labs-s the journey to sustainability · sr manager and head – rural livelihoods raghu gudipati...

Volume 10 Issue 2 2012A Quarterly Newsletter of Initiatives by Dr. Reddy’s Foundation

LABS-S The Journey to Sustainability

Cover Story >>> 4

Special Feature >>> 9

LABS News >>> 12

LABS Centers >>> 14

Learning & Development >>> 16

Employer Speak >>> 17

Education >>> 18

Going Global >>> 20

In Focus >>> 23

Education Snippets >>> 24

DRF in the News >>> 25

CSR Spotlight >>> 26

Editorial TeamRavi M Chowdhary

Sandhya Damodar

Kalyani

Madhuri Rao Dempsey

Cont

ents

Editorial

Watching a new idea bloom and take shape is always an exciting event. New ideas take us out of our comfort zone and challenge our imagination. Sometimes they make us apprehensive: “Can this really work? Are we making a mistake?” we may ask ourselves in a moment of doubt. The fact is that we will never know if an idea can work unless we try it out. When it takes wing and succeeds, there is no better or more exhilarating feeling. As a pioneer in livelihood creation, DRF knows firsthand the power of a good idea. LABS was one of them.

In this issue we look at another new idea that is now starting to bear fruit – LABS-S. The drive to make LABS sustainable began late in 2011, and involved a new way of thinking and operating. Today, with many of the LABS centers having converted to the new ‘social business’ model, we decided to take a look at the journey of LABS-S. The challenges, victories and learnings that accompanied the launch of this new model are the subject of our cover story.

In fact, we might go as far as to say that new ideas are a recurring theme in this issue. We give you a story about another initiative to set up training centers for farmers, which offer short duration training programs on a variety of technological interventions to improve their livelihoods. Based on the LABS model, this type of focused training is already having dramatic results on the lives of farmers who have adopted new technologies.

Perhaps nothing, however, is more appealing than to see the new generation ignited by an idea. The children of the Pudami Neighbourhood Schools and KARV are learning about government, democracy, ethics and responsibility in a novel way – by holding their first ever student committee elections. The story on school elections captures the excitement surrounding the event, as well as the passion and commitment of the student leaders. It is a refreshing and hopeful piece on the young people who will shape our country’s future.

There are many other uplifting and heartwarming articles in this issue, from the story of a beautiful cross-cultural partnership between schools in Hyderabad and the UK to the wonderful work being done by the NASSCOM foundation to bring the benefits of information and communication technology to underserved populations.

Happy reading!

Please share your thoughts and feedback on this issue by writing to us at [email protected]

ContributorsK RamchandraSr Manager and Head – Rural Livelihoods

Raghu GudipatiDy Manager – QAE

Srikanth DaraAsst Manager – Learning & Development

Amit Singh JasrotiaAsst Manager – Operations

Pranav ChoudharySr Manager – Operations

Ujwal DhuleSr Executive – Corporate Networking

J YogeshAsst Manager – Corporate Networking

Rami ReddyDy Manager – MIS

Aidan GuyIDEX Fellow

K PrabhakarPrincipal, Pudami Neighbourhood School, Kondapur

Madhuri ReddyPrincipal, Pudami Neighbourhood School, Hayathnagar

VishalPrincipal, Pudami Neighbourhood School, Yacharam

Barbara BurderEducation Resource Centre

Suresh KumarCoordinator, Pudami Primaries

4 >> New Horizons New Horizons >> 5

Cover Story >>>

DRF is in the midst of exciting times. The Foundation’s bold new initiative, LABS-S is proving to be a viable and promising way forward for the program.

In September 2011, Jitendra Kalra, CEO, DRF announced that the Foundation would pursue a new direction that would make its flagship program, LABS, self-sufficient and sustainable so that it could reach far greater numbers of youth. This initiative was called LABS-S and it was based on a social business model wherein aspirants are charged a small fee, which would allow LABS centers to become sustainable over time rather than depending solely on donor support. The main advantage of building sustainable and financially viable centers is that the Foundation would be able to expand its reach and provide livelihoods training to a much larger population than ever before.

Of course any change of this magnitude will have hiccups and challenges on the way, and this was no different. It is no small task to change people’s mindsets when they are used to doing things a certain way, and it became necessary to build awareness and understanding of the sustainable LABS model both within and outside the organization. Converting existing centers to the new model by gaining the buy-in of center teams was a further challenge.

Now, about nine months down the road, many of these challenges have been thoughtfully and creatively addressed, with the result that LABS-S is becoming well entrenched across the country. With 86 centers having begun the first

LABS-S:The journey to sustainability

LABS-S batches, 71 centers on their second round of batches and eight well into their third, it is possible to say that this model is showing every sign of succeeding over the long term.

As of May 1, as many as 4,294 aspirants have been trained under the new model. Of this number 73.1% were placed in jobs on completing their courses. Interestingly, the implementation of a flexible payment option in February 2012 played a major role in increasing enrollment. For the first six months, students paid the full minimal fee (approximately Rs 2,236 on average) up front. When the new Dynamic Fee Installment Policy was introduced however, admissions skyrocketed.

Under this structure, students had three payment options:

• Paythetotalfeeupfrontandreceivea20%discount.

• Pay an admission feeofRs500and thebalance in twoequal installments – the first before placement and the second after placement.

• Pay the Rs 500 admission fee on enrollment, and thebalance in two installments only after placement – the first after one month of employment and the next after the second month.

The third option gave students the financial flexibility they needed and proved to be the most popular. The impact of the dynamic fee structure is evident in the numbers. In the first six months, 2,168 aspirants had enrolled in LABS-S. After

fee payment options were offered starting February, a further 2,126 enrolled in a period of just three months.

Some centers have been particularly successful in terms of ramping up operations and achieving impressive revenue ratios, all promising signs of future sustainability. Placements also have improved qualitatively. “DRF is studying the parameters behind the success of these centers and learning some important lessons. In each case, the successful center team has built an excellent relationship with the community and with its alumni. Thus, they have been very effective in mobilizing new aspirants for every batch. Additionally these teams have focused on developing solid counseling skills and are thus able to address the needs of aspirants and explain how our LABS program can address those particular needs,” points out Mr. Kalra.

Let us take a look at the journey of LABS-S to this point, with its bumps, its challenges and its victories.

The Innovation JourneyThe first and biggest challenge was to align all DRF employees to the ‘shift’ in thinking. The senior management team travelled across the country and personally met with every employee in the organization in September 2011 to cascade the intent of the ‘sustainable LABS’ to employees. The message was also delivered and reinforced using a number of other platforms, such as monthly meetings at the zonal level and the CEO’s monthly newsletter

The team believed that everyone in the organization should be clear about the intent of the initiative, because it was not merely an experiment to be carried out in one or two places, but a new way of operating that would be implemented across the nation. Since LABS was spread across the country and dealt with different regions, religions and languages, the senior team wanted to inculcate this new initiative as a ‘culture’ across the country. Asking employees to make a shift in perspective was not easy and the initial response was

less than encouraging. However, the management team did not give up, but rather continued to engage employees in discussion and motivate them at every level.

Following this, LABS-S centers began to be established around the country. This was a period of learning and change, and the organization continued to seek ways to improve the program. One such exercise began in December 2011 and was called the “Innovation Journey.” DRF engaged an innovation social consultant to facilitate the journey, and make it

more customer-centric, efficient and effective. A team of “innovation evangelists” from within the organization was formed and trained by the consultant with a focus on creating a more customer-centric organization and doing innovation at all levels, especially in product and service categories.

The innovation journey focused on ideation – free thinking, breaking the rules, learning best practices in the sector, and lateral thinking, all of which were aimed at coming up with new and better ways of program delivery. These activities led to flurry of ideas and new perspectives on program delivery, resource allocation, sector focus, etc., which are now being piloted.

Bringing Partners on BoardWhen DRF began to communicate the goal and intent of LABS-S to its partners, it was pleasantly surprised to find that they were very appreciative of the vision of making LABS sustainable over the long term. Corporates such as Accenture, E&Y, REC and BPCL, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation declared themselves to be fully on board with

“Visionary companies are not afraid to make bold commitments to big goals. A big goal may be daunting and perhaps risky, but the adventure, excitement and challenge of it grabs people in the gut, gets their juices flowing, and creates immense forward momentum.”

- Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies (by Jim Collins and Jerry I Porras)

LABS-S, in its new social business avatar, is gaining momentum thanks to a dynamic fee structure, recommendations from alumni, community goodwill and highly motivated center teams across the country



the initiative and are partnering with us on this sustainable journey. Bandhan Konnagar (a society promoted by Bandhan MFI) is also participating with us in our programs at West Bengal by providing loan support to the students. Similarly DRDA Kangra & DWDA Shimla are also partnering with DRF to provide scholarship support to the trainees under the LABS-S Model.

Apart from the above-mentioned program partners, prominent employers have also well appreciated this shift. They have agreed to tie up with DRF as panel employers and pay us for the service they receive in terms of the human capital made available to them. Some prominent employers are Café Coffee Day, KFC, Yum Restaurants, Raymond Retails, Cinemax India, PepsiCo, IFB Industries, Concentrix BPO & Ascendum BPO.

Community Support and NetworkingAnother important strategy was to build on LABS’ longstanding engagement with surrounding communities through various social service activities over the years. This has been a major force in mobilizing youth and gaining their buy-in to the new model. Over time, LABS teams across the country have earned the ‘trust’ of youth and their families and this has contributed to the success of the mobilization efforts.

There has been a growing awareness among the LABS-S teams that there needs to be regular and consistent stakeholder engagement. They are eager to participate in community

events and maintain relationships with their stakeholders through participation in programs and events conducted by NGOs, educational institutions, local community bodies, SHGs and others. These are seen as valuable opportunities to spread the word about LABS-S and provide information to youth from different walks of life. They also ensure that they maintain contact with these stakeholders over time, keeping them informed of changes and developments in the process and program.

Alumni Engagement There’s no doubt that one of the core strengths of all the successful centers is how effectively they have engaged their alumni. They recognize that alumni are powerful voices for LABS because of how their lives have been transformed. Many center teams maintain an ongoing relationship with alumni long after they have completed their courses. In fact, many alumni regularly return to their former center to share their stories of success and growth with aspirants. The relationship between the center teams and alumni has been extremely valuable in mobilizing aspirants for LABS-S. At the Vyara center, in Western India, for example, the center team obtained references for every new batch from its alumni. With an excellent average of 26 students per batch, the team is convinced that alumni were a major factor in encouraging students to join the program. Of the 33prospects they received foronebatch,more than50%were alumni references.

Cover Story >>>

It is often said that a satisfied customer is a walking advertisement. This is certainly true in the case of

Meena and Neha Kumari (19), two friends from Himachal Pradesh. This story is about Neha, but it would probably never have happened without Meena’s intervention.

Neha had cleared her Higher Secondary exam with good marks, but had no idea how to move forward with her life. She was from a poor rural background and had seen nothing but struggle and deprivation for most of her young life. Her father, a truck driver died when she was in Class 6 and the responsibility for providing for four children fell on Neha’s mother, a housewife. Farming was the family’s only income. Neha’s brother went to work at an early age to help support the family, yet he encouraged his sister to complete her HSC. Once this was achieved, however, Neha was adrift. She wanted to work and help her family, but didn’t know how to find a job.

Providentially, Meena visited Neha around this time and strongly encouraged her to join LABS. Meena had completed a course at the LABS center in nearby Nalagarh and had landed a good job as a computer

operator at a Cyber Café. Neha was impressed. Though Meena had done her LABS course for free, she told Neha that the minimum fee now being charged by the center was well worth it. Inspired by Meena’s story, Neha was convinced that this was the right direction for her. Neha’s brother was hesitant to sendher15kmawayeachdayfortraining,butafterfinding out that two other friends of Neha’s had joined, he relented.

Neha’s mother, also inspired by Meena’s example, agreed to pay for the course, and Neha enrolled in the ITES course of the first batch of LABS-S at Nalagarh. She diligently and eagerly absorbed everything she was taught – from technical and life skills to communicative English. On finishing the course, her facilitator arranged an interview for her with Big Bazaar and gave her tips and suggestions on handling the interview confidently. She made a good impression and was hired with a starting salary of Rs 4,700 per month. Neha says, “LABS has indeed been a boon for rural people like me, who are unable to get a decent livelihood on their own within just two months. LABS has created undreamt of opportunities for me.”

Just like Meena and so many other LABS alumni, Neha today is a strong advocate for LABS-S and its ability to transform lives. She feels that her family made a very good investment in sending her to LABS-S. Though she joined before the dynamic payment options were implemented, Neha was very happy to hear that these are being offered. “If my mother hadn’t been able to pay the full fee, I would still have been able to do the course by picking Option B or C. The installment plan is a very good way to empower underprivileged youth. I encourage others to make use of the opportunity,” advises Neha.

A friend in ‘deed’



Though India may be a fast growing technological and industrial powerhouse in the global arena, the fact

remains that India is largely an agricultural economy. A majority of Indians live in villages and many of them are farmers. Considering that agriculture provides livelihoods for approximately 600 million Indians and constitutes 18% of the nation’s GDP, it is not an exaggeration to say that farmers are the backbone of this country.

Disturbingly however, agriculture in India is not growing at the rate with which other sectors of the economy are growing. Farmers in India, despite their toil, are not achieving their full potential in terms of productivity or profit. There are a number of reasons for this, including degradation of natural resources, chronic food insecurity, small land holdings, rural to urban migration, inadequate agriculture finance/credit, high dependency on chemical fertilizers and improved seeds, dependency on monsoon rains for

F-LABS Bringing technology to small farmers

Special Feature >>>Cover Story >>>

irrigation and unsustainable methods of irrigation. Consider this:only35%ofthenetcroppedarea(141millionha)isfullyorpartlyirrigated;65%dependsonmonsoonrains.Further,the majority of the farmers in India are small and marginal farmers, the average farm size being 3.3 acres.

Realizing that there was great scope to improve the livelihoods of farmers, DRF initiated a pilot project in September 2008 to provide technological interventions to farmers. Over the course of three years, DRF tested out and experimented with a variety of interventions, such as introduction of appropriate technologies, skill upgradation through training, and providing access to credit and market linkages. Now, armed with learnings from the project, DRF has woven these interventions into a systematic program, building on its vast experience with the LABS model. The new program is called the Livelihood Advancement Business School for Farmers or F-LABS.

Training EffectivenessSince the transition has involved the shift to shorter duration courses (from 90daysto45days),whichiswhatcustomersareseeking,theorganizationhas been challenged to develop new ways of delivering training quickly and effectively without compromising on program quality.

In fact, this has led DRF to focus on improving the new short-duration curriculum and offering the best program within this timeframe. The journey of innovation has pushed the organization to constantly seek newer methods of program delivery, such as strengthening the curriculum, developing new modules, using ICT for curriculum delivery, digitizing content, and so on.

This has resulted in a greater sense of ownership among team members as well as a willingness to accept new challenges. The teams are on a constant quest for new or improved techniques and methods of training within the centers.

The Road AheadAs the organization seeks new ways to draw youth to LABS-S and continually improve program quality, the level of motivation across the organization remains high. There is a lot of cross learning and sharing of best practices, and excitingly, there is tremendous creativity and innovation as teams try out new strategies to build the program. In fact, the L&D team has created a compendium of best practices from various centers which is being shared with teams throughout the organization to foster cross-learning.

DRF is also piloting further program innovations at a couple of locations. These include creating a dedicated community mobilizer to focus on enrollment and a business development executive to network with companies for placement of students. The concept of sustainability may have taken a while to sink in fully, but now it is clear that it has taken off!

Raghu Gudipati (QAE)

Building Relationships, Making ConnectionsThe center team at Vellore in Tamil Nadu was facing a dilemma. They had struggled to start their first LABS-S batch and had only enrolled seven students. It was not what they hoped, so they decided to get proactive and make some changes. They first shifted the center from the outskirts of Vellore to the town. They started the batch with their small group of students, but were determined to build their network all the while.

An excellent opportunity came in the way of a job fair conducted by Mahalir Thittam, Women’s Corporation Department. The Vellore team already had a very good relationship with this government body from their previous involvement with Grameen LABS and this allowed them to access the database of unemployed youth collected during the job fair. After reviewing the database, they invited the unemployed youth listed there to the LABS-S center and told them about the program. This proved to be a game-changing move with 17 students registering for the next batch.

Next, they contacted the Pudhu Vaazhvu Project (PVP), a social development initiative that also provides financial support to BPL youth for skill development training. This well-thought out move resulted in a further 20 aspirants registering for future batches.

Motivated by these successes, the team went on to meet the Executive Officer of Dinakaran and Sun Network, Vellore Dist., which was conducting a two-day educational exhibition where approximately 30 educational institutions had stalls. The team got permission to distribute LABS-S pamphlets and talk about the program during the exhibition. Not stopping here, they then created a database of about 487 students who attended the exhibition. “This is a huge amount of data that will enable us to continue the program in Vellore district. Now we are in a position to one more center in Vellore district at Thiruvannamalai,” says a member of the Vellore team.

DRF is teaching farmers to reap the benefits of new technologies through a systematic training initiative in rural areas.



two-fold or more for dry land farming. Farmers adopting vermicomposting are saving as much as Rs 500 per acreeach year on fertilizer. The use of biological pest control techniques is saving approximately Rs 2,000 per acre per year on pesticide. As for farmers who have gone into the mini poultry business from their backyards, the gains have been as much as Rs 1,000 per month while those who have ventured into commercial poultry have increased their income by Rs 10,000.

Clearly, there is great scope to scale up this model. Initially the project focused on training farmers in their villages, but the push now is towards moving towards Centre Based Training with fixed Training Modules to reach greater numbers. The idea is to open three such centers over the next year in Daund and Indapur in Pune, and Sadhashivpet near Hyderabad. As this happens, and credit is made available to farmers, it is hoped that the technology adoption rate will further increase, even for high investment technologies, which, in turn, will guarantee higher returns to farmers.

K Ramchandra (Rural Livelihoods)

Farmers who have adopted new technologies are seeing a significant rise in income. On average, their income has increased from Rs 1,000 per year to Rs 1,000 per month. Some are even earning as much as Rs 10,000 per month.

Popat Ballu Atole, a 50-year-old farmer fromDaund, is the head of a joint family of 11 people, all of whom are engaged in agriculture. This is a rather rare sight today when the younger generations are increasingly leaving agriculture to pursue different occupations. Popat’s family has five acres of land, most of which was under cultivation around the year. They also own livestock, which contributes about Rs 6,000 to the family’s annual income.

However, there was something bothering Popat. Closeto1.5acresofhislandhadbeenlyingfallowfor many years due to water scarcity. Though he was more than ready to work on the land, his hands were tied. He wanted to find a way to irrigate that parcel of land with minimal wastage of water.

That was around the time DRF was extending rural technologies across villages in Daund, and Popat was eager to learn more. During an exposure visit, he found that tank and drip irrigation was a viable way to address the problem of water shortage on his farm. He not only decided to adopt the technology but also wanted to experiment with the crops that he cultivated. Till then he was like any other farmer, growing food grains such as bajra, wheat and jowar. After his exposure visit however, he decided to diversify and grow vegetables in the land that was lying fallow.

In November 2010, he began construction of a water storage tank with a capacity of 10,000 litres and put in drip irrigation pipes to cover an acre of hisland.ThetankcosthimRs65,000,outofwhichDRF contributed Rs 25,000. He also investedRs 30,000 in pipes and a further Rs 32,000 on a borewell. All in all, Popat spent Rs 1.1 lakh to make water available in his field round the year.

With the drip irrigation method, Popat’s family transformed the once fallow land. On half the land, he now grows vegetables such as brinjal, tomatoes chillies, fenugreek and coriander, and on the other half, he has planted flowers which fetch a good value in the market. He sells about 6-7 kilos of flowers per day for a steady daily income or Rs 200.

With the cultivation of vegetables and horticulture, Popat has increased his annual income by Rs 1.37 lakhs. His deep belief that land is the giver and sustainer of life has certainly proved true.

The new model called for the establishment of a Training Center for Farmers covering a cluster of around 30 villages. The center offers short duration training programs for farmers. The training modules focus on the introduction of a single technology into the agricultural value chain or in animal husbandry. Each module consists of four days of training over a period of one month. On completing the training, farmers are linked to a vendor who supplies them with the required equipment needed to adopt the technology.

Each center has resources allocated to it to create a ‘Technology Credit Fund’, from which financial assistance can be provided to farmers. This is a revolving fund, which the Centre Coordinator can extend as credit either directly to the farmer or to the vendor, who in turn can provide materials on credit to the farmer.

The Technology and Training Modules were developed by DRF based on learnings and findings from the pilot project. The modules are: Small Plot Intensive Cultivation (SPIC)using tank and low-cost drip irrigation for household food security and cash income; Vermicomposting for organic fertilizer; Biological pest control to eliminate use of chemical pesticides; Mini poultry in backyards to improve income from backyard poultry; and Commercial poultry as an alternative means of income.

DRF launched a pilot project to test the F-LABS model in two locations, Daund near Pune and Sadashivpet near Hyderabad to scale up the adoption of the above modules. During a span of past one year, around 2,000 farmers were mobilized and 560 farmers underwent training. Of thisnumber, 200 farmers invested their money in equipment bought from local vendors for the adoption of technologies. Till date an investment of Rs 38.42 lakhs has been made jointly by farmers and banks for adopting new technologies and improving agriculture and animal husbandry.

The results of the pilot are promising. Though improvement is required in the rate of technology adoption by farmers trained, it is hoped that this will pick up as the project moves further. Importantly, a significant investment has been made by trained farmers over the project period demonstrating their faith in the new technology and willingness to upgrade. Farmers who have adopted these technologies are seeing significant benefits already. On average, their income has risen sharply from Rs 1,000 per year to Rs 1,000 per month. Some are even earning as much as Rs 10,000 per month, depending on the technology they adopted and level of investment they made.

Specifically, farmers adopting SPIC using tank and drip technology have been able to increase their income

Special Feature >>>



Alumni meet at ShahpuraThe Shahpura Team organized an Alumni and Guest Event (AGE) on February 17. The team invited Jagdish Prasad Sharma (DSP, Shahpura) and Amit Rawal (HIV Counselor) to grace the event. They interacted with alumni and staff and expressed their admiration for the work of the team. They both shared their views with the alumni and sought to inspire and motivate them to achieve success in their lives.

Lifetime Achievement Award for Dr K Anji ReddyDRF has another cause for celebration. Dr K Anji Reddy, Founder and Chairman of DRF and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, received yet another important honour recently. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement in Health award in the Asian Voice Political & Public Life Awards for 2012 on February 24 in London. The award was presented at a ceremony held at the Member’s Dining Room in the House of Commons and honoured Dr Anji Reddy’s commitment to medical research and improving lives. Satish Reddy, MD and COO of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories received the award on Dr Anji Reddy’s behalf.

Speaking about the award, Dr Anji Reddy said, “I consider myself to be fortunate that my country had given me the opportunity to

participate in the advent of affordable medicine in India. One individual's lifetime efforts can only touch the surface. I truly believe that the collective effort of many individuals and organizations will help to further improve access to affordable medicines, provide better support to our local communities, and make an enormous difference to mankind as a whole."

The ‘practical’ side of learningThe Shahpura Team organized its first-ever field visit for LABS-S aspirants on February 14. It was an exciting day for the batch, as nine aspirants geared up for a day of practical experience in the hotel and marketing industries. The field visit was designed to give aspirants a taste of both these domains. They visited Triputi Hotel in Kotputali and the Reebok Showroom at Poata, where they gained valuable tips and insights about the respective industries from experienced staff members at both places.

A model of excellenceTwo aspirants from the hospitality domain at the Najafgarh center had an opportunity to express their creative talents. Combining their artistic gifts with their interest in the hospitality sector, Karan Varma and Sandeep took on the challenge of creating a model of the famous Al Burg hotel in Dubai. One of the most photographed and luxurious hotels in the world, the Burj Al Arab soars to a height of 321 meters, dominating the Dubai skyline. With the help of hospitality facilitator Nazeer Ahmed, Sandeep and Karan learned all about the hotel and built an impressive model of the famed structure in just one week!

Garia center gets visitors from BangladeshThe Garia team was delighted to have international visitors recently. Md. Al-Amin Sardar (Project Manager) and Alvina Zafar (Management Professional, Research & Development) from BRAC in Bangladesh visited the Garia center on February 26 along with members of BANDHAN. They toured the center and interacted extensively with aspirants, exchanging views and learning more about the LABS program.

Accenture joins in door-to-door mobilization driveThe Rohini team joined together with volunteers from Accenture to conduct a door-to-door mobilization drive on March 3. The goal of this effort was to raise awareness about the LABS-S program in the community through interaction with parents, distribution of pamphlets and meetings with local leaders. The Accenture team, which had engaged in a similar door-to-door mobilization effort in Mumbai earlier, had valuable experience to contribute. Their presence made a huge difference in reaching out to parents and potential aspirants. This mobilization tactic is proving successful, with a5-10%conversionrate,increaseinthenumberofwalk-insand greater awareness about LABS-S in the community. Guest lecture a treat for aspirants

Ms Divyanandakumar of Janalakshmi, an institution that services the microfinance needs of the urban poor, held an interactive guest lecture with aspirants at LABS-S Dilsukhnagar onMarch15.Her inspiringand interesting lecturekepttheaspirants engaged throughout. Ms Divyanandakumar was keen to learn more about LABS-S and was impressed by the program and process. “The dedication and extent of tracking of each trainee’s improvement by the facilitator is amazing. It is wonderful to see the intention behind this cause actually translated into action!” she said.

Labs News >>>



Andhra PradeshAccenture (Kakinada, Warangal, Vizag, Kurnool)Ernst & Young (Hyderabad)

BiharMSDF- National (Patna)

ChhattisgarhAccenture (Durg, Raipur)MSDF- National (Bilaspur)

Dadra and Nagar HaveliMSDF- National (Silvasa)

DelhiAccenture (Rohini, Tilak Vihar)Ernst & Young (Badarpur)MSDF- National (Sangam Vihar, Loni)

GujaratMSDF- National (Gondal, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Surat, Ahmedabad, Vyara, Vadodara)

HaryanaAccenture (Sonepat)

Himachal PradeshAccenture (Shimla)MSDF- National (Kangra, Solan)

Jammu & KashmirMSDF- National (Jammu)

JharkhandMSDF- National (Ranchi, Jamshedpur)

KarnatakaErnst & Young (Bommanahalli, Bengaluru)MSDF- National (Mysore)

KeralaAccenture (Kozhikode, Kottayam, Trissur, Alapuzha, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kochi)

Madhya Pradesh Accenture (Kotra, Jabalpur)MSDF- National (Bhopal, Jabalpur, Indore)

Maharashtra Ernst & Young (Pune, Kalyan)MSDF- National (Solapur, Nasik)

OdishaAccenture (Bhubaneswar, Puri)MSDF- National (Cuttack, Balasore)

PuducherryAccenture (Puducherry)

Punjab MSDF- National (Amritsar, Patiala)

RajasthanAccenture (Jaipur)MSDF- National (Udaipur)

Tamil NaduAccenture (Trichy)Ernst & Young (Velachery, Koyambedu)MSDF- National (Vellore, Madurai)

UttarakhandMSDF- National (Haridwar, Dehradun)

Uttar PradeshAccenture (Banaras, Allahabad)MSDF- National (Agra, Kanpur, Jhansi)

West BengalAccenture (Bally, Siliguri)Ernst & Young (Dumdum, Barasat)MSDF- National (Garia, Barrackpore, Behala)

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LABS Centers >>>State-Wise Livelihoods Trained (4830)01 January - 31 March 2012

Project-Wise Livelihoods Trained (4830) 01 January - 31 March 2012

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Andhra Pradesh Chhattisgarh Delhi-NCR Gujarat Himachal Pradesh Jammu & Kashmir Jharkhand Karnataka Kerala Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra Odisha Puducherry Punjab Tamil Nadu Uttar Pradesh Uttarakhand West Bengal


When we think of the great thinkers, artists, painters and inventors, we

often use the word creative ‘genius’, as if creativity is something unique to extraordinary individuals and not a quality for the ‘common man’. But most of these artists and achievers themselves would be the first to say that creativity is not a special gift for just a few people. It is not so much about making something new out of scratch as much as it is about imagination, “rediscovering” what is there, bringing a fresh perspective to something, or connecting dots in new ways to arrive at something new. As the great French author Marcel Proust said, “The real magic of discovery lies not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.”

It appears that creative thinking is something everyone can do – and in virtually any context. Most of us feel comfortable going with a tried and tested model in an organization and getting everyone to follow it for everyday operations. We feel reasonably certain that it will yield us guaranteed dividends. Of course, it will. But it will eventually kill our creative instinct and make us more and more dependent on the existing standard model. It deprives organizations of better and innovative ideas which employees can come up within a creative environment. Who knows, maybe the best solution to one of our organizations nagging problems is right inside an employee’s head! We may even have a new business idea which we have not yet explored.

Everyone has substantial creative ability. Just look at how creative children are. In adults, creativity has too often been suppressed through education, but it is still there and can be reawakened. In an effort to “reawaken” this inherent creativity, the L&D team organized a two one-day training programs for DRF employees in January to facilitate creative thinking in certain conditions, taking steps to put those conditions in place and to impart various techniques to hone creative thinking skills. The program sought to inculcate the idea that

“Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns.”

Edward de Bono (inventor, physician and author)

Setting off the creative spark

creativity is the ability to imagine or invent something new and to help develop creative thinking in DRF employees.

Creativity is not the ability to create out of nothing; rather it is the ability to generate new ideas by combining, changing, or reapplying existing ideas. Some creative ideas are astonishing and brilliant, while others are just simple, good, practical ideas that no one seems to have thought of yet. Often all that’s needed to be creative is to make a commitment to creativity and to take the time for it.

We don’t deny the fact that standardization can avoid confusion and improve productivity but we cannot overlook the options of breeding creative thinking within the organization. The workshop highlighted the fact that the organization, though firm on its SOPs, is still open to welcome fresh ideas if it enhances performance. This training reinforced the need to create a culture where ideas keep floating and were employees contribute to this pool without inhibitions.

By the end of the workshop, the participants began to have a deeper appreciation for importance of creative thinking in the workplace. They also learned various tools and techniques of creative thinking, including ways to implement them in their work place. As an outcome of the workshop, through the methodology of ‘brainstorming,’ a huge list of ideas were generated with respect to DRF’s latest initiative – LABS-S.

NH: How did you decide to partner with LABS?

BM: DRF has consistently been helping to uplift backward sections of society by providing employment and training opportunities. We came to know about the livelihood initiatives taken up by DRF through a variety of sources, and since Shoppers Stop is also committed to being socially responsible, we decided to partner with LABS. There is a huge requirement for manpower in our sector (i.e., retail) and good job opportunities for new entrants or freshers, so we thought of partnering with DRF as part of our CSR work so that we could give good job offers to needy and underprivileged youth.

NH: What skills or abilities does Shoppers Stop look for in your employees?

BM: Aspirants should have a need for the job, good communication skills, a thirst for knowledge and the passion to excel.

NH: What has been your experience of partnering with LABS?

BM: It has been a wonderful experience. We are closely associated with LABS to ensure that we hire the right aspirants. DRF’s transparency and clarity are very important factors and encourage us to maintain a long-term relationship with the Foundation. On top of that, the candidates are underprivileged youth in need of work, so not only do we serve our manpower needs by hiring them, but we also have a sense of satisfaction that we are providing them with employment. Further, if you look at the business end, we hire freshers who have already been trained in various aspects of the business through LABS, so that’s the icing on the cake.

NH: In your view, what are some of the main advantages of the LABS program?BM: LABS provides trained manpower free of cost. Also, they have centers across India, which caters to our all India requirement for people. Moreover, it’s a CSR activity which is taking a great step in terms of removing poverty, and that too constructively – by providing employment, not by lending

Employer Speak >>>

money. So it helps to create a sense of respect in the citizens, which I think will take the country forward in many respects and make everyone self-sufficient.

NH: Do you see any gaps in the current set-up? How do you think we can improve the LABS program?

BM: As per Shoppers Stop policy, we can only hire candidates who have passed their HSC exam. However LABS also caters to aspirants who have not passed this exam, which means that we cannot hire many of their good resources.

NH: How else can LABS contribute? Do you see more scope for aspirants with skills?

BM: As far as Shoppers Stop is concerned, LABS can contribute further by opening more centers, as our organization is expanding on a large scale and the need for trained associates is growing.

Nirmala Kamble lives with her old and feeble grandmother. Her father had left the family while she was still an infant, leaving her sick mother in the lurch. Unable to work and earn enough for the family, Nirmala’s mother put the two-year-old child in an orphanage called ‘Committed to Community Development Trust (CCDT).

When Nirmala was in Class IV, her grandmother came calling and informed her that her mother had passed away. With CCDT’s support, Nirmala studied in a Balika Ashram in Mumbai and Pandarpur. When she turned 18, CCDT put her in a ‘Retail Sales’ course at a LABS centre in Mumbai.

A grateful Nirmala says, “Rohit Sir and Abhijit Sir gave me very good training. Ujwal Dhule Sir (Corporate Networking)

helped me with many mock interviews and got me a job in Shoppers Stop as a

Customer Care Executive. I want to become an MBA in Marketing and rise

further in my career. Thanks to DRF, I am able to take care of my old grandmother.

I send a part of my savings to CCDT every month, to help out other orphans

like me.”

Shoppers Stop is one of India’s leading retail stores with a wide assortment of Indian and International brands. With numerous stores across the country, Shoppers Stop has become a household name that is synonymous with fashion and lifestyle.

New Horizons caught up with Binny Mathen (Customer Care Associate and Asst Manager - Human Resources, Shoppers Stop Ltd) to find out more about the company’s relationship with DRF and his thoughts on LABS and its trainees.

A good deal A long and fruitful partnership

New Horizons >> 17

Learning & Development >>>


Jawaharlal Nehru once said, “To be in good moral condition requires at least as much training as to be in

good physical condition.” He believed that children were like “buds in a garden” who should be well nurtured because they were the future citizens and leaders of the country. So “Chacha” Nehru, as he was fondly called, would probably have approved of the latest initiative of the Pudami schools to form a Student Committee. This gave students at four Pudami Neighbourhood Schools and KARV a wonderful opportunity to exercise their vote and learn about a free and fair election process in January.

Education, many would agree, is not just about doing homework and passing exams. Ideally, a good education should also give young people an opportunity to shoulder responsibility and take on service and leadership roles at

Education >>>

Young champions of democracyschool. By learning “to serve the school” rather than focusing only on glory and status for individuals, student leadership plays a vital component in the discipline and management of the school. The Pudami Neighbourhood Schools and KARV decided to take this idea forward and hit upon the idea of forming a Student Committee to encourage students to take on leadership roles at school.

The Student Committee comprises 22 members with representatives from Class I to X. Each class elects two Class Pupil Leaders (CPL), a Head Student Pupil Leader (SPL) and an Assistant Student Pupil Leader (ASPL) through a fair and democratic election process. The elections for electing SPL and ASPL were announced a week ahead of the elections to give enough time for the candidates to prepare their agendas and campaign. An Election Committee was set up to ensure

Meet the student leaders

“Leaders should not be selfish. They should follow a good path

and lead in a friendly way without partiality. I want to ensure that all students speak English and

develop communication skills.”Lokesh (SPL, PNS Kondapur)

“Leaders should listen and then lead.

They should discuss and invite opinions

from all. I want to help students to get

better not only in education but also in

games and other activities.”

Prashanth (ASPL, PNS Kondapur)

“I will help solve student problems

and maintain discipline. Being the

student leader, I have to take on

this responsibility with courage.”

SPL, Yogitha (SPL, KARV)

“I am happy to be elected, as I would like to improve the school.”

Nagasai (ASPL, KARV)

“I feel good being elected. I will help to maintain discipline and

try to fulfill the expectations of students, teachers and parents.”

Mallesh (SPL, PNS Hayathnagar)

“I feel happy to be elected by the students. I will sincerely fulfill expectations.”Raju (ASPL, PNS Hayathnagar)

“I am happy to be elected. I shall represent student difficulties and bring them to the notice of our teachers and Principal.”Surya (SPL, PNS Nagaram)

“I am happy to be elected, and I shall work to

improve the school.”K Nagaraju (SPL, PNS Yacharam)

“I want to help students and teachers.”

Varalaxmi (ASPL, PNS Yacharam)

that the norms for the conduct of the elections were followed to the letter. Contestants filed their nominations and were only able to contest if they could show that they had supporters. Finally the nominations were scrutinized by the Election Committee.

Students embraced the whole process enthusiastically. Nominated candidates made good use of the time they were allowed for campaigning (half an hour in the morning and half an hour in the afternoon three days prior to the elections) to reach out to their fellow students and make their case. On the day of the election, each nominee made a final speech to convince their classmates to give them their votes. It was evident that a lot of thought and effort had gone into the speeches – all the contestants were very articulate and impressive. They made a variety of promises,

including organizing excursions, outdoor games, computer classes, music and craft activities and fairs, and some also said they would provide more help to children who needed assistance in their studies.

Elections were held at all the four Pudami Neighbourhood Schools and KARV on 23 January. Apart from campaigning, students were also given a good grounding in the entire election process. Students were presented with ballot papers for both SPL and CPL. All the ballot boxes were brought to one room and contestants were invited to witness the counting of votes. They were allowed to raise objections if any. There was no perceivable bias of any kind in the voting process. Students elected the worthy candidate of their choice and agreed that it was a great learning experience for them.

K Prabhakar (Principal, Pudami Neighbourhood School, Kondapur)

“Students should be good at studies

as well as other activities. So I will

focus on including extra curricular

activities for students at school.”

Vasanthalaxmi (ASPL, PNS Nagaram)



Going Global >>>

What happens in our neighbourhood, city or country can have global implications and what we do in our

corner of the planet has consequences on the rest of the world, whether small or great.

This is what children in Pudami Neighbourhood Schools are learning through the Global Partnership Program funded by UK Aid, which fosters exchange and interaction between Pudami Schools and schools in the UK. Under this program, the partner schools are focusing on projects of global importance, such as environmental protection.

Initiated in 2009, the partnership between the Pudami Neighbourhood School, Hayathnagar and West Rise Community School at East Bourne, Sussex won a Reciprocal Visit Grant funded by UK Aid. This involved an exchange of visits by teachers of the two schools to their partner schools.

Elaine Goff and Susan Johnson, both teachers at the West Rise Community School were in Hyderabad for a week in

promoting a global dimension to the school curriculum. The schools work on projects that reflect a global dimension – gardening, weaving, dance and design, for instance, which were the chosen themes by the partner schools. The head teachers of both partner schools planned the ‘Joint Curriculum Project’.

In February 2011, the Pudami School, Hayathnagar again had two visitors from West Rise. Susan Johnson, who had visited two years earlier, returned along with Ms. Lynne, head teacher from the school. It was a great pleasure for the students and staff to meet Susan once again and get to know Lynne. To welcome their guests, the school created a large, colourful partnership logo which they painted at the entrance of the school.

The visiting teachers interacted extensively with teachers and children at Pudami Schools. They were glad to note the latest addition of interactive white boards at Pudami School’s ICT Lab.

Students learning about vegetables during rhyme time and the permanent vegetable charts painted in the classrooms caught the attention of the visiting teachers.

During their visit Lynne and Susan made a story presentation called “Lion and the Mouse”. It was a learning experience

Beyond borders: Learning through cultural exchange‘Going global’ is a concept that is not just limited to business and technology. In every sphere, our lives are increasingly touched and affected by events and developments around the world.

2009 and visited various Pudami Schools. Mr Sanjeev, Project Head Pudami Schools, returned the visit, by spending time at the West Rise Community School in September 2010. During his short visit to the school, he became very popular with the children and staff.

Valuable activities, discussions and extensive interaction with students and staff during the visits resulted in the choice of a project of Global importance, an environmental initiative called the ‘Paper Bag’ project. In this project, students and teachers of both schools promote environmental awareness by recycling old newspapers to make paper bags and by persuading the community to use paper bags instead of plastic carry bags.

At the school in the UK, parents help run weekly workshops on making paper bags with the students. Two local shops in the UK stock these paper bags and offer them to customers as an alternative to plastic bags. They also display posters to advertise the school’s project and partnership. In India, one grocery store and four kiosks use bags made by Pudami students. Both schools are in close contact with each other, exchanging mails and ideas on the latest developments at each school.

The partnership eventually received a Global Curriculum Project Grant and progressed further. This project aimed at


for the school teacher, Ms. Kalpana, and a real joy for the children. Further, Lynne came up with the idea of contributing to early years training of teachers in the future.

The visiting teachers from the UK also got to witness the Pudami interschool drawing competition which was going on at the school.

The UK team of teachers brought a photo album of the gardening project and showed it to the teachers and students. Children in the UK school had their own planting bed and were involved in planting and growing vegetables. The children were introduced to a wide range of fruit and vegetables.

The visiting teachers brought photos of the workshop on ‘Indian dance’, which they had organized for their students in the UK to learn popular Indian dance moves and steps. The photo album on the weaving workshop was informative too. It provided a chance to understand the way students learn at West Rise.

Classes VIII and IX students from Pudami School had visited weavers at Pochampally village along with the UK teachers and prepared a booklet about the ancient art of handloom weaving which involves sensitization on the issues faced by handloom weavers in Pochampally. This is an ancient craft facing a bleak future. The students presented a copy of the booklet to the visiting teachers.

Among the highlights of the visit, however, were the “Skype Session” and “Food Feast”. Classes VIII and IX students included a selection of vegetables in their annual Food Tasting Event for teachers and explained the nutritional value of each of these to the visiting teachers. The students were excited and thoroughly enjoyed explaining the benefits of different vegetables and talking about Indian cooking and cuisine.

The visiting teachers toured the school, observed classes and interacted extensively with the staff. Lynne was pleasantly surprised by the neat handwriting and seat work of the Pudami students and said she would like to develop the same skills in students at West Rise. She added, “I would look forward to any opportunities to work with pre-primary teachers to develop theme based lessons for overall development.”

Susan admired the students for “their thoughtful approach to their work, especially their use of paper. Students in the UK often have a casual approach to their work which results in lot of paper wastage,” she noted. They took these, and other experiences, as learnings from their “India visit” to bring about further development at their school in the UK.

Overall the exchange of ideas and the “India visit” was an informative and enriching experience for all involved. The staff and students will cherish the memories of their interactions with the teachers from the UK for a long long time to come. The partnership has benefited students and staff from both schools. It has helped them to recognize connections and interdependencies, to think critically about different cultural, economic and political perspectives. The partnership will further progress through regular Skype sessions between schools for sharing of events. The schools shall continue to share events organized at their respective schools. It has been an enriching and wonderful global experience for staff and students at Pudami School.

Sandhya Damodar (ERC)

When the short documentary starts, the screen lights up with images of smiling Tamil villagers. Cheerful

and agile, even the elderly participate in the well attended volleyball matches. A mass community of onlookers and participants cheer as the ball passes rapidly from one side to another over a high net; both men and women participate in the heated games. This is not your typical human interest film; there is no sad piano music, no children scratching in the dirt aimlessly. Faces display pride – not sorrow, and yet this film was shot several short months after the Indian Ocean Tsunami wreaked havoc upon many coastal villages in Tamil Nadu in 2004. While the film was only a small component of the day-long conference, it was a vivid depiction of the power of sport as a tool to help foster community building, social cohesion, and social change. Additional films of sport being effectively used in communities were shown.

The overarching theme of the Magic Bus and DRF Conference “CSR: Sport as a Catalyst for Social Change,” and corresponding efforts in schools and communities is simple: Social Change Can Be Fun!

Reinforcing concepts of confidence, leadership, motivation, and teamwork (very important in a country of 1.22 billion people), the sports learning pedagogy aims to attract and invigorate its participants. The sharing of responsibilities, active participation in one’s community, and a very essential dose of healthy recreation are other important concepts bolstered through participation in sport.

Seeking to expand the recognition of sport at both the community and school levels, the workshop featured a notable range of speakers representing corporate, educational, NGO and governmental interests. As a CSR tool, sport builds on qualities that any constituent group both expects and respects in a business partner: adherence to the rules, fairness, and respect for co-participants and even competitors. Sport is also a highly visible and involving means for social change; not only do the players benefit, but so to do the proud families, supporters, and spectators. Sport is inherently community based and as companies, through their CSR programs, seek involvement with the communities in which they operate, sport is increasingly being seen as a valuable means for engaging with and giving back to the community at large.

Sport can be a unifying force. Sport knows no gender, caste, class, socio-economic status or religion. Sport does not see hair or eye color, or know linguistic differences. Many of the speakers at the conference pointed these out. They

highlighted that when sport is employed in an inclusionary fashion, it has the most powerful positive effect on a community. As a force for fostering community development and ties, while encouraging positive social change, inclusionary activities like sport are highly appropriate and applicable to a country as rich in diversity and community spirit as India. It’s time to add some more fun in the work of community development and social change, so why not give sport a chance!

With a focus on all round development of students, Pudami Schools have partnered with Magic Bus, which provides sports instructors to every school, for their “Sport for Development” program. Magic Bus conducts an activity based sports curriculum at Pudami Schools to promote the development of children using the medium of sports. Youth mentors from Magic Bus hold sports sessions for students. In addition, mentors from Pudami School are identified and trained so that the process is sustainable over time.

Aidan Guy (IDEX Fellow)

A “sporting” idea for social change

Going Global >>> In Focus >>>


Education Snippets >>>

Panchayat Yuva Kendra Aur Khel Abhiyan Competitions are held every year by the Mandal Sports Authority.

Students of the Pudami Neighbourhood School at Yacharam participated in a mandal tournament at ZPHS, Gunagal. The Boys under14 did their school proud, winning the Gold Medal for Kho Kho. The Girls under-14 were also in great form, winning the Silver Medal for Volleyball. M Srikanth and B Sri Ramulu, faculty from Magic Bus Foundation, trained the teams for the tournament.

Children from the Pudami Neighbourhood School at Hayathnagar showcased their talents at the International

Children’s Film Festival held at Lalitha Kala Thoranam from 15 to 19 November 2011. Students from Classes VII to IXparticipated in the cultural program, presenting a dance performance. The children also enjoyed watching such movies as “Alice in Wonderland” and “Little Terrorist”. It was a very good opportunity for the students to mingle with students from other schools and enjoy performances by their peers.

Students shine at sports competition

Children’s’ Day Celebrations

Poor vision in children is often undiagnosed and can seriously affect their performance in school and have a

negative influence on their future. With the goal of ensuring early detection of possible vision problems, an eye screening health program was initiated at Pudami Schools. The program includes teacher orientation for eye screening tests. Specialists from LV Prasad Eye Institute oriented 2-4 teachers from each school to conduct an initial vision screening of children. The teachers were trained in measuring vision and provided with a kit and a referral book. The teachers would facilitate early detection of decreased vision and inform parents as well as refer them to the respective vision centers for further eye examination and care.

Teachers of the Pudami Schools teaching Pre-primary classes were provided two days training by Resource

Person, Ms Anitha Khosla. The training was attended by around 80 teachers from Pudami Primaries and Neighbourhood Schools. The training was directed towards improving the general abilities of teachers in multiple areas, including storytelling, rhymes, speaking and pre-writing skills, phonics, questioning techniques, pre-mathematical skills, and activities for nursery and group activities. Ideally a pre-primary teacher carries out these activities as part of their daily teaching plan. Describing the benefits of the training session, Ms Sakeena, a PNS teacher observed, “I have learnt to teach strokes correctly and to tell stories using role play. Also, I got a chance to meet teachers from other locations and exchange ideas with them.”

Training Program for Pre-Primary Teachers

School Vision Screening Program

Ms Sujatha Ms Nazreen Gungal Ms Sakeena

DRF in the News >>>

Daily News, Lucknow (3 January 2012)

Employment News, ChennaiHaribhumi, Raipur (21 February 2012)

Swatantra Bharat, Lucknow (10 January 2012)

Sakshi, Hyderabad (22 December 2011)

Rajasthan Patrika, Shahpura (19 January 2012)


CSR Spotlight >>>NASSCOM Foundation

Using technology for good

Can you imagine life without your mobile phone, internet or computer? Many of us depend on these tools for

virtually everything today – to pay our bills, get our daily news, connect with friends and do business. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has not just made life easier, it has fuelled economic growth worldwide and empowered individuals and communities. Most importantly, ICT is a great equalizer – it can give people access to important information, knowledge and services that can vastly improve their lives.

The belief in the power of ICT as a powerful catalyst for social change and development is what drives NASSCOM Foundation’s activities. NASSCOM Foundation is the social development arm of NASSCOM, the internationally recognized trade body of the Indian IT-BPO industry. The Foundation seeks to transform the lives of the underserved through the application of ICT to spread knowledge, increase employability, eradicate poverty and dispel isolation. The Foundation has two key functional areas – to facilitate and strengthen Business Responsibility (BR) within the IT-BPO Industry and Technology Access Programs.

NH: What are NASSCOM Foundation’s key focus areas and why did you choose this space?

RS: Our motto is ‘Technology for Good’. We have a vision to build an inclusive and sustainable India by leveraging the capabilities and competencies of the IT BPO industry. To do so, our mission is to mainstream responsible business, promote and develop social and environmental solutions, build capacities of non-profits, influence policy, and create thought leadership. We were created out of NASSCOM, so we fit well at the intersection of industry and sustainable development.

NH: What is different or unique about NASSCOM Foundation’s strategy and initiatives in terms of harnessing the potential of the IT-BPO industry?

RS: We are in a unique position, and make sure to maximize the opportunity. We work as a platform builder promoting ‘technology for good’ among NGOs, corporates, social enterprises and the government. For instance, our MyKartavya project works to organize the volunteering initiatives of the millions of employees in the sector; our Business Responsibility program serves as a nationwide advocacy platform among NASSCOM member companies to influence their business responsibility efforts; our Accessibility Initiative is increasing the number of persons with disabilities employed in the sector; and our Skills for Employment program brings skills training to the underserved for employment in the IT-BPO sector.

NH: What are some of your most successful initiatives or projects?

RS: We have many programs, all of which are doing great work. Among them, our BiGTech and BiGBridge programs distributed around Rs 22 crore worth of hardware and software and computers to more than 300 NGOs across India. Almost 2,500 NGO and government leaders havebeen trained through our ConnectIT program. Our flagship

program, the NASSCOM Knowledge Network, is a network of nearly 200 IT-enabled tele-centers providing excluded communities with access to information, education opportunities, health resources, and livelihoods training to over one lakh people annually.

NH: What are the qualities you look for in your partners?

RS: Partnerships at NASSCOM Foundation begin with a like-minded vision that technology can advance development in several ways, including

lowering operating costs, facilitating scale and increasing access to knowledge. We also focus on transparency, communication, and efficiency with all of our partners.

NH: What are some of the biggest challenges you face?

RS: In this sector, success is often measured in tactical terms, such as the amount of money saved by NGOs through technology donations. While this is important, the true measure of the donation program is capacity building, but that is difficult to measure.

NH: What prompted you to partner with DRF, and what are some of these initiatives?

RS: DRF is a large, high-performing, and well-respected NGO with many potential areas of collaboration with the Foundation, so it was an easy choice! We recently partnered with DRF to conduct ConnectIT trainings for NGO and government leaders in Tamil Nadu, which was a great way to build the IT capacity of a large number of social sector leaders. Earlier, we partnered with DRF on developing and delivering training-of-trainers activities for our BPO Skills program, which then led to an extremely successful skills placement drive. DRF also was able to access extremely discount software through our BiGTech program.

NH: What are NASSCOM Foundation’s plans going forward?

RS: We are hoping to scale up our existing programs and take on some new strategic activities as they become available. We are very excited about our Rockefeller Foundation-funded Impact Sourcing project, which is studying the engagement of excluded communities for BPO employment; this is an area in which we are hoping to see a huge amount of opportunity, scale, and impact. In a few months we’ll be launching our National Social Innovation Honours for 2012, which is an exciting way for the NASSCOM India Leadership Forum. Finally, we have a ConnectIT training going on in Andhra Pradesh through June, and are actively recruiting NGOs to participate.

To learn more about NASSCOM Foundation, visit the website at: www.nasscomfoundation.org

BR Consulting, Advisory and ResearchThe Foundation actively promotes BR among its members, assisting with planning and implementing their BR programs and creating opportunities for members to engage in exchange of ideas. Moreover, the Foundation works with its partners on capacity building initiatives by transferring technical and related skills to the underprivileged. Outreach, hardware and software donation, and employee volunteer programs are also promoted as a way to optimize the IT-BPO industry’s resources.

Technology Access ProgramsThe Foundation is committed to making technology accessible to NGOs and underserved communities through a variety of programs involving member partners, which include software and hardware donations and capacity building. These include NASSCOM Knowledge Network, ConnectIT, BiGTech and BiG Bridge.

Ms Rita Soni Chief Executive Officer, NASSCOM Foundation, spoke to New Horizons about the Foundation’s goals and activities, its partnership with DRF and future plans.

NASSCOM Foundation and DRF are partnering on two programs, Connect IT and BigTech.

ConnectIT aims to build IT capacity for government officers and NGOs through capacity building workshops in order help them increase productivity, enhance communication and collaboration, organize information and facilitate technology enabled skills development training. The training curriculum includes: Communicating effectively with donors

and stakeholders using Word, PowerPoint and MovieMaker; achieving project goals in agreed timelines and budget using Excel and SkyDrive; and reaching out to enroll volunteers for awareness and collaboration using Web 2.0 tools like Blogs, Social Media and Online Survey.

BigTech seeks to provide NGOs with access to software donated by NASSCOM Foundation’s donor partners at very subsidized rates. This allows NGOs to reduce their ICT costs

and scale up operations. Key donors to this program are Microsoft, Eagle conferencing, Bytes of Learning, Busy Infotech and Quick Heal (anti-virus). To date, the program has over 300 registered NGOs and covers 26 states across India. As many as 4,500 products havebeendonatedatacostofRs56million.

Through this partnership, DRF received USD 67,650worth of software from Microsoft as part of its Microsoft Software Donation program at a fraction of the cost.

NASSCOM Foundation and DRF


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

Fax: +91-40-23301085Email: [email protected]

www.drreddysfoundation.org

Strengthen our hands

DRF has been making a positive impact on India’s rural economy by enhancing rural livelihoods in several ways…

Skill Development and Job PlacementsWe are imparting education to rural youth and helping them

obtain jobs or become entrepreneurs. We have commissioned 15 projects in AP, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh.

Creation and Development of Micro-EnterprisesWe have created several non-farm micro-enterprises, and also

trained women to operate a home-based tailoring business.

Interventions in Poultry, Dairy and Goat RearingWe have helped several farmers set up commercial farms, and are also assisting women in improving their ‘backyard poultry’

business.

Innovative Technologies to Improve Agricultural ProductivityWe are assisting farmers in improving their crop yields using drip

irrigation and other innovative water management techniques; we are also reducing storage costs with ferro-cement water

tanks.

Crop Diversification and Intensive CultivationWith our model ‘Small Plot Intensive Cultivation’ plots, we are demonstrating the benefits of diversified cultivation, multi-tier /

mixed cropping, advanced technology and quality seeds.

We invite your cooperation in scaling up our rural initiatives, so as to maximize our reach.

For further enquiries, you are welcome to contact:[email protected]

labs-s the journey to sustainability · sr manager and head – rural livelihoods raghu gudipati...

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