LEaders Talk About Not Wasting Food

Peering into the dustbins, Sneha Manerikar, and her partners Sushma, Reetu and Meenakshi

(UAS DWD) noticed that there was a great deal of food being wasted in the UAS Ladies Hostel in Dharwad. They felt it would be much better if this food would be conserved, or given to somebody else in need. To raise awareness of this issue, these LEaders compiled videos related to the importance of not wasting food, and presented them to aeveryone in the mess hall during lunch and dinner, so a great number of girls in the hostel would be informed about the issue.

LEader Aparna Bhalchandra Creates the "Mr. Allrounder" Kitchen Appliance

Miss. Aparna Bhalchandra Kulkarni and her partners Aparna Bhalchandra Kulkarni, Mrunal Anand Marathe, Bhagyashri Prasad Kulkarni, Monika Anil Satpute, Pratibha Tukaram Patil and Tejaswini Suryakant Sandage of DKTE Society’s Textile & Engineering Institute (Ichalkaranji) had the idea of creating an all-in-one kitchen aid appliance planted in their minds. However, it wasn't until they participated in the LEAD Leadership Challenge that they had the platform to turn their idea into reality. They had all experienced the time and labor consuming nature of kitchen work, and wanted to build a low-cost appliance that would ease the mealtime preparation process.

Firstly, they designed the machine using CATIA software. Then, with the guidance from Mr. Nikhil Pattanshetti and Mr.Swapnil Koli, they began to turn the design into the tangible “Mr. Allrounder.” They hunted for suitable, low-cost materials, and settled on plywood, N8 bolts and stainless steel upon trial and error. As it is made up of wood, it is shock and corrosion resistant, making it safe and hygienic. They executed the manufacturing process in a carpentry and machine shop. During which time, they also installed a motor that would surely cut all the necessary fruits and vegetables - onion, potato, carrot, brinjal, leafy greens, apples, guava, and the like. This project is low-cost and highly efficient, decreasing labour time and effort. As number of operations can be done at once, it can function as a domestic appliance but also in large-scale productions such as in hotel kitchens, orphanages, seniors’ homes, etc.

Project: Redistributing Leftover Food

 Sachidanand Murthy (Chetana College)

One day while watching TV, Sachidanand realized that there are a lot of marriages and weddings taking place throughout India. He also realized that there is usually a lot of food left over from weddings.  Sachidanand thought to capitalize on this excess food and convert it into an opportunity. Sachidanand and his team visited the nearby choutry and convinced the caterer to hand over the left over food after the event.  After the event, Sachidanand collected leftover rice, pickles, etc and served 20 hungry, orphaned girls in Harihar.  Sachidanand's innovative approach allowed food to be recycled to feed those in need.