Pitch Presentation
This was it. Everything was leading up to this moment. The ice-breaker sessions, mentor sessions, skill bazaar, alumni speakers, everything, were leading to these 4 slides, 5 minutes, and 6 people. Just the thought of having to do that haunted me. The Be My Buddy Initiative was elaborate and had so much to offer. How were we going to convey all of that in just 5 minutes? After hours of zoom meetings after every live session, drafting a script, pitching it over and over till we were under the 5-minute mark was what helped us execute a near flawless pitch.
A huge part of our pitch was empathy. To achieve that, I thought it prudent that every member talks about an aspect of the pitch which was closest to them. For me, that was- is this solution even required or wanted? Throughout my research into old age depression and loneliness, the statistics shattered my heart. Im extremely close to my grandparents and to even think of them in such a situation broke me.
With the Be My Buddy Initiative based out of Chennai and me living there, I conducted interviews with my grandmothers and some of her friends who themselves live in an old age home. This gave me a first-person insight into their feelings and what is that they look for in their golden years. With all of this, I personally resonated with the Initiative's desirability and feasibility.
The 2 weeks just flew by. There was barely a moment to catch my breath, yet i didn't feel over-burdened. Picking up as many skills i have in such a short period of time is no joke borderline impossible. Yet, it was. I have come to realise that a lot of my personal growth and learning, now in hindsight, i see that at the time, i did not even realise i was learning so much. It is precisely that which made SECIP 2022 so unique to me.
The SECIP Journey to me was one of a kind. When it came down to the closing ceremonies, I simply could not believe that it was all coming to an end. And it was in that moment that it dawned on me- its not over. It was just the beginning of my journey into being a responsible entrepreneur and social innovator.