“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.”
– Edward Everett Hale
Nurture is a wondrous startup founded by a remarkable group of students from NITK, Surathkal. This phenomenal startup aims to provide the welfare and prosperity that every section of the society is entitled to. Nurture has played an integral role in protecting people from various forms of hardships and has provided a finer lifestyle for women and children who are deprived of their basic necessities. The team at Nurture believes that the kind gestures depicted by us today will promote interactions between people and societal institutions that impact one’s ability to accomplish essential life tasks and goals. Nurture has proved to be an important catalyst for the all-round progress of neglected communities. So for this enthralling edition of Starting Up in NITK, we have with us Liz George from Nurture who has shared her inputs and provided us with insights into the entrepreneurial world:-
If a stranger comes across your startup, how would you explain your service to him/her?
Community-owned models for the holistic development of children and wholesome lives for underprivileged women.
How and when did your startup come into existence?
We conceptualized the idea and started working on it during May when we wanted to work on the disparities and the lack of opportunities faced by women and children in rural India. We aimed to operate in the areas around college and create a positive impact on the communities there.
What inadequacies are being addressed or catered to by your startup?
Our product aims to utilize the potential of community-centric platforms to solve issues around financial independence, menstrual health, mother-child care and education for underprivileged and rural populations across the country.
How has the community reacted to your service?
Starting our operations, understanding and sympathizing with our beneficiary groups, have made us realize the importance of implementing, reaching out and focusing on our on-ground efforts. The response we have received while connecting with the communities has been empowering to us as a team and is the prime driving force of our commitment and motivation to make things happen.
What would be your next estimated landmark as far as the contribution of your startup considering the current situation/scenario?
With the current situation, our implementation has been challenging. Even though conducting our campaigns have been extremely difficult, the very severe requirements on the ground drive us to organize our efforts and ensure implementation. Our next goal is to connect to our beneficiary groups and create business solutions to ensure sustainable sources of revenue and intellectual education.
Describe your journey until now, including the speed breakers that you experienced?
The journey has been a very enlightening experience for us. We are constantly encountering roadblocks while connecting with the communities, which have to be solved by empathy, trust, and collaborative efforts. This process has been very eye-opening and has made us aware of the immense possibilities which stem from assuming personal responsibility and having a will to create an impact.
E-Cell being the only entrepreneurship club in NITK, in what ways can we provide guidance and aid the growth of your startup?
We expect the student community at NITK to join hands and work with us to ensure that we create an impact in the lives of those who aren’t as privileged as we are. We can put ourselves in immense responsibilities and take upon ourselves to help those in need by making ourselves aware of our privilege, that we can take. In the upcoming projects for women and child education, every student has a crucial role to play and an opportunity to get involved, thus, influencing another human life.
In conclusion, how has the entrepreneurship experience been for you and your team behind the operation?
Through these experiences, our journey has taught us that entrepreneurship is about empathy and experiencing ground realities. The lessons learned by truly understanding our beneficiary groups have to be the primary impetus of the service we aim to provide. We look forward to continuing on this amazing learning experience and hope to flourish as we do and ensure the greatest social impact.
E-Cell NITK is a non-profit organisation run by the student of NITK that aims at manifesting the latent entrepreneurial spirit of young students.We at E-Cell hosts various workshops,speaker sessions,innovative games,competetions for aspiring entreprenuers and support them by providing the necessary resources such as seed funding,mentoring,consultancy and networking.
