Success Stories

Navitha is a young housewife from a village near GMR Hyderabad International airport. Her husband works as a plumber.

During an initial screening of her pregnancy, doctors found Navitha to be severely anaemic, with a haemoglobin level of 8 (well below the normal haemoglobin levels of 12 - 15.5). On hearing this, her family recommended she join the ‘Supplementary Nutrition Centre for Pregnant and Lactating Women’ established in the village by GMR Varalakshmi Foundation.

These Centres have been initiated by the Foundation at different locations to provide supplementary nutrition for pregnant and lactating women along with awareness on different topics such as ante-natal care, nutrition, vaccination, immunization, family planning, gender issues, etc. Care is also taken to regularly monitor the women’s HB levels since anaemia can have a significant impact on the health of the foetus as well as that of the mother.

At the centre, Navitha was given daily supplementary nutrition worked out with inputs from doctors and nutritionists. Her health was also regularly monitored by volunteers at the centre.

As a result of this, her haemoglobin levels were normal towards the end of the pregnancy and she also gained around 12 kilos. In May this year, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl.

Navitha and her husband are extremely grateful to GMRVF for the support they received which resulted in the birth of a healthy child. She says, “I am thankful to GMRVF for providing me nutritious food in a critical phase of my life. It is due to their efforts that my child was born healthy”.

8 year old Chandeshwari was born and raised in Delhi. Her father works as a driver and her mother is a home maker. While she was still a toddler, her parents noticed significantly delayed cognitive and physical development. They were unaware that she was born with Down syndrome.

During this time, a community volunteer from the Foundation met her mother and requested her to bring Chandeshwari to the SAMARTH Resource Centre for a thorough assessment. SAMARTH has been established by the CSR wing of DIAL, to provide services like special education, basic physiotherapeutic care, counselling etc. for the differently abled.

The team at SAMARTH, counselled her parents and informed them about the Down syndrome. They were initially scared, as they didn’t have any real experience caring for someone with special needs. But her parents and siblings quickly committed to providing Chandeshwari a positive and uplifting environment.

The special educator then began planning activities and exercises depending on Chandeshwari’s preferred way of learning. Additionally, the speech therapist conducted tongue therapy, mouth exercises and speech and language stimulation techniques. She slowly began concentrating on activities, recognizing instructions, developing motor skills and growing more independent.

Today, Chandeshwari’s smile lights up the room. She is one of the best performers at the Samarth Centre, and she confidently participates in dance and sports events. Her visible improvement has given hope to her parents.

16 year-old Ravi (name changed) from Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, has been infected with HIV since birth. Ravi and his HIV-positive mother, have been living with his maternal grandparents, since the untimely demise of his father. He was enrolled in a nearby school, but dropped out as his grandparents’ meagre income mostly went towards his medical treatment.

In 2011, staff from GMRVF met his grandparents and learnt of his medical condition. He was identified as one among 25 other under-privileged children living with HIV in that area.

In order to build his immunity, GMRVF began by providing him a nutrition kit on a monthly basis. The kit includes 5 kgs of rice, 1 kg of wheat, ragi powder and dates. GMRVF also gives monthly financial support to the family, so they can visit a reputed Govt. Hospital to regularly screen the CD4 count (The CD4 count is a means of measuring the functioning of immune system) and receive free medicines.

His family was also counselled on the importance of education. Ravi then re-enrolled in a nearby government school and slowly began showing interest in academics.

This year, he passed Std. X with flying colours and is now pursuing his inter-collegiate studies in a nearby college. His family members are grateful to the Foundation for providing them the support and guidance that they previously lacked.

Ravi says, “Without the support of GMRVF, I am not sure if I would still be alive. I hope to someday invent a medicine to cure this dreadful disease.”

Gulla Appayamma lives in A.V Nagaram in East Godavari District, not far from our Kakinada Special Economic Zone. Widowed at a young age, she lives with her four children and their families. The family found open defecation a humiliating experience. The women members also constantly feared being bitten by snakes, poisonous insects and facing harassment from men. But they were unable to build a toilet due to the meagre wages they earned.

On observing that all 168 families in the village faced the same problem, GMRVF decided to do something about this. They first conducted a series of awareness programs on personal health and hygiene. They educated community members on how defecating in the open can cause diarrhoea and other infections. GMRVF did not stop here. They approached the Mandal Parishad Development Officer and successfully facilitated the Swachh Bharat Mission Scheme which resulted in the construction of 168 individual sanitary latrines. GMRVF added to the government support by sponsoring iron doors for all the toilets.

Gulla Appayamma is now a very happy woman since her family members and friends all have toilets right next to their house. She says the initiative by GMRVF has also motivated panchayat leaders from nearby villages to utilise the Swachh Bharat Mission Scheme and make their respective villages ‘Open Defecation Free’.

Arti Devi hails from Kuleth village, Himachal Pradesh where GMR Group’s Bajoli-Holi Hydro Power Project is located. On finishing her secondary education, she dropped out of school due to her family’s financial hardship. Her father then introduced her to a local tailor who began mentoring her. She soon learnt the necessary skills to be a good tailor.

On turning 20, Arti married and was soon blessed with two children. Her husband owns a tea stall at a local market. As the children joined school, Arti realised his income would be insufficient to meet the growing demands of the young family and began thinking of establishing her own business.

A few months ago, she attended a community meeting organised by GMR Varalakshmi Foundation. Here she learnt she could set up or expand an existing business with a small initial grant from GMRVF. She approached GMRVF with a proposal to set up a tailoring shop. Once the grant under the Foundation’s ‘Entrepreneurship Support’ came through, she immediately purchased a high quality electric sewing machine. She then rented a small space on low rent and opened her shop.

OToday, she is the leading ladies’ tailor in the area, earning around Rs. 300 per day. She has also diversified into selling cosmetics and grocery items. Arti says, “I would like to thank GMRVF for enabling me to establish my own business and setting an example for my children. I hope to provide them with good education, and GMRVF has enabled me to work towards this dream”.

Das Sekhar hails from Sirasuvada village in Srikakulam District, Andhra Pradesh. As a child, Sekhar was extremely playful and disinterested in studies. On the persuasion of his parents, he completed Std. X, but refused to enrol for higher education. Instead, he chose to just while away the hours with his friends.

Within a year, he realised his mistake since his father’s meagre earnings as an agricultural labourer were insufficient to provide for the family. This compelled Sekhar to look for a suitable job, but he was unable to find one due to his poor educational qualifications.

At this juncture, he got to know about courses offered free of cost by Nagavali Institute of Rural Entrepreneurship Development (NIRED) established by GMRVF in collaboration with Andhra Bank in Rajam. Sekhar approached NIRED and enrolled for the ‘Two Wheeler Servicing’ course. NIRED is a residential facility that offers candidates both technical and soft skill training in-house. Apart from regular classes, he also received training on entrepreneurship and personality development.

On completing the course, Sekhar gained hand-on experience by working dealers of Hero, Yamaha and Honda. He then confidently applied for a loan to Andhra Bank with the help of NIRED, in order to start his own two wheeler service centres, in 3 different places in Srikakulam District. The centres rapidly amassed a large customer base and he was able to repay the loan quickly. In addition to this, he has now employed 10 people.

He thanks GMRVF for enabling him to be of great support to his family.

Mogali Sampath hails from a rag picker family in Karimnagar town in Telangana State. His father used to rear pigs and collect waste food from nearby hotels to feed the pigs. Low income, stigma and discrimination associated with the occupation made the family languish in extreme poverty.

With great difficulty, Sampath completed his Diploma in Electrical Trade, but couldn’t find any employment opportunity. As his father was unwell, Sampath had to support the family and hence, he went back to his family profession of rag picking and pig rearing.

Sampath kept on looking for better opportunities. He came to know about the GMRV Center for Empowerment and Livelihoods at Raikal, Karimnagar which offers short-term vocational courses for unemployed youth. As the Center focuses on providing employment oriented technical and soft skills to the youth, Sampath took admission in Electrical Course at the Center and put in his best efforts to excel in the skill.

After completion of the three month course, GMRVF facilitated a job as an Electrician at Karimnagar and within six months Sampath got promoted as a supervisor based on his diligence and sincerity. Sampath is now earning a decent income and is proud that he is able to take care of the family needs.

Bauri Bhutia hails from Achalkote village near GMR Kamalanga Energy Ltd. in Odisha. 4 years ago, Bauri suffered a chronic stomach condition that left him vulnerable to excruciating pain and weakness. The illness forced him to opt for voluntary retirement from a private company, leaving him with a mere monthly pension of Rs.1023/- to look after his family.

It was during this time that Bauri attended a community meeting organized by GMR Varalakshmi Foundation where he learnt that he could set up or expand an existing business with an initial grant from GMR Varalakshmi Foundation under the Livelihood Restoration Programme (LRP), 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. Bauri then approached GMRVF with hopes of starting a new business.

GMRVF staff motivated Bauri to establish a cattle feed business since local dairy farmers sourced the cattle feed from faraway places. With the grant provided, he proceeded to establish the cattle feed business. He attended training programs and exposure visits organized by GMRVF to learn about the various processes involved in preparing and storing cattle feed. Bauri diligently followed the tips and soon began earning a considerable profit.

With great discipline and dedication, Bauri has been able to successfully run his business. He has even managed to save enough to pay for his son’s college admission.

Bauri joyfully states: “I am thankful to GMRVF for giving me a new lease of life.”

Yamini Yadav hails from Khamariya village near GMR Chhattisgarh Energy Ltd. Her father who works as an industrial labourer, saved his meagre wages to ensure his children completed their education. Due to his perseverance, Yamini was able to graduate from university.

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, Chhattisgarh helps rural youth prepare for competitive exams by providing them with study material and conducting career counselling, mock interviews, group discussions and coaching classes.

Through the career counselling, Yamini learnt of the many opportunities available in the Chhattisgarh Armed Force. Inspired and motivated, she vehemently attended the coaching classes and would spend a lot of time preparing for the entrance exam. She also attended the spoken English classes without fail.

Upon clearing the written exam, staff at Prathibha center prepared her for the physical test. Due to her determination and hard work, Yamini successfully cleared the physical tests as well and is currently undergoing training at the CG Armed Force Center in Raipur.

She attributes her success to the center and says that ‘Pratibha’ helped her to realise her dream of serving the country.

Sabitri Behera hails from Manpur village near GMR Kamalanga Energy Ltd (GKEL) in Odisha. Deserted by her husband, she raised her two young daughters with the help of her father. Unfortunately, his meagre income as an agricultural worker was insufficient to meet their educational expenses. Sabitri was however determined to brighten her children’s future.

It was during this time that Sabitri attended a community meeting organised by GMR Varalakshmi Foundation where she learnt that she could set up or expand an existing business with an initial grant from GMR Varalakshmi Foundation under the Livelihood Restoration Programme (LRP), 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. Sabitri approached GMRVF with a proposal to purchase a cow to supplement her family’s income through dairy farming.

With the grant provided, she was able to purchase a cross-breed Jersey cow.

She attended training programs and exposure visits organised by GMRVF to learn about the various processes involved in dairy farming and cow rearing. She also regularly took her cow to the veterinary camps organised by GMRVF. Sabitri diligently followed the tips and soon began earning a considerable profit by selling 10 litres of milk every day. Additionally, the cow has given birth to a healthy calf, which she plans to sell next year.

With great discipline and dedication, Sabitri has been able to provide for her two children. Her entrepreneurial spirit has set a strong example for her daughters.

Pappy Devi grew up in the small village of Bhagalpur in Bihar. Though she was a good student, she was unable to complete her higher education due to her family situation. Soon, she settled down in marriage and was blessed with two children.

The couple then moved to Delhi since her husband found a job as a driver. The income however, was insufficient to support the growing demands of the young family.

Pappy who was eager to support her family, enrolled herself in the 3 month ‘Basic Tailoring’ course at the GMRV Center for Empowerment & Livelihoods, Delhi. She was an exemplary student and quickly learnt the skills required to make handmade products. After completing the course, she joined EMPOWER initiative (Enabling Marketing of Products of Women Entrepreneurs) of GMRVF.

EMPOWER is an initiative that supports women from under-privileged 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. After joining EMPOWER, Pappy is making different types of cloth and jute based products and is able to earn an average of Rs 10000 per month.

She is happy that she is able to supplement the family income and provide a better quality of life for her children.

Kandula Venkatesh was born and raised in the village of Perakapally of Nirmal District in Telangana. In order to supplement his family income, he worked as an unskilled labourer after completing high school. However, Venkatesh realised his wage was insufficient to meet the demands of his large family of eight. He then moved to Mumbai, hoping his prospects would improve, but was left disheartened and returned to his native village.

At that point of time, he heard about GMRVF’s Centre for Empowerment and Livelihoods (CEL-H) established in Shamshabad. The main thrust of CEL-H is channelizing the potential of youth towards skilled work and entrepreneurship. Venkatesh approached CEL-H and enrolled for the intensive ‘Excavator Operator’ course.

He not only had access to very good trainers but also had the chance to undergo simulator training at Volvo, Bangalore. Inspired by his seniors who were placed in companies of repute, he worked diligently and excelled in the course.

After completing the course, Venkatesh was placed in a reputed organisation in Vijayawada. Within a year, he got an opportunity to move to Iraq for a handsome salary. He took up the offer and got promoted as ‘Senior Operator’ in no time.

With his savings, Venkatesh was able to construct a house for his family, apart from conducting his sister’s marriage. He hopes to return to India soon and set up a small excavation company.

The families in the village of Mipra in Nepal are dependent on agriculture for their sustenance and livelihood. Majority of families own small plots of arable land where paddy, corn and millet are harvested based on seasonal preference. Since the men in the community mostly work in Kathmandu or migrate to other countries in search of decent employment, the burden of harvesting the crop usually fell on the shoulders of women. Earlier, once the crop is harvested the women would walk 4 kms through difficult terrain carrying the crops to the nearest mill for de-husking. The task was intolerable particularly during days of heavy snowfall.

In 2011, when staff from GMR Varalakshmi Foundation engaged with community members, instantly addressed the concern by providing a rice mill for the benefit of the villagers. Ownership of the mill was handed over to the Amma Samuha, a local women’s Self Help Group. The group hired an operator and the mill is now functional.

The initiative has helped women such as 75 year old Kashi Maya Gurung. She recalls, “Earlier we walked 5 long hours to Khudi Lamjung to husk the rice. As I grew old it became difficult for me. Since the rice mill was built, however, such problems have become a thing of the past”.

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 women.

It was at this time that GMRVF established EMPOWER (Enabling Marketing of Products of Women Entrepreneurs). EMPOWER is an initiative that supports women 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.

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.

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 gained exposure to eminent professionals in the industry.

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. 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 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.

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

He is dependent on the income earned from selling the milk of his two cows which produced around 8 litres of milk a day. The fodder costed him around Rs, 1,200 per month, 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, an aquatic fern rich in proteins, essential amino acids and vitamins, is easily digested by livestock, apart from increasing both quantity and quality of milk.

In a few weeks, he cultivated enough azolla in his small backyard, to feed the cows. After a month, 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’.

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.

She learnt of the many opportunities available for women in the Police Department through the career counselling. 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, She cleared the physical tests 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.

10 year old Sana was born and raised in Delhi in a large family of 6 siblings. 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.

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. electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged

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.

30 families residing in Mangalpur village near GMR Group’s Kamalanga Energy Ltd. in Odisha, have a rich tradition of playing indigenous musical instruments in surrounding villages to commemorate various celebrations and festivals. Music has been their main source of income.

In recent years, there has been a sharp decline in the number of community members able to earn a decent income through folk music. This was because their instruments were old and worn out. Hence they had to rent instruments from external agencies at an exorbitant cost and deprived of an important source of income. 8 individual sanitary latrines. GMRVF added to the government support by sponsoring iron doors for all the toilets.

This year, in a meeting with GMRVF staff, youth from the community expressed their desire to purchase new musical instruments and form a band to rejuvenate their dying traditional music culture and also earn. Following this, under the Foundation’s Livelihood Restoration Programme, necessary items like different types of musical instruments, a mike set and costumes were given to the 12 young men who immediately formed a band christened ‘Maa Mangala Musical Party’.

Today, the musical troupe can be seen playing traditional music intrinsic to the cultural fabric of Odisha in numerous villages. Their services are highly sought after especially during the wedding and festival seasons. Now, through this activity, each member earns an additional income of around Rs. 3,000 per month. They have also rekindled children’s interest in the fading folk musical instruments.