NIIT Foundation Newsletter Feb' 2013
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Transcript of NIIT Foundation Newsletter Feb' 2013
Employability skills for underserved youth
Newsletter Volume 5
February’2013
Candle light signifies the power of one. It burns
with a spirit of truth fearlessly illuminating the
darkness that surrounds. Connecting humans to
the Divine within, a candle flame stands for
humility, sacrifice and purification.
2
The 3 Cs’ Approach Towards Sustainability:
Compassion, Courage and Change
The best help that benevolence and philanthropy can
give is that which induces everybody to help himself. -
Calvin Coolidge
As agents of change, this is especially relevant for
NGOs because of the increasing emphasis on financial
sustainance. We at NIIT Foundation (NF) have been
focused on sustainability from the start. In some cases,
we have been able to strike the balance, in others we
have had to shut slum centers down because we just
ran out of funds.
Traditionally, NGOs depend on sources such as
corporates, government, and individuals for funding.
But sooner or later these sources run dry or priorities
change for the funder. One wonders who is affected
the most? Not the NGOs, because they will find other
sources or will align their offering/focus to what the
funder wants. Not the funders because they will find
other CSR areas of interest and continue to make an
impact.
It is the beneficiaries who suffer the most– they no
longer get the support that they were getting because
now someone’s interest is different. NF still gets calls
from the youth asking why we closed the center in their
area. Secondly, there is a loss of ‘trust’ among the
beneficiaries who now become vary of anyone who
wants to help – a challenge for any new entrant
philanthropic/social initiative in their area.
Funds, being the lifeblood for any function, are indeed
the decisive factor for sustained initiatives. We believe
therefore that the source of funds should be direct
beneficiaries – in our case the students. Apart from the
obvious result of sustenance – partial if not total – there
are many other benefits:
EDITORIAL If students pay, they will not settle for sub-
standard offering. The classes better happen
on time, quality of training better be good. This
keeps us on our toes, ensures better quality
impact
Our goal for our students is to help them
develop self-esteem and confidence – key
challenges in their upbringing. You can’t really
build self-esteem in someone when they are
living on charity. We want them to feel they are
capable of paying – of course amounts can vary
Most of our students believe exploitation is an
acceptable way of life. They are exploited for
bribe, votes, or any other way they can be. In
return, they have learnt that it is ok to steal
electricity or cable if they need it. We want the
students to learn that they must pay for the
services they use. That it is not OK to exploit or
be exploited
The challenge is to make people appreciate this belief –
be it corporates when we tell them that we want the
students to pay some fees even if it goes against their
CSR policy or other NGOs who we consult with and
encourage to charge fees from the students.
We appreciate that some beneficiaries might be able to
pay a bigger portion of the cost while others only a
token amount - however, each will have a stake in their
own development. As change agents we should be the
first ones to move to a more effective approach of
compassion rather than a simple charitable one. This
New Year let us review our methods and make the
changes necessary, even if they are not the trend.
Happy New Year!
Best Wishes
Sapna Moudgil
3
FOCUS : 5 Years of Chhindwara DLC First NIIT Foundation District Learning Centre
(DLC) was set up in Chhindwara, MP, in 2007,
when Hon. Minister Mr. Kamal Nath invited
NIIT to take the onus of training the local
Chhindwara youth in IT skills and build in the
necessary soft skills so they could succeed in
work life. Since then the initiative has taken
off and a second DLC was started in Barkuhi
in 2009.
On 9th of January’2013, Chhindwara DLC
celebrated its 5 year anniversary. The
occasion was graced by Honorable Finance
Minister Mr. P. Chidambaram, Honorable Minister Mr. Kamalnath, Chairman of NIIT Mr. Rajendra S Pawar,
respected MLA Mr. Deepak Saxena and many other distinguished guests.
NIIT Foundation District Learning Centers
(DLC) in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh was
started on the hypothesis that it is possible to
bring a rural or semi-rural graduate to the
same level of proficiency as the urban student
by providing focused and high-quality
training.
“I will congratulate Kamalnath,
his foresightedness in bringing
NIIT Foundation to Chhindwara
and now this model should be
replicated many many times in
many parts of India”
Finance Minister,
Mr. P. Chidambaram
“It was because these students used to
lose out in the last lap, I requested
Rajendra Pawar to train these students
on the last lap, so that students could
become capable and get jobs.”
Minister of Urban Development ,
Mr. Kamal Nath
“Cycle has now been completed. We found a
good model which is sustainable, which is
workable, which is more and more dependent
on the local situations. Starting with IT, we are
launching the second area and the goal is to
add on a number of areas.”
Mr. Rajendra Pawar
Chairman, NIIT
4
STUDENT SPEAK
Deepak had been a seasonal laborer at a liquor factory since
the age of 13 years. “No matter how hard you work, you remain
a laborer. Sometimes broken bottles cut your hands in the rush
of packing. Often my wages went in nursing my hands instead
of my school fees”. Enrolling for a graduation degree and being
accepted on a scholarship for an NIIT Foundation (NF) course
at Jindal Institute of Information Technology, Hisar were high
points of Deepak’s life. When severe financial crisis struck with
his mother’s diagnosis of tuberculosis, giving up education to
be full time laborer looked like the only alternative. “There was
no food to eat, where would I get the money for fees?” Deepak,
22 years, soon realized, he did have a choice, “I had learnt basic
computer at NIIT (Foundation) Center by then, and got a data
entry job that paid better than the factory.”
Instead of dropping out of one year NF course, Deepak now
paid close attention to what he was learning and how he could
apply it to his job. 2 months later after learning customer
service, he took up a better paid job as a marketing executive
with Tata Docomo. With the support of NF trainers, Deepak’s
stammering diminished, he learnt essentials of dressing,
customer service and a lot more; he shares, “The other boys
dress up in jeans, they do not understand their customers. They
never meet the targets. I meet my targets, and in 6 months of
job, my seniors have started respecting me for this, they first
serve me tea, and then talk about numbers. If NIIT (Foundation)
center had not opened here, my personality would not have
opened up either”, shares Deepak.
Though his NF assisted placement is still 2 months away,
Deepak already has a job offer from Vishal Mega Mart, where
during a recent internship he impressed the management with
his sincerity. His parents’ worries about his future have
vanished, “My father who rarely gets a day off from work,
rejoices at my weekly offs and reminds me often that I already
earn nearly as much as he does.” He gifted a self-composed
poem to thank his trainer at NIIT Foundation. Here are a few
lines:
Agar Sapno Ko Jeena Hai, Agar Kuchh Kar Badalna Hai, Toh Yeh
Sab Jan Ka Haq Hai
Magar Sapno Ko Wahi Jiyega Jo Museebat Ko Gale Lagayega,
Mehnat Se Hee Toh Har Insaan Badaa Banta Hai.
Deepak Suraliya: Writing Destiny
Name Deepak Suraliya
Center Hisar
Course Retail
From above:
Top: Deepak standing outside his home.
Middle: Deepak studying at the center.
Bottom: Deepak on the job, talking to customers.
JIIT Hisar Center has been
set up by JSL Foundation in
partnership with
NIIT Foundation for the
employability training of
marginalized youth.
5
EVENTS
Madanpur Khadar Center received donation of computers and data cards from Tata Teleservices
Industrial visit to Net Ambit office premises was organized by Nizamuddin CDC
Bata Visit to Mangolpuri Center was organized in December’12
Apna Basti Mela organized between 29th Nov to 1st December in Nizamuddin Basti for introducing the marginalized youth to the skill development courses at NF many students have already taken admission and others will take admission after the examination.
NIIT Foundation DLC Chhindwara was awarded the Shiksha Ratna Award in the category of Best Higher Education Institute of Madhya Pradesh at the Digital Learning State Education Summit 2012, held on 19th of December’2012
7 NF Student received offer letters from Tata Consultancy Services
6
SPECIAL MENTION Mobile Learning in Class
From the inception of NIIT Foundation, it has been felt that typical training
time of 4-6 months needs to be further reduced. The idea came from the
students; most of them display an urgency to start working and supporting
their families financially. Another challenge arises in case of girls who are
debarred by their families to attend regular training due to household
chores or economic problems.
To find an effective solution to the above concerns, NIIT Foundation (NF)
has been working with Nokia on a research pilot that explores
the use of mobile applications for employability training.
Applications include Nokia Data Gathering, Nokia Education
Delivery and Nokia (English) Life Tool for improving both the
training delivery of trainers and learning ability of youth.
Aspects that motivated us:
Mobile applications provide 24*7 access to youth who otherwise do not
have such learning environment
Girls have the flexibility to access this content using their personal
phones, in their free time
Allows students who are low on confidence to learn at their own pace
“During the session, the students
who usually kept quiet, barely
could utter a word in English, were
trying to speak about the content
shared in the video. It has helped
to reduce steps of answer sheet
correction, entering marks in excel,
preparing and keeping all records,
where possibility of answer /
survey sheets getting misplaced
could not be ruled out. The very
fact that taking test through NDG
eliminated scope for cheating by
students gives a sense of relief to
the trainer”.
Preeti Binnani, Centre Head,
Brahmpuri Center
Mobile learning being displayed for the
students
Muskaan, 18 Years, is pursuing a course in Accountancy from
NF along with her B.Com 1st year through correspondence
from Delhi University. Easy access to content in her personal
phone has helped in higher retention. Since the revision
exercises can be sent to personal phones, she could continue
to be in touch with her English practice when she was on a
study leave from the center.
Deepak, 18 Years, also pursuing Accounting from NF and
B.Com 1st year through correspondence from Delhi University,
is keen to share the content in his phone and his learning with
his neighbor’s children who can’t afford to go to school.
Students concentrating during Mobile
Learning Sessions
Mobile Learning Sessions Ratings by Students at NF Centers
Nokia 701
7
NIIT Foundation (NF) is a not-for-profit
education society that makes critical
interventions towards upgrading the skill
base and employability of the
marginalized youth in urban slums and
rural areas.
We are actively seeking partnerships
with like-minded corporates aligning
their CSR goals to our organizational
mission.
Our existing corporate partnership
centers are located in Nizamuddin
(Delhi), Noida (Uttar Pradesh), Dasna
(Uttar Pradesh), Jajpur (Odisha), Mumbai
(Maharashtra), and Hisar (Haryana).
PROJECT UPDATES
Performance Areas’2008-12 Total
No. of Students Impacted 66060
Percentage of girl students 43%
Percentage of placed students 74%
No. of NGO partners 85
No. of partner employers 250
Volunteer hours 12206
No. of centers 19
“My experience with NF has been
a roller coaster ride. Every
situation has taught me
something new. As an individual,
I have seen my learning graph
growing in a positive direction. I
can’t define in words, the amount
of satisfaction that I get when
students get placed. It feels
special when students look up to
you for advice, they try to copy your dressing style, they
try to copy your accent and they try to become YOU. It
is the most amazing feeling when your student
becomes your colleague.”
Aditi Massey, Centre Coordinator, NF
“I joined NF with a dream to change the world in my own way. I wanted to interact with today’s
marginalized youth and share their view of the world. The challenge is to make them see things in
a different way...that the world is much more than what they have experienced & seen. I learned
along the way to be a good & patient listener. I have become much more conscious of what I say
& do. Another thing I have learned is, that today’s youth want to respect others. It’s just that they
want the people to earn it rather than demand it. The changes I have seen in the students is that
they have started to look at things from a different perspective and they have started to become a
bit more thoughtful about their future. It feels good that I have played some role in that change.”
Shikhar Prateek, Soft Skills Trainer, NF
Our trainers shape the youth for future. They create the NIIT Foundation impact. Be it rural or urban slums areas, like master craftsmen, they transform lives of marginalized youth into success stories every day. You can join our heroes by sponsoring the communities they hold responsibility for. You can start with sharing this newsletter with all your friends, as any new connection may have the possibility of bringing hope for an at-risk youth. You could also visit our centers and capture stories of personal victories accomplished, through words, photography or videography on NF initiatives, or spread the word through your media connections.
8
CENTERS
Noida-51: Lavkush Market, near Post Office, main road Hoshiyarpur, Sector 51, Noida -201301, Tel: 9953615123; Begumpur :
Basti Vikas Kendra, Behind Begumpur Bus-stop, Malviya Nagar, Begumpur -110017, Ph. 40580305; Paharganj: 9329/1, Gali No.7,
Multani Dhandha, Paharganj- 110055, Ph. 47506874, 47506873; Prem Nagar : I-180, Prem Nagar II, 70Ft Road, Kirari, New Delhi
-110086, Ph. 25185560; Gurgaon : Vishwas Vidyalaya, Sector 46, near Unitech Cyber Park, Gurgaon -122001, Ph. 7838177728;
Mangolpuri: L-625, DDA Flats, (near Mother Dairy) Mangolpuri, Delhi Ph. 011-27918987; Sunder Nagri: N-25/26, Sunder Nagri,
New Delhi -110093, Ph. 22597745; Madanpur Khadar: H.No 317, Chauhan Mohalla, Manshukh Singh Marg, Near, Anglo Indian
Public School, Madanpur Khadar, New Delhi – 76, Ph: 29947891; Civil Lines: No. 2 Raj Niwas Marg, near Shah Auditorium, Civil
Lines, New Delhi, Ph: 23982620; Ghaziabad: Gram Niyojan Kendra, Adhyatmik Nagar, Opp. IMS Engg. College. Dasna, Ghaziabad,
Ph: 7838177728 Nizamuddin: MCP School, Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti, Delhi -110013. Ph: 9818942279; Gharoli: C-548, Harijan
Basti, Gharoli Extension -110096, Ph. 22628857; Brahmpuri : C-185/36, 1st Floor, Above MTS Office, Main Brahmpuri Road Delhi -
110053, Ph. 22560344; Shastri Nagar: DD-82, Vishvakarma Colony, Nahari ka Naka, Shastri Nagar, Jaipur, Ph: 0141-2309699;
Jajpur: JSL Institute of Industrial Training, Trijanga rehabilitation colony, P.O. Danagadi Jajpur 755026, Ph: 07735565556;
Mumbai:FSC-1,1st floor shopping complex, opposite Airport high school, New Airport Colony, (opposite Hanuman road) Airport
Authority of India, Vila Parle East Mumbai- 400099, Ph: 09619619074; Hisar: JINDAL INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL TRAINING,
(Formerly Stainless Skill Training Institute - Prerana), 126 Green Square Market, Hisar - 125 005, Ph: 07206790140; Chhindwara
DLC: NIIT District Learning Center, near FCI warehouse Seoni road, Chhindwara Madhya Pradesh- 480002, Ph: 0716 2232228,
0716 2232229; Barkuhi DLC: Barkuhi old VTC building, near SBI Barkuhi, Madhya Pradesh- 480447, Ph: 0716 1263334
Project Director
NIIT Foundation
A-24, Sector –34, Infocity,
Gurgaon,
Haryana-122001,
India
Website: www.niitfoundation.org
Email: [email protected],
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/
NIITAffirmativeAction
Office: +91-124-491-6500/ 01/ 02,
FAX: +91-124 -491-5178
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