On the warm and windy day of September 14, 2022, the enthusiastic young scholars and the spirited pedagogues of IGCSE, ICSK Khaitan, set out on an educational tour to the KDD factory located in the Shuwaikh industrial area. The elated group was buzzing as this was their first educational tour in the academic year, 2022 – 23: besides the prospect of gaining knowledge and having some fun, the place itself was just too good to be true.
The sheer size and structure of the huge factory would cast a spell on anyone who goes near it. It is an industrial behemoth. The group was welcomed and guided by Ms. Rachna, the spirited host and guide for the day, and were taken straight to the yoghurt production sector where the export batches of yoghurt were primarily being manufactured by machines. Next, they were taken to the yoghurt batches that are produced for local consumption in Kuwait. The packaging process was done solely by machinery with the exception of one employee who was feeding the yoghurt cups into the packaging machine which was neatly dispensing them into solid crates.
The tour moved on to the laban production sector, where they could observe the method of pasteurisation of normal milk, but here the process was slightly different, for KDD abiding to their high-quality standard keep milk ultra pasteurised always. This is then sent through pipes in an interval of exactly 4 seconds; so that any bacterial growth can be checked before bottling and packaging procedure is done.
The technological advancement of this century never ceases to amaze us, for all this too was done completely via machines. The visitors moved around the juice production section. There each packet appeared one by one on the conveyer belt where each one had their expiry dates printed on them and straws attached to them. At the end they were neatly piled up, grouped and put into crates. The speed and efficiency of the process was mesmerizing. Next, the group gathered around the storage rooms of the facility where each product was well organized with a barcode to track its movement in and out of the room. They were arranged alphabetically in long rows. This was the normal storage room for non-refrigerant products. The cold storage area was where the refrigerant products like milk, yoghurt, etc. were kept.
The tour had almost come to an end, but they were for a surprise. The guide introduced them to Pepper, a state-of-the-art interactive robot who gave hi-fives and danced gracefully. The exhilarated ensemble had a wonderful time there devouring knowledge and ice cream alike; clicking pictures and making memories to cherish forever. Before leaving, they were gifted complementary lunchboxes by the beaming KDD family. The hosts wholeheartedly appreciated the visit and the enthusiasm and spirit of the disciplined knowledge seekers. They also applauded the exemplary efforts of the school management in organising such imperative educational tours, and setting examples for other schools to follow suit. The tour was a whole lot of infotainment, and would mark as a trailblazer for many such educational visits in the days to come, and would be instrumental in catapulting ICSK, Khaitan-IGCSE to an enviable pedestal of one of the sought after IGCSE schools in Kuwait.