Some Success Stories from LABS

While employment avenues are increasing in India’s growing economy, they are not being filled by people

with compatible skill-sets. The country has a huge number of financially disadvantaged school dropouts

who are largely unfit for sustainable mainstream employment. Training them in job market-oriented

livelihood skills is an effective way of quickly taking them out of poverty.

The Livelihood Advancement Business School (LABS) program of Dr. Reddy’s Foundation is a pioneering

public-private partnership model that assists youth who are constrained by low income levels, inadequate

skills, irregular employment, and absence of opportunities for training and development. LABS helps these

youth acquire livelihood and soft skills in a learning environment that develops their inherent capabilities. LABS vocational courses are of 3-4 months’ duration, in which the aspirants are given technical inputs

prepared in consultation with industry experts and professionals. The course includes on-the-job training,

assignments, projects and field visits. Valuable life skills are also integrated into the curriculum through an

interactive teaching process. Through an ‘Individual Youth Development Plan’ the aspirants are assisted in

realizing their aspirations based on their unique strengths. Through a ‘Communicative English’ module, the aspirants are given practice in public speaking and

interpersonal communication. Towards the end of the course, a ‘Work Readiness Module’ helps the aspirants

to prepare their resumes, face interviews, handle workplace responsibilities and cope with migration /

workplace-related issues. On successfully completing the course, the aspirants are also assisted in finding

suitable entry-level job opportunities in their respective domains.

Through the LABS program, Dr. Reddy’s Foundation has generated nearly 195,000

sustainable livelihoods across India so far, and has also helped implement it in

Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. LABS has catalyzed several community-

corporate partnerships in creating replicable models, and helped in

streamlining government poverty alleviation schemes. The program

exemplifies the harmonious coming together of business houses,

governments, civic organizations and NGO networks in planning,

implementing and scaling up various livelihood programs. Its simplicity

and effectiveness have won wide acclaim, both in India and abroad.

The following pages provide brief insights into the lives of some

youth who, with assistance from LABS, have scripted their own

unique success stories.

Livelihood Advancement Business School

1

Ashok Kumar Salam

Bharath

Bhavinder Kumar

Haimanti Patra

Heena Rana

Kamishan Kumar

Prasanna

Ram Narayan Kenwat

Ranjana

Ravita

Rupa Rathore

Sanjeev Kumar

Santu Bhowmick

Soumya

Sumanth

Vasudev Pradhan

VH Suraj

Employers’ Endorsements

Some Success Stories from LABS

While employment avenues are increasing in India’s growing economy, they are not being filled by people

with compatible skill-sets. The country has a huge number of financially disadvantaged school dropouts

who are largely unfit for sustainable mainstream employment. Training them in job market-oriented

livelihood skills is an effective way of quickly taking them out of poverty.

The Livelihood Advancement Business School (LABS) program of Dr. Reddy’s Foundation is a pioneering

public-private partnership model that assists youth who are constrained by low income levels, inadequate

skills, irregular employment, and absence of opportunities for training and development. LABS helps these

youth acquire livelihood and soft skills in a learning environment that develops their inherent capabilities. LABS vocational courses are of 3-4 months’ duration, in which the aspirants are given technical inputs

prepared in consultation with industry experts and professionals. The course includes on-the-job training,

assignments, projects and field visits. Valuable life skills are also integrated into the curriculum through an

interactive teaching process. Through an ‘Individual Youth Development Plan’ the aspirants are assisted in

realizing their aspirations based on their unique strengths. Through a ‘Communicative English’ module, the aspirants are given practice in public speaking and

interpersonal communication. Towards the end of the course, a ‘Work Readiness Module’ helps the aspirants

to prepare their resumes, face interviews, handle workplace responsibilities and cope with migration /

workplace-related issues. On successfully completing the course, the aspirants are also assisted in finding

suitable entry-level job opportunities in their respective domains.

Through the LABS program, Dr. Reddy’s Foundation has generated nearly 195,000

sustainable livelihoods across India so far, and has also helped implement it in

Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. LABS has catalyzed several community-

corporate partnerships in creating replicable models, and helped in

streamlining government poverty alleviation schemes. The program

exemplifies the harmonious coming together of business houses,

governments, civic organizations and NGO networks in planning,

implementing and scaling up various livelihood programs. Its simplicity

and effectiveness have won wide acclaim, both in India and abroad.

The following pages provide brief insights into the lives of some

youth who, with assistance from LABS, have scripted their own

unique success stories.

Livelihood Advancement Business School

1

Ashok Kumar Salam

Bharath

Bhavinder Kumar

Haimanti Patra

Heena Rana

Kamishan Kumar

Prasanna

Ram Narayan Kenwat

Ranjana

Ravita

Rupa Rathore

Sanjeev Kumar

Santu Bhowmick

Soumya

Sumanth

Vasudev Pradhan

VH Suraj

Employers’ Endorsements

Ashok Kumar Salam

Ashok hails from Kartala, a quiet village in Korba District of Chhattisgrah. His father Rajaram is a poor farmer who makes less than Rs 1000 a month from his small piece of land. His mother Janaki, a housewife, makes some money for the family selling 'mahua' and vegetables. Ashok has two older brothers and a younger sister, all of whom are married and living in extreme poverty.

Forced to drop out of school, Ashok helped his father at the family farm, but was always on the lookout for a job, so that he could add his own income to his father's. He developed some proficiency in carrying out minor repairs to automobiles, but that could not fetch him anything substantial.

One day, after finishing his farm work for the day, Ashok went along with a friend to visit the Gram Panchayat office of Janpad, a small village nearby. He had come to know of a Grameen LABS center that had been set up at Korba by DRF in association with the District Rural development Agency (DRDA). He was keen to know if it could help him learn more about automobiles and be able to make a living from that skill.

What the facilitators at the center told him about the LABS course was music to Ashok's ears. They said the three-month course would not only teach him a lot about automobiles, but also improve his English and communications skills. The facilitators assured him that, if he worked hard at the course, they would even help him find a good job in the automobile sector at the end of the training period.

Ashok was thrilled at the promise that lay before him

and enrolled in the program straightaway. He attended all his classes without fail, and put his heart into learning everything that his facilitators taught – through classroom coaching, practical training, industry visits and guest sessions by industry representatives. Equipped as he already was with a flair for automobiles, Ashok benefited immensely from the training, which concluded with a very useful 'Work Readiness Module'. It helped him prepare his resume, groom himself for job interviews and become job-ready.

Ashok passed out of the course with an impressive performance record and was immediately assisted by his facilitators in finding a job at Dua Automobiles (Korba), a dealer in Yamaha motor vehicles. He was overjoyed when Mr Dua, the proprietor, offered to recruit him with a handsome starting salary of Rs 3000 per month.

Life began anew for Ashok from then on. He goes about his first job with great zeal and enthusiasm. He is out of his house by 9 am every day, and returns by 8 in the evening. He works hard and cheerfully, and enjoys every minute at the workplace. Mr Dua says

32

approvingly, “Ashok is a good-natured person with very pleasing manners. He gets along very well with everyone on the shop floor and is a great help to all his colleagues.”

Ashok's parents are also happy for him, and extremely thankful to the LABS program for transforming their son's life as well their own.

His father exclaims almost disbelievingly, “I could never imagine that LABS could teach him so much within three months and make him worthy of such a nice job. During his training period, Ashok would often tell us what he had learnt at the center each day. Within a couple of weeks after the training began, he started saying he would get a good livelihood avenue at the end of the course. It was amazing to see how his self-confidence had grown so fast! LABS has indeed worked wonders on him. I can now say he has a great future.”

Ashok has emerged as a true role model in his village. He is a great inspiration to his friends and neighbours, as well as to fellow LABS aspirants.

“I was very diffident about myself before joining LABS”, Ashok says, “but thanks to the training I received there, I now feel capable of taking on any challenging situation in life. Apart from giving me technical skills, it has instilled self-belief in me, which I think is equally important at the workplace. I would advise my fellow-aspirants to make the fullest use of the LABS course, and thereby get the best possible footing in the competitive job market. It is indeed a wonderful program; there should be more LABS centers all over this place.”

At Dua Automobiles

Ashok’s parents

Ashok Kumar Salam

Ashok hails from Kartala, a quiet village in Korba District of Chhattisgrah. His father Rajaram is a poor farmer who makes less than Rs 1000 a month from his small piece of land. His mother Janaki, a housewife, makes some money for the family selling 'mahua' and vegetables. Ashok has two older brothers and a younger sister, all of whom are married and living in extreme poverty.

Forced to drop out of school, Ashok helped his father at the family farm, but was always on the lookout for a job, so that he could add his own income to his father's. He developed some proficiency in carrying out minor repairs to automobiles, but that could not fetch him anything substantial.

One day, after finishing his farm work for the day, Ashok went along with a friend to visit the Gram Panchayat office of Janpad, a small village nearby. He had come to know of a Grameen LABS center that had been set up at Korba by DRF in association with the District Rural development Agency (DRDA). He was keen to know if it could help him learn more about automobiles and be able to make a living from that skill.

What the facilitators at the center told him about the LABS course was music to Ashok's ears. They said the three-month course would not only teach him a lot about automobiles, but also improve his English and communications skills. The facilitators assured him that, if he worked hard at the course, they would even help him find a good job in the automobile sector at the end of the training period.

Ashok was thrilled at the promise that lay before him

and enrolled in the program straightaway. He attended all his classes without fail, and put his heart into learning everything that his facilitators taught – through classroom coaching, practical training, industry visits and guest sessions by industry representatives. Equipped as he already was with a flair for automobiles, Ashok benefited immensely from the training, which concluded with a very useful 'Work Readiness Module'. It helped him prepare his resume, groom himself for job interviews and become job-ready.

Ashok passed out of the course with an impressive performance record and was immediately assisted by his facilitators in finding a job at Dua Automobiles (Korba), a dealer in Yamaha motor vehicles. He was overjoyed when Mr Dua, the proprietor, offered to recruit him with a handsome starting salary of Rs 3000 per month.

Life began anew for Ashok from then on. He goes about his first job with great zeal and enthusiasm. He is out of his house by 9 am every day, and returns by 8 in the evening. He works hard and cheerfully, and enjoys every minute at the workplace. Mr Dua says

32

approvingly, “Ashok is a good-natured person with very pleasing manners. He gets along very well with everyone on the shop floor and is a great help to all his colleagues.”

Ashok's parents are also happy for him, and extremely thankful to the LABS program for transforming their son's life as well their own.

His father exclaims almost disbelievingly, “I could never imagine that LABS could teach him so much within three months and make him worthy of such a nice job. During his training period, Ashok would often tell us what he had learnt at the center each day. Within a couple of weeks after the training began, he started saying he would get a good livelihood avenue at the end of the course. It was amazing to see how his self-confidence had grown so fast! LABS has indeed worked wonders on him. I can now say he has a great future.”

Ashok has emerged as a true role model in his village. He is a great inspiration to his friends and neighbours, as well as to fellow LABS aspirants.

“I was very diffident about myself before joining LABS”, Ashok says, “but thanks to the training I received there, I now feel capable of taking on any challenging situation in life. Apart from giving me technical skills, it has instilled self-belief in me, which I think is equally important at the workplace. I would advise my fellow-aspirants to make the fullest use of the LABS course, and thereby get the best possible footing in the competitive job market. It is indeed a wonderful program; there should be more LABS centers all over this place.”

At Dua Automobiles

Ashok’s parents

Bharath

Bharath hails from a humble family in Ennore, just north of Chennai. His father Dasarathan, a poor tailor, can hardly sustain the family with his measly income. Bharath’s mother Selvi is a housewife, while his sister Bharathi studies in Class IX. Right from his early childhood, Bharath showed extreme disinterest in studies. Although he went up to high school, he couldn’t clear his Class X Board exams, failing in all subjects. He wasted away his time, roaming about aimlessly with friends and not being of any help at home. His parents were very upset to see him going astray, showing an utterly indifferent and disrespectful attitude towards them. His father’s advice to Bharath to at least take up tailoring as a small means of income fell on deaf ears. Relationships deteriorated in the family, and everyone stopped speaking to Bharath. His parents and sister began to ignore him almost completely, which made things even worse in his mind. He began to realize that his own lackadaisical behavior had brought things to such a sorry pass. He felt that he had lost all sense of direction in his life. The future looked very bleak, and he seemed to find no one willing to guide and help him find the right way. One day, his father came to know of a nearby LABS center being run by DRF in association with Corporation of Chennai. He advised Bharath to enroll in it, learn some livelihood skills and

try for a job. Bharath showed little interest in the program, and had to be repeatedly persuaded to go and meet the facilitators. He finally did so with much

reluctance. The facilitators put him through an ‘Interest Inventory’ check, based on which he was counseled to take up a course in Hospitality. B h a r a t h b e g a n t h e c o u r s e halfheartedly, as he was not sure if being trained in hospitality skills would get him anywhere in the job market. But after a few days of life skills training, his outlook towards the course changed dramatically.

For the first time in a long while, he began to realize the importance of putting his time to the best possible

use, and not frittering it away on useless and

unproductive activities. His facilitators also told him of the plethora of opportunities available in the hospitality sector, and he started to take the technical inputs seriously. Almost as soon as he finished the three-month course, he received a job offer from KFC at Spencer Plaza (Chennai) with a starting salary of Rs 5000 pm. Bharath and his parents were elated beyond words. Bharath says, “It feels great to be working in such a good place as this! I I have learnt so many things here, and have even made new friends! A few foreign customers who come here regularly have become my friends too!” Bharath is proud of the ‘star’ he has won for his excellent service so far. “When I win three, I shall become a manager,” he says, “the prospect is so exciting. But my most satisfying feeling is that my parents are now proud of me. I have become

interested in my studies again, and am applying shortly for a degree course through correspondence.”

His manager Niranjani is all praise for him and says, “Bharath works with remarkable dedication. If he continues like this he will certainly have a bright future in KFC.” Bharath’s parents are very relieved about their son, who had until not very long ago been heading along a self-destructive path.

His father says, “I really have no words to thank LABS, which has so completely turned Bharath’s life around.” His mother adds, “DRF is rendering a great service to society through the LABS program. Despite our best efforts, we as his parents could hardly motivate Bharath to mend his ways.”

“His LABS facilitators have done so in just three months! It is indeed amazing to s e e s o m a n y positive changes in our son. Not only is he doing well in his job, he has also become so much more responsible towards his family.” Bharath has earned the respect and admiration of his sister too. His close friend Siva Prakasam says, “Bharath and I have always been great friends. He is now my role model too, for he has shown that it is never too late to regain focus in life.”

54

With colleagues at KFC, Chennai

a

With his supervisor at the workpl ce

rWith f iends

Bharath

Bharath hails from a humble family in Ennore, just north of Chennai. His father Dasarathan, a poor tailor, can hardly sustain the family with his measly income. Bharath’s mother Selvi is a housewife, while his sister Bharathi studies in Class IX. Right from his early childhood, Bharath showed extreme disinterest in studies. Although he went up to high school, he couldn’t clear his Class X Board exams, failing in all subjects. He wasted away his time, roaming about aimlessly with friends and not being of any help at home. His parents were very upset to see him going astray, showing an utterly indifferent and disrespectful attitude towards them. His father’s advice to Bharath to at least take up tailoring as a small means of income fell on deaf ears. Relationships deteriorated in the family, and everyone stopped speaking to Bharath. His parents and sister began to ignore him almost completely, which made things even worse in his mind. He began to realize that his own lackadaisical behavior had brought things to such a sorry pass. He felt that he had lost all sense of direction in his life. The future looked very bleak, and he seemed to find no one willing to guide and help him find the right way. One day, his father came to know of a nearby LABS center being run by DRF in association with Corporation of Chennai. He advised Bharath to enroll in it, learn some livelihood skills and

try for a job. Bharath showed little interest in the program, and had to be repeatedly persuaded to go and meet the facilitators. He finally did so with much

reluctance. The facilitators put him through an ‘Interest Inventory’ check, based on which he was counseled to take up a course in Hospitality. B h a r a t h b e g a n t h e c o u r s e halfheartedly, as he was not sure if being trained in hospitality skills would get him anywhere in the job market. But after a few days of life skills training, his outlook towards the course changed dramatically.

For the first time in a long while, he began to realize the importance of putting his time to the best possible

use, and not frittering it away on useless and

unproductive activities. His facilitators also told him of the plethora of opportunities available in the hospitality sector, and he started to take the technical inputs seriously. Almost as soon as he finished the three-month course, he received a job offer from KFC at Spencer Plaza (Chennai) with a starting salary of Rs 5000 pm. Bharath and his parents were elated beyond words. Bharath says, “It feels great to be working in such a good place as this! I I have learnt so many things here, and have even made new friends! A few foreign customers who come here regularly have become my friends too!” Bharath is proud of the ‘star’ he has won for his excellent service so far. “When I win three, I shall become a manager,” he says, “the prospect is so exciting. But my most satisfying feeling is that my parents are now proud of me. I have become

interested in my studies again, and am applying shortly for a degree course through correspondence.”

His manager Niranjani is all praise for him and says, “Bharath works with remarkable dedication. If he continues like this he will certainly have a bright future in KFC.” Bharath’s parents are very relieved about their son, who had until not very long ago been heading along a self-destructive path.

His father says, “I really have no words to thank LABS, which has so completely turned Bharath’s life around.” His mother adds, “DRF is rendering a great service to society through the LABS program. Despite our best efforts, we as his parents could hardly motivate Bharath to mend his ways.”

“His LABS facilitators have done so in just three months! It is indeed amazing to s e e s o m a n y positive changes in our son. Not only is he doing well in his job, he has also become so much more responsible towards his family.” Bharath has earned the respect and admiration of his sister too. His close friend Siva Prakasam says, “Bharath and I have always been great friends. He is now my role model too, for he has shown that it is never too late to regain focus in life.”

54

With colleagues at KFC, Chennai

With his supe vis r a th o kplace

r o t e w r

W h friit ends

Bhavinder Kumar

20-year-old Bhavinder hails from Halogin Dhami, a small hilly village about 25 km from Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. About 20 BPL families live in the village, which is tenuously connected to the outside world. Bhavinder's father Dayaram, a poor farmer, gets too little yield from his poorly irrigated five bighas of land to support his family of five (wife, two unemployed sons and a daughter who works as a government Anganwadi worker).

To supplement the meager farm income, his family makes and sells woollen shawls and mufflers. Dayaram also works as a casual laborer during the non-farming season. Poverty kept his children from studying beyond school level. Bhavinder himself had to give up studies after completing his 10+2.

Bhavinder came to know about a Grameen LABS center at Shimla through a friend who had passed out from a previous batch. Bhavinder convinced his skeptical father that he would get a good job after undergoing a course in 'Hospitality' at the center. He attended his classes regularly, travelling over 52 km every day. Travel by bus meant a daily expense of Rs 50, which his large-hearted father bore without demur.

Veenita Parhawk, Bhavinder's Hospitality Facilitator says,“At LABS, I always found Bhavinder a keen and

“Bhavinder works sincerely at his job. He is a quiet boy with a cool temperament.

I particularly appreciate his punctuality and hardworking nature.”

- Gurpreet SinghBhavinder's Manager

“I admire Bhavinder's sense of responsibility towards his family. It is good to see them all so happy after he found a job.”

- Prem Chand Bhavinder's Neighbour

76

active learner. He was willing to relocate anywhere for the sake of a good job, so that he could support his family.”

After successfully completing the course, Bhavinder attended two rounds of interviews for a job at Domino's, with a starting salary of Rs 3400 pm. His hardworking nature fetched him a raise and a promotion within just six months, and he looks enthusiastically forward to even greater rewards soon. He is proud of working alongside people with

degrees / diplomas in hotel management in such a world-famous brand. He intends to acquire a graduate degree through distance learning, so that he can become a Store Manager one day and even go abroad!

Bhavinder's face lights up as he says, “I cannot forget the day when I got my first salary! I proudly showed my pay slip and PF slip to my parents, and they were simply overcome with emotion. A few months later, when I received a bonus for our team crossing a challenging sales target for the year 2008, my joy knew no bounds. I have bought a mobile phone from my earnings; someday I shall have a bike or car too.”

Needless to say, his parents are extremely proud of him. They reminisce, “Not very long ago, Bhavinder

used to work on 'Dihadi' (daily wages). He had always wanted to study in a good hotel management institute, but our poverty simply would not let us fulfill his wish. To see him employed now in a big company like this is an incredible feeling. Bhavinder takes very good care of the family now. He never stays idle. When he is off duty, he still helps out at our farm.”

Bhavinder's success story has influenced many in his village and beyond. He has inspired quite a few friends to join the LABS program or pursue higher studies. Speaking of LABS he says, “There should be many more such LABS centers in our area, as it is a program that quickly empowers the disadvantaged by giving them livelihood skills. The most important thing it teaches is that with hard work and a positive attitude, any difficulty can be overcome.”

Bhavinder’s family

Bhavinder Kumar

20-year-old Bhavinder hails from Halogin Dhami, a small hilly village about 25 km from Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. About 20 BPL families live in the village, which is tenuously connected to the outside world. Bhavinder's father Dayaram, a poor farmer, gets too little yield from his poorly irrigated five bighas of land to support his family of five (wife, two unemployed sons and a daughter who works as a government Anganwadi worker).

To supplement the meager farm income, his family makes and sells woollen shawls and mufflers. Dayaram also works as a casual laborer during the non-farming season. Poverty kept his children from studying beyond school level. Bhavinder himself had to give up studies after completing his 10+2.

Bhavinder came to know about a Grameen LABS center at Shimla through a friend who had passed out from a previous batch. Bhavinder convinced his skeptical father that he would get a good job after undergoing a course in 'Hospitality' at the center. He attended his classes regularly, travelling over 52 km every day. Travel by bus meant a daily expense of Rs 50, which his large-hearted father bore without demur.

Veenita Parhawk, Bhavinder's Hospitality Facilitator says,“At LABS, I always found Bhavinder a keen and

“Bhavinder works sincerely at his job. He is a quiet boy with a cool temperament.

I particularly appreciate his punctuality and hardworking nature.”

- Gurpreet SinghBhavinder's Manager

“I admire Bhavinder's sense of responsibility towards his family. It is good to see them all so happy after he found a job.”

- Prem Chand Bhavinder's Neighbour

76

active learner. He was willing to relocate anywhere for the sake of a good job, so that he could support his family.”

After successfully completing the course, Bhavinder attended two rounds of interviews for a job at Domino's, with a starting salary of Rs 3400 pm. His hardworking nature fetched him a raise and a promotion within just six months, and he looks enthusiastically forward to even greater rewards soon. He is proud of working alongside people with

degrees / diplomas in hotel management in such a world-famous brand. He intends to acquire a graduate degree through distance learning, so that he can become a Store Manager one day and even go abroad!

Bhavinder's face lights up as he says, “I cannot forget the day when I got my first salary! I proudly showed my pay slip and PF slip to my parents, and they were simply overcome with emotion. A few months later, when I received a bonus for our team crossing a challenging sales target for the year 2008, my joy knew no bounds. I have bought a mobile phone from my earnings; someday I shall have a bike or car too.”

Needless to say, his parents are extremely proud of him. They reminisce, “Not very long ago, Bhavinder

used to work on 'Dihadi' (daily wages). He had always wanted to study in a good hotel management institute, but our poverty simply would not let us fulfill his wish. To see him employed now in a big company like this is an incredible feeling. Bhavinder takes very good care of the family now. He never stays idle. When he is off duty, he still helps out at our farm.”

Bhavinder's success story has influenced many in his village and beyond. He has inspired quite a few friends to join the LABS program or pursue higher studies. Speaking of LABS he says, “There should be many more such LABS centers in our area, as it is a program that quickly empowers the disadvantaged by giving them livelihood skills. The most important thing it teaches is that with hard work and a positive attitude, any difficulty can be overcome.”

Bhavinder’s family

Haimanti Patra

Haimanti is barely 26, but has already seen many vicissitudes in her life. A resident of Haturai, a small village in Howrah District of West Bengal, she is looked up to by everyone as an inspiring and gutsy fighter against all odds. Her father, a poor private tutor, often found it difficult to sustain the family with his income. But he encouraged his daughter to study, and helped her clear her Higher Secondary Exam with a very good score. Looking forward to study further, she enthusiastically enrolled in a B.Sc. course.

But her dreams were suddenly dashed when her conservative parents discontinued her studies, as they felt she was old enough to be married off. She was wedded into a poor family in 2006. Her husband had no fixed income; he was a lowly paid money collector for a cooperative bank, barely making Rs 1000 a month. Haimanti tried various odd jobs at supplementing the family income, but they continued to remain crippled by poverty.

During this depressing phase, her husband one day came across a road show being organized by DRF to mobilize aspirants for a Grameen LABS training

center that was being set up at nearby Sankrail (Howrah District). Knowing of his wife's interest in education, he encouraged her to join the training batch, which began in December 2007.

After the ‘Interest Inventory’ check, her facilitators counseled her to take up a course in Customer Relations & Sales. Rediscovering her joy in learning, Haimanti worked hard during the three-month course and passed out as one of the brightest students of her batch. On completion of the course, she got a job offer in Nicholas Piramal, a reputed pharmaceutical company, with a handsome starting salary of Rs 6500 pm, plus incentives and several other benefits.

Applying herself diligently to her job, she rose quickly up the ladder and is today a District Sales Manager in the company, earning nearly Rs 13000 pm plus incentives and other benefits. She is acknowledged as one of its star performers now, and is confident of

becoming an Area Sales Manager soon.

Her face beaming brightly, Haimanti says, “The day I got my offer from Nicholas Piramal will remain one of the most memorable days of my life. The training I rece ived a t LABS great ly improved my communication and selling skills. It also taught me some very essential life skills and infused new confidence in me.”

“Those three months at LABS were almost like a rebirth for me. I would advise my fellow-aspirants at LABS to attentively imbibe all that is taught during that nicely structured training program. Every bit of that learning will stand them in good stead later in life.”

Reflecting on the turn of events in her life over the past year Haimanti says, “Life has taught me that no matter how tough the going may seem, one should always retain a positive outlook and take every good opportunity that presents itself. This will not only help us survive the bad times, but also emerge victorious from them.”

“My husband's constant encouragement has also been a great source of strength for me,” she adds. “He

has always respected my wish to study, learn and work. In fact, it was he who suggested that I would do very well at LABS and get a good job after taking a course in it. He even accompanied me to my job interview, all the while speaking words of encouragement to me. Thankfully, he too has a much better job now! We are deeply grateful to God for turning our lives around.”

What are her long-term career plans? “Well,” she says with a look of determination in her eyes, “I am doing my graduation through distance learning; I want to become a National Sales Manager someday soon.”

Looking at her enormous appetite for success, even that seems within reach for Haimanti, as we watch her driving away on her brand new ‘Hero Honda Pleasure’ for an appointment with a doctor.

98

Making a presentation to a doctor

With her mother-in-law

Driving off to a new day

Haimanti Patra

Haimanti is barely 26, but has already seen many vicissitudes in her life. A resident of Haturai, a small village in Howrah District of West Bengal, she is looked up to by everyone as an inspiring and gutsy fighter against all odds. Her father, a poor private tutor, often found it difficult to sustain the family with his income. But he encouraged his daughter to study, and helped her clear her Higher Secondary Exam with a very good score. Looking forward to study further, she enthusiastically enrolled in a B.Sc. course.

But her dreams were suddenly dashed when her conservative parents discontinued her studies, as they felt she was old enough to be married off. She was wedded into a poor family in 2006. Her husband had no fixed income; he was a lowly paid money collector for a cooperative bank, barely making Rs 1000 a month. Haimanti tried various odd jobs at supplementing the family income, but they continued to remain crippled by poverty.

During this depressing phase, her husband one day came across a road show being organized by DRF to mobilize aspirants for a Grameen LABS training

center that was being set up at nearby Sankrail (Howrah District). Knowing of his wife's interest in education, he encouraged her to join the training batch, which began in December 2007.

After the ‘Interest Inventory’ check, her facilitators counseled her to take up a course in Customer Relations & Sales. Rediscovering her joy in learning, Haimanti worked hard during the three-month course and passed out as one of the brightest students of her batch. On completion of the course, she got a job offer in Nicholas Piramal, a reputed pharmaceutical company, with a handsome starting salary of Rs 6500 pm, plus incentives and several other benefits.

Applying herself diligently to her job, she rose quickly up the ladder and is today a District Sales Manager in the company, earning nearly Rs 13000 pm plus incentives and other benefits. She is acknowledged as one of its star performers now, and is confident of

becoming an Area Sales Manager soon.

Her face beaming brightly, Haimanti says, “The day I got my offer from Nicholas Piramal will remain one of the most memorable days of my life. The training I rece ived a t LABS great ly improved my communication and selling skills. It also taught me some very essential life skills and infused new confidence in me.”

“Those three months at LABS were almost like a rebirth for me. I would advise my fellow-aspirants at LABS to attentively imbibe all that is taught during that nicely structured training program. Every bit of that learning will stand them in good stead later in life.”

Reflecting on the turn of events in her life over the past year Haimanti says, “Life has taught me that no matter how tough the going may seem, one should always retain a positive outlook and take every good opportunity that presents itself. This will not only help us survive the bad times, but also emerge victorious from them.”

“My husband's constant encouragement has also been a great source of strength for me,” she adds. “He

has always respected my wish to study, learn and work. In fact, it was he who suggested that I would do very well at LABS and get a good job after taking a course in it. He even accompanied me to my job interview, all the while speaking words of encouragement to me. Thankfully, he too has a much better job now! We are deeply grateful to God for turning our lives around.”

What are her long-term career plans? “Well,” she says with a look of determination in her eyes, “I am doing my graduation through distance learning; I want to become a National Sales Manager someday soon.”

Looking at her enormous appetite for success, even that seems within reach for Haimanti, as we watch her driving away on her brand new ‘Hero Honda Pleasure’ for an appointment with a doctor.

98

Making a presentation to a doctor

With her mother-in-law

Driving off to a new day

Heena Rana

24-year-old Heena Rana hails from an extremely poor family of Miyagam, a small hamlet in Vadodara District (Gujarat). She studied in a government school up to Class X, but failed in her Board examination. Soon after that, while she was still in her early teens, her parents – Tejsinh Chavada and Manjulaben – married her off to a poor man.

Within a few years they were blessed with two children. Life, though poverty-ridden, seemed to be going along steadily. Then, quite unexpectedly, Heena's husband died. Relations between Heena and her in-laws began to deteriorate rapidly, and she was soon evicted by them.

Left in the lurch, with no means of making a living and with two small children to look after, Heena was compelled to come back and stay with her parents.

It was not easy for three adults and two children to live off the meager income of Heena's father. Her uncle chipped in with an occasional helping hand, but the situation remained quite desperate.

Heena tried her hand at v a r i o u s p e t t y j o b s t o supp lement her fa ther 's earnings, but lacked the skills to find anything decent. The sight of her children always remaining ill-fed and ill-clothed began to depress her deeply. Sending them to school was, of course, out of the question.

Whi le she w a s t h u s w o r r y i n g herself sick about her ch i ld ren 's future, Heena c a m e t oknow – throughh e r V i l l a g ePanchayat – of a G r a m e e n L A B S c e n t e r in operation nearby.

She hurried to the center, explained her difficult condition to the facilitators, and asked if they could make her fit enough to get a job somewhere. They encouraged her to enroll immediately and acquire

some livelihood skills through the vocational training program. She

was administered an 'Interest Inventory' check, based on which the facil i tators advised her to take up a course in Bedside Patient Assistance.

Widowed at such a young age, saddled with two small kids, and having been traumatized so badly by her

in-laws, Heena was very low on self-confidence at the beginning of

her training program. During the first few days, she remained very silent in the classroom and hardly participated in any activity. But her friendly facilitators slowly brought her out of her shell with words of encouragement and hope, and she soon

about her routine with a new-found confidence. She says, “LABS has taught me that there is no point in getting bogged down thinking of one's sad past. However bad it was, it cannot be changed anyway. So one must work for a better future with a positive mindset. I am extremely happy

that I can now take care of my parents' needs in their old age, and

also give my children some good schooling. Hopefully, that should give them a much better quality of life.”

found herself enjoying every minute of the training sessions.

What she learnt over those three months at LABS went far beyond just the technical skills required in bedside patient assistance. She also learnt several useful life skills that taught her to stand firm in times of adversity, and work steadily out of it with a positive outlook and a perseverant approach. She was given a fair amount of training in computer basics too, which she finds very handy at her workplace.

Heena also found the Communicative English classes very useful, and by the end of the course began to speak English with a fair degree of fluency. The 'Work Readiness Module' that rounded off the course taught her how to prepare her resume, face a job interview, and handle various types of workplace-related challenges.

She did very well in the course overall, and soon received a job offer from Naik's Hospital (Vadodara) as a Trainee Nurse, with a starting salary of Rs 1500 per month. It was a huge boost to her financial condition, and she immediately began to think of bettering her children's lives without having to tax her poor parents.

Within six months, her professional competence was noticed by Baroda General Hospital (Vadodara), which took her as a 'Staff Nurse' on a salary of Rs 3500 per month.

There is a spring in Heena's step now, as she goes 1110

A letter of commendation issued by

Dr Himanshu Naik of Naik's Hospital, ere wh

Heena received her first pla ement after

c

LABS training.

Heena’s family

With fellow nurses at Baroda General Hospital

Heena Rana

24-year-old Heena Rana hails from an extremely poor family of Miyagam, a small hamlet in Vadodara District (Gujarat). She studied in a government school up to Class X, but failed in her Board examination. Soon after that, while she was still in her early teens, her parents – Tejsinh Chavada and Manjulaben – married her off to a poor man.

Within a few years they were blessed with two children. Life, though poverty-ridden, seemed to be going along steadily. Then, quite unexpectedly, Heena's husband died. Relations between Heena and her in-laws began to deteriorate rapidly, and she was soon evicted by them.

Left in the lurch, with no means of making a living and with two small children to look after, Heena was compelled to come back and stay with her parents.

It was not easy for three adults and two children to live off the meager income of Heena's father. Her uncle chipped in with an occasional helping hand, but the situation remained quite desperate.

Heena tried her hand at v a r i o u s p e t t y j o b s t o supp lement her fa ther 's earnings, but lacked the skills to find anything decent. The sight of her children always remaining ill-fed and ill-clothed began to depress her deeply. Sending them to school was, of course, out of the question.

Whi le she w a s t h u s w o r r y i n g herself sick about her ch i ld ren 's future, Heena c a m e t oknow – throughh e r V i l l a g ePanchayat – of a G r a m e e n L A B S c e n t e r in operation nearby.

She hurried to the center, explained her difficult condition to the facilitators, and asked if they could make her fit enough to get a job somewhere. They encouraged her to enroll immediately and acquire

some livelihood skills through the vocational training program. She

was administered an 'Interest Inventory' check, based on which the facil i tators advised her to take up a course in Bedside Patient Assistance.

Widowed at such a young age, saddled with two small kids, and having been traumatized so badly by her

in-laws, Heena was very low on self-confidence at the beginning of

her training program. During the first few days, she remained very silent in the classroom and hardly participated in any activity. But her friendly facilitators slowly brought her out of her shell with words of encouragement and hope, and she soon

about her routine with a new-found confidence. She says, “LABS has taught me that there is no point in getting bogged down thinking of one's sad past. However bad it was, it cannot be changed anyway. So one must work for a better future with a positive mindset. I am extremely happy

that I can now take care of my parents' needs in their old age, and

also give my children some good schooling. Hopefully, that should give them a much better quality of life.”

found herself enjoying every minute of the training sessions.

What she learnt over those three months at LABS went far beyond just the technical skills required in bedside patient assistance. She also learnt several useful life skills that taught her to stand firm in times of adversity, and work steadily out of it with a positive outlook and a perseverant approach. She was given a fair amount of training in computer basics too, which she finds very handy at her workplace.

Heena also found the Communicative English classes very useful, and by the end of the course began to speak English with a fair degree of fluency. The 'Work Readiness Module' that rounded off the course taught her how to prepare her resume, face a job interview, and handle various types of workplace-related challenges.

She did very well in the course overall, and soon received a job offer from Naik's Hospital (Vadodara) as a Trainee Nurse, with a starting salary of Rs 1500 per month. It was a huge boost to her financial condition, and she immediately began to think of bettering her children's lives without having to tax her poor parents.

Within six months, her professional competence was noticed by Baroda General Hospital (Vadodara), which took her as a 'Staff Nurse' on a salary of Rs 3500 per month.

There is a spring in Heena's step now, as she goes 1110

A letter of commendation issued by

Dr Himanshu Naik of Naik's Hospital, where

Heena received her first pla ement after c

t nLABS raini g.

Heena’s family

With fellow nurses at Baroda General Hospital

Kamishan Kumar

of livelihood, Kamishan began to despair of ever finding a clear way out of the bind. His mind simply couldn't think beyond farming.

One day, he came to know of a Grameen LABS center being launched near Shimla. Hoping that it might help him financially, he enrolled in the program and was selected to undergo training in Bedside Patient Assistance.

The three-month course opened up an entirely new world for him. He learnt new things every day, ranging from technical skills to Communicative English to useful lessons in self-development. His facilitators told him of the various job opportunities that would come his way if he imbibed all that was taught in the course.

Kamishan was a totally transformed man at the end of the course. His ability to communicate his thoughts

Kamishan lives with his poor parents, three sisters and a brother in Gadhari, a beautiful remote village that nestles in the Himalayan foothills, about 85 km from Shimla (Himachal Pradesh).

Kamishan's father, an illiterate farmer, toils hard at his small farm but cannot provide enough for the family. Though keen to be well educated, Kamishan had to quit studies after Class XI, as there was no money in the family to afford his fees. As things stood, he was the most educated person in his entire family, and the first to study past matriculation!

Agriculture having traditionally been the only means of livelihood in the family, Kamishan had no way of knowing how he could get a wage-based job and thus support his family. His school-level education served little purpose in his village, and the family farm was too small to feed so many mouths. Conditioned by his family's thinking that agriculture was the only means

and ideas improved considerably, and he felt able to address large groups of people with confidence.

But the biggest impact of the LABS program on him was that he could clearly see a large, opportunity-filled world beckoning him.

Soon after completing the course, Kamishan received a job offer as a 'Trainee Electro-Cardiograph (ECG) Technician' in Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Shimla. The hospital authorities had stipulated a six-month probation period but, impressed with his competence and application, regularized his services much earlier, with a salary of Rs 4500 pm.

Kamishan is a truly happy man now, happy that he is able to support his family financially. His parents are proud of their son, who continues to be modest and helpful to everyone. Thanks to him, his sisters and brothers can also look forward to a brighter future for themselves. He has also become a fine source of inspiration to others in his village, from which no one had ever worked in such a large organization before!

Looking back on his struggle-filled life, Kamishan says, “I had always wanted to help my poor father in sustaining our family, but couldn't figure out how. Before LABS happened to me, I could see practically no way of improving our quality of life.

LABS changed all that, in the sense that it opened up my mind and made me look far beyond my immediate surroundings. In a way, it helped me discover myself and my untapped potential.”

But success hasn't made Kamishan complacent. He is quick to add, “While I am extremely happy with my job, I also understand that I need to continue to work even harder if I am to grow further in my career. It was LABS that largely enabled me to get a good job. But it has done much more for me it has taught me that one must strive unrelentingly in order to scale ever newer heights in one's life.”

Kamishan has indeed learnt his LABS lessons well.

1312

At home with his mother

At his workplace

Kamishan Kumar

of livelihood, Kamishan began to despair of ever finding a clear way out of the bind. His mind simply couldn't think beyond farming.

One day, he came to know of a Grameen LABS center being launched near Shimla. Hoping that it might help him financially, he enrolled in the program and was selected to undergo training in Bedside Patient Assistance.

The three-month course opened up an entirely new world for him. He learnt new things every day, ranging from technical skills to Communicative English to useful lessons in self-development. His facilitators told him of the various job opportunities that would come his way if he imbibed all that was taught in the course.

Kamishan was a totally transformed man at the end of the course. His ability to communicate his thoughts

Kamishan lives with his poor parents, three sisters and a brother in Gadhari, a beautiful remote village that nestles in the Himalayan foothills, about 85 km from Shimla (Himachal Pradesh).

Kamishan's father, an illiterate farmer, toils hard at his small farm but cannot provide enough for the family. Though keen to be well educated, Kamishan had to quit studies after Class XI, as there was no money in the family to afford his fees. As things stood, he was the most educated person in his entire family, and the first to study past matriculation!

Agriculture having traditionally been the only means of livelihood in the family, Kamishan had no way of knowing how he could get a wage-based job and thus support his family. His school-level education served little purpose in his village, and the family farm was too small to feed so many mouths. Conditioned by his family's thinking that agriculture was the only means

and ideas improved considerably, and he felt able to address large groups of people with confidence.

But the biggest impact of the LABS program on him was that he could clearly see a large, opportunity-filled world beckoning him.

Soon after completing the course, Kamishan received a job offer as a 'Trainee Electro-Cardiograph (ECG) Technician' in Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Shimla. The hospital authorities had stipulated a six-month probation period but, impressed with his competence and application, regularized his services much earlier, with a salary of Rs 4500 pm.

Kamishan is a truly happy man now, happy that he is able to support his family financially. His parents are proud of their son, who continues to be modest and helpful to everyone. Thanks to him, his sisters and brothers can also look forward to a brighter future for themselves. He has also become a fine source of inspiration to others in his village, from which no one had ever worked in such a large organization before!

Looking back on his struggle-filled life, Kamishan says, “I had always wanted to help my poor father in sustaining our family, but couldn't figure out how. Before LABS happened to me, I could see practically no way of improving our quality of life.

LABS changed all that, in the sense that it opened up my mind and made me look far beyond my immediate surroundings. In a way, it helped me discover myself and my untapped potential.”

But success hasn't made Kamishan complacent. He is quick to add, “While I am extremely happy with my job, I also understand that I need to continue to work even harder if I am to grow further in my career. It was LABS that largely enabled me to get a good job. But it has done much more for me it has taught me that one must strive unrelentingly in order to scale ever newer heights in one's life.”

Kamishan has indeed learnt his LABS lessons well.

1312

At home with his mother

At his workplace

20-year-old Prasanna is an Intermediate dropout from

Asifnagar village (Karimnagar District, Andhra

Pradesh). She hails from a very poor orthodox

Brahmin ‘Purohit’ family, which depends for its income

entirely on the small ‘dakshina’ (fee paid by the host)

from the performance of religious rituals at traditional

marriages, death ceremonies, etc. Prasanna lost her father when she was barely ten,

which made it very difficult for her mother and siblings

(all of whom were too young to work for a living).

Owing to the rapid westernization / modernization of

Indian society, ‘dakshina’ income for orthodox

Brahmins dependant on this ancient profession has of

late been dwindling rapidly. Apart from their erudition in Hindu scriptures and

Vedic incantations, Prasanna’s brothers had acquired

no livelihood skills that could give them a decent job in

the modern society. The money they made from their

priestly avocation was woefully inadequate to meet

the family needs. Poverty also prevented them,

including Prasanna, from studying beyond

Intermediate.

Prasanna

One

day, as Prasanna

was browsing through Eenadu, a

Telugu daily, her eyes fell on an interesting article on

some vocational training course being offered at a

LABS center in Karimnagar. It said the center had

been set up by DRF in association with Mission for

Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas

(Government of Andhra Pradesh), under the ‘Urban

Program for Advancement of Household Income’

(UPADHI). The center offered three-

month-long livelihood training

courses in various domains for

underprivileged youth, to help them

get entry-level positions in the job

market. Curious to know more, Prasanna

rushed to the center and asked the

District Coordinator of the LABS

program if she was eligible to enroll in the

course, and whether there was any fee to be paid for it.

She was pleasantly surprised when he told her that

the course was not only free of cost, but that her

facilitators would also assist her in finding a suitable

job at the end of it.

Her heart brimming with excitement, she rushed back

home and informed her mother of all that she had

heard at the LABS center. Her mother

immediately agreed that Prasanna

should join up and benefit from the

program. The facilitators at the center put her

through an ‘Interest Inventory’ check

and advised that a course in ‘Customer

Relations and Sales’ would be best

suited for her.

Over the next three months,

Prasanna went through a wide range

of extremely useful and interesting

learning sessions which – apart from

technical inputs – included life skills,

Communicative Engl ish and

computer basics. By the time she

finished the course, she was a

transformed person, looking

ahead at l ife with positive

expectation. Her facilitators helped her attend a job interview at

Adarsha Motors in Karimnagar, and gave her useful

tips on how to present her credentials well. The

interviewers were impressed with her confident

attitude and recruited her as a Customer Care

Executive with a starting salary of Rs 3500 pm. Within

a few months, she was invited by Hotel Comfort Inn

Swetha (Karimnagar) to join them as a Front Office

Executive. She accepted their offer, and is now

drawing a monthly salary of over Rs 4500 plus free

food while on duty. Prasanna’s mother is greatly relieved that her

daughter’s marriage, which had been stalled for the

past few years due to the family’s straitened

circumstances, can now be performed without any

problem. There is a distinctly upbeat mood in her

family, with everyone able to enjoy a better quality of

life. Inspired by her example, her neighbours are

eager to join the LABS program themselves.

1514

In the lounge of Comfort Inn

With her family

20-year-old Prasanna is an Intermediate dropout from

Asifnagar village (Karimnagar District, Andhra

Pradesh). She hails from a very poor orthodox

Brahmin ‘Purohit’ family, which depends for its income

entirely on the small ‘dakshina’ (fee paid by the host)

from the performance of religious rituals at traditional

marriages, death ceremonies, etc. Prasanna lost her father when she was barely ten,

which made it very difficult for her mother and siblings

(all of whom were too young to work for a living).

Owing to the rapid westernization / modernization of

Indian society, ‘dakshina’ income for orthodox

Brahmins dependant on this ancient profession has of

late been dwindling rapidly. Apart from their erudition in Hindu scriptures and

Vedic incantations, Prasanna’s brothers had acquired

no livelihood skills that could give them a decent job in

the modern society. The money they made from their

priestly avocation was woefully inadequate to meet

the family needs. Poverty also prevented them,

including Prasanna, from studying beyond

Intermediate.

Prasanna

One

day, as Prasanna

was browsing through Eenadu, a

Telugu daily, her eyes fell on an interesting article on

some vocational training course being offered at a

LABS center in Karimnagar. It said the center had

been set up by DRF in association with Mission for

Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas

(Government of Andhra Pradesh), under the ‘Urban

Program for Advancement of Household Income’

(UPADHI). The center offered three-

month-long livelihood training

courses in various domains for

underprivileged youth, to help them

get entry-level positions in the job

market. Curious to know more, Prasanna

rushed to the center and asked the

District Coordinator of the LABS

program if she was eligible to enroll in the

course, and whether there was any fee to be paid for it.

She was pleasantly surprised when he told her that

the course was not only free of cost, but that her

facilitators would also assist her in finding a suitable

job at the end of it.

Her heart brimming with excitement, she rushed back

home and informed her mother of all that she had

heard at the LABS center. Her mother

immediately agreed that Prasanna

should join up and benefit from the

program. The facilitators at the center put her

through an ‘Interest Inventory’ check

and advised that a course in ‘Customer

Relations and Sales’ would be best

suited for her.

Over the next three months,

Prasanna went through a wide range

of extremely useful and interesting

learning sessions which – apart from

technical inputs – included life skills,

Communicative Engl ish and

computer basics. By the time she

finished the course, she was a

transformed person, looking

ahead at l ife with positive

expectation. Her facilitators helped her attend a job interview at

Adarsha Motors in Karimnagar, and gave her useful

tips on how to present her credentials well. The

interviewers were impressed with her confident

attitude and recruited her as a Customer Care

Executive with a starting salary of Rs 3500 pm. Within

a few months, she was invited by Hotel Comfort Inn

Swetha (Karimnagar) to join them as a Front Office

Executive. She accepted their offer, and is now

drawing a monthly salary of over Rs 4500 plus free

food while on duty. Prasanna’s mother is greatly relieved that her

daughter’s marriage, which had been stalled for the

past few years due to the family’s straitened

circumstances, can now be performed without any

problem. There is a distinctly upbeat mood in her

family, with everyone able to enjoy a better quality of

life. Inspired by her example, her neighbours are

eager to join the LABS program themselves.

1514

In the lounge of Comfort Inn

With her family

Ram Narayan Kenwat

It took us quite some time and effort to seek out Ram Narayan’s village Budapar, located in a remote region of Korba District, Chhattisgarh. He lives with his poor, elderly parents Chamra Ram and Ramwati. His brothers and sister are married into poor families too, and live elsewhere.

Chamra Ram makes barely Rs 1000 a month from his small piece of land, which remains mostly dry through much of the year. And Ramwati is too old to work for a living. The family had seen better days earlier, when Chamra Ram ran a small business. But it went into unexpected losses, plunging the family into big debts and crippling poverty.

As was only to be expected, Ram Narayan had to quit school, since the family could not afford his fees. Unable to find any job, and with no one to guide him through those difficult days, he fell into bad company

and began to acquire bad habits. His father was worried looking at his son going astray, wasting precious time in aimless pursuits, and not being of any help at home.

One day, as he was casting about for some employment avenue, Ram Narayan came upon a mobilization drive at the nearby Katghora Janpad Panchayat by the facilitators’ team of a Grameen LABS center at Korba. Eager to know more about the program, he made enquiries with a friend who had just

graduated from an earlier batch from the same center, and had almost immediately found a good job with the help of the center team.

Ram Narayan’s curiosity was aroused. He went up tentatively to a facilitator and asked him if he too could join the program and receive some training that would give him a decent job. The helpful facilitator put Ram Narayan through an ‘interest inventory’ and counseled him to take up a course in IT-Enabled Services (ITES).

Spurred by hope and optimism, Ram Narayan began his course in earnest, attending classes

e v e r y day and carefully absorbing every training input. Within a few weeks his confidence returned and he knew that if he continued to work hard he would certainly be able to get a good opening in the ITES sector. Apart from IT-related technical training, he also learnt several useful life skills as well as Communicative English, which is so essential in the IT sector.

At the end of the three-month course, his facilitators arranged a job interview for him in Hindustan Unilever Limited. He was selected as a Branch Accountant by the company on a starting salary of Rs 3000 per month. Speaking appreciatively of Ram Narayan’s technical competence and commitment to the job, his

supervisor Deepak says, “Ram Narayan’s dedication to his job is commendable. Although he is just a few months old with us, he has shown himself to be worthy of handling several types of computer records. If he continues to work with zeal like this, I am sure he has a very bright future ahead.”

Reflecting on how his life has changed so much for the better over the last few months Ram Narayan says, “Before joining LABS I was simply killing time in the company of friends who too had nothing to look

forward to. I had no sense of direction, and no way of knowing how my life could ever become any better. LABS gave me something to aspire for, and taught me how to work for achieving it.”

“LABS has helped me and my family come out of poverty and lead a more dignified life. And for all this, I sincerely thank my facilitators who guided me at every stage and told me not to give in to despair. They would often advise me to take the training program seriously, so that I could get a good job within a few days of completing it. I am happy I followed their advice, and would strongly urge my fellow-aspirants to do the same.”

Ram Narayan’s parents are thankful that redemption has come at least now in their poverty-ridden lives.

With moist eyes father Chamra Ram adds, “LABS is indeed a big boon for poor people like us, living in remote, underdeveloped areas. God shows his infinite mercy in different ways. LABS is surely one of them.”

1716

With colleagues at HUL

With his parents and brother

Ram Narayan Kenwat

It took us quite some time and effort to seek out Ram Narayan’s village Budapar, located in a remote region of Korba District, Chhattisgarh. He lives with his poor, elderly parents Chamra Ram and Ramwati. His brothers and sister are married into poor families too, and live elsewhere.

Chamra Ram makes barely Rs 1000 a month from his small piece of land, which remains mostly dry through much of the year. And Ramwati is too old to work for a living. The family had seen better days earlier, when Chamra Ram ran a small business. But it went into unexpected losses, plunging the family into big debts and crippling poverty.

As was only to be expected, Ram Narayan had to quit school, since the family could not afford his fees. Unable to find any job, and with no one to guide him through those difficult days, he fell into bad company

and began to acquire bad habits. His father was worried looking at his son going astray, wasting precious time in aimless pursuits, and not being of any help at home.

One day, as he was casting about for some employment avenue, Ram Narayan came upon a mobilization drive at the nearby Katghora Janpad Panchayat by the facilitators’ team of a Grameen LABS center at Korba. Eager to know more about the program, he made enquiries with a friend who had just

graduated from an earlier batch from the same center, and had almost immediately found a good job with the help of the center team.

Ram Narayan’s curiosity was aroused. He went up tentatively to a facilitator and asked him if he too could join the program and receive some training that would give him a decent job. The helpful facilitator put Ram Narayan through an ‘interest inventory’ and counseled him to take up a course in IT-Enabled Services (ITES).

Spurred by hope and optimism, Ram Narayan began his course in earnest, attending classes

e v e r y day and carefully absorbing every training input. Within a few weeks his confidence returned and he knew that if he continued to work hard he would certainly be able to get a good opening in the ITES sector. Apart from IT-related technical training, he also learnt several useful life skills as well as Communicative English, which is so essential in the IT sector.

At the end of the three-month course, his facilitators arranged a job interview for him in Hindustan Unilever Limited. He was selected as a Branch Accountant by the company on a starting salary of Rs 3000 per month. Speaking appreciatively of Ram Narayan’s technical competence and commitment to the job, his

supervisor Deepak says, “Ram Narayan’s dedication to his job is commendable. Although he is just a few months old with us, he has shown himself to be worthy of handling several types of computer records. If he continues to work with zeal like this, I am sure he has a very bright future ahead.”

Reflecting on how his life has changed so much for the better over the last few months Ram Narayan says, “Before joining LABS I was simply killing time in the company of friends who too had nothing to look

forward to. I had no sense of direction, and no way of knowing how my life could ever become any better. LABS gave me something to aspire for, and taught me how to work for achieving it.”

“LABS has helped me and my family come out of poverty and lead a more dignified life. And for all this, I sincerely thank my facilitators who guided me at every stage and told me not to give in to despair. They would often advise me to take the training program seriously, so that I could get a good job within a few days of completing it. I am happy I followed their advice, and would strongly urge my fellow-aspirants to do the same.”

Ram Narayan’s parents are thankful that redemption has come at least now in their poverty-ridden lives.

With moist eyes father Chamra Ram adds, “LABS is indeed a big boon for poor people like us, living in remote, underdeveloped areas. God shows his infinite mercy in different ways. LABS is surely one of them.”

1716

With colleagues at HUL

With his parents and brother

Ranjana

Ranjana comes from a very poor family in Balawala village (Dehradun District, Uttarakhand). Her father, a lowly paid employee in a private firm, died unexpectedly when she was in Class VIII. The responsibility of providing for five children (three girls and two boys) fell on Ranjana’s mother, who worked as a maidservant in a few households nearby. Ranjana and her siblings continued to go to a government school, but were unable to attend classes

regularly, as they often had to take up sundry jobs to supplement their mother’s meager

income.

One d a y, a

f r i e n d b y n a m e S a r i t a

came along and informed Ranjana about a

Grameen LABS center operating in nearby Dehradun.

The center had been set up by DRF in association with the Ministry of Rural

Development (Government of India), under its Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY)

scheme. Sarita had passed out of an earlier batch at the same center and, with the help of her facilitators, got a job as a salesperson in a marketing company. Very soon, she was promoted as an Area Manager.

Impressed with Sarita’s success story, Ranjana wanted to enroll in the program herself, but her mother wasn’t so sure if it was wise for her to give up her part-time jobs – however little money they fetched – in favour of a full-time, three-month-long training course which, in the end, might not get her any job after all. After much persuasion by Sarita, however, she relented and agreed to let Ranjana attend the program. Ranjana turned up at the center and related her family’s condition to the facilitators. They assured her that the LABS training would enhance her employability, and carried out an ‘Interest Inventory’ check on her. The results from it showed that it would be best for her to do a course in Hospitality.

She was happy beyond words to get a domain that she really loved to work in. She applied herself with diligence at the course and eagerly learnt all the elements that were taught in it – technical inputs, life skills, Communicative English, computer basics, etc. It was quite some distance from her village to the LABS center and, what with the poor bus facilities in the area, being punctual for the classes every day was a stiff challenge. It was also expensive for the

family, as Ranjana had to spend nearly Rs 25 daily on travel alone. But her mother was unwavering in her support for her daughter and bore the additional burden without demur.

Soon after Ranjana successfully completed the course, her facilitators arranged a job interview for her with Hotel Abhinandan Palace, and gave her several tips and suggestions on how to handle it confidently. The interviewers were impressed with her confident demeanor and took her as a receptionist on a starting salary of Rs 3500 pm.

Hardly able to hold back her tears, Ranjana’s mother says, “Through the LABS program, DRF has not just given Ranjana a job. It has lifted my entire family out of poverty and infused hope in me that my other children too will have a decent future.”

1918

Ranjana has put her difficult past behind her, and is extremely happy about being able to help sustain her mother and siblings. There is a spring in her step as she goes about her work, which sometimes even involves night shifts. She knows that her hard work

will be rewarded well in due course. Her manager says of

her, “Ranjana is always very punctual, hardworking and focused. These qualities will definitely enable her to make quick progress in her career.” Ranjana’s facilitators are delighted to see that her family is doing well now. They say, “Throughout the course, Ranjana would often speak of her desire to provide well for her poor mother and siblings. It is gratifying to note that she has realized her dream.”

Her neighbours add, “We are proud that our Ranjana is holding a good job in a big hotel. Looking at her, we too have made up our minds to join LABS and benefit from its livelihood generating courses.”

Ranjana’s facilitators

Alongside her boss at Hotel Abhinandan Palace

Ranjana

Ranjana comes from a very poor family in Balawala village (Dehradun District, Uttarakhand). Her father, a lowly paid employee in a private firm, died unexpectedly when she was in Class VIII. The responsibility of providing for five children (three girls and two boys) fell on Ranjana’s mother, who worked as a maidservant in a few households nearby. Ranjana and her siblings continued to go to a government school, but were unable to attend classes

regularly, as they often had to take up sundry jobs to supplement their mother’s meager

income.

One d a y, a

f r i e n d b y n a m e S a r i t a

came along and informed Ranjana about a

Grameen LABS center operating in nearby Dehradun.

The center had been set up by DRF in association with the Ministry of Rural

Development (Government of India), under its Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY)

scheme. Sarita had passed out of an earlier batch at the same center and, with the help of her facilitators, got a job as a salesperson in a marketing company. Very soon, she was promoted as an Area Manager.

Impressed with Sarita’s success story, Ranjana wanted to enroll in the program herself, but her mother wasn’t so sure if it was wise for her to give up her part-time jobs – however little money they fetched – in favour of a full-time, three-month-long training course which, in the end, might not get her any job after all. After much persuasion by Sarita, however, she relented and agreed to let Ranjana attend the program. Ranjana turned up at the center and related her family’s condition to the facilitators. They assured her that the LABS training would enhance her employability, and carried out an ‘Interest Inventory’ check on her. The results from it showed that it would be best for her to do a course in Hospitality.

She was happy beyond words to get a domain that she really loved to work in. She applied herself with diligence at the course and eagerly learnt all the elements that were taught in it – technical inputs, life skills, Communicative English, computer basics, etc. It was quite some distance from her village to the LABS center and, what with the poor bus facilities in the area, being punctual for the classes every day was a stiff challenge. It was also expensive for the

family, as Ranjana had to spend nearly Rs 25 daily on travel alone. But her mother was unwavering in her support for her daughter and bore the additional burden without demur.

Soon after Ranjana successfully completed the course, her facilitators arranged a job interview for her with Hotel Abhinandan Palace, and gave her several tips and suggestions on how to handle it confidently. The interviewers were impressed with her confident demeanor and took her as a receptionist on a starting salary of Rs 3500 pm.

Hardly able to hold back her tears, Ranjana’s mother says, “Through the LABS program, DRF has not just given Ranjana a job. It has lifted my entire family out of poverty and infused hope in me that my other children too will have a decent future.”

1918

Ranjana has put her difficult past behind her, and is extremely happy about being able to help sustain her mother and siblings. There is a spring in her step as she goes about her work, which sometimes even involves night shifts. She knows that her hard work

will be rewarded well in due course. Her manager says of

her, “Ranjana is always very punctual, hardworking and focused. These qualities will definitely enable her to make quick progress in her career.” Ranjana’s facilitators are delighted to see that her family is doing well now. They say, “Throughout the course, Ranjana would often speak of her desire to provide well for her poor mother and siblings. It is gratifying to note that she has realized her dream.”

Her neighbours add, “We are proud that our Ranjana is holding a good job in a big hotel. Looking at her, we too have made up our minds to join LABS and benefit from its livelihood generating courses.”

Ranjana’s facilitators

Alongside her boss at Hotel Abhinandan Palace

Ravita

“Ravita has filled a very big emotional gap in our family. She takes very good care of my

old father. For a very long time before she joined us, I lived in

a state of extreme sadness about the inadequate care that my ailing father was getting at home. Now that Ravita is with us as a home nurse, I need have no more worries. She has actually become an integral

part of our family,” says Mr Dhavl ikar wi th an

extremely contented look on his face. Ravita gets Rs 3500

pm on the job, but is quick to add, “The sense of fulfillment that I get from serving such an elderly person makes my job even more pleasurable.” But life was not so happy for

Ravita until just a few months back. She hails from an extremely impoverished

family, and had lost her father five years ago. Her mother is mentally unsound and requires a good deal of medication and care. It was therefore hardly surprising that Ravita and her elder brother Raviraj had to drop out of school in their early teens and look for some means of supporting themselves and their mother. Raviraj, a Class VIII dropout, got a job in a cafeteria attached to the Community Health Center at Canacona (Goa). But his meager salary of Rs 2000

per month was barely sufficient for sustaining the family, considering that there was also the additional strain of having to buy expensive medicines for their sick mother.

Wanting to help her brother in running the family, Ravita began to look about for a job, but to no avail. Feeling helpless and depressed, she was forced to stay at home. It was then that her brother brought her some heartening news. He had come to know from the Health Officer at the Community Center that a Grameen LABS center had been set up nearby for giving vocational training to poor unemployed youth who had dropped out of school.

Ravita rushed to the center and, on making enquiries, was delighted to learn that the center offered a course in ‘Bedside Patient Assistance’, an avocation that was always close to her heart. With a heart brimming with hope, Ravita enrolled in the course right away, and applied her mind carefully to all that was taught in the three-month program, which included not only technical subjects but also some very useful life skills, Communicative English and a Work Readiness Module.

Almost as soon as she completed the course, she received an offer as a home nurse at Mr Dhavlikar’s residence.

Ravita is happy that she can now support her brother in meeting the family expenses and looking after their mother.

Her brother, who had for long borne the responsibility of being the sole breadwinner in the family, is a relaxed man now. He is very happy for Ravita too, and together they are much more confident about the future.

Their mother adds, “Thanks to LABS, my children will

have a better quality of life. T h e y c a n resume their education, get better jobs, and bring up their children well. I h a d n e v e r

thought things could become so

good for us within such a short while.”

Ravita is grateful to her

facilitators for the positive change they have brought about in her life.

She says, “My facilitators lifted me out of my depression and gave me something to look forward to. LABS is indeed a boon for rural people like me, who are unable to get a decent livelihood on their own. Within just three months, LABS has created undreamt-of opportunities for me, although I am just a school dropout. My job gives me the added satisfaction of learning more about nursing while on the job.” Word is spreading around in the neighborhood of the transformation that has come about in Ravita’s life.

Her friends and neighbours are quite impressed with the LABS program, and strongly feel that “there should be many more LABS centers in our area, so that this wonderful program can reach all needy people effectively.”

2120

Ravita’s mother and brother

Ravita loves nursing and caregiving

Ravita

“Ravita has filled a very big emotional gap in our family. She takes very good care of my

old father. For a very long time before she joined us, I lived in

a state of extreme sadness about the inadequate care that my ailing father was getting at home. Now that Ravita is with us as a home nurse, I need have no more worries. She has actually become an integral

part of our family,” says Mr Dhavl ikar wi th an

extremely contented look on his face. Ravita gets Rs 3500

pm on the job, but is quick to add, “The sense of fulfillment that I get from serving such an elderly person makes my job even more pleasurable.” But life was not so happy for

Ravita until just a few months back. She hails from an extremely impoverished

family, and had lost her father five years ago. Her mother is mentally unsound and requires a good deal of medication and care. It was therefore hardly surprising that Ravita and her elder brother Raviraj had to drop out of school in their early teens and look for some means of supporting themselves and their mother. Raviraj, a Class VIII dropout, got a job in a cafeteria attached to the Community Health Center at Canacona (Goa). But his meager salary of Rs 2000

per month was barely sufficient for sustaining the family, considering that there was also the additional strain of having to buy expensive medicines for their sick mother.

Wanting to help her brother in running the family, Ravita began to look about for a job, but to no avail. Feeling helpless and depressed, she was forced to stay at home. It was then that her brother brought her some heartening news. He had come to know from the Health Officer at the Community Center that a Grameen LABS center had been set up nearby for giving vocational training to poor unemployed youth who had dropped out of school.

Ravita rushed to the center and, on making enquiries, was delighted to learn that the center offered a course in ‘Bedside Patient Assistance’, an avocation that was always close to her heart. With a heart brimming with hope, Ravita enrolled in the course right away, and applied her mind carefully to all that was taught in the three-month program, which included not only technical subjects but also some very useful life skills, Communicative English and a Work Readiness Module.

Almost as soon as she completed the course, she received an offer as a home nurse at Mr Dhavlikar’s residence.

Ravita is happy that she can now support her brother in meeting the family expenses and looking after their mother.

Her brother, who had for long borne the responsibility of being the sole breadwinner in the family, is a relaxed man now. He is very happy for Ravita too, and together they are much more confident about the future.

Their mother adds, “Thanks to LABS, my children will

have a better quality of life. T h e y c a n resume their education, get better jobs, and bring up their children well. I h a d n e v e r

thought things could become so

good for us within such a short while.”

Ravita is grateful to her

facilitators for the positive change they have brought about in her life.

She says, “My facilitators lifted me out of my depression and gave me something to look forward to. LABS is indeed a boon for rural people like me, who are unable to get a decent livelihood on their own. Within just three months, LABS has created undreamt-of opportunities for me, although I am just a school dropout. My job gives me the added satisfaction of learning more about nursing while on the job.” Word is spreading around in the neighborhood of the transformation that has come about in Ravita’s life.

Her friends and neighbours are quite impressed with the LABS program, and strongly feel that “there should be many more LABS centers in our area, so that this wonderful program can reach all needy people effectively.”

2120

Ravita’s mother and brother

Ravita loves nursing and caregiving

Rupa Rathore

In all her life, 20-year-old Rupa has barely come out of Andul, a rather inaccessible village in Korba District, Chhattisgarh. She lost her father when she was barely 12. To make ends meet, her mother works as a lowly paid cook in a small school nearby. But that hardly sustains her two daughters and a son, all of whom are unemployed. Rupa was good at studies, and managed to complete her Class XII. But she could go no further, as there was no money in the family to pay for her education. For several days at a stretch, the family had to make do with just a single meal a day.

Rupa felt very sorry for her hardworking mother, who would often give away her own food to feed her hungry children. She tried hard to find some means of earning a little money for the family, but nothing came by. Apart from the little academic knowledge that she had gained at school, Rupa had no work skills of interest to prospective employers in the neighborhood. Unable to see a way out of such a seemingly hopeless situation, Rupa began to sink into a state of extreme depression and irritability.

It was during this difficult period that Rupa heard from her Village Secretary about a vocational training program called 'Grameen LABS' being organized in the vicinity by Dr. Reddy's Foundation, in association with the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. Hope surging in her heart, she approached the LABS facilitators and timidly asked them if she would be eligible to enroll in a course. They cheered her up and said the LABS program was meant for people like her.

Rupa made up her mind to do a LABS course, but had no money to pay for accommodation at Bilaspur, which was where the training center was located. But

thankfully a friend of hers offered to let Rupa stay with her. Encouraged by this thoughtful g e s t u r e , R u p a enrol led in the course and took t h e ' I n t e r e s t Inventory’ check administered by her facilitators. They counselled h e r t h a t 'Customer Relations & Sales' (CRS) would be an appropriate domain for her to take up.

Sensing that the three-month LABS course was a rare opportunity that had come her way, Rupa applied herself to it with all her heart. She was a keen learner and carefully absorbed all the skills required for her to become a good salesperson. Knowing that the ability

to speak in English would be an added advantage in her line, she paid a lot of attention to all that her Communicative English facilitator taught. By the end of the course, she had begun to speak the language with a fair degree of fluency.

The 'Work Readiness Module' at the end of the course helped her overcome the fear that her rural background might pose 'adjustment' problems at the workplace.

Her hard work paid off. Rupa completed the course with a fine performance record, earning the appreciation of her facilitators and fellow-aspirants alike. She was soon offered a job as a Sales Executive in Eureka Forbes, with a starting salary of Rs 4500 per month, plus sales-linked incentives.

She has been making rapid progress since, and takes home nearly Rs 12000 a month (including incentives) now. Sporting a beaming smile on her face she says, “I couldn't be happier. And my family couldn't be happier. LABS is not just a training center, but a place that gives needy youth a new lease of life.”

Rupa's mother adds, “It was not long ago that Rupa would waste hours each day, sulking in a corner. I simply had no idea how to cheer her up. We would wake up every morning with only a bleak future staring at us.”

“Thanks to LABS, all that has changed now. We don't go to bed on hungry stomachs anymore, and we wake up in the morning in good cheer. My other two children are inspired by Rupa's success and would like to join the next LABS batch.”

Rupa has become a source of inspiration to her friends too. “The transformation in Rupa is unbelievable,” they say, “she used to be so short on confidence and self-esteem earlier. But now she carries herself in a very impressive manner. We look up to her as a fine example of one who has successfully fought poverty with courage and perseverance.”

2322

Demonstrating a water purifier to a customer

With her friends and colleagues

Rupa Rathore

In all her life, 20-year-old Rupa has barely come out of Andul, a rather inaccessible village in Korba District, Chhattisgarh. She lost her father when she was barely 12. To make ends meet, her mother works as a lowly paid cook in a small school nearby. But that hardly sustains her two daughters and a son, all of whom are unemployed. Rupa was good at studies, and managed to complete her Class XII. But she could go no further, as there was no money in the family to pay for her education. For several days at a stretch, the family had to make do with just a single meal a day.

Rupa felt very sorry for her hardworking mother, who would often give away her own food to feed her hungry children. She tried hard to find some means of earning a little money for the family, but nothing came by. Apart from the little academic knowledge that she had gained at school, Rupa had no work skills of interest to prospective employers in the neighborhood. Unable to see a way out of such a seemingly hopeless situation, Rupa began to sink into a state of extreme depression and irritability.

It was during this difficult period that Rupa heard from her Village Secretary about a vocational training program called 'Grameen LABS' being organized in the vicinity by Dr. Reddy's Foundation, in association with the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. Hope surging in her heart, she approached the LABS facilitators and timidly asked them if she would be eligible to enroll in a course. They cheered her up and said the LABS program was meant for people like her.

Rupa made up her mind to do a LABS course, but had no money to pay for accommodation at Bilaspur, which was where the training center was located. But

thankfully a friend of hers offered to let Rupa stay with her. Encouraged by this thoughtful g e s t u r e , R u p a enrol led in the course and took t h e ' I n t e r e s t Inventory’ check administered by her facilitators. They counselled h e r t h a t 'Customer Relations & Sales' (CRS) would be an appropriate domain for her to take up.

Sensing that the three-month LABS course was a rare opportunity that had come her way, Rupa applied herself to it with all her heart. She was a keen learner and carefully absorbed all the skills required for her to become a good salesperson. Knowing that the ability

to speak in English would be an added advantage in her line, she paid a lot of attention to all that her Communicative English facilitator taught. By the end of the course, she had begun to speak the language with a fair degree of fluency.

The 'Work Readiness Module' at the end of the course helped her overcome the fear that her rural background might pose 'adjustment' problems at the workplace.

Her hard work paid off. Rupa completed the course with a fine performance record, earning the appreciation of her facilitators and fellow-aspirants alike. She was soon offered a job as a Sales Executive in Eureka Forbes, with a starting salary of Rs 4500 per month, plus sales-linked incentives.

She has been making rapid progress since, and takes home nearly Rs 12000 a month (including incentives) now. Sporting a beaming smile on her face she says, “I couldn't be happier. And my family couldn't be happier. LABS is not just a training center, but a place that gives needy youth a new lease of life.”

Rupa's mother adds, “It was not long ago that Rupa would waste hours each day, sulking in a corner. I simply had no idea how to cheer her up. We would wake up every morning with only a bleak future staring at us.”

“Thanks to LABS, all that has changed now. We don't go to bed on hungry stomachs anymore, and we wake up in the morning in good cheer. My other two children are inspired by Rupa's success and would like to join the next LABS batch.”

Rupa has become a source of inspiration to her friends too. “The transformation in Rupa is unbelievable,” they say, “she used to be so short on confidence and self-esteem earlier. But now she carries herself in a very impressive manner. We look up to her as a fine example of one who has successfully fought poverty with courage and perseverance.”

2322

Demonstrating a water purifier to a customer

With her friends and colleagues

Sanjeev Kumar Mishra

Sanjeev Kumar is a fine example of cheerful courage and determination in the face of persistent adversity. The eldest son of his parents, he lost his father when he was just 20, and the entire burden of looking after his 75-year-old mother, wife, a younger brother and a 7-year-old daughter fell on his young, inexperienced shoulders. However hard he tried, he could find no means of making a living anywhere in the vicinity of his village Jalama, about 15 km from Amethi (Sultanpur District. Uttar Pradesh). For a brief while, he worked as a teacher in a private school, making Rs 500 a month. But he was soon out of work as the employer felt he lacked the necessary professional skills to discharge his assignments effectively. Unable to find an alternative, Sanjeev began to find his life drifting. Meanwhile, his mother and brothers were compelled to do whatever little part-time jobs they could find, in order to make ends meet. Looking at their sorry plight, Sanjeev felt all the more miserable about his utter helplessness. Through all this tribulation however, his determination to study did not diminish, and he managed to go up to college. It was during this trying period in his life that his friend Anil Kumar, a LABS alumnus himself, told him of a LABS center at nearby Amethi, being run by the Ministry of R u r a l D e v e l o p m e n t (Government of India) under the ‘Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana’ scheme. He made further enquiries about the program, and gathered that the

training center offered courses i n v a r i o u s l i v e l i h o o d domains that would enable him to find a good placement. Sanjeev enrolled in the program a n d w a s administered an ‘ I n t e r e s t Inventory’ check. Based on that, he was counseled by his facilitators to take up a course in Customer Relations and Sales. He rediscovered his old flair for studies and imbibed every element of the course, which taught him not only technical skills but also useful life skills, Communicative English and a ‘Work Readiness

Module’. His infectious enthusiasm rubbed off on his batch-mates as well, who began to look up to him as a role model for themselves. Soon after he completed the course, his facilitators helped him attend a job interview in ICICI Prudential Life Insurance. The interviewers found him a good prospect and recruited him as a ‘Sales Executive’ at the company’s Amethi branch. Sanjeev got going with gusto, and was the first person in the newly opened branch to

get a policy of Rs 50,000. Within a few weeks, his hard work and dedication saw him getting promoted as a

‘Recruitment Officer’. In December 2008 and January 2009, he netted a total income of Rs 22,000, including salary and incentives! Needless to add, Sanjeev’s sterling performance has made his bosses extremely happy. His supervisor Umesh says, “DRF has been doing a great job by training rural youth to make them employable.”

“We have recruited quite a few LABS alumni into our company. They are all very committed and hardworking. I am particularly impressed with Sanjeev’s enthusiasm and energy for going after challenging targets.” Sanjeev’s mother says approvingly of her son, “Right from the time his father passed away, Sanjeev has shown a great sense of responsibility towards the upkeep of the family. He could never accept our straitened circumstances, and was always looking about restlessly for some way of providing for me and his brothers.

This LABS course, followed by such a good job, has come as a big boon for us. Sanjeev is thankful to God that his prayers have been answered finally.”

“DRF has been doing a great job by training rural youth to make them employable. We have recruited quite a few LABS alumni into our company.

They are all very committed and hardworking. I am particularly impressed with Sanjeev’s enthusiasm and energy for going after challenging targets.”

- UmeshManager - ICICI Prudential Life Insurance

Amethi, Uttar Pradesh

Sanjeev concurs, “I cannot thank DRF enough. Had LABS not happened to me, I would never have been able to discover my own potential. It is so gratifying that I am now able to properly look after my mother and brothers. Seeing the boys go to school again is like a dream come true for me. I am grateful to my LABS facilitators for teaching me how to be brave and cheerful against all odds.”

2524

The company recently honoured Sanjeev Kumar

with a special certificate of appreciation and a g ld

o

coin for achieving ‘Super Sprint’ status in policy

sales.

With his family

Sanjeev Kumar Mishra

Sanjeev Kumar is a fine example of cheerful courage and determination in the face of persistent adversity. The eldest son of his parents, he lost his father when he was just 20, and the entire burden of looking after his 75-year-old mother, wife, a younger brother and a 7-year-old daughter fell on his young, inexperienced shoulders. However hard he tried, he could find no means of making a living anywhere in the vicinity of his village Jalama, about 15 km from Amethi (Sultanpur District. Uttar Pradesh). For a brief while, he worked as a teacher in a private school, making Rs 500 a month. But he was soon out of work as the employer felt he lacked the necessary professional skills to discharge his assignments effectively. Unable to find an alternative, Sanjeev began to find his life drifting. Meanwhile, his mother and brothers were compelled to do whatever little part-time jobs they could find, in order to make ends meet. Looking at their sorry plight, Sanjeev felt all the more miserable about his utter helplessness. Through all this tribulation however, his determination to study did not diminish, and he managed to go up to college. It was during this trying period in his life that his friend Anil Kumar, a LABS alumnus himself, told him of a LABS center at nearby Amethi, being run by the Ministry of R u r a l D e v e l o p m e n t (Government of India) under the ‘Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana’ scheme. He made further enquiries about the program, and gathered that the

training center offered courses i n v a r i o u s l i v e l i h o o d domains that would enable him to find a good placement. Sanjeev enrolled in the program a n d w a s administered an ‘ I n t e r e s t Inventory’ check. Based on that, he was counseled by his facilitators to take up a course in Customer Relations and Sales. He rediscovered his old flair for studies and imbibed every element of the course, which taught him not only technical skills but also useful life skills, Communicative English and a ‘Work Readiness

Module’. His infectious enthusiasm rubbed off on his batch-mates as well, who began to look up to him as a role model for themselves. Soon after he completed the course, his facilitators helped him attend a job interview in ICICI Prudential Life Insurance. The interviewers found him a good prospect and recruited him as a ‘Sales Executive’ at the company’s Amethi branch. Sanjeev got going with gusto, and was the first person in the newly opened branch to

get a policy of Rs 50,000. Within a few weeks, his hard work and dedication saw him getting promoted as a

‘Recruitment Officer’. In December 2008 and January 2009, he netted a total income of Rs 22,000, including salary and incentives! Needless to add, Sanjeev’s sterling performance has made his bosses extremely happy. His supervisor Umesh says, “DRF has been doing a great job by training rural youth to make them employable.”

“We have recruited quite a few LABS alumni into our company. They are all very committed and hardworking. I am particularly impressed with Sanjeev’s enthusiasm and energy for going after challenging targets.” Sanjeev’s mother says approvingly of her son, “Right from the time his father passed away, Sanjeev has shown a great sense of responsibility towards the upkeep of the family. He could never accept our straitened circumstances, and was always looking about restlessly for some way of providing for me and his brothers.

This LABS course, followed by such a good job, has come as a big boon for us. Sanjeev is thankful to God that his prayers have been answered finally.”

“DRF has been doing a great job by training rural youth to make them employable. We have recruited quite a few LABS alumni into our company.

They are all very committed and hardworking. I am particularly impressed with Sanjeev’s enthusiasm and energy for going after challenging targets.”

- UmeshManager - ICICI Prudential Life Insurance

Amethi, Uttar Pradesh

Sanjeev concurs, “I cannot thank DRF enough. Had LABS not happened to me, I would never have been able to discover my own potential. It is so gratifying that I am now able to properly look after my mother and brothers. Seeing the boys go to school again is like a dream come true for me. I am grateful to my LABS facilitators for teaching me how to be brave and cheerful against all odds.”

2524

o pa y e e tl ho ured Sa v K a

The c m n r c n y no njee um r

ithci l t fic te ap a o n g d

w a spe a cer i a of preci ti n a d a ol

i or achievi g ‘Su r pri t’ s tu n l cy

co n fn pe S n ta s i po i

sales.

With his family

25-year-old Santu hails from Deulti, an idyllic village in Howrah District (West Bengal). He is quiet by nature, and it was a bit difficult for us to get him to talk about himself. “We are four in our family – my father, mother, sister and me”, he began softly, “and we are extremely poor. My father earns less than Rs 1500 a month, which used to make even two light meals a day a big luxury for us. Schooling for me and my sister was therefore out of the question, although both of us love to study.”

“Life went on in this sickening fashion for a number of years, and I began to get very frustrated and

Santu Bhowmick

depressed about my inability to do anything about my poverty. I kept looking about for a job, but to no avail. I came across a few openings, but lacked the technical skills and expertise for the employers to consider taking me. And I simply couldn't afford to pay money for any training program.”

“Under these circumstances, the news of a Grameen LABS center operating nearby came as an unexpected blessing. A friend of mine, who had just passed out of a previous batch and immediately got a good job, advised me to register myself at the center

without delay. At first, I didn't believe that such a useful

vocational training program that taught so many things was being

offered entirely free of charge! And the facilitators at the centers were

remarkably courteous and friendly. They assured me that at the end of the course they would even help us find good placements. It was indeed like a dream come true for me.”

“After the ‘Interest Inventory’ check, the facilitators counseled me to take up a course in Customer Relations and Sales (CRS). Each day of the three-month training program was lively and interest ing. Every element of the course life skills, technical sessions ( b o t h c l a s s r o o m a n d practical), Communicative English, Individual Youth Development Plan (IYDP),

2726

industry visits, guest lectures, Work Readiness Module (WRM) was very exciting and useful. There was never a dull day. I worked hard and learnt a lot from the ever-helpful facilitators. It boosted my confidence and communication skills, which are so essential in the line I had chosen.”

Soon after completing his course successfully, Santu was recruited as a Market Development Officer by Ananda Bazar Patrika, a leading Kolkata-based newspaper group, on a starting salary of Rs 3250 per month. Asked if he had any difficulty in the job, he replied confidently, “In the beginning the corporate atmosphere at the workplace was a bit intimidating, mainly because I had come from a rural background. But I remembered what I had learnt in my WRM classes at LABS, and kept telling myself that in a few days everything would be OK. Now I am quite comfortable, and go about my job with confidence. I am extremely happy about being able to support my family now.”

About the LABS course, Santu was all appreciation. “It has indeed done wonders for me and my family. The atmosphere of interactive learning created by the dedicated facilitators was amazing. I am particularly beholden to my CRS facilitator, Mr Kishalaya Dasgupta, who not only trained and guided me so

well, but also was instrumental in

getting me my first job. I would urge my

fellow LABS aspirants to be very attentive during the training program, learn all that the facilitators teach and

obtain the maximum possible knowledge from them.”

Asked if he had any suggestions for the LABS program, Santu replied thoughtfully, “The curriculum is very well thought out and the teaching methodology very well designed. Considering that the program has so many useful elements packed into it, I feel that its duration could perhaps be a couple of months longer. Also, I feel it would be advisable to have at least one lady facilitator at every LABS center, so that female aspirants would feel more comfortable.”

What dreams of the future does he harbor? “Well”, he replied with quiet confidence, “my immediate goal is to see that my sister is properly educated. I would also like to resume my education from where I had left off, so that I can rise further in my career. I would also like to build a house for our family someday.”

Santu's parents know that he has it in him to realize all his dreams.

Making a presentation to a customer

With his parents

25-year-old Santu hails from Deulti, an idyllic village in Howrah District (West Bengal). He is quiet by nature, and it was a bit difficult for us to get him to talk about himself. “We are four in our family – my father, mother, sister and me”, he began softly, “and we are extremely poor. My father earns less than Rs 1500 a month, which used to make even two light meals a day a big luxury for us. Schooling for me and my sister was therefore out of the question, although both of us love to study.”

“Life went on in this sickening fashion for a number of years, and I began to get very frustrated and

Santu Bhowmick

depressed about my inability to do anything about my poverty. I kept looking about for a job, but to no avail. I came across a few openings, but lacked the technical skills and expertise for the employers to consider taking me. And I simply couldn't afford to pay money for any training program.”

“Under these circumstances, the news of a Grameen LABS center operating nearby came as an unexpected blessing. A friend of mine, who had just passed out of a previous batch and immediately got a good job, advised me to register myself at the center

without delay. At first, I didn't believe that such a useful

vocational training program that taught so many things was being

offered entirely free of charge! And the facilitators at the centers were

remarkably courteous and friendly. They assured me that at the end of the course they would even help us find good placements. It was indeed like a dream come true for me.”

“After the ‘Interest Inventory’ check, the facilitators counseled me to take up a course in Customer Relations and Sales (CRS). Each day of the three-month training program was lively and interest ing. Every element of the course life skills, technical sessions ( b o t h c l a s s r o o m a n d practical), Communicative English, Individual Youth Development Plan (IYDP),

2726

industry visits, guest lectures, Work Readiness Module (WRM) was very exciting and useful. There was never a dull day. I worked hard and learnt a lot from the ever-helpful facilitators. It boosted my confidence and communication skills, which are so essential in the line I had chosen.”

Soon after completing his course successfully, Santu was recruited as a Market Development Officer by Ananda Bazar Patrika, a leading Kolkata-based newspaper group, on a starting salary of Rs 3250 per month. Asked if he had any difficulty in the job, he replied confidently, “In the beginning the corporate atmosphere at the workplace was a bit intimidating, mainly because I had come from a rural background. But I remembered what I had learnt in my WRM classes at LABS, and kept telling myself that in a few days everything would be OK. Now I am quite comfortable, and go about my job with confidence. I am extremely happy about being able to support my family now.”

About the LABS course, Santu was all appreciation. “It has indeed done wonders for me and my family. The atmosphere of interactive learning created by the dedicated facilitators was amazing. I am particularly beholden to my CRS facilitator, Mr Kishalaya Dasgupta, who not only trained and guided me so

well, but also was instrumental in

getting me my first job. I would urge my

fellow LABS aspirants to be very attentive during the training program, learn all that the facilitators teach and

obtain the maximum possible knowledge from them.”

Asked if he had any suggestions for the LABS program, Santu replied thoughtfully, “The curriculum is very well thought out and the teaching methodology very well designed. Considering that the program has so many useful elements packed into it, I feel that its duration could perhaps be a couple of months longer. Also, I feel it would be advisable to have at least one lady facilitator at every LABS center, so that female aspirants would feel more comfortable.”

What dreams of the future does he harbor? “Well”, he replied with quiet confidence, “my immediate goal is to see that my sister is properly educated. I would also like to resume my education from where I had left off, so that I can rise further in my career. I would also like to build a house for our family someday.”

Santu's parents know that he has it in him to realize all his dreams.

Making a presentation to a customer

With his parents

Soumya

From her early childhood, Soumya’s speech has been hampered by a heavy stammer. Her father Tankappan works as a poorly paid casual labourer in a small coir-products factory near Ernakulam (Kerala). To supplement his meagre income, Soumya did whatever odd jobs she could find here and there. Her hysteria-afflicted sister also does part-time work in the same factory where her father works. Their mother is too chronically ill to be able to do any work.

For a long time the family went without a proper house to live in and often had to manage with makeshift huts. It was only recently that they received some government aid for building a small house under the Maithri Bhavana Nirmana Padhadhy of the Government of Kerala.

Poverty inevitably forced Soumya and her sister to forego their schooling – and more importantly their childhood – at a tender age. Life became an endless toil for the family for obtaining even the most basic necessities of life. Worse, there seemed absolutely no way out of this hopeless situation.

While going through this depressing p h a s e , Soumya one day came to know – through her Gram Panchayat – of a Grameen LABS center at Ernakulam, operated by DRF in association with the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. Wondering if it would help her get a job, she approached the facilitators at the center and explained her family’s condition to them. They invited

her to enrol in the program and take an ‘Interest Inventory’ check. Based on its results, they advised her to take up a course in Automobile Mechanism. Soumya was absolutely delighted, as it was a domain she really loved. She began the course with great enthusiasm, notwithstanding the fact that her heavy stammer often made it difficult for her facilitators to properly comprehend what she was saying. B u t h e r d e t e r m i n a t i o n a n d perseverance saw her through, and she cleared the course successfully. Another major achievement was that she was largely able to overcome her diffidence about her poor speech quality.

And her mother adds, “It is so gratifying to see Soumya’s confident demeanour now, which comes from the feeling that she is able to take care of her parents and sister. I am told she is very good at her job as well, and that makes me doubly happy. The Grameen LABS program has indeed come as an unexpected blessing for us. Had Soumya not undergone training at the LABS center, our condition would probably never have changed.”

Soumya’s friends cannot hide their amazement at the transformation they see in her.

They say, “We are so proud of her. Thanks to the encouraging environment at LABS, she has overcome both her poverty and speech handicap. We feel so good that our friend, a simple village girl like us, works in a big city like Kochi.”

Soon after the course ended, her batch-mates began to get placements in various organizations. In her case, however, no employer was immediately willing to recruit a person with such a severe speech handicap.

Soumya started to despair of ever getting a job, but her facilitators assured her that she too would get a good one soon, and requested Niranjana (HR Manager of Varkies Retail Mart) to consider her case. Niranjana offered her a job in the packing section, which did not require her to speak to any customers.

Soumya began with a starting salary of Rs 2200 pm. However, her anxious facilitators continued to keep a watch on her, as they were not sure if she would be able to hold on to her job, given her speech problem. But to their pleasant surprise, she managed to not only stay in the company, but actually did so well that the company raised her emoluments to Rs 4200 pm within just three months. Her manager Denny is extremely pleased with her performance and says, “Soumya accepts any responsibility without fear and always stays focused on her assignment.”

Soumya’s father gets emotional as he says, “This recent change in Soumya’s life has been entirely unexpected. I had never imagined that my daughter would ever get to hold any job and earn so much. Our crippling poverty, combined with her inability to speak well, had made her extremely dejected and diffident.”

2928

With her parents and sister

With her best friends

Soumya

From her early childhood, Soumya’s speech has been hampered by a heavy stammer. Her father Tankappan works as a poorly paid casual labourer in a small coir-products factory near Ernakulam (Kerala). To supplement his meagre income, Soumya did whatever odd jobs she could find here and there. Her hysteria-afflicted sister also does part-time work in the same factory where her father works. Their mother is too chronically ill to be able to do any work.

For a long time the family went without a proper house to live in and often had to manage with makeshift huts. It was only recently that they received some government aid for building a small house under the Maithri Bhavana Nirmana Padhadhy of the Government of Kerala.

Poverty inevitably forced Soumya and her sister to forego their schooling – and more importantly their childhood – at a tender age. Life became an endless toil for the family for obtaining even the most basic necessities of life. Worse, there seemed absolutely no way out of this hopeless situation.

While going through this depressing p h a s e , Soumya one day came to know – through her Gram Panchayat – of a Grameen LABS center at Ernakulam, operated by DRF in association with the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. Wondering if it would help her get a job, she approached the facilitators at the center and explained her family’s condition to them. They invited

her to enrol in the program and take an ‘Interest Inventory’ check. Based on its results, they advised her to take up a course in Automobile Mechanism. Soumya was absolutely delighted, as it was a domain she really loved. She began the course with great enthusiasm, notwithstanding the fact that her heavy stammer often made it difficult for her facilitators to properly comprehend what she was saying. B u t h e r d e t e r m i n a t i o n a n d perseverance saw her through, and she cleared the course successfully. Another major achievement was that she was largely able to overcome her diffidence about her poor speech quality.

And her mother adds, “It is so gratifying to see Soumya’s confident demeanour now, which comes from the feeling that she is able to take care of her parents and sister. I am told she is very good at her job as well, and that makes me doubly happy. The Grameen LABS program has indeed come as an unexpected blessing for us. Had Soumya not undergone training at the LABS center, our condition would probably never have changed.”

Soumya’s friends cannot hide their amazement at the transformation they see in her.

They say, “We are so proud of her. Thanks to the encouraging environment at LABS, she has overcome both her poverty and speech handicap. We feel so good that our friend, a simple village girl like us, works in a big city like Kochi.”

Soon after the course ended, her batch-mates began to get placements in various organizations. In her case, however, no employer was immediately willing to recruit a person with such a severe speech handicap.

Soumya started to despair of ever getting a job, but her facilitators assured her that she too would get a good one soon, and requested Niranjana (HR Manager of Varkies Retail Mart) to consider her case. Niranjana offered her a job in the packing section, which did not require her to speak to any customers.

Soumya began with a starting salary of Rs 2200 pm. However, her anxious facilitators continued to keep a watch on her, as they were not sure if she would be able to hold on to her job, given her speech problem. But to their pleasant surprise, she managed to not only stay in the company, but actually did so well that the company raised her emoluments to Rs 4200 pm within just three months. Her manager Denny is extremely pleased with her performance and says, “Soumya accepts any responsibility without fear and always stays focused on her assignment.”

Soumya’s father gets emotional as he says, “This recent change in Soumya’s life has been entirely unexpected. I had never imagined that my daughter would ever get to hold any job and earn so much. Our crippling poverty, combined with her inability to speak well, had made her extremely dejected and diffident.”

2928

With her parents and sister

With her best friends

Sumanth

19-year-old Sumanth hails from Mangalpet (Bidar District, Karnataka). His father is a poor hostel warden, and his earnings don’t suffice for the upkeep of the family. Being a slow learner from birth, Sumanth had always had difficulty reading and writing. In spite of the handicap, he persisted with his studies and went up to Pre-University Course (PUC) level. But he couldn’t clear the public exam held at the end of the two-year course, failing in two subjects – Engl ish and Economics. Everyone was upset with his dullness in academics, and began to call him lazy and indifferent to his responsibilities towards his family.

Unable to take this humiliation, Sumanth went into a state of depression and indifference towards everything around him. He stopped making any effort to study or seek any productive work for the sake of his family. One day, while thus whiling away his time aimlessly with his friends, he chanced upon a news i tem in Vi jay Karnataka, a local daily. It said a vocational training center had been set up at Bidar by DRF in association with the Ministry of Rural Development

(Government of India), under the ‘Grameen LABS’ program. The LABS center, he read, had been set up for the benefit of underprivileged youth who had dropped out of school / junior college. His curiosity aroused, Sumanth rushed to the venue

of the LABS center and met the team of facilitators there. They said the center ministered to the needs of financially disadvantaged youth like him, and sought to give them some useful livelihood skills, with the help of which they could find their feet in the competitive job market.

He told the facilitators that he was keen to join up, and they invited him to step in immediately and take an ‘Interest Inventory’ check. The facilitators then advised Sumanth that a course in ‘Hospitality’ would suit him well, based on the way he had answered the questions in the ‘Interest Inventory’. Sumanth started his three-month course in earnest, but being a slow learner found everything a little difficult to comprehend at first.

His poor knowledge of English, in particular, was a big stumbling block in the learning process. Slowly, however, he began to overcome his diffidence with the help of the various activity-based life skills sessions during the induction phase, followed

by the technical training sessions.

As days went by, S u m a n t h i m p r o v e d h i s

c o m m u n i c a t i v e skills in English,

which did wonders for his self confidence. His facilitators were impressed with his performance during the course, at the end

of which they arranged a job interview for him with BASF, a multinational company dealing in fertilizers and pesticides.

With their encouragement, he did well in the interview and was selected as a ‘demand generator’, a position that requires him to meet farmers, educate them on modern farming techniques and generate in them a demand for the company’s products. He currently earns a monthly salary of Rs 4000, plus a ‘daily allowance’ and ‘petrol allowance’, all of which total up to a take-home pay of over Rs 7000 pm.

Thanking LABS for what he is today, Sumanth says, “LABS is not just a vocational training center. It is a life-molding institution. It has changed my destiny. In one of our life skills sessions at the beginning of the course, my facilitators told the story of an eagle living in a hen’s nest,

unaware of its own powers. That day was an important turning point in my life. I knew then that there was a lot in me lying untapped, and that it could be brought out if I made the right effort.” Sumanth is deeply attached to his parents and looks after them with great care. His proud father says, “I really do not have words to express my sense of gratitude for what LABS has done to my son in the course of just three months.”

“LABS has given Sumanth much more than just a means of livelihood. It has actually helped him rediscover himself. Even his friends look up to him as a role model now.” Sumanth’s boss Devanand adds, “Sumanth is a well-mannered, hardworking boy. His polite, down-to-earth speaking style is a great hit with the farmers; they see him not as a salesperson pushing our company’s fertilizers and pesticides, but as a good adviser and well wisher.”

3130

Sumanth with his family

Building rapport with a farmer

Sumanth has many friends

Sumanth

19-year-old Sumanth hails from Mangalpet (Bidar District, Karnataka). His father is a poor hostel warden, and his earnings don’t suffice for the upkeep of the family. Being a slow learner from birth, Sumanth had always had difficulty reading and writing. In spite of the handicap, he persisted with his studies and went up to Pre-University Course (PUC) level. But he couldn’t clear the public exam held at the end of the two-year course, failing in two subjects – Engl ish and Economics. Everyone was upset with his dullness in academics, and began to call him lazy and indifferent to his responsibilities towards his family.

Unable to take this humiliation, Sumanth went into a state of depression and indifference towards everything around him. He stopped making any effort to study or seek any productive work for the sake of his family. One day, while thus whiling away his time aimlessly with his friends, he chanced upon a news i tem in Vi jay Karnataka, a local daily. It said a vocational training center had been set up at Bidar by DRF in association with the Ministry of Rural Development

(Government of India), under the ‘Grameen LABS’ program. The LABS center, he read, had been set up for the benefit of underprivileged youth who had dropped out of school / junior college. His curiosity aroused, Sumanth rushed to the venue

of the LABS center and met the team of facilitators there. They said the center ministered to the needs of financially disadvantaged youth like him, and sought to give them some useful livelihood skills, with the help of which they could find their feet in the competitive job market.

He told the facilitators that he was keen to join up, and they invited him to step in immediately and take an ‘Interest Inventory’ check. The facilitators then advised Sumanth that a course in ‘Hospitality’ would suit him well, based on the way he had answered the questions in the ‘Interest Inventory’. Sumanth started his three-month course in earnest, but being a slow learner found everything a little difficult to comprehend at first.

His poor knowledge of English, in particular, was a big stumbling block in the learning process. Slowly, however, he began to overcome his diffidence with the help of the various activity-based life skills sessions during the induction phase, followed

by the technical training sessions.

As days went by, S u m a n t h i m p r o v e d h i s

c o m m u n i c a t i v e skills in English,

which did wonders for his self confidence. His facilitators were impressed with his performance during the course, at the end

of which they arranged a job interview for him with BASF, a multinational company dealing in fertilizers and pesticides.

With their encouragement, he did well in the interview and was selected as a ‘demand generator’, a position that requires him to meet farmers, educate them on modern farming techniques and generate in them a demand for the company’s products. He currently earns a monthly salary of Rs 4000, plus a ‘daily allowance’ and ‘petrol allowance’, all of which total up to a take-home pay of over Rs 7000 pm.

Thanking LABS for what he is today, Sumanth says, “LABS is not just a vocational training center. It is a life-molding institution. It has changed my destiny. In one of our life skills sessions at the beginning of the course, my facilitators told the story of an eagle living in a hen’s nest,

unaware of its own powers. That day was an important turning point in my life. I knew then that there was a lot in me lying untapped, and that it could be brought out if I made the right effort.” Sumanth is deeply attached to his parents and looks after them with great care. His proud father says, “I really do not have words to express my sense of gratitude for what LABS has done to my son in the course of just three months.”

“LABS has given Sumanth much more than just a means of livelihood. It has actually helped him rediscover himself. Even his friends look up to him as a role model now.” Sumanth’s boss Devanand adds, “Sumanth is a well-mannered, hardworking boy. His polite, down-to-earth speaking style is a great hit with the farmers; they see him not as a salesperson pushing our company’s fertilizers and pesticides, but as a good adviser and well wisher.”

3130

Sumanth with his family

Building rapport with a farmer

Sumanth has many friends

Vasudev Pradhan

The boyish face of 18-year-old Vasudev Pradhan from Mehuwala (Dehradun, Uttarakhand) belies the tough life that he has led from his early childhood. His family’s extremely dire financial straits compelled him to become a child laborer.

His 60-year-old father Gokul Pradhan has been unable to work for quite some years on account of a chronic illness, compelling his 52-year-old mother Babita Devi – who is also in poor health – to take up poorly paid menial jobs. Vasudev studied up to Class VIII, attending school in the morning and doing manual labour at construction sites later in the day. But he couldn’t sustain this routine beyond Class VIII and had to quit studies altogether, although he nursed a deep ambition to become an educated man.

To keep the family going, Vasudev’s younger brothers

(aged 12 and 10) also turned into child laborers, at the expense of their school education. An uncle provided some financial assistance for a while, but was unable to keep it up for long. One day, Irfan Ali, a friend of Vasudev, informed him of a Grameen LABS center in operation at Dehradun, and advised him to undergo a vocational course there. Irfan Ali himself had done a course in Automobile Mechanism from an earlier batch at the same center, and had immediately found a job at Essell Motors, a Honda dealer of repute in Dehadun. Motivated by Irfan’s success story, Vasudev developed a desire to enroll in the LABS program and take up a course in Automobile Mechanism. He had always been interested in vehicles and their functioning, and the ‘interest inventory’ administered by the center facilitators endorsed his flair in this field. Vasudev’s mother was initially not happy at his decision to give up an established means of income

for the sake of a training program that might not finally benefit him. But his Automobile Mechanism facilitator Sameer Raj convinced her that in just three months of LABS training her son would become employable in a much better capacity. She reluctantly agreed to let her son take up the course. Helped along by Sameer Raj, Vasudev Pradhan attended LABS classes until afternoon every day, and also did some construction labour in the evening to sustain the family income. To add to that, he cycled 24 km back and forth between his house and the LABS center daily. Vasudev’s diligence paid good dividends, and he passed out with an impressive performance record, much to the delight of his facilitators. Essell Motors readily took him as a trainee as soon as he completed the course, and within a fortnight promoted him as a technician with a starting salary of Rs 3000 pm. He is extremely happy that he can provide properly for his

“Vasudev is cheerful and very hardworking. He showed great perseverance during the LABS course, learning everything with utmost sincerity. Within three months he

was a vastly transformed person.”

- Sameer Raj Vasudev’s Facilitator

“Vasudev is always ready to learn. He is sincere, talented and well behaved. LABS has groomed him well, and taught him several useful livelihood skills.”

- Praveen Gulati Manager, Essell Motors

parents now, and also pay for the education of his younger brothers. It is a wonderful sight to see the excited look on the faces of the two young boys as they run off to school. Vasudev’s parents are choked with emotion as they recount how their three sons had to do hard physical labour for the sake of a few rupees. Babita Devi says, “It was so difficult for me to accept the fact that my little sons were driven into child labour while other boys – much older than my sons – were happily playing and going to school.”

“My children have hardly enjoyed any childhood. What has happened to Vasudev is way beyond my wildest dreams. LABS actually enables us to dream of good life again. Vasudev wants to resume his studies, and his brothers are going back to school. I cannot be any happier.”

3332

With his parents and brother

Vasudev Pradhan

The boyish face of 18-year-old Vasudev Pradhan from Mehuwala (Dehradun, Uttarakhand) belies the tough life that he has led from his early childhood. His family’s extremely dire financial straits compelled him to become a child laborer.

His 60-year-old father Gokul Pradhan has been unable to work for quite some years on account of a chronic illness, compelling his 52-year-old mother Babita Devi – who is also in poor health – to take up poorly paid menial jobs. Vasudev studied up to Class VIII, attending school in the morning and doing manual labour at construction sites later in the day. But he couldn’t sustain this routine beyond Class VIII and had to quit studies altogether, although he nursed a deep ambition to become an educated man.

To keep the family going, Vasudev’s younger brothers

(aged 12 and 10) also turned into child laborers, at the expense of their school education. An uncle provided some financial assistance for a while, but was unable to keep it up for long. One day, Irfan Ali, a friend of Vasudev, informed him of a Grameen LABS center in operation at Dehradun, and advised him to undergo a vocational course there. Irfan Ali himself had done a course in Automobile Mechanism from an earlier batch at the same center, and had immediately found a job at Essell Motors, a Honda dealer of repute in Dehadun. Motivated by Irfan’s success story, Vasudev developed a desire to enroll in the LABS program and take up a course in Automobile Mechanism. He had always been interested in vehicles and their functioning, and the ‘interest inventory’ administered by the center facilitators endorsed his flair in this field. Vasudev’s mother was initially not happy at his decision to give up an established means of income

for the sake of a training program that might not finally benefit him. But his Automobile Mechanism facilitator Sameer Raj convinced her that in just three months of LABS training her son would become employable in a much better capacity. She reluctantly agreed to let her son take up the course. Helped along by Sameer Raj, Vasudev Pradhan attended LABS classes until afternoon every day, and also did some construction labour in the evening to sustain the family income. To add to that, he cycled 24 km back and forth between his house and the LABS center daily. Vasudev’s diligence paid good dividends, and he passed out with an impressive performance record, much to the delight of his facilitators. Essell Motors readily took him as a trainee as soon as he completed the course, and within a fortnight promoted him as a technician with a starting salary of Rs 3000 pm. He is extremely happy that he can provide properly for his

“Vasudev is cheerful and very hardworking. He showed great perseverance during the LABS course, learning everything with utmost sincerity. Within three months he

was a vastly transformed person.”

- Sameer Raj Vasudev’s Facilitator

“Vasudev is always ready to learn. He is sincere, talented and well behaved. LABS has groomed him well, and taught him several useful livelihood skills.”

- Praveen Gulati Manager, Essell Motors

parents now, and also pay for the education of his younger brothers. It is a wonderful sight to see the excited look on the faces of the two young boys as they run off to school. Vasudev’s parents are choked with emotion as they recount how their three sons had to do hard physical labour for the sake of a few rupees. Babita Devi says, “It was so difficult for me to accept the fact that my little sons were driven into child labour while other boys – much older than my sons – were happily playing and going to school.”

“My children have hardly enjoyed any childhood. What has happened to Vasudev is way beyond my wildest dreams. LABS actually enables us to dream of good life again. Vasudev wants to resume his studies, and his brothers are going back to school. I cannot be any happier.”

3332

With his parents and brother

VH Suraj

21-year-old Suraj hails from Ponga, a small village in Alapuzha District, Kerala. Being deaf from birth, he couldn't learn to read and write well. This led most people to believe he was mentally retarded. When he was barely three, his father sustained a head injury in an accident and lost his vision.

To provide for the family, Suraj's mother Gangamma became a daily wage earner. With her meager savings, the brave lady bought him a hearing aid and encouraged him to study and meet life's challenges with confidence and courage. “My words meant a lot to my son during those trying days”, says Gangamma.

Thanks to her inspiring presence, Suraj successfully cleared his Class X exams, but had to abandon studies thereafter, as there was no school for the deaf anywhere in the vicinity.

But Suraj had always exhibited a flair for electrical wiring work, right from childhood. Helped along by his friends, he soon gained a reputation in his village as a person who could carry out minor repairs to mixer grinders, tube lights, fans and other electrical appliances. But the money he made from such sundry work was barely

“In the beginning, Suraj hardly spoke to anyone in the showroom, as he perhaps sensed that people were finding it difficult to understand him. But gradually, encouraged by his colleagues, he overcame his shyness. He is extremely punctual, hardworking and helpful by nature. He is a fine example of a challenged person who, instead of looking for sympathy from others, commands their respect with his quality of work. I am also impressed with his responsibility towards his family.”

- NizamudeenManager - Evergreen Motors, Alapuzha

sufficient as a means of livelihood.

One day, a friend told him of a Grameen LABS center at Alapuzha. Suraj went up to the team of facilitators there, who advised him to take up a course in the 'Multi-Skilled Technician' (MST) domain.

Being hard of hearing, he initially had a tough time communicating effectively with his facilitators. But together they surmounted all challenges, and Suraj passed out of the course with an impressive record.

A few days after completing his LABS course, Suraj attended a job interview but failed.

Nothing could dampen his fighting spirit, however, and he soon

received a job offer as a 'Trainee Electrician' in Evergreen Motors (a Hero Honda showroom selling electric bikes) in Alapuzha.

He cheerfully accepted the modest starting salary of Rs 1000 pm, and went about his work with great zeal and commitment.

His Manager Mr Nizamudeen was so impressed with Suraj's dedication and hard work that he raised his salary to Rs 2500 pm within a month!

Thanking LABS for what he is today, Suraj says, “LABS is a place not only for able-bodied aspirants, but also for people with disabilities like me. The training I received there taught me that physical handicaps can be overcome with a positive attitude. I am really grateful to my facilitators for instilling self-belief in me.”

Suraj is deeply attached to his parents. He nurses his ageing blind father with loving care, and helps his

mother in her household chores. Her eyes glistening with

tears of joy, his mother says, “We are so happy that our son is able to earn

something and sustain the family. He takes such good care of us, and doesn't allow me to go out and work anymore. When he was born, many people in our village felt sorry for me, for having given birth to a useless 'pottan' (one who cannot hear and speak). They are all admiration for him now, and wish they too had a son like him.”

“Seeing the transformation in Suraj, one of my neighbors has recently admitted her son in a 'hospitality' course in LABS. That boy is doing very well too. Suraj has indeed been such a good influence in our village. My dream is that he should get a government job, so that his future can be more secure.”

Little wonder that Suraj's parents are very proud of their achiever son.

3534

Hard at work at Evergreen Motors

With his mother and blind father

VH Suraj

21-year-old Suraj hails from Ponga, a small village in Alapuzha District, Kerala. Being deaf from birth, he couldn't learn to read and write well. This led most people to believe he was mentally retarded. When he was barely three, his father sustained a head injury in an accident and lost his vision.

To provide for the family, Suraj's mother Gangamma became a daily wage earner. With her meager savings, the brave lady bought him a hearing aid and encouraged him to study and meet life's challenges with confidence and courage. “My words meant a lot to my son during those trying days”, says Gangamma.

Thanks to her inspiring presence, Suraj successfully cleared his Class X exams, but had to abandon studies thereafter, as there was no school for the deaf anywhere in the vicinity.

But Suraj had always exhibited a flair for electrical wiring work, right from childhood. Helped along by his friends, he soon gained a reputation in his village as a person who could carry out minor repairs to mixer grinders, tube lights, fans and other electrical appliances. But the money he made from such sundry work was barely

“In the beginning, Suraj hardly spoke to anyone in the showroom, as he perhaps sensed that people were finding it difficult to understand him. But gradually, encouraged by his colleagues, he overcame his shyness. He is extremely punctual, hardworking and helpful by nature. He is a fine example of a challenged person who, instead of looking for sympathy from others, commands their respect with his quality of work. I am also impressed with his responsibility towards his family.”

- NizamudeenManager - Evergreen Motors, Alapuzha

sufficient as a means of livelihood.

One day, a friend told him of a Grameen LABS center at Alapuzha. Suraj went up to the team of facilitators there, who advised him to take up a course in the 'Multi-Skilled Technician' (MST) domain.

Being hard of hearing, he initially had a tough time communicating effectively with his facilitators. But together they surmounted all challenges, and Suraj passed out of the course with an impressive record.

A few days after completing his LABS course, Suraj attended a job interview but failed.

Nothing could dampen his fighting spirit, however, and he soon

received a job offer as a 'Trainee Electrician' in Evergreen Motors (a Hero Honda showroom selling electric bikes) in Alapuzha.

He cheerfully accepted the modest starting salary of Rs 1000 pm, and went about his work with great zeal and commitment.

His Manager Mr Nizamudeen was so impressed with Suraj's dedication and hard work that he raised his salary to Rs 2500 pm within a month!

Thanking LABS for what he is today, Suraj says, “LABS is a place not only for able-bodied aspirants, but also for people with disabilities like me. The training I received there taught me that physical handicaps can be overcome with a positive attitude. I am really grateful to my facilitators for instilling self-belief in me.”

Suraj is deeply attached to his parents. He nurses his ageing blind father with loving care, and helps his

mother in her household chores. Her eyes glistening with

tears of joy, his mother says, “We are so happy that our son is able to earn

something and sustain the family. He takes such good care of us, and doesn't allow me to go out and work anymore. When he was born, many people in our village felt sorry for me, for having given birth to a useless 'pottan' (one who cannot hear and speak). They are all admiration for him now, and wish they too had a son like him.”

“Seeing the transformation in Suraj, one of my neighbors has recently admitted her son in a 'hospitality' course in LABS. That boy is doing very well too. Suraj has indeed been such a good influence in our village. My dream is that he should get a government job, so that his future can be more secure.”

Little wonder that Suraj's parents are very proud of their achiever son.

3534

Hard at work at Evergreen Motors

With his mother and blind father

Employers’ Endorsements

“LABS aspirants come with good training and grooming, they grasp things with ease and handle customers very well. They have the right attitude and show a willingness to learn, which is why we evince a keen interest in recruiting them.”

“The LABS Hospitality course training is tailor-made to suit the specific needs of the hotel industry. Though some LABS aspirants recruited by us are poor in

communication skills, they make up for it with their hardworking nature, enthusiasm and grasping ability.”

“The LABS aspirants have been doing a great job with us. They are hardworking

by nature, and well trained in their respective domains, which is why we have employed nearly 50 of them in our various branches. DRF is doing an exemplary

job by reaching out to underprivileged youth and making them employable.”

“We always seek some special qualities in the manpower that we hire, and the kind of training these LABS aspirants get largely fulfills our expectations. What we look for is a positive attitude and a passionate zeal for work, and the LABS

aspirants meet these criteria quite well.”

- Sirisha Reddy

- Varaprasad

- Giridhar

- Rajesh Sharma

Manager – HR, Pantaloon Retail (India)

Managing Director, Sithara Residency

Manager, Shell Retail

Regional Manager, 6Ten

“I am impressed by these motivated youngsters brought out by LABS. Despite coming from modest backgrounds, they show a high degree of competence at the workplace. The LABS training significantly raises their employability. That

makes it much easier for us.”

“The LABS aspirants are very zestful and full of beans. They have been groomed well indeed. They serve the customers dutifully and are ever eager to

learn. In fact, their high service standards rub off on other employees, who try to emulate them.”

“LABS alumni working for us, though they come from modest backgrounds, seek to make a steady career for themselves. They bring value to the workplace

with their positive attitude and loyalty, and complete their assignments in quick time.

”

“We have been recruiting LABS aspirants for over two years now. I find them quite well trained in several aspects of Customer Relations and Sales. LABS is

an innovative program that gives disadvantaged youth an opportunity to acquire useful livelihood skills.”

- BV Krishna Mohan

- Junaid Khader

- Rani Xavier

- Arnab Chakraborty

Area Head – HR, Eureka Forbes

Manager, McDonald’s

Recruitment Consultant, Sahay Datatech

Head - Talent Acquisition, Spencer’s Retail Limited

3736

Employers’ Endorsements

“LABS aspirants come with good training and grooming, they grasp things with ease and handle customers very well. They have the right attitude and show a willingness to learn, which is why we evince a keen interest in recruiting them.”

“The LABS Hospitality course training is tailor-made to suit the specific needs of the hotel industry. Though some LABS aspirants recruited by us are poor in

communication skills, they make up for it with their hardworking nature, enthusiasm and grasping ability.”

“The LABS aspirants have been doing a great job with us. They are hardworking

by nature, and well trained in their respective domains, which is why we have employed nearly 50 of them in our various branches. DRF is doing an exemplary

job by reaching out to underprivileged youth and making them employable.”

“We always seek some special qualities in the manpower that we hire, and the kind of training these LABS aspirants get largely fulfills our expectations. What we look for is a positive attitude and a passionate zeal for work, and the LABS

aspirants meet these criteria quite well.”

- Sirisha Reddy

- Varaprasad

- Giridhar

- Rajesh Sharma

Manager – HR, Pantaloon Retail (India)

Managing Director, Sithara Residency

Manager, Shell Retail

Regional Manager, 6Ten

“I am impressed by these motivated youngsters brought out by LABS. Despite coming from modest backgrounds, they show a high degree of competence at the workplace. The LABS training significantly raises their employability. That

makes it much easier for us.”

“The LABS aspirants are very zestful and full of beans. They have been groomed well indeed. They serve the customers dutifully and are ever eager to

learn. In fact, their high service standards rub off on other employees, who try to emulate them.”

“LABS alumni working for us, though they come from modest backgrounds, seek to make a steady career for themselves. They bring value to the workplace

with their positive attitude and loyalty, and complete their assignments in quick time.

”

“We have been recruiting LABS aspirants for over two years now. I find them quite well trained in several aspects of Customer Relations and Sales. LABS is

an innovative program that gives disadvantaged youth an opportunity to acquire useful livelihood skills.”

- BV Krishna Mohan

- Junaid Khader

- Rani Xavier

- Arnab Chakraborty

Area Head – HR, Eureka Forbes

Manager, McDonald’s

Recruitment Consultant, Sahay Datatech

Head - Talent Acquisition, Spencer’s Retail Limited

3736

6-3-655/12, Somajiguda, Hyderabad - 500 082.Ph: +91-40-65343424, 23304199 / 1868

Fax: +91-40-23301085Email: info@drreddysfoundation.org

www.drreddysfoundation.org

"Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.”

- Lyman Frank Baum