The first week of SECIP 2022 was incredible!

In just a few days, I was able to learn and

Starting with deciding on a problem statement, then moving on to assumptions and solutions, and
finally prototyping solutions.

We’re allocated into teams of 4-5 people from universities around the Indo-Pacific. My team
consisted of Reina from Australia, Nandni from India, Anqi from China, and myself from
Indonesia. We met for the first time and got to know each other on the very first day. We talked
and shared a lot during our first ever team session. We also discussed about how we were going
to work as a team. We agreed that it would be better to break down and assign tasks so that each
of us could contribute to each one. We must also help and support one another when necessary.

On the second day, we started to brainstorm for our problem statement. The first thing we did
was discuss which SDGs piqued our interest. It was determined that we all shared interests in
two SDGs: SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality), so we all agreed to find a
problem to solve related to those SDGs.
Through the pre-program lesson, one topic lingered our minds. The video about Saathi
Pads mentioned that in rural India, girls have a higher rate of dropping out of school compared to
boys due to the lack of access to sanitary pads. We believe girls shouldn’t miss school and even
dropping out of school because of a perfectly natural bodily function: their menstruation. So
we’ve that we wanted to solve this problem.
Finally decided on the problem, we’re instructed to define our problem statement with a
very specific person in mind. We had to frame our problem using the questions Who, What,
Why, and How. To do so, Nandni asked one of her acquaintance, Rita, who will be the center of
our development process. Rita shared her experiences with how difficult it is to obtain menstrual
products in her area. This leads to girls having to tend to their menstruation at home using rugs.
This is one of the five-step process of Design Thinking. Through talking to her, we were
able to empathize with her which helps define the problem so that we can start to look for
possible solution ideas to help these girls.

Next thing we needed to do was look for various possible solution ideas that could be developed.
Before doing so, we must first adopt Design Thinking and Innovation (DTI), which is is done by
the five-step process: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. To do so, Nandni asked
one of her acquaintance, Rita, who will be the center of our development process. Rita shared her
experiences with how difficult it is to obtain menstrual products in her area. This leads to girls
having to tend to their menstruation at home using rugs. Through talking to her, we were able to
empathize with her which helps define the problem so that we can start to look for possible
solution ideas to help these girls.
On the fourth day, we were instructed to brainstormed 50 solutions for our problem. There was
no limits. ANYTHING was possible. Following this session, we began prototyping based on the
50 solutions we attempted to build. Turns out Reina and I had the same idea, we both made a
care package which contains menstrual products to give out, so as a team we decided this would
be our solution.

The most important skill that I’ve got is about social innovation and the process of implementing
the ideas. Social Innovation is important because the things that they invented are very user
friendly and they still can gain both profit and goals. It’s very relatable, very mind blowing. It
includes creativity, skill, and also critical thinking, that is of course very important to this life.
On the other hand, the process of Implementing the ideas is important too, because many people
can have many ideas and solutions, but at the end they do nothing, they can talk about big stuff
but can’t really do anything at all. But here, in SECIP 2022, I learn about how to decide the
problem statement that is worth and can be implemented. I’m pessimistic about the Idea, but the
Mentors make me believe that we actually can implement it if we want and have enough
knowledge and skill to do that. The way they taught us to do those things is very creative and
unique, until I can’t believe I’m doing this kind of project in my life.

We are used to dealing with and witnessing problems on a daily basis. However, seeing
opportunities in these problems and turning them into something innovative is a difficult task.
But here in SECIP they taught us how to do it. In just a couple of days, my team and I were able
to turn a problem into something innovative. The very first thing they taught us was how to
frame our problem statement using the questions Who, What, Why, and How. This helps us
understand what we're trying to achieve, to view the problem from multiple angles, and avoid
making mistakes or creating new problems.

Adding to that, Design Thinking and Innovation is a fresh and great approach towards
innovation. It is more than just a process; it opens up an entirely new way to thinking and
provides a collection of hands-on methods to assist you in implementing this new mindset.
Design thinking allows us to think outside the box while also delving deeper into problem
solving. It enables us to conduct appropriate research, develop prototypes, and test our products
and services in order to discover new ways to meet the needs of our users.
Moreover, in the beginning of every session, we were always given the chance to share whatever
we expect in the expectation session and in the open space. I learnt that open space and
expectation are two things that are so important in communicating what we feel and what we
seek. I also learnt how to compromise. During the discussion, we had many ideas. I learnt to
share my thoughts and ideas, but at the same time, I also learnt to find common ground for
everyone. I learnt to listen and look for other perspectives given by my teammates. I learnt that
to create changes, I don't need to look for the big scope problems. I learnt to emphatize for the
smallest problems that are faced by myself or the communities. It just needs us to start small and
simple.
make prototypes or sketches of the products and presenting them. This activity is certainly useful
not only for participants who attend but also opens up new knowledge about the problems that
occur around us, so as to make us learn from one another.

Based on week one, we are working on a feasible and viable solution to our problem statement.
This week we are meeting with our mentors to finalize our prototype which will be presented on
the last day at the Open House.

We met with our mentor on the first day of the second week. My team had a mentor session with
Chetan. We presented our prototype and received valuable feedback from him. On our prototype,
there were some potential issues, one of which was how we planned to sell these care packages
directly to schools or the government. Our mentor said that these institutions might have limited
disposable income, so he suggested that we should try crowd funding reach out to businesses that
practice CSR. With these suggestions and input, our group can improve the solutions that we
make.

After our mentor sessions, we went ahead and perfected our prototype and business plan. We
used our imagination and creativity to make our prototype more interesting and coming up with a
more viable business plan.

We have decided to name our business ‘Blood Sisters’ to evoke a sense of solidarity and unity
whilst also removing the stigma around the notion of bleeding.

The first thing that we did on the second week was finalizing our problem statement. At first we
were focused on helping girls from the slum areas of India to get their deserved menstrual
products so they don’t have to miss out or even drops out of school. We were planning on selling
our products through the schools and government. But then our mentor, Chetan, reminded us of
how girls in slum areas might not go to school in the first place because of their financial
situations, so they might not get access to our products. Adding to that, those institutions might
have limited disposable income, so he suggested that we should try crowd funding reach out to
businesses that practice CSR. With these suggestions and input, our group can improve the
solutions that we make.
After finalizing our problem statement – continuing our main idea to help destigmatized
menstruation and provide girls with the proper menstrual products, we’ve decided to create a
period care package.

After finalizing our problem statement and solution, we started to work on our narrative
and pitch. We had to fit everything in just 3 slides and 5 minutes, this was a pretty hard thing to
do because we had a lot to say. But we’ve managed to make it work. We divided it into 4 parts,
first Nandni will be the one to explain our problem statement because she’s the one who knew
Rita, so she has a better understanding regarding the problem from a human’s perspective than
the rest of us. The next one was me, I will be the one presenting our prototype which means I
have the responsibility to finish the prototype before the Open House. Continued with Anqi, she
will be mentioning some case studies which will support our solutions. Finally our pitch will be
closed by Reina with our business viability.

Overall, the second week of the program was super fun! I enjoyed it so much. We had the
opportunity create a solution for a problem that we deeply cared about. Not only we learned how
to be a social entrepreneur, but we also picked up a few new skills along the way. One skill that
is the most prominent was my public speaking skill. Before beginning this program, I was
hesitant to converse in English with others, let alone in front of an audience. Each day I
developed a confidence in how I speak. By the end of the week, when we were asked to pitch our
ideas to the committees and mentors, I was presenting proudly and confidently!

Another thing I learned during this particular week was the importance of critical thinking. We
didn't give our problem statement and solution enough thought. There were some points that
were missing, and this could lead to a new problem. We came to a realization about these things
during our mentor sessions. Chetan, our mentor, provided us with excellent advice and input that
challenged and motivated us to work harder. From here, my team then began to think critically
and thoroughly to ensure that there were no gaps anymore.
 At the end of the program, I have come to a realization that we are used to dealing with
and witnessing problems on a daily basis. However, seeing opportunities in these problems and
turning them into something innovative is a difficult task. But here in SECIP they taught us how
to do it. In just two weeks, my team and I were able to turn a problem into something innovative.
The very first thing they taught us was how to frame our problem statement using the questions
Who, What, Why, and How. This helps us understand what we're trying to achieve, to view the
problem from multiple angles, and avoid making mistakes or creating new problems.
Adding to that, adopting Design Thinking into our work was also necessary because it is
a fresh and great approach towards innovation. It is more than just a process; it opens up an
entirely new way to thinking and provides a collection of hands-on methods to assist you in
implementing this new mindset. Design thinking allows us to think outside the box while also
delving deeper into problem solving. It enables us to conduct appropriate research, develop
prototypes, and test our products and services in order to discover new ways to meet the needs of
our users.
Through this processes, we were able to empathize and have a better understanding of
what was needed for the problem. It allows us to focus on one specific thing and develop it into a
viable solution.

At first, I wasn’t sure the SECIP program was for me. I had very little idea of what this program
was going to be. But in a matter of days, my perspective on it has shifted. I got to know a lot of
students from various universities in Indo-Pacific, and we all have one thing in common: we
want to make a difference!

We were placed into a cross-cultural team. I had a great experience working with them. I believe
that by having team members from a different cultural can bring new ideas and processes to the
table. Every single person on my team was such a sweetheart and very hardworking! We were all
very understanding and supportive towards each other. I am very happy to be a part of this team.

Personally, one of my biggest challenge was the language barrier. As English was not my first
language, I have a pretty hard time in speaking as well as understanding what my peers was
saying. But thankfully, we were given multiple opportunities to meet and have a conversation
with many students, which allows me to practice on my English speaking and gaining confidence
in doing so.

Overall, this was such a thrilling and exciting experience! Not only that we get to learn new
things, we also got to team up with students from abroad and create something innovative for a
problem that we cared about. Thank you SECIP!
On Day 1, my team and I had our first meeting. We introduced ourselves and talked about how
we were going to work as a team. We agreed that it would be better to break down and assign
tasks so that each of us could contribute to each one. We must also help and support one another
when necessary.

On Day 1, my team and I had a discussion regarding the problem that we wanted to solve. The
first thing we did was discuss which SDGs piqued our interest. It was determined that we all
shared interests in two SDGs: SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality), so we
all agreed to find a problem to solve related to those SDGs.
After choosing our SDGs, we had a brainstorming session regarding problems that needed to be
solved. Through the pre-program lesson, one topic lingered our minds. The video about Saathi
Pads mentioned that in rural India, girls have a higher rate of dropping out of school compared to
boys due to the lack of access to sanitary pads. We believe girls shouldn’t miss school and even
dropping out of school because of a perfectly natural bodily function: their menstruation. So
we’ve that we wanted to solve this problem.

On the first week, we are joining our team which consisted of students from various universities
in Indo-Pacific. We were given so many new knowledges which will help us into figuring out
our team problem statement as well as our potential solutions.
We are developing a mobile application called 'Eco Mind'. Eco Mind is designed as a platform
for users to engage in both educational and entertainment activities in conjunction with
recycling. However, we understand individual recycling may often be inconvenient and viewed
as insignificant in the wider picture. We have chosen O.P Jindal Global University in India to be
the first implementation of Eco Mind, to test our application's effectiveness and reception among
college students.

The Pad Project takes a multi-pronged approach to achieving menstrual equity by combining pad
machines or washable pad programs with community partnerships and sexual and reproductive
health education. We are also combating period poverty in the U.S. by providing school districts
and grassroots organizations across the country with grants to purchase bulk menstrual supplies.
Click here to learn more!

Blood Sisters are combating period poverty in India by providing school districts and
government across the country with our period care packages. We are also taking a multi-
prolonged approached to destigmatizing menstruation and achieving menstrual equity by giving
out proper educations regarding menstruation with community partnerships.