A team of 160 alumni from Hostel four of IIT Bombay recently got together to initiate "H4 HATS" or Hostel Alumni Team Stewardship - a programme aimed at paying back mess workers (both current and past), improving infrastructure facilities at H4 and at the same time increase interaction between alumni and students.
|
The programme was formally launched on 26th December 2009 at a grand reunion of Hostel 4 alumni which will be attended by many eminent Hostel 4 alumni.
|
HATS is not a new concept in IITB. The current programme aims to build on the success of the Hostel 7 campaign - "In Service of the Lady" which was launched in 2006. Already, about 65 alumni have pledged more then Rs. 25 lakh of which, Rs. 12 lakh have already been collected as more money pours in every day.
|
"Our goal is to rekindle the affinity among all IIT Bombay alumni for their hostels. Alumni return to their old abode for a day of fun and nostalgia and before they return they open their hearts and purses for the plight of the old mess workers. We plan to raise the bar and increase pledges to Rs. 50 lakhs before the year is out"- said Mr. Bakul Desai coordinator, H4-HATS committee.
|
9 retired mess workers (including 2 deceased) who have served 25 years or more at H4 were identified and invited (spouses and children in the case of deceased) to H4 mess on 26th Dec for Lunch. The tables were turned on that day with the Alumni serving the mess workers expressing their gratitude for the selfless service over the years. Post lunch, they were presented with a cheque of Rs. 1 lakh each. In addition, another 10 mess workers who have served for more than 25 years and are still in service at H4 will be presented with a cheque of Rs. 25,000 with an assurance that they will be paid another Rs. 75,000 each on retirement.
|
