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Feasting together

Once a year, in the cooler season, the staff team of Oasis Transformation Ltd go on a picnic along with their families. It’s always an event that everyone looks forward to with excitement and anticipation! Usually, a theme park in the vicinity of the factory is the venue for the picnic. A picnic is a time for people to dress up, forget about work and the stresses of life and let their hair down! Everyone boards the rented buses in the morning. A hired catering team join the party with large pots, pans, utensils and raw ingredients (which are loaded on the roof of the bus) and amidst, clapping, singing and much laughter, everyone sets off in their colourful finery! A pre-prepared spot at the venue is made ready with a tent, a little ‘cottage’, open fires on which to cook and large speakers to blast Bollywood music from…and the fun begins.

The first thing on the agenda is a delicious cooked breakfast already prepared by the caterers. This is followed by perhaps a game of football or cricket. There is some downtime after this for families and friends to explore the theme park and enjoy it’s attractions followed by a delicious lunch consisting of flavoured rice, lentils, chicken, fish and vegetables, all served fresh and hot on proper plates at tables set up for the occasion! One of the most beautiful things about the picnic is that the factory floor team, the cleaning team and guards along with their families are served at table by the leadership team of the business. None of the latter eat until everyone else is looked after. It is an opportunity to say a little thank you to those who work extremely hard and create the engine of the business – they are the people who embody both it’s energy and purpose.

The afternoon has a session of games and then a talent show and a raffle draw. The talent show is another highlight because we are never disappointed by what’s on offer and staggered by the poetic, dance and musical talent of some of our team! There is much wit and humour on display and it really is a joy to witness it being exhibited without inhibition! Towards the end of the picnic, to the accompaniment of loud Bengali and Bollywood music, most people dance together. When you watch every level of the company team dance together, women comfortable enough to dance alongside their male team mates, the able bodied folks dancing with those who might be differently abled, it is a celebration of what we share in common – our humanity… and our differences of nationality, creed, gender and ability vanish and all seems well with the world.