head at all. We were at the car by 7 and were heading to Monkeys, hills and mist. Did you guess? Yes, Munnar. We ate breakfast by a beautiful waterfall and reached Chinnakanal Club Mahindra. Oh! I almost forgot about the monkeys, we fed them while we were going. We went to the room and about ten minutes later we saw the mist do its magic. It covered the whole place and we could barely see any mountains or trees! We ate to our hearts content enjoying the buffets and the yummy items they had to display. My usually busy mother and father finally got to relax. We all enjoyed mouth- watering desserts such as pineapple pastries, strawberry pudding, chocolate muffins and my favourite, donuts. The next day we left at 10, we decided to try going back home and come back to the hotel if there was any problem. As we left the hotel, I saw small snow bits on the road. It was very thrilling. I also had my first experience going through a suspension bridge. On our way we stopped near a big dam and saw its currents working. It was very beautiful. We also fed baby monkey’s biscuits and bananas. After 2 hours we reached home safely, we thanked god for helping us. In short, I would call this trip thrilling, adventurous and exciting. Remember to never stop exploring! Au revoir! INSIGHT • JANUARY - JUNE 2022 • 14
Yathra
Periyar in Paniyeli Ghaby Mathew, Engineer - EMD, Kinfra Periyar is metaphorically described as a folk girl in proverbs and songs. A country girl walking around in the cold. The Periyar flows from Sivagiri. We have seen her weeping as she hides her face on the side of the mountains, as if she is singing a song of the forest. We have also seen her fainting under the cover of snow. There are no Malayalee’s who do not love this beautiful woman who is trapped in the rain.
The path to the river is as beautiful as a poem. Going back to her childhood as she played hand in hand with the wild vines hanging by the roadside, the mountains in the distance and the ruined resort add to the humidity of the nostalgic atmosphere. If you get tired, you can get a cold drink or take a Salted gooseberry, mango or a pineapple all of which are ready for the tourist.
In Paniyeli we see a Periyar that is completely calm. The path of the Periyar is full of gorges like nowhere else. Tree rooted in the gorges add to the beauty of the river. The trees and rocks that line the middle of the river add to the wild beauty of Periyar. Periyar exhibits its full beauty before entering the city bustle of Kalady and Aluva,
Frequent rivers are more conducive rivers. As such, Panieli has all the attraction. The beauty of the forest on camera. Newcomers are drawn uniqueness.
to tourists than calm makings of a tourist needs to be captured here to capture this
All the facilities for the satisfaction of the tourists are arranged here in a nature friendly manner. There is also a security guard service along with a modest entry fee. Security guards have been deployed here for the protection of the forest and the safety of tourists. The full name of this beautiful place is Paniyeli Por. INSIGHT • JANUARY - JUNE 2022 • 15
Yathra
Bhutan - The Land of Happiness Basil Paul K, Deputy Manager - Exports “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page” is a famous quote by St. Augustin of hippo, a philosopher who lived in North Africa in AD354. In this blog I would like to share my experiences and events of my Bhutan trip. It was a great opportunity given to me by our company to become a part of the special task to be completed with my Manger Mr. Jinu Mathew in Bhutan. This was my first international trip in my life.
We started our journey on September 2 nd, 2021, with all necessary preparations and precautions from Cochin international airport to Bangalore and then to Kolkata through a connection flight. The fact that there is only one flight a week from Kolkata to Paro (Bhutan) surprised us a lot. Paro is the only international airport in Bhutan, and it is one of the dangerous airports in the world due to its geographical location. I couldn’t accompany with my manger that day due to my passport validity issues. I effectively utilized that one week time at Kolkata with our Agappe teammates and explored Kolkata city. INSIGHT • JANUARY - JUNE 2022 • 16
Finally, I reached Paro a week later. As per the covid protocol, I entered a 14-day quarantine provided by the Royal government of Bhutan. Staying alone in quarantine is a tedious task so I tried to stay with my Boss Mr. jinu Mathew, already in quarantine at Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan. Those were the most difficult days that I have experienced during my first quarantine. The fear towards COVID-19 Disease in Bhutanese were 100 times more than in Indians. The Bhutanese caretakers would keep the food at doorsteps at regular intervals and had special instructed us not to go outside of the room. Even face to face conversations were prohibited. I truly missed Indian food in my quarantine, some days I only ate snacks and biscuits and had to put off days. On the bright side I got a chance to taste Bhutanese own tea named “Suja” which was made up of butter, milk and salt. The view through the balcony revealed the beauty of Bhutan, which was amazing, the view itself was relaxing, this is how I escaped from my frustrations. They conducted covid test once a week. Whenever I was going to be tested, I could see the fear of corona in their eyes. After the completion of my quarantine period, I met my manager at Thimphu. As per our work plan, we have to visit Jigme Dorji Wangchuk National Hospital located at Thimphu in order to rectify the issues of the TBA 2000 FR biochemistry analyzers used in their lab. We also visited some other general hospitals around Thimphu and Paro city. On the way we got a chance to visit some of the natural waterfalls in Bhutan and one of the largest Buddha statues “The Great Buddha Dordenma” at Thimphu city.
Yathra People follows their traditional dress code while visiting govt offices which have been in existence for almost 400 years. Men wear “GHO” and women wear ‘’KIRA”. Their social status can be identified with colour code of the dresses. Bhutan is the first country in the world with total ban on Tobacco and is also known as carbon negative country due to its large echo system. 70% of the country is covered with Trees. This is the only country that people follow traffic rules without any traffic signal or police, we couldn’t find out any homeless people through Bhutan streets. The last place that we had to visit is Samtse General Hospital, Samtse. For that we had to travel more than 300km. Due to the quarantine protocol and strict covid rule we have to travel with two different cars to reach Samtse.
border city of Bhutan. Our return flight is from Silugiri airport to Bangalore and then to Kochi. Our Bhutan journey here ends with many beautiful memories and memorable experiences, Thanks to Agappe for providing this good opportunity.
T he rou t e from P h e u n t s h o l i n g t o Sa m t s e w as ve r y interesting. In many places, the road was not there due to soil erosion and heavy rain. In some places, workers were reconstructing the bridges and roads. Those 80 kms were very difficult to travel but the climate, waterfalls and clean lakes fulfilled our hearts throughout the journey. We entered to the Indian border -Jaigon through Pheuntsholing,
Humane Touch Avaneendra Adarsh, S/o Sangeetha Raveendran, HR Hello my name is Avaneendra. I am here to share a recent facebook post I came across on my mother’s phone, I found this post heart touching, kind and humanitarian.
from the road the protagonist came to know that the stranger was mute. Rather than leaving the corpse on the road they buried it, despite resistance from the neighborhood.
The post goes like this… One evening as a man was returning home , he saw a group of people standing on the side of the road. He parked his car and stepped out curiously to know what happened. Ten to fifteen people were standing around the spot. When he peeped in, he saw a dead dog. There were brown – black bruises on it like as if someone rode over it. When he enquired with one among the crowd, he told, “The dead dog was a pet, it’s master left it on the road and went. The dog tried to follow it’s master’s car and a truck came fast streaking from the opposite direction and killed the dog.” Everyone around the spot was murmuring about the incident. Some people were poking it with stick to see if it was alive. He asked people for their help to move the body aside, but they made their excuses. Some said ‘they don’t like to touch the dead dog, others said ‘they feel dizzy when they see blood’. He tried to lift the body aside but he couldn’t manage it alone. Suddenly a man came on the spot riding a bike. The stranger stopped and looked around the crowd and then he tried to help our protagonist. During their effort to move the dog
Later both of them got to know each other better. Our protagonist was Mr. Ashok K and the stranger was Mr. Manoj who lives in Meenpara. And they left with a good friendship. This incident made me realize that humanity is not only for humans but also to animals. In this incident both the humans are moral to the society. We should appreciate their sympathy and kindness which is remarkable. I hope this serves as an inspiration for all of us to be kind to animals. INSIGHT • JANUARY - JUNE 2022 • 17
Bhavana
My Favourite
Dr. Satheesh Kumar C S, Head, Business Development
Blossoming winter flowers insinuating the terminal month, myriads of them spread out wide, Celebration of Forefathers Day in terminal part of the year, my dear loving December, Human right celebration treading on the heels in the same eve, lovely time, Christmas eve the approximation proximate to this elegant season, Birth of Jesus, eve for festive conglomeration of ear ending Holding candles on annual ending and new year to birth Whenever I dream on seasons, I relate climates, It’s you, favourite December, among seasons. The cool month with chillness & snowstorms, Best month of blooms and flowering days, so lively, It’s the month of shivering, goose flesh & horripilation, ever, The month of festivity & jubilations, let’s adore you with lots of love, The conspicuity of our Christmas Papa, X ’Mas trees, harbinger of prosperity, Clanging soniferous church bells, Candle lights & enlightenment round the corner New Year eve is just around, looming for the bright future, magnifying the thrilling glory, Let’s adore U, my dreamy, dazzling month & queen of all months, December, the ultimate!
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Rangoli
To Everything
there is a Season Rita Elizabeth Thomas
This year after multiple brainstorming we had an idea to create a calendar of our own, and that’s when we came up with the idea of a Painting competition.
Lidiya Ann Binu
In the month of August, a Painting competition was rolled out pan India inviting employees and their family members to be part of Calendar 2022. Specific genres like – watercolour, acrylic and oil painting was the criteria into which participation was invited, to which almost 32 responded. After one level of screening, we chose 8 final Contestants. Calendar 2022 was to cover four seasons – Summer, Monsoon, Spring and Winter. Each of our contestants were assigned to paint 2 seasons and their age group varied from 12 to 42.
Divyamol K K
Jiby Kuriakose
Every new year presents us with Seasons of hope, success, happiness, and eternal love. In an earnest attempt to bring the mesmerising beauty of all seasons, we have reached out to exceptional creative talents within the Agappe Family. Every page of our calendar is hand crafted by our employees and their family members; and is carefully chosen to be part of Calendar 2022. Alesha Bijoy
May the spirit of Seasons enlighten your mind with everlasting joy and tranquillity.
Durga Rajesh
Anjana S
Jitendra Kakade
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Rangoli
When Nails Speak Mary Lijia Jose, Lead-Purchase
There’s a lot of things that I enjoy doing for fun, but in the past few years I find nail art one of my favourite hobbies. Nail art is the painting of nails in a creative and fun way. You can adorn them, decorate them, embellish them…the only limit is your imagination. Nail art transforms your normal nails into work of art. They give them a new look and enhance their appearance. Nail art is a trend that’s not going away any time soon in the fashion and beauty industry. It’s a great way to be creative, and an extra way to show off your personality. The first nail polish originated in ancient China. It was made from beeswax, egg whites, gelatine, vegetable dyes, and gum Arabic. Good nail care can prevent fungus infections of the nail, painful ingrown fingernails and toenails, and infections of the skin in the hands and feet.
Advantages: • Enhance the wellbeing of your nails • De-stress • Keeps hands and feet smooth and delicate • Healthy skin • Contagious Infections • Mental well-being It can be expensive to go and have your nails done though, so I’m going to share how to get a simple look at home for just a fraction of the cost.
A hobby is some activity that you like to do in your spare time. It is something you do to keep yourself busy, relaxed, and happy. A hobby is a great way to spend your ‘me time’.
• 2 nail coloured nail paints • Toothpick • Bob pins • Masking tape • Brush / Straw • Sponge
Jiby Kuriakose, Sr. General Manager, KAM
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Rangoli Light Trails of Dubai Sheikh Zayed Road captured from Shangri-la Hotel (2019) Photograph by Shine CR, CMD
Hanuman Monkey (Gray langur) found mainly in the Indian subcontinent in South Asia. Photograph by Ghaby Mathew, EMD - Kinfra
The Nilgiri Tahr, encountered during the Valpara journey Photograph by Arun Eldhose, EMD - Kinfra
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Salkara
Rich Dry Fruits Christmas Cake by Manisha S Nair, W/o Arun R R - HR IngredientsFor soaking dry fruits: Dates / khajoor (chopped) Raisins / kishmish Tutti frutti (green) Tutti frutti (red/yellow) Mixed berry Nutmeg Vanilla Essence Rum
Quantity 100 gms 100 gms 50 gms 50 gms 200 gms 2 small pieces 1 tsp 200 ml
For cake batter: Butter Caramelized Sugar Oil Maida Egg Baking soda Baking Powder Salt Clove powder Cinnamon powder
Quantity 250 gms 300 gms 50 gms 300 gms 3 nos 1/4 tsp 1 tsp 1/4 tsp 1/4 tsp 1/4 tsp
Preparations To soak dried fruits for a perfect Christmas Fruitcake: • Firstly, in a glass jar take 100 grams dates, 100 grams raisins, 50 grams green tutti frutti, 50 grams yellow/red tutti frutti, 200 grams mixed berry, nutmeg • Soak in 200 ml Rum. you can alternatively soak in orange juice, apple juice, grape juice of your choice • Mix well and soak for atleast 8 hours or until the dried fruits absorb all the rum Plum cake batter preparation: • Firstly, in a large bowl take 250 grams butter and • • • •
300 grams brown sugar. Beat well until the butter and sugar turn creamy. Adding caramelized sugar makes cakes moist and gives good colour. Now add 50 grams oil and 3 eggs Continue to beat until the mixture turns creamy like frosting. N ow s t r a i n t h e d r y i n g r e d i e n t s ( m a i d a , b a k i n g soda,baking powder)
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• Further, add 300 grams maida, ¼ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp clove powder and ¼ tsp cinnamon powder. • Using a spatula, mix using cut and fold method. do not over mix as the cake turns chew y then. • Now add soaked dried fruits. make sure the dried fruits have absorbed all the rum, else drain off the remaining. • Transfer the fruit cake batter to a cake mould or pan as shown in picture make sure to line a butter paper at the bottom to prevent from sticking & also tap twice to level up uniformly and remove any air bubbles if present. • Place the cake pan into the preheated oven and bake at 160 degree for 1.5 hours. • Insert a toothpick and check if the cake has baked completely. • Cool the cake and then unmould the Christmas Cake. Yes it’s ready. . .
Tips from the Dietician
Five Healthy Teas and Their Magical Benefits Green Tea Leaf buds and dried leaves of the Tea plant give Green tea its goodness. Green tea helps your body fight off several diseases and has anti-inflammatory properties. It also accelerates the fat-burning process, making it a great diet drink.
Ms. Neetha Pratheep, Dietician
Ginger Tea Ginger Tea is great for soothing a sore throat. Ginger tea works wonders to calm the stomach and even aids in the digestive process by releasing digestive juices as well as helps in eliminating excess gas from the body.
Hibiscus Tea This herbal tea is high in Vitamin C and rich in antioxidants. Hibiscus Tea “Lowers blood pressure and fat levels, improves overall liver health, can stave off cravings for unhealthy sweets.
White Tea White tea is made from the normal tea plant. Its leaves and buds are picked just before they are fully open, when they’re covered in fine white hairs. This is where white tea gets its name .Green tea and black teas are also made from the same plant. White tea is the least processed because of this, it retains a high amount of antioxidants.
Chamomile Tea Dried chamomile flowers are used to make chamomile tea. Chamomile tea is widely thought to help people relax and fall asleep.
Best way to consume these teas: Boiling water must be poured over tea leaves which are placed in a kettle. Allow the kettle to steep the brew for about 5 minutes and strain the brew into a cup. All these teas are best when consumed plain, without the addition of any other flavour. Although good for you, even teas should be consumed in moderation. INSIGHT • JANUARY - JUNE 2022 • 23
Events
CSR Activities
Sharing the sanitizer to Gokulam Public School, Pattimattom for school re-opening in Covid situations
Thermal Scanner +Sanitizer to Govt. U.P.School, Kummanodu
Thermal Scanner for Govt L.P. School, Kolenchery arranged through CPI Kolenchery Town Secretary
Inauguration of the Anganvadi Building at Pattimattom South
Inauguration of fully digitized Library at GHSS Pazhamthottam
BWLC - Season 3 Winners
Winner: Ms. Ambily C Nair
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First runner up: Mr. Reji Mathew
Second Runner up: Mr. Anandhu A
Events
Children’s Day Celebration
Men’s Day Celebration
Calendar Launch
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Events
Christmas Day Celebration
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Events
Long Service Awards
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Nakshatra
Hanna Basil D/o Basil Elias and Jasna Basil
Johan Basil S/o Basil Elias and Jasna Basil
Grace Varghese D/o Libi Kurian, MS
Juana Mary Selvin D/o Sony Selvin, CMD
Nathaniya Rijo D/o Rijo K J, Finance
Pranav A Nair S/o Jinitha Pramod, CMD
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Nakshatra
Parvathy Santhosh, V Std. D/o Sajitha S S, HR
Saatvik K Unnikrishnan S/o Sreevidya PM, CMD
Dhiya Bijo D/o Susan Cherian, QC
Sam Bijo S/o Susan Cherian, QC
Dhiya Bijo D/o Susan Cherian, QC
Colour Me! INSIGHT • JANUARY - JUNE 2022 • 29
Nakshatra
THE PROUD ROSE
Once upon a time, in a desert far away, there was a rose who was so proud of her beautiful looks. Her only complaint was growing next to an ugly cactus. Every day, the beautiful rose would insult and mock the cactus on his looks, all while the cactus remained quiet. All the other plants nearby tried to make the rose see sense, but she was too swayed by her own looks. One scorching summer, the desert became dry, and there was no water left for the plants. The rose quickly began to
DIY Photoframe Devananda S, D/o Sreejith PR, Regulatory
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wilt. Her beautiful petals dried up, losing their lush color. Looking to the cactus, she saw a sparrow dip his beak into the cactus to drink some water. Though ashamed, the rose asked the cactus if she could have some water. The kind cactus readily agreed, helping them both through the tough summer, as friends.
THE MORAL Never judge anyone by the way they look.
Nakshatra
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Fastest Growing Indian IVD Corporate
AGAPPE DIAGNOSTICS LTD. “Agappe Hills”, Pattimattom (PO), Dist. Ernakulam, Kerala - 683 562, India. TEL: + 91 484 2867000 | agappe@agappe.in | www.agappe.com
