Building an empowered
tomorrow

Staying Cool

Reddy Satya Rao hails from Marupalli village in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh. His parents worked hard as agricultural labourers and saved their income to ensure he completed his schooling. Unfortunately he was unable to further his education after Std. X due to the family’s financial situation. Satya then began looking for a job but his lack of educational qualifications proved a barrier.

At that point of time, his friends told him about courses offered free of cost by Nagavali Institute of Rural Entrepreneurship Development (NIRED) established by GMRVF at Rajam, in collaboration with Andhra Bank. He approached NIRED and enrolled for the ‘Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC)’ course.

At NIRED, Satya underwent intensive practical oriented training along with motivational classes. He was also introduced to the benefits of meditation and practising yoga. He attributes the yoga sessions for helping him release stress and breathing mindfully.

Soon after completing the course, Satya established a small RAC service centre in Vishakapatnam with the financial help of his close friends. The first few months were hard, as he was building his customer base. In due course however, he was able to gain a good foothold in the business by delivering quality service.

He now earns Rs. 30,000 per month and is able to finance the education of his 2 younger brothers. Satya says, “NIRED has completely changed my life. Apart from helping me find a career path, it has helped me incorporate yoga and meditation into my daily living.”

‘Flourishing’ Endeavour

Madhav Sahu hails from Manpur village near GMR Kamalanga Energy Ltd in Odisha. He is the sole breadwinner of a large family which includes 3 children and his elderly mother. Having worked as an industrial labourer for many years, he dreamt of someday starting his own business in order to provide his family with a better quality of life.

Last year, Madhav attended a community meeting organised by GMR Varalakshmi Foundation where he learnt he could set up or expand an existing business with an initial grant from GMR Varalakshmi Foundation under the Livelihood Restoration Programme, a special program for those who gave land for GKEL. Under the LRP program, project affected families are being supported for livelihoods enhancement through farm, livestock and micro-enterprise activities.

Madhav then approached GMRVF with a proposal to establish a semi-automatic flour mill unit within the confines of his house. With the grant provided, he purchased a good quality flour mill.

The mini flour mill proved to be an instant hit with the community members. Earlier, the villagers would carry the grains in sacks and walk to a mill in a neighbouring village for the purpose of getting their grain ground. Today, all the residents of Manpur as well as some nearby villages, make use of the Madhav’s mill.

As his business flourished, Madhav’s oldest son also joined him after completing his higher education.

Madhav joyfully states: “I am thankful to GMRVF for bringing good fortune to my family.”

Shouldering Responsibility

Jerry Madhava hails from Narasimhapuram Village in Vizianagaram District of Andhra Pradesh. His parents worked hard as agricultural labourers and saved their daily wages to ensure he completed his schooling. He then joined a diploma course in ‘Electrical Engineering’. Unfortunately he was unable to complete the course due to the family’s financial situation. Madhava then began looking for a job but his lack of educational qualifications proved a barrier.

At that point of time, his friends told him about GMRVF’s Centre for Empowerment and Livelihoods (GMRV CEL) established in Vizianagaram town. He approached GMRV CEL and enrolled for the ‘Assistant Electrician’ course. The main thrust of GMRV CEL is channelizing the potential of youth and women towards skilled work and entrepreneurship.

Madhava underwent 60 days of intensive practical-oriented training accompanied by sessions on Soft Skills, Spoken English and Personality Development. He successfully passed the post-training assessment conducted by National Skill Development Corporation.

On completing the course, he got placed at a good company in Vizianagaram through campus interview. The job has helped him shoulder his parent’s financial and household responsibilities.

Madhava is grateful to GMRVF for giving him the necessary skill set required to turn his life around. He has plans of completing his ITI course in order to add to his credentials.

Switching Gears

Pradeep Kumar Mohapatra from Kaliataila village near GMR Group’s Kamalanga Energy Ltd. in Odisha, was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug early in life. Growing up in a farmer's family, he aspired to become an entrepreneur someday. However, due to his family’s financial situation, he was unable to enrol for higher studies.

He began working as a helper in a motor garage. The work piqued his interest, and he soon found himself pursuing a one year certificate course in ‘Motor Mechanics’. After completing the course successfully, he began working as a full-time mechanic, but was dissatisfied with the measly salary and the odd working hours.

Last year, Pradeep attended a community meeting organised by GMR Varalakshmi Foundation where he learnt he could set up or expand an existing business with an initial grant from GMRVF under the Livelihood Restoration Programme, which is a special program for those who gave land for GKEL. He then approached GMRVF staff with a proposal to start a Motorcycle and Automobile Repair and Service station.

With an initial grant from GMRVF, Pradeep purchased basic tools and a 3 HP hydraulic pump, and established a service centre named ‘Baba Kamaleswar’ in honour of his village deity. The GMRVF team oriented him on running his business efficiently, ways of enhancing his profit etc., and he took their advice seriously.

As his business flourished, Pradeep was able to purchase a Diesel Generator set worth Rs. 50,000/. He has also provided employment to another youth.

Pradeep joyfully states: “I am thankful to GMRVF for supporting me and enabling me to realise my dreams”.

On His Feet Again

Vikash Singh was born and raised in the town of Hathras in Uttar Pradesh. He was a vivacious child who was the youngest in a family of 7. But at the age of 6, Vikash met with an unfortunate accident which left him with a 40% permanent disability in his left leg.

His father who worked hard as a farmer and was the sole earning member of the family, did not let Vikash’s disability come in the way of his education. He encouraged and financially supported Vikash to not only complete his schooling but also his B.Com.

At about this time, Delhi International Airport Ltd- CSR (DIAL-CSR) entered into partnership with Sarthak Educational Trust to provide vocational training and placement support to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). Through this partnership, 80 PwDs youth were trained and 62 placed with different corporate houses last year.

Vikash was one of them. He enrolled for the ‘Customer Service Associate’ course. Here he underwent 90 days of intensive practical oriented training accompanied by sessions on Basic Computers Skills, Soft Skills, Spoken English and Personality Development. He successfully passed the final assessment with a good grade.

On completing the course, Vikash was placed with a reputable organization as a ‘Customer Sales Associate’. Due to his interest in studying further, Vikash now plans on saving money to pursue his post-graduation in M.Com through distance learning.

FROM A NEWSPAPER HAWKER TO AN AWARD-WINNING CHEF

Abhishek Maurya, a 19-year-old, resides with his family in Raj Nagar, Delhi in the periphery of Indira Gandhi International Airport. Since he was in Std. IX, he had an interest in cooking and dreamt of someday becoming a Chef. His father had a small fabrication shop.

He lost his father a few years ago and thereafter the family was going through a financial crisis. The burden of supporting the family fell on Abhishek’s shoulders. He was in a turmoil as to where to work as he had no skill or experience, and hence he started selling newspapers. During this phase, he came across a pamphlet about the skill training programs being offered by GMRV Center for Empowerment and Livelihoods (GMRVCEL) run by DIAL-CSR.

His excitement rose when he saw that there was a free course on ‘Food Production’. He came to the Center to enquire about the course and undertook the Food Production course for six months (3-month classroom training & 3 months On-the-Job Training). Post–training, Abhishek got selected for Trainee Chef position in a reputed food and beverages retail company which has a chain of restaurants across the country. He has been working in one of their restaurants for six months now. Just last month, he won the 2nd prize for ‘Best Chef’ in his company’s Great Chef Cook-Off Championship.

He is very satisfied with the exposure and experience he is gaining every day at work. He says “GMRVCEL has given me the discipline to live my life. I have no words to express how my life has changed because of the learning I received from the Institute. Now my family can depend on me financially.”

Confidence Mushrooms!

In Mangalore, GMRVF has been actively working with Self Help Groups for long. There are 42 SHGs active for the last several years. Nisha was a member of one of the SHGs. At that time, Nisha’s economic condition was rather precarious. She solicited GMRVF’s guidance for starting some new innovative microenterprise which would enhance her income. GMRVF put her in touch with a few entrepreneurs and possible businesses. She was comfortable with mushroom cultivation. GMRVF helped her develop a business model and conduct feasibility study. An SHG loaned her Rs 2000/- for starting the business.

The technical advice from another mushroom cultivator boosted her confidence. Nisha invested Rs 200/- for purchasing mushroom seeds and chemicals. The rest of the money she invested in restructuring a room for growing mushrooms. Initially, she got a profit of Rs 400/- from one Kg of mushroom seed. Nisha perfected the technique of mushroom cultivation and started selling mushrooms in the local market. Noticing her success, other women wanted to join Nisha.

Now Nisha is a confident mushroom grower and intends to expand her business. GMRVF is planning to help her by facilitating a loan from the Andhra Bank.

Subhadra made the following statement on the day she received her first salary

"GMR Varalakshmi Foundation has changed my life forever. From being dependent on my sister, I can now lead an independent life. I feel empowered and am confident of living my life."

In Uniform

Burada Varalakshmi hails from Narasimhapuram in Srikakulam District, Andhra Pradesh. Her father who works as an agricultural laborer, saved his meagre wages to ensure his three children completed their education. Due to his perseverance, Varalakshmi was able to graduate from SGCSR College, Rajam.

Upon graduating, she was unaware of career opportunities. It was at this time that she heard about the ‘Prathibha’ center and enrolled as a member. Prathibha library cum career counselling center established by GMR Varalakshmi Foundation, Rajam helps rural youth preparing for competitive exams by providing them with study material and conducting career counselling, mock interviews, group discussions and coaching classes.

Through the career counselling, Varalakshmi learnt of the many opportunities available for women in the Police Department. Inspired and motivated, she would cycle to and fro from her village every day to attend the coaching classes and would spend nearly 5 hours a day in the center, reading the books in the library.

Upon her clearing the written exam, staff at Prathibha center prepared her for the physical test by making use of the track facilities at SGCSR College. Due to her determination and hard work, Varalakshmi successfully cleared the physical tests as well and is currently undergoing training at the Police Training College in Vizianagaram. She attributes her success to the center and says that ‘Pratibha’ is a boon for unemployed qualified rural youth in and around Rajam.

Empowered

Ruthamma is a resilient woman from Mamidipally village near the Hyderabad Airport. Her husband works as a gardener and earns Rs. 5,000 per month. The income however, was insufficient to support the basic needs of their 3 school going children.

An eager Ruthamma who desired to support her family financially, enrolled herself in the community tailoring centre established by GMR Varalakshmi Foundation in Shamshabad. The centre has, since 2006, trained 450 underprivileged women. Ruthamma was an exemplary student and quickly learnt the skills to make jute and other handmade products.

It was at this time that GMRVF established EMPOWER (Enabling Marketing of Products of Women Entrepreneurs). EMPOWER is an initiative that supports women from underprivileged communities to make an income based on making craft-based products, by providing them required training, marketing and other inputs. EMPOWER helps the women sell their products through various channels such as shops at the Airport, exhibitions, bulk orders for conferences and seminars, online marketing etc.

Ruthamma joined the EMPOWER team. Today she earns an average of Rs. 10,000 per month through EMPOWER and is a competent tailor who supports in the designing of jute products. She is grateful to GMRVF for helping turn her life around.

Sana Shines

10 year old Sana was born and raised in Delhi in a large family of 6 siblings. Her father owns a small general provision store while her mother is a home maker. When she was a few years old, she had high fever. After that, doctors said she would not be able to speak or hear. Since there was no school nearby catering to children with special needs, Sana stayed at home and helped her mother with household chores while her siblings attended school.

In 2014, her mother learnt of the SAMARTH Resource Centre established near their house at Savda Ghevra, by the CSR Wing of DIAL, and enrolled Sana in the special education program. SAMARTH has been established to provide services like special education, basic physiotherapeutic care, counselling etc. for the differently abled.

Sana has now started speaking a few syllables thanks to the intense speech therapy given at the centre. Hearing aids have also been provided to her. The SAMARTH team also supported her in availing government benefits such as disability certificate, disability pension and bus pass.

Having increased her confidence, Sana joined karate coaching and recently won the 2nd prize in a tournament held in Nepal. Her parents are extremely proud of her and say Sana is a blessed child.

Salon Success

Reddi Swetha hails from Bobbili in Vizianagaram District, Andhra Pradesh. Her childhood was happy. At 17, she joined pre-university and dreamt of graduating and making her parents proud. Life however came to a standstill when her father unexpectedly succumbed to jaundice.

After her father’s untimely demise, the family found that he had accumulated a huge debt to pay for his treatment. Since her illiterate mother was unable to find a job, Swetha dropped out of college and undertook menial jobs to repay the debt.

It was at this time that a friend recommended her to join the ‘Beautician Course’ being offered at GMRVF’s Centre for Empowerment and Livelihood, Vizianagaram. Swetha immediately enrolled herself for this, and completed the training with utmost dedication. She then boldly decided to establish her own salon by taking a loan of Rs. 20,000 from State Bank of India. Her family however didn’t fully support her decision, since she would be adding to existing debts. Nevertheless, she was determined.

Though she initially faced stiff competition from established salons, Swetha was able to garner a wide customer base. Presently, the income she earns from the parlour has enabled her to clear some of the debt, apart from supporting her brother’s education. Her family is extremely proud of her and supports her aspirations of expanding the salon.

Hard Work Paves Road to Success

Kallem Naresh Goud was born and raised in the village of Mamidipally near Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), Hyderabad. His mother was widowed at an early age, leaving her solely responsible for the welfare of her 5 children. She set up a small kirana (general provision) shop in order to support the basic needs of the large family.

In 2008, upon completing his intermediate education, Naresh heard about the newly established GMRVF Centre for Empowerment and Livelihoods, Hyderabad (CEL-H). He promptly enrolled in the second batch of MS Office and DTP course. Here, he had access to excellent trainers, and gained exposure to eminent professionals in the industry. He proved to be a hard worker and excelled in all the activities.

On successful completion of the course, he was placed as a cashier in Tenaga Parking at the Airport. Due to his diligence, his salary doubled at the start of the second year. This motivated him to look for avenues to further climb the career ladder. He registered for a distance education program and earned a bachelor’s degree. He followed this with a MBA in Marketing.

Fast forward to 2018, Kallem earns a handsome salary as the Assistant General Manager of Marketing at Radha TMT Steel. He has also been able to build a lovely home for his family. He attributes his quick rise to the spark lit by GMRVF. Recently, he visited CEL-H as part of the celebrations for the 10th anniversary of the Centre where he was felicitated by Mr. Pradeep Panicker, Dy. CEO GHIAL. He gave a motivational talk to current trainees wherein he proudly stated that GMRVF had shaped the course of his life.

Taking Root

55 year old Giridhar Behare hails from Dongargaon village near GMR Warora Energy Ltd. For years, he has been harvesting cotton, soybean and wheat from his farm. However, small land holding, poor yields and uncertain rainfalls kept him in the trap of poverty and food insecurity. After several years of poor harvests, Giridhar decided to join the Grain Cash Seed (GCS) Bank in 2014.

GCS Bank introduced by GMR Varalakshmi Foundation at Dongargaon, is a form of community seed bank. GMRVF, through an initial contribution, created a bank of these seeds. Farmers take loans of seeds from this and repay in kind, with interest, after they harvest their crop. GMRVF has also set up a demonstration plot at the village where agricultural scientists train farmers for increased productivity. Furthermore, GMRVF organises exposure visits for farmers to nearby successful farms. Training on improved agriculture practices are also being organized regularly for GCS Bank members. All this has not only helped farmers learn new techniques but also get guidance and support of experts in the field of agriculture.

Noting the success of the GCS Bank at Dongargaon, 4 GCS banks have been established in other villages by GMRVF, catering to the requirements of 900 farmers.

Prior to joining the GCS Bank, Giridhar used to harvest 6 quintal of cotton per acre. Today, on the same piece of land, he is able to harvest 12 quintal of cotton. His income has also considerably increased resulting in better education for his two children. He is grateful to GMRVF for giving hope of a better future to his family.

Wonder Fern

Matla Peda Apparao and his wife reside in Pampadipeta village near GMR Group’s Kakinada Socio Economic Zone in Andhra Pradesh.

He is dependent the income earned from selling the milk of his two cows which produced around 8 litres of milk a day. The fodder required to feed the cows costed him around Rs, 1,200 per month, which was a huge outgo from his income.

A few months ago, Apparao attended a veterinary camp organised by GMR Varalakshmi Foundation in association with the local Govt. Veterinary Dept. He not only got his cows vaccinated for free, but was given awareness on the benefits of using Azolla as an effective feed for livestock. Azolla is an aquatic fern rich in proteins, essential amino acids and vitamins. It is easily digested by livestock, apart from increasing both quantity and quality of milk.

After the camp, he approached GMRVF and expressed his interest in cultivating azolla, the ‘wonder fern’. GMRVF then paid the initial subsidy grant of Rs. 350 to the Dept. of Animal Husbandry and acquired the azolla kit, consisting of healthy azolla seeds and other materials needed to grow the same.

In a few weeks, he was able to cultivate enough azolla in his small backyard, to feed the cows. After a month of doing so, his cows showed improvement in milk yield. Presently, both his cows produce around 10 litres of milk every day. The expense for the fodder has also decreased to Rs. 550 per month. Matla is extremely grateful to GMRVF staff for introducing him to the benefits of the ‘Wonder Fern’.