Rural Internship (Siddathva Foundation - NGO)

The Rural Internship with Siddathva Foundation was a hybrid program coordinated by the Center for Innovation and Social Transformation (CIST) at KG Reddy College of Engineering & Technology. Held primarily from March 5th to March 11th, 2026, the initiative involved 46 first-year students mentored by Mr. Shravan Kumar, the founder of Siddathva Foundation. The curriculum was meticulously designed to introduce students to Design Thinking and Human-Centered Design (HCD) frameworks, specifically applied to the Indian rural landscape and Sustainable Development Goals. Students moved from passive observation to active innovation by using professional tools like Empathy Mapping, User Personas, and fishbone diagrams to analyze the root causes of systemic issues such as water scarcity and waste management. Practical examples, such as the Jeevan Bindi—an iodine-infused nutrient sticker—were used to demonstrate impactful rural innovation. Ultimately, the program equipped participants with a structured Problem-Solution Matrix to design scalable and empathetic solutions for long-term rural development.