Improving Bus Stops with LEADer Shweta Khinnavar

Before

The four main bus stops in Dharamveer Shambhaji Circle in Belgaum were in bad condition. They looked bad, were dirty, and did not provide any information for bus travellers as to what buses would arrive or where they would take them.

LEADer Shweta K and her 40+ person team from Maratha Mandal Engineering College took it upon themselves to help these bus travellers. With a small amount of funding from LEAD as well as money they fundraised themselves, Shweta and her team cleaned the bus stops, made small repairs, and re-painted them. They also wrote on the bus stands the destinations and bus numbers that visited the stop.

After! 

However, they learned it is hard to please everyone. Some people complained that the bus information was not written in their regionally language, or demanded different spelling or different destinations be written according to their own needs and desires, rather than the official information in the official languages.          

Despite these challenges from passersby, the team persevered and felt successful because they now see more people sitting in the stop (whereas before, people would stand outside) and being more assured in their bus transportation routes.

This project also received media and community attention including praise from the NWKRTC. They hope to expand by making more community improvements within the Swatchcha Bharat Abhiyan movement.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Teaching Digital Skills to Housewives with LEADer Sweta Khinnavar

Sweta Khinnavar, a LEADer from Maratha Mandal Engineering College in Belgaum, noticed that many women were eager to learn more computer skills, but often lacked the opportunities to gain these skills unless they worked in an office job or were taught by family. 

Sweta began teaching some of the housewives in her community basic computer skills for her project IT NAARI, such as creating files and folders, watching movies, playing songs, transferring files, and turning the laptop on and off. However, Sweta learned that many of the women did not have computers of their own, so oftentimes she would teach the women using her own computer. 

After several sessions, more women began coming to the workshops and she found out that the women were calling their friends to tell them about how great the project was. Not only this, the women were then interested in Sweta's other LEAD projects. 

Sweta found that in teaching the women, she was in fact teaching the whole family because the women were sharing their learning, impacting even more lives that just participants of her project. She hopes to expand the workshops to include internet skills including email, Youtube, Google, and more. 

My Story: Pundaraja Hugar (Maratha Mandal Engineering College, Belgaum)

I have always been strong in practical areas, and with LEAD, I have been encouraged to use the technical skills I have learned studying for a BE in electronics and communication engineering for the good of my community.

The first problem I noticed was that the lights were always turned on in banks at night. To ensure lights were on and and everything was safe, even in rooms you could not see, a simple device was the solution to detect whether the lights were turned on or off and improve bank security.

Installing the IC 4051 detector in my college lab

My next device was the IC 4051 detector, which when installed, checks whether the IC is working or not. This device has now been implemented in my college lab.

During exams, I noticed that many students were using mobile phones despite not being allowed and it being distracting. By detecting an active mobile cellphone from up to 1.5 metres away, this device sounds and lights up when it detects any phone, SMS, or video transmission, even if the phone is set to silent. While I developed it primarily for use in colleges, it is also useful for detecting mobile phone use for unauthorized purposes such as video recording or spying.

Mosquito Repeller

My hostel had a mosquito problem, and knowing that a mosquito coil had negative health effects, I knew I need to develop something better. Mosquitoes carry harmful diseases and are incredibly irritating, so I created the electronic mosquito repellent, a device that drives away mosquitoes using ultrasonic frequencies. Ultrasonic frequencies are not audible to humans, but the sound is very annoying to insects. This simple circuit device that emits ultrasonic frequencies repels insects in the surrounding area, while going unnoticed by humans.

Explaining how my water tank level detector works

In order to prevent overflow in water tanks, I developed a simple water level alarm circuit. When the water level reaches the level of the sensing probes, a circuit is activated which triggers a beeper. Inspired by this project, I also developed a water pump controller to automatically turn water pumps on and off.

I noticed the mess in my hostel used a simple LED torch, and after asking the owner how much each torch costs, I knew I could make them for much cheaper. With only three LED lights, one battery, one diode and one resistor, I could make a similar torch and implemented five torches at this lesser cost.

Since I started looking for problems in my community that could be solved with a practical, technical solution, I have developed seven technical devices and gone on to win the "Best Technical Initiatives" award from LEAD. I have been very inspired by the quote, "A boss says "go!", but a leader says "let's go!" and try to apply this in my LEAD projects as well as my everyday life.

While dealing with small technical and electronic devices can be challenging at times and requires great care, the results are worth it and a small, simple device can make a big difference. I eventually hope to create technical and electronic solutions that can help the poor people in my community, but also address the problems involved in poverty at large.

Project: Basic Needs for Government School

Gururaj S. K. (Maratha Mandal Engineering College)

Gururaj sought to improve the learning environment for students at a government school.  He mobilized the local people to help the children.  Gururaj was successfully able to collect and donate over 30 notebooks, a medical kit, information charts, and sports equipment.  By bringing these basic, yet necessary items to the school, the children are able to focus more on learning.

Project: Blood Donation

Sushma Kalagui (Maratha Mandal Engineering College)

Blood saves lives.  Despite its vital nature, there is not enough of it.  Blood cannot be manufactured; rather, it must come from another human being.  Because of generous blood donors, thousands of accident victims and surgery patients are alive today. For these reasons, Sushma decided to organization a blood donation event.

Over 50 people donated blood. The biggest challenge that Sushma encountered in implementing the project was getting support the college staff, principal, and hospital staff.  These challenges, though, helped Sushma improve communication, persuasion, and people skills

Project: Blood Donation

LEADer: Sushma  Kalagudi
Team Members: Snehal Vasant Kadolkar, Onkar C. Salamwade, Amit Vadoni, Vinay Katamble           

Place of project implementation: Maratha Mandal Engineering College

The objective is to give an opportunity to our students to show their care for others. Any healthy person between the age of 18 and 50 years can give blood. Giving blood is one of the kindest and most generous acts that one human being can do for another. Blood cannot be manufactured. It has to come from another human being to save the life of another. Because of volunteer blood donors, thousands of accident victims and those who need surgery are alive today.

The blood is usually drawn from the median cubital vein, from the inside of the elbow. An antiseptic such as iodine is used to clean the skin above this vein. This helps to prevent bacterial infection at the site of puncture and also helps to prevent the blood drawn site from being infected.

A tourniquet is used to elevate the blood pressure in the veins of the arm. This helps to ease and speed up the process. Sometimes the donor is given an object to squeeze repeatedly in order to increase blood flow to the targeted vein. Invariably a needle with a larger gauge is used in order to minimize the shearing forces that can cause damage to the RBC's.

A mild sting may be experienced when the needle is inserted, but there should be no pain during the donation.