A ROMANTIC JOURNEY
The PEP has touched many lives across the globe. The PEP has been the one thing that has made a difference in the lives of especially the suffering and the underprivileged.
Talk about some of the most devastating calamites the human race has suffered and the one thing that has helped thousands recover from the aftermath; talk about the one thing that has played a vital role in helping them get back to living life with hope; the one thing that has brought out many from darkness into light; the one thing that is playing an important part in the nutrition of thousands of children and undernourished; the one thing that has helped women bring in an extra income into their families; the one thing that is playing an important role to manage one of the most valuable and scares resource of our planet – ‘WATER’, in the most appropriate method; the one thing that is playing an important role in the reduction of carbon emission into the atmosphere and energy conservation; the one thing that is making a notable contributing towards combating food crisis the world is faced with today. Well, that one thing is non-other than the PEP.
After the massive ‘Super Cyclone’ had smashed everything in its way in the eastern costal region of India, it is the PEP that has brought hope to thousands and helped them get back to normal life.
It is the PEP that helps over a hundred poor families in West Bengal to keep their hopes alive and get back to normal life after the floods come in as the uninvited guest and invade each of their homes year after year.
It is the PEP that is helping hundreds of farmers through waste-land and waste-water agriculture to contribute towards the production of vegetables for the consumption of thousands in the city of joy – Calcutta.
It is the PEP that has helped thousands to reconcile and rebuild their lives after the merciless ‘Tsunami’ had devastated their lives in India and Sri Lanka.
Bringing hope to hundreds who have been and are still suffering the atrocities of the civil war in Sri Lanka for over two decades, is the PEP.
True that the PEP has lived upto its name and (pep)ed up the lives of thousands around the world, although, may I ask – Is such a small name for an invaluable tool-of-hope for many, justice enough when compared to its contribution to the world?
Maybe expanding PEP, like how one would do with an acronym or abbreviation,
Protecting Environment & People
Or
Providing for Everyone Positively
Or
Progress towards Eradicating Poverty…
…would be a fair call.
Whatever expansions we may try and make with the Abbreviation – PEP, for me personally is – Positive Energy Provider. Being privileged enough to witness first hand, the (pep) it brings into the lives of the suffering, marginal and underprivileged of the world, the PEP definitely is a positive energy provider for me as it has taught me to look at everything in life with a positive mental attitude.
At this point, I would like extend my gratitude to W3W for giving me the opportunity to reach out and touch thousands of lives in this world through its various projects. On behalf of the thousands of PEP users in Asia, I would also like to thank every single kind heart who has helped in whatever capacity.
Above all I would like to thank the elusive personality by the name of Andrew Zumstine. I used the word ‘Elusive’ because although my romance with the PEP began way back in 1996, thanks to my best friend Tony Kohler who I must say is also my mentor, I did not have the privilege of meeting this Great Personality, Andrew Zumstine, until December 2008. ‘Quarantine’ is one word that rhymes with the his name and I take the liberty of saying that when I met Andre, the person behind the personality, during my visit to Switzerland recently, I was convinced that Andre was self-imposing a sort of quarantine on himself from all the limelight the world has been wanting to focus on him. This for sure is because of the simplicity of the man which is beyond the definition of any phrase. I never thought I would be able to meet Andre ever in my life but he showed up as a pleasant surprise at the Kohlers one cold snowy winter afternoon.
Such is the aura of the man that he was a hero for me right from the moment I was intrigued by a concrete block being used by marginal farmers of the rural villages of India, which I would like to term as one of the most extraordinary innovations the world has ever seen and I was informed by Tony that Andre Zumstine along with his team of retired engineers was responsible for it.
Being part of the W3W worldwide family for the past 12 years, I have witnessed hearts filled with hopelessness and eyes staring into empty spaces in search of hope, in some of the most poverty stricken regions of the world, being given the promise of hope by this inexpensive, appropriate and sustainable technology called PEP.
This romantic journey of mine with the PEP and W3W as an organization has come a long way, but I am convinced this journey has to carry on, because for every PEP user, it is not only an asset for life but also a way of life. The PEP is a perfect tool helping poor farmers across the world with a livelihood. Convinced totally about the potential of the PEP and having experienced the boon it has been for thousands across the world, and also knowing fully well the commitment everyone connected to W3W has towards the organization’s endeavours, I know for sure that thousands more will be benefited by the PEP.
Last but not the least, I must say that today I handle numerous development and social projects worth billions, but nothing gives me more personal satisfying than managing Projects for W3W because not only is the end user benefits quantifiable through direct interaction but also their degree of satisfaction is long term. Viva PEP & W3W.
(Left to Right) Tony, Andre & George
