With APOGEE right around the corner, the APOGEE English Press reached out to Pahal Seervi, the coordinator of Nirmaan, to gain insight into their preparation for APOGEE.

He informed that Nirmaan is an NGO headquartered in Hyderabad. Its Pilani chapter works for the development of villages around Pilani, focusing on aspects like education and women’s empowerment. To raise funds for their cause, they will be setting up two stalls during APOGEE this year—a handmade crafts stall and a vada pav stall. He expounded that the handmade crafts stall will feature products like purses and custom bracelets made by the women beneficiaries of Nirmaan. The vada pav stall will conduct eating contests. Talking about the differences between last year’s and this year’s events, he highlighted that the contest won’t just be about speed eating; the participants will face various challenges like being blindfolded or having their hands tied, adding an ‘exciting twist’ to the competition. The winner will be awarded a handsome cash prize.

When asked about their inner workings and the challenges faced, Pahal spoke about the difficulty they faced when choosing suitable handmade crafts so that they were both elegant and useful. He further explained that the food for the eating competition also had to be carefully chosen, as it has to stand out among the variety of other foods available at the fest.

Speaking about his experience as the coordinator, Pahal remarked that as Nirmaan has a lot of members, interaction with all of them was not feasible, however, within a few work sessions, they caught the rhythm, and he highlighted that it has been fun ever since. He described the collaboration with the CoStAA as smooth sailing and highly accommodating, mentioning that he is friends with all of them.

Reflecting on Nirmaan’s evolution, he highlighted the members’ increased participation and sincerity regarding the NGO this year.

On a parting note, Pahal urged the students to visit the stalls and enjoy the vada pavs.