(Part II)
I RETURN to this story through two doorways, the doorway of a writer and also that of an educator.
Dr Venkataswamy was never married nor did he have children of his own, but today six years after his passing we are unpacking the gifts he offered the world. On his 10th birthday Dr Venkataswamy lost three cousins during childbirth – as there were no medical doctors in the village. It was then that he committed himself to become a medical doctor, to prevent such untimely deaths.
As Namibians we have to realize that stories in a very real humble way can also help us see the world a little bit better. The story of Aravind is one of those stories that definitely have that potential.
Dr Venkataswamy had two twin aspirations: to give sight for all and to see all as one. There is something very practical and deeply profound about these aspirations. The deep practicality to set up delivery services and ends one form of human suffering to give sight for all. But to do that from a mindset that recognizes our ultimate interconnection. From here we can learn that our mindset should be rooted in compassion.
That is really the essence of this story; because it requires us to find a balance between strategy and spirit; between the changing realities of the external world and that internal still point; that anchor our values and universal goodness.
How relevant is this story to any Namibian? At the age of 58 Dr.Venkataswamy was reaching retirement but he was not ready, and decided to start an enterprise with family members. They had no money, no business plan or any safety net, but they had the mission to end curable blindness. They had eleven beds and the world had 45 million blind people.
Namibians this is not just a story about charity and the wow moment of “amazing”, but how relevant is it to you as a reader in Namibia. We should continue to ask, what makes this possible. How did these people really do it? When we zoom the lens you realize that Aravind has an upside down model. This is certainly an organization that turns completely on its head conventional wisdom for what it means to run a successful enterprise.
There are three distinctive commitments that Dr Ventakaswamy and his counterparts used in Aravind, all of them linked to commitment to compassion.
The first commitment was not to turn anyone away who is in financial need, the second not to compromise on quality and the third one was ensuring that Aravind was self-reliant.
What these commitments teach us is that whatever it is that we do in our businesses it must be done with compassion, with excellence and the available resources.
There is another important point in this model that I would like to leave with you all. “Design for dignity”. At Aravind patients were given the choice, whether or not they would like to pay for services rendered. The idea was not just to restore sight, but also to affirm people’s dignity. But why?
If you are blind in rural India, you have not only lost your sight, but your livelihood and very soon your place in the family, society and community. Does this not sound familiar to some of our challenges in Namibia?
In giving people a choice Dr Ventakaswamy was affirming their dignity. This was a system where a barefoot farmer can come in and access paid services. Free is not seen as a charitable handout, but zero is seen as a legitimate price point.
I certainly believe in stories of this nature, as role models are relevant and next week we continue to discuss what an upside down model can mean for your business.
• Dr Wilfred Isak April holds a BBA (Unam), Hons BComm (Industrial Psychology & Human Resource Development), Master of Commerce (University of Stellenbosch) and a PhD (Entrepreneurship) New Zealand. He currently lectures in Leadership, Organizational Behaviour and Entrepreneurship at Unam.
By Dr Wilfred Isak April