SPOTLIGHT: SANGEETA VENKATESH, CLASS OF 1983

 SPOTLIGHT: SANGEETA VENKATESH, CLASS OF 1983

We continue with the series  of Old Lawrencians "In The Spotlight". Today, we feature Sangeeta Venkatesh (nee Sachidanand) of the Class of 1983, for her work in facilitating improvements in the lives of women especially those who are less privileged in rural India.

Sangeeta was recently awarded the Orange Flower Award 2023 by Women's Web for her piece on " Women At Work".  In this article, she wrote of the challenges and triumphs of an all-women Farmer Producer Company (FPC) in Maharashtra. Women's Web is an influential "media tech company in the business of producing great content that inspires, and enables brands to reach a targeted digital audience." 

Sangeeta is a person with varied interests. She says, " Writing and documenting are my passions, though I am basically trained to be a biotechnologist/scientist (from the M.S. University, Vadodara, and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore). However, certain events made me shift gears, and I quit working in the laboratory and shifted my focus to Waste Management and Sanitation. 

For nearly 14 years, I worked in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas, trying to sensitise various communities on these issues both as a volunteer and a consultant. All this was much before ‘Swachh Bharat’ became a buzzword."

We caught up with Sangeeta to know more about her life in School, her work and current interests. We also spoke of the 40th Reunion of her Class of 1983 held in February 2023. 

 1. When were you at School? Which House were you in?

I was in school from 1976 to1983 in Champak House.

2. Was there any particular reason your parents/you chose Lovedale?

My father was in the Indian Army, and he was posted in Arunachal Pradesh in the early 70s. There were a couple of Kendriya Vidyalayas there. However, my parents thought that there was a strong need for continuity and stability in my education. There were a few Army colleagues whose children were already in Lovedale, (my seniors, Anita Singh and Rajni Pillai). I remember my father being very impressed with them and deciding this is where I need to go. In addition, it was also close to Bangalore, our hometown.

3. What are your main memories of life at School?

Life in the dorms, ‘setting’ our skirts on the mattress, the giggles during prep-time, the mealtime gongs and grace (I was always hungry), classes, games, eating ‘softie’ ice-cream by the flagstaff, dressing up for the dance, Founders – the entire gamut. But memories of acting in the school play and playing the duet on the bagpipe with Priya Thyagaraj always bring a smile.

4. Which member of the staff, if any, had a strong influence on you, and why?

I cannot single out just one, and I have to mention the following:

a) Mr. K.N Nambiar, our Hindi teacher, narration of his book on an elephant ‘Kochushekharan’ in the Mudumalai Hills is still etched in my mind. It is such a coincidence that ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ – the documentary on a similar theme has won the Oscars. He encouraged me to participate in Hindi debates, and I went on to become secretary of the Hindi Debating Society. He also roped me in for an inter-school Hindi drama competition, and this did wonders for my confidence, as I had entered school as a very shy girl. (I can hear my classmates snigger).

b) Mr. Alexander Oomen gave me the opportunity to act in the school play, which was so well received. The practice sessions, the costume trials, and the aim for perfection perhaps taught me more lessons than what I learned in the classroom.

c) On the academic side, mathematics was made compulsory for all Class 12 Science students, and I don’t know what I would have done if Ms. Y.G. Sharda had not been teaching us. She would first instruct the ‘sleepy’ ones to first wash our faces before she commenced the class!

5. What are some learnings from School that have helped you later in your life? How was it being the Head Girl? What did that experience teach you early in life?

Athletics was never my cup of tea, but to date, I get up in the morning and do some form of physical exercise. This was so firmly ingrained after the years of waking up in the cold and heading out for a run till Lovedale Station or doing P. T. in the Girls School grounds. Even when I go for a walk, I can sometimes hear Mr. Khader’s voice booming in my ears: ‘dig your heels’ and you tend to straighten your posture. The sheer discipline of a structured day still influences my everyday life.

                    Head Boy and Head Girl, 1983.  Aditya Bhuwalka and Sangeeta Venkatesh 

Being Head Girl did mean shouldering responsibility and understanding what leadership was at the age of 16! That experience taught me to take decisions for myself, to take the position of responsibility seriously, and also to accept and handle criticism very early in life. I may have done a fair job, as I was awarded the ‘President’s Medal’ the following year at the 125 th Founder’s Day, which was presented to me by Mrs. Silloo Sam Manekshaw.

6. Your batch of 1983 celebrated your 40 th anniversary of leaving School recently. Tell us about this event…. What do you like best about the association with OLs?

I personally thought that this was one of the best reunions we have had in Ooty and at school. The weather in February was perfect, the crowd during the ‘season’ was missing, and it was all so pleasant. 

                   However, what made it brilliant was the hard work of the core team that worked for several months in advance to get the bookings done, plan the 3-day event, the memorabilia, and transport. It was perfect. Confession: I merely showed up! So, a big thank you to the core team of Sudha Chandrashekhar (nee Gundan), Syed Abdul Khader (Kaka), Andrew Bhasin, Jessy Jacob (nee Mathew), Sunil Ganapathy Devaiah (Gunny), Johnny John, Gautam Dev Nair, Aneel Raj Singh Kahlon, Vijay Singh, and Sajit Zachariah.

                                                        Class of 1983. Reunion in February, 2023. 

It was a pleasure to go back to school, be welcomed by the Head Master on the lawns, and eat the famous eclairs. I did spend a considerable amount of time with the Class 9 girls, and I was delighted with the interaction. A big thank you to Sangeetha Jairam (OL ’87), now a faculty member at the school, who facilitated this.

I really admire the commitment by the OLs that keep the OLA running through various social media channels, so that we are kept abreast of the news and developments at school and also about other Old Lawrencians. I think our Class of ’83 really got in touch with each other during our 25 th reunion – and we have stayed in touch since then. Syed Khader also holds a weekly Zoom call that was initiated during the pandemic, and anybody who can attend joins in. The best part about my batch is that people have really rallied around, especially during a medical emergency, and that is when you need the most support.

7. What are the writing /other projects that you are currently working on? 

As mentioned earlier, writing and documenting are my passions. Coupled with this is my strong educational background in biotechnology. In the course of my work, I always felt a need to help women- especially those less privileged than I.

I must say the 2004 tsunami really opened my eyes to the basic needs that women lack in our villages. I was part of a group where our discussions with the residents of a coastal village in Tamil Nadu revealed that prior to the tsunami there was plenty of green cover with trees, which helped the women of the village defecate in the open. The men in turn used the beach. The village did not feel the need to have toilets at all, even though these sites attracted mosquitoes and pathogens that led to disease.

Post-tsunami, it became a challenge for women to find secluded spots to relieve themselves. They sought privacy in rubbish heaps, where there was danger of getting bitten by rats, scorpions, and even snakes. Moreover, women could relieve themselves only at dawn and then had to wait again until dusk. Sexual harassment was also a reality for the women. Hence, we made sanitation coverage for women a priority. 

Later, I researched extensively on school sanitation in 5 states of India to highlight the woeful condition of toilets for girl students that make them drop out of school. I also compiled best practices for schools, and it included eco-friendly practices at Lawrence! This was awarded the runner-up certificate by WASTE, Netherlands, for whom I did the study. I hope the certificate is on display at the office! 

                                        School children in Dungarpur, Rajasthan.  

This project culminated in the publication of a workbook called ‘The Waste Issue’ for both students and adults, which is available on Amazon. This work was also recognised by the HCG Cancer Hospitals and I was awarded the ‘Swayam Siddha Award’.

I then realised I must write and document some of these experiences and thoughts in the public domain. I am happy to share that these writings have received recognition, and I was awarded the "Orange Flower Award, 2023" instituted by Women’s Web, for a piece I wrote in the category ‘Women at Work’. I had previously received the award in 2020 in the category ‘New Blogger’ for my travel blog. 

At the moment, I am happy to be the Lead -Corporate Communication for an environmental engineering company that blends both my passions. I also develop content on health and nutrition.

8. Are there any links you would like to share with our OL audience which elaborate on your writing /other work/interests?

•  I have a blog called sojourn-with-san  where I write on travel, art, history, heritage, handloom, and cultural aspects of places where I travel and even astrology!

• Some of my travel pieces have been published in newspapers like the Deccan Herald 

• I also have a sustainability blog

• You can find my articles on the Women’s Web here 

• Here's an interview on the podcast All Indians Matter where I explain the situation of solid waste in our nation.

• Last but not the least, if you are interested in philosophy, you can ‘google’ and find some of my writings in the ‘Speaking Tree’ of The Times of India.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and pictures of your time in School, Sangeeta. 

I am sure your work in important issues which matter to people will inspire many OLs- each in their own way-  to get involved in working for the betterment of our society.