A Quarterly Newsletter of Initiatives by Dr. Reddy’s Foundation

Volume 9 Issue 1 2010

Pudami’s journey towards e(Q)uality in education

EditorialIn this issue, we celebrate three years of Pudami Neighbourhood Schools, DRF’s unique initiative to make high quality English medium education available to children from all walks of life. We trace the evolution of the Pudami model and its tremendous growth over a short period of time — and most importantly, how these schools are bringing joy and the hope for a better future to thousands of children and families. Today, there are 29 Pudami primary schools and four spacious neighbourhood schools which are adopting a number of exciting teaching-learning methods to ensure that children, regardless of their previous educational background and experiences, succeed in school and enjoy learning.

DRF’s flagship livelihoods program LABS continues to introduce new domains to give youth better and more varied job opportunities. Recently, DRF piloted the Pharma Retail domain, which we have featured in this issue, to meet the growing demand for skilled workers in this fast growing sector.

Meanwhile, efforts to reach out to rural youth are picking up pace. We take a look at the new developments in DRF’s program, ‘Skilling Rural India’, including some promising collaborations with corporate organizations to provide training and placements to youth around the country.

We also bring you a moving piece on the good work being done at the Residential Bridge Center at Dulapally to help runaway children transition into regular schools and make sure they are not deprived of their rights to freedom and education as a result of child labour.

We hope you will find this issue both interesting and informative.

Happy reading!

ContributorsBhaskar Babu Boda L&D, Head OfficeC Raghavendra Rao CC, MSDF LABS, AmberpetDevendra Patel CC, Grameen LABS, VadodaraDr Mushtaq Ahmad Mir MSDF LABS, DehradunFalguni Chaudhari CC, Grameen LABS, Vyara-SuratHarikrishna Principal, Pudami Neighbourhood School, YacharamJobin P George Facilitators, Grameen LABS, KottayamAnoop Viswanathan K Jagan SCOPE Project CoordinatorK Ramchandra Rural Initiatives, Head OfficeL Adinarayanamma SCOPE ProjectM Madhuri Principal, Pudami Neighbourhood School, HayathnagarMuralikrishna CNE – South ZoneN Madan Mohan Senior Coordinator, SCOPE ProjectNitya Bhavani Principal, Pudami Neighbourhood School, NagaramPrabhakar Principal, Pudami Neighbourhood School, KondapurRami Reddy MIS Department, Head OfficeRani Sunil CC, Grameen LABS, AlapuzhaSampath Kalavendi Communications & Partnerships, EducationSandhya Damodar Education Resource CentreSanjeev Rao Pudami PrimariesSrikanth Boya Education Resource CentreTrupti Kanungo CC, MSDF LABS, Bhubaneswar

Editorial TeamSupriya SahuKalyaniMadhusree VemuruMadhuri Rao Dempsey

A Quarterly Newsletter of Initiatives by Dr. Reddy’s Foundation

Volume 9 Issue 1 2010

Pudami’s journey towards e(Q)uality in education

LABS News 8

LABS Centers 12

Special Feature 14

Employerspeak 15

Education 16

DRF in the News 19

NGO Spotlight 20

Cover Story 2

New‘Pharma Retail’ domain 10

New Rural Initiatives 11

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The concept of starting Pudami schools began as a modest dream to provide high quality English medium education to children, primarily from underprivileged backgrounds, in four schools in 2006. Today, the Pudami model has considerably evolved and expanded, reaching out to nearly 6,000 children through 29 primary schools and four large neighbourhood schools. New Horizons decided to trace Pudami’s journey so far and find out what lies at the heart of its stupendous success.

Pudami’s journey towards e(Q)uality in education

Cover Story

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You may have very often heard parents make one or more of these

anxious statements about their children’s education. These are some of the several important and varied education needs of children – from not just underprivileged families but also the middle and lower middle classes – that are not met by schools. There is a huge demand for quality English medium education, a school within easy reach of the foot and the pocket of every family that has a child requiring education.

“There are simply not enough schools, and definitely not enough schools of the right kind”, says Usha Raman, a member of the Pudami Education Society, which was formed in 2006 to realize the education vision of Dr. Reddy’s Foundation. “And given the diversity and size of the country’s population, the government alone has not been able

Living the dreamMy child is a bright student and wants to study in an English medium high

school. But if we shift her from a Telugu to English medium school now, she will lose an academic year!

I am sending my daughters to a school where there are only two teachers, the syllabus is never completed, and their reading writing skills are close to nil

though they are in Class III. If I change their school now, they will fail in the en-trance test and be put in Class 1 again!

My husband has deserted me and I am a single parent, but I want to give my child a good English medium education. Is this possible at an affordable cost?

to cater to the education needs of our children. Pudami Neighbourhood Schools were our answer to the problems faced by children and parents who desired quality and affordable English medium education”, she adds.

“A large mass of students are not able to receive quality education as do their privileged peers in private schools”, observed Dhananjay, also a member of Pudami Education Society and Director, Education Resource Center, “because of issues of grade specific competency and efficient accountable curricular delivery not being addressed in government schools. Also the huge demand for English medium education is not being met by government schools”. He adds the quintessence thus, “our campaign is that civil society, community and parents must take up the responsibility of investing in education”.

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The beginnings Dr. Reddy’s Foundation through the Pudami Education Society decided to set up four Pudami Neighbourhood Schools which would take in children right from pre-primary and would go up to Class X. Four locations were selected in Ranga Reddy district, where children were in need of affordable, quality English medium education. The schools were slated to start from the academic year 2008-09.

Four Pudami – The Neighbourhood Schools – were established in the academic year 2008-09 at Hayathnagar, Yacharam, Kondapur and Nagaram.

When a field study was being done to set up the Pudami Neighbourhood Schools, a need in several villages for quality English medium primary schools was identified. The parents were keen on having accessible schools to which their younger ones could easily walk. Thus started Pudami – The English Primaries – as satellite schools for the proposed Pudami Neighbourhood Schools. Fourteen primaries were established in the academic year 07-08 in six mandals

– Yacharam, Manchala, Hayathnagar, Saroornagar, Keesara and Ghatkesar – all in the Ranga Reddy district. These primaries started off in rented premises, with a total strength of 1,400 students, providing education up to Class III and subsequently going up to Class VIII.

All children were admitted into age-wise eligible classes, but three months into the academic year, a huge hurdle presented itself. Members of the in-house Education Resource Center visited the schools and came back with the observation that more than 90 percent of the children did not have basic reading writing competencies. An assessment test was done to evaluate the competencies of the children, and in order to bring up these levels, various preparatory and remedial methods were put in action. In several cases, individual child monitoring also had to be taken up to overcome this hurdle. Running this intensive remedial course alongside the regular system of unit tests and half-yearly exams was not possible. Hence, a bold decision was taken to introduce a weekly assessment system of the remedial process to improve the children’s competencies.

When the annual exams were over, teachers decided to get parents’ feedback on their child's academic improvement and their satisfaction level with the school. Teachers came back from these interactions smiling (and many were moved to tears) because they had not anticipated that parents would be so amazed and thrilled with their children’s progress.

Reaching out to more children and communitiesIn the next academic year, 15 more schools were added by public demand. Villagers who had heard of the great success of the first 14 schools approached DRF through their elected representatives to set up more schools. In the academic year 08-09, there were 29 Pudami primaries with 3,400 children. The good work continued and there was a further increase in strength in the year 2009-10, with enrollment going up to 4,700 children.

The 2009-10 academic year was spent on consolidating the academic quality of the schools with an improvement in the academics of all new admissions. Children

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What makes Pudami Primary and Neighbourhood schools different? Pudami Primary and Neighbourhood Schools were constituted with certain salient features that are not just uncommon but also extremely difficult to achieve. Some of them are:

life living in the neighbourhood.

admit children without conducting any entrance examination and place them in a class suitable to their age.

achieving grade specific competencies through a special remedial course after assessing the learning levels of the child.

from vernacular medium schools via a special transition course running parallel to their studies.

through subsidies and additional subsidies in fees, as the case demands.

constituting the Education Resource Center to provide training, guidance and support in all academic activities.

optimal pressure that should be put on a child by way of studies and marks so that the child finds joy in coming to school.

Other features are:

classrooms, playgrounds and labs.

sports and cultural activities.

through parent teacher committees.

11 UK schools) and youth organizations like AIESEC

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It happens in a PudamiSwathi is good at academics and always scores above 90 percent. She studies in a Telugu medium government school and wants to become a software engineer. She knows an English medium education will provide her a platform to realize her dreams. But can this girl, one of the three children of a bus conductor in the state run transport service, fulfil her desires without burdening the limited resources of her family? Ram and Lakhan are twins who are study-ing in Class II in a regional medium school. Lakhan possesses good analytical skills, and Ram, excellent language skills. Their parents recognize their potential and want a quality English medium education for them, but are apprehensive about medium transi-tion, losing an academic year and coping with the transition. Deserted by her husband, Muskaan’s mother took refuge at her brother’s house in Kondapur and today works as a daily wage labourer. Aishwaria’s parents work at blasting sites. It was at one of those sites that Aishwaria met with an accident at the age of two and sustained permanent damage to three of her fingers. Muskaan is five and Aishwaria, around four and a half. The girls are bright, but mired as they are in poverty, education for them is a difficult proposition. Anand is notorious! He was thrown out of his earlier school. No school is ready to admit him. Even his mother is convinced that her unmanageable son is growing up into an anti-social element. But nothing stops the parents from dream-ing of a better tomorrow for their children. The dreams of Muskaan and Aishwaria and their parents have come true today. They have received a waiver of fees at Pudami. Ram and Lakhan are doing exceptionally well in Class III at PNS Nagaram, and didn’t lose an academic year during transition. Anand is in Class IV at PNS Kondapur and is a disciplined boy today, much to his parents’ delight. Swathi’s fears of losing a year were also unfounded, and she even received a good subsidy on fees.

who did not even know the alphabet when they joined Pudami, attained a vocabulary of 1,000 words in year one, and went on to read sentences and paragraphs with reasonable comprehension by the end of year two. Their handwriting skills also greatly improved in the second year. These children will soon be improving their written and spoken English skills through various activities like elocution, drama and a unique concept called a school wall magazine. The academic year 10-11 is expected to see a further

rise in enrollment by 30-35 percent, which translates to more than 6,000 children.

Lessons learned: The evolution of the Pudami model Says Sanjeev, who heads the program, “We have learnt several valuable lessons in these three years. We have seen again and again that even the low income groups do not want to have education for free but they hugely appreciate ‘value for

Cover Story

The Pudami Neighbourhood Schools: A bright startThe four Pudami Neighbourhood Schools have now completed their second academic year with a student body strength of 1,438, a significant increase from 982 students in 08-09. In 08-09 14% of the students needed to transition into English medium education, whereas in 09-10, the number was about 5%. Grade specific competency was found wanting in about 26% of the students in 08-09, whereas in 09-10 it stood at 16%.

This academic year will see the first batch of students appearing for their Class X Board examinations. The teams at these schools are working at increasing their enrollment strength to 2,500. Be it the excellent relationship maintained with the community and parents, individual attention paid to the students, administrative skills invested in managing the staff, enterprise shown in establishing global partnerships or extra-curricular activities, all the principals of these schools - Nitya Bhavani, Madhuri, Prabhakar and Harikrishna - have shown great leadership in bringing the schools to their current level.

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money’. Our fee structure is reasonable for low income groups who can afford to pay (though perhaps less) but have aspirations of a quality English medium education”. He adds, “We also extend further subsidies to the underprivileged, sometimes completely waiving the fees. The community fully supports our model. We have children from middle class families attending our school too. Except for a couple of stray cases, they were not uncomfortable about their

children sharing a classroom with the underprivileged”.

It may still be early in the journey, but there is no question that the Pudami model has made a strong impact in a relatively short time. As Sanjeev reveals, “The school can be established as a central point of community involvement to bring quality education to children from all walks of life, ensuring that no child is denied equity in education.”

- Madhusree Vemuru

Laying the foundations for academic excellence“The students become bored and inattentive in class, they do poorly in tests and get discouraged, and finally, in the worst cases, they even drop out of school. Similarly, teachers too are confronted with their own set of problems – how to grade students’ performance, how to handle an indifferent or even hostile class, how to deal with poor attendance, and finally, how to arrest dropout rates”, says Sandhya Damodar. She is the resource person for Mathematics with the Education Resource Center at DRF. Sandhya has seen the full range of problems that crop up at the Pudami schools and been a huge support – to both teachers and students – in solving them.

Her job profile includes preparation of study and assessment materials, conducting workshops and designing training modules for teachers. She visits the schools regularly to interact with teachers and students. On most occasions, she is a silent observer of classroom activities, which she believes is the key to understanding and giving the right advice on instructional methods.

“Did you know that each student has a different learning preference?” Sandhya asks. “Some may find a long monologue

a visual identification is a must and still others can learn only with a practical demonstration,” she explains.

The primary function of the ERC is to support teaching by providing resources and materials for students and teachers. The team at ERC strives continuously to develop resources on teaching methods to best fit the learning needs of the students and to help teachers adapt their classroom methods to give the needed individual attention to students.

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DRF bags ‘Best CSR Initiative’ award Team DRF, Global Medical Affairs (Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories) and Team India (Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories) received the Chairman’s Spirit of Excellence Awards from Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories for ‘Best CSR Initiative’ on 23 January for their joint approach to alleviate the suffering of flood-affected communities of Andhra Pradesh in October 2009.

During the recovery phase for the flood victims, the teams organized mobile health camps which provided immediate health services to many – children, the aged, pregnant and lactating women in particular. Free treatments, essential medicines and technical advisers were made available by Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, while DRF carried out the community mobilization and camp management activities. In the week-long operation from the 13-19 October, about 5,800 patients (from 30,000 families) were treated in 38 villages and 21 urban slums.

Parents get a taste of LABSMSDF LABS Dehradun organized its first ever Parents Meet on 4 February. More than 35 proud parents attended the meet. Led by Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Mir, the session gave parents a clear understanding of the LABS program, the types of livelihood opportunities available to their children and progress updates. They were taken around the classrooms, and many parents became very emotional when they saw the charts and posters made by their children.

As a special touch, the hospitality/ refreshment portion of the program was conducted entirely by the hospitality aspirants, while aspirants from the BSPA domain demonstrated their training by checking the BP of the visitors! All in all, the meet was a very successful event, leaving parents with a sense of pride and hope in their children and the future.

LABS alumni share experiences at grand meetTeam Alapuzha held a grand alumni meet at their center on 26 March. As many as 120 alumni representing all the batches starting from the very first batch, participated in the event. The alumni meet was also attended by Sameer Chandra, V Hemanthan, Rajeev Nambiar, Muralikrishna and Radhakrishnan.

The aspirants shared their experiences with the group and described how LABS had changed their lives for the better. Prasanth, who completed the CRS program, spoke of how he became a Medical Executive and recently got promoted to Brand Manager with a salary of Rs 12,000 pm. Viji, an MST graduate of the first batch, shared that she is now working on a project by the Kerala government and earning Rs 7,000 pm. Many similar success stories were exchanged among the alumni, who were thrilled to get together for a day of fun and nostalgia. Vimala summed up the feelings of many at the meet, saying: “Before I joined LABS, I used to wonder how I would survive in the fast growing corporate world. LABS has boosted my confidence and now I I find it easier to face challenges”.

LABS NewsEmpowering women on International Women’s DayInternational Women’s Day was celebrated on 8 March at the Vyara center with a special session conducted by advocates Sonal Gamit and Sarojna Chaudhari on women’s empowerment and laws relating to women.

Ms Gamit inspired female aspirants by describing the achievements of great women in different fields. Ms Chaudhari discussed various laws relating to women, such as protection against harassment at the workplace, the Dowry Act and marriage laws. The informative session was well appreciated.

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Two foreign delegates visited the MSDF LABS center at Amberpet in February. The team made a detailed presentation about the LABS program, its methodology and the employment opportunities available to BPL graduates. The delegates were interested in learning about the training methodology and the quality of the livelihoods created by LABS. They also visited a nearby slum, Batukammakunta, from where many of the aspirants were mobilized to join the program. Describing the visit as a “wonderful experience”, one of the visitors, Dawn Maldia Madson, a systems analyst at IBM, said, “We were both impressed by the intensity of the facilitators and the enthusiasm of all aspirants. The facility is at a great location and this must help attract aspirants”.

Foreign delegates visit Amberpet MSDF LABS

Celebrating the spirit of HoliThe facilitators and aspirants of MSDF LABS Dehradun, celebrated the festival of Holi on 28 February at the center. The aspirants left their serious side behind and joyously plunged into the celebrations, showcasing their talents with a singing competition and playing with colours. It was a welcome opportunity for all to bond with their fellow aspirants and facilitators and enjoy the festive spirit of Holi.

A ‘green’ beginning to the New YearThe team at Grameen LABS, Vadodara took the initiative to spread awareness about environmental protection and global warming by conducting a rally early in the New Year. The ‘Go Green’ campaign began with aspirants and facilitators planting trees at the center, after which they embarked on their rally through parts of the city. Carrying banners with slogans about environmental protection, the group spoke to members of the public about the threats to the environment and how they could help to preserve it.

Spreading joy at ChristmasFor aspirants of the Kottayam center, the spirit of Christmas took on a special meaning with the batch deciding to celebrate the holiday by helping the less fortunate. They paid a visit to Santhwanam, a well-known orphanage and shelter in Kottayam district where more than 100 orphans and elderly people live. The aspirants and facilitators provided a grand lunch for the residents of Santhwanam, while fasting themselves as a way to better understand the hunger of the poor. Cake cutting, singing of carols and entertainment followed, along with a special appearance by Santa Claus, much to the delight of the young ones.

Making the world a healthier placeThe Bhubaneshwar MSDF LABS joined forces with WHO and the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation to observe World Health Day on 7 April by participating in a rally to spread awareness about health issues. They were motivated by the fact that the underprivileged in our country have poor access to healthcare and a lower lifespan. Since LABS is indirectly helping to improve the health of rural and urban youth by providing them with livelihoods, the team embraced the opportunity to spread the word on good health further. The rally wound its way from Kalinga Stadium to Governor House. On the way, the aspirants urged the public to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

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Pharma Retail:Livelihoods in healthcare services

A life transformedAt 25, Srinivas found himself working in a small workshop, a job that left him dissatisfied and drained. Srinivas had to quit school after his metric due to his family’s poor financial situation. He envied other boys his age who were employed in various corporate sectors and were highly respected in the local community. His father, a farmer, struggled to provide for his family of four. Thus, the responsibility of supporting his family fell on Srinivas’s shoulders.

His life changed one day when he spotted a DRF pamphlet with information about the LABS program’s new pharma retail course. The center was close to his house and he immediately signed up. This was his first exposure to any kind of formal training and though he was not a very quick learner, he rapidly adapted himself to the new environment. He actively participated in class, picked up medical terminology quickly and overcame his fear of public speaking. Srinivas did well in his very first interview and was placed in Apollo Pharmacy with a salary of Rs 4,500 + ESI. He called his facilitator after a week of working at the pharmacy and poured out his feelings of joy, saying, “A complete transformation has occurred in my life. I can see the respect in the eyes of my family members and walk with my head held high in the community. I have a dignified job, which pays me well enough to give a helping hand to my aging father”.

The retail revolution sweeping across the country has brought about

changes in the way average urban Indians shop for a host of products and services — from routine groceries to clothing, from petrol to magazines. But a majority of Indians still visit the crowded neighbourhood pharmaceutical store to buy a vitamin pill or a painkiller, and in some of the smaller cities, they have to double-check to ensure that the medicines comply with the doctor's prescription or that cosmetics are

genuine. India has 5.5 million chemists and druggists, and the organized retail market accounts for just two percent of the industry. However, in recent years, a large number of business houses have invested in setting up stores/ malls and have built businesses within retail. Many corporate houses have already announced their retail plans, which include many pharma companies too. The Indian pharmaceutical industry will be witnessing significant growth in the near future as spending on healthcare is spiralling like never before. Consumer spending on healthcare is estimated to increase from seven percent in 2007 to 13 percent by 2015.

However, the two major problems confronting the industry are an inadequate number of skilled pharma retail workers to meet the demand and high attrition rates (30% to 40%) at the field level. To address these problems and to provide sustainable livelihoods for unemployed youth, DRF piloted the Pharma Retail domain with 16 aspirants. The response from employers was heartening, with aspirants securing

placements at major pharma retail chains like Apollo Pharmacy, Medplus and Vasu group with an average salary of Rs 4,500. In fact, the employers are looking forward to have more similarly trained aspirants whom they can place directly in their outlets, saving valuable time and money.

Aspirants likewise are glad to have the opportunity to build a career in the recession proof healthcare industry. The course is currently being conducted in five cities: Vizag, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

L & D

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DRF’s new ‘Skilling Rural India’ program, a variant of the LABS

program that specifically targets rural youth and helps them acquire skills to secure gainful employment, is already showing promising results and has begun to gain the interest of corporate organizations.

Skilling Rural India, a modified version of the LABS program, is aimed at providing sustainable livelihoods to rural youth and making them part of India’s growth picture, while reducing the need for them to migrate from their villages and towns for work. The pilot program, which was initiated in 20 villages – 10 in Daund Taluka in Pune (Maharashtra) and 10 in Sadshivpet Mandal in Medak (Andhra Pradesh) – is having a positive impact. To date, 261 aspirants have been placed in local jobs and very few have migrated. An additional 19 aspirants are awaiting placement. Currently, 242 aspirants are undergoing training and are at different stages of the program.

Training in a large number of domains is being offered, of which a few are: Security Guard, Computer Operator, Two Wheeler Mechanic, Electrician, Nursing Assistant, Sales and Marketing, Tailoring, Fitter, Drip Irrigation Technician, Plumber, Dress Making and Printing Press Operator. Life Skills training is provided by DRF while technical training in the respective domains is provided either by local training institutions or prospective employers, who offer the aspirants essential ‘On the Job Training’ (OJT). In some cases, trained aspirants are helped to obtain jobs through direct placement.

New collaborationsBased on the encouraging results of the pilot projects, the Rural Livelihoods team has embarked on scaling up this program by tying up with other corporate organizations. Three cement companies – Lafarge India, ACC and Dalmia Cements – have entered into a collaboration with DRF to implement this program in and around their existing/ proposed plants and mines.

Extending opportunities to rural youth

The Lafarge-sponsored projects are coming up in Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. The diagnostic study for this project is currently underway. The project sponsored by Dalmia Cements is coming up in North Karnataka and aims to train and place 250 youth in both wage and self employment. The ACC-sponsored project will be taken up in Chhattisgarh and is targeting 50 youth for training and placement.

DRF has also tied up with an NGO in Pune (Ashta No Kai) to train and place 100 youth in and around Pune city. This project is on 50% cost sharing basis. Apart from these three companies, DRF is actively pursuing collaborations with other major corporate players in rural areas near Pune, Mumbai and Goa.

Promoting self-employmentApart from the SRI program, the Rural Livelihoods team is also actively looking at promoting micro-enterprises (to create sustainable livelihoods through

self employment) in rural areas. In an earlier effort, the team at Daund was successful in promoting around 30 poultry enterprises, each with an investment of around Rs 4 lakhs. In the current initiative, the aim is to look at promoting enterprises which require a lower level of starting capital, but which are still economically viable.

The team has already identified 42 aspirants and is looking for micro-enterprise opportunities both in the farm and non-farm sectors, such as dairy farming, small poultry farming, goat rearing, floriculture, construction work and agro processing. Here too, collaborations are proving very valuable. For example, in a pilot project in Sadshivpet, six aspirants have enrolled for training at the State Bank of India Rural Self Employment Training Institute (RUDSETI). SBI has agreed to provide them with financial assistance in setting up their micro-enterprises after they complete training.

New Initiatives

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2,07,141 youth trained so far…

LABS Centers

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Himachal PradeshGrameen LABS (with Union Ministry of Rural Development) Solan, KangraMSDF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation) Shimla

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2 UttarakhandMSDF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Dehradun, Haridwar, Doiwala

3 HaryanaMSDF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Sonepat, Yamunanagar, Ambala

4 PunjabMSDF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Patiala, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar

5 DelhiMSDF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Faridabad, Nangloi, Najafgarh, Tilak Vihar, Jahangirpuri, Badarpur, Dakshinpuri, Kalyanpuri, Arthala

6 Madhya PradeshMSDF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Jabalpur, Bhopal

7 West BengalMSDF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)New Alipore, Garia, Barasat, Barrackpore, Santragachi, Dumdum, BallySHG LABS (With West Bengal State Rural Development Agency)Goalpukur, Rajarhat

8OrissaGrameen LABS (with Union Ministry of Rural Development)Puri MSDF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Cuttack, Bhubaneswar

9 RajasthanGrameen LABS (with Union Ministry of Rural Development)Jaipur

10 Maharashtra CII-Yi LABS (with Confederation of Indian Industry-Young Indian)PuneGrameen LABS (with Union Ministry of Rural Development)SinnerMSDF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Pune, Nasik, Borivali, Airoli

Dadra and Nagar HaveliGrameen LABS (with Union Ministry of Rural Development)Silvasa

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GujaratGrameen LABS (with Union Ministry of Rural Development)Gondal, Vadodara, VyaraMSDF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Surat, Rajkot, Ahmedabad

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Uttar PradeshMSDF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Allahabad, Gorakhpur, Banaras, KanpurNABARD LABS (with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development)(In Rae Bareli and Sultanpur Districts): Jagdishpur, Lambhua, Lalganj, Kadipur, Maharajganj, Salon, Amethi

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KarnatakaMSDF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Jayanagar, Mysore, Mangalore, Bommanahalli, Srirampuram

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Jammu & KashmirMSDF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Jammu

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JharkhandMSDF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Jamshedpur, Lalpur

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Andhra Pradesh EGMM LABS (with EGMM, Government of Andhra Pradesh) Mahabubnagar, Eluru, Rajamundry, Karimnagar, Kodumuru, Araku, Etur NagaramMEPMA LABS (with MEPMA)Suryapeta, Warangal, Karimnagar, Adoni, Nellore, Mahabubnagar, Vizag, Gudiwada, Rajahmundry, VijayawadaMSDF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Guntur, Vijayawada, Vizag, Abids, Tirupati, Amberpeta, Kakinada, Kurnool, Secunderabad

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Tamil NaduCorporation LABS (with Corporation of Chennai)Triplicane, Mint, AdayarMSDF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Koyambedu, Velachery, Aynavaram, Tambaram

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KeralaGrameen LABS (with Union Ministry of Rural Development)Alapuzha MSDF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Kochi

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ChhattisgarhGrameen LABS (with Union Ministry of Rural Development)KorbaMSDF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Bilaspur, Raipur, Durg

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BiharMSDF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Mithapur, Hanuman NagarBPCL LABS (With BPCL)Muzaffarpur

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Recently, DRF took a long, hard look at its existing induction program for

facilitators and decided that it needed to be revamped and improved. The earlier program was nine days long and was more theoretical, rather than ‘hands on’, whereas it was felt that a program that offered more on-the-job training and a better understanding of the organizational processes, goals and systems would considerably increase the efficiency and effectiveness of new hires, particularly facilitators, in promoting sustainable livelihoods. A comprehensive induction process would also help them align with the organizational culture and work atmosphere.

The new 30-day induction program was launched in January 2010, and the process of on-boarding a new recruit differs primarily in that it provides a far more detailed understanding of DRF’s employment philosophy, physical work environment, employee's responsibilities, organization goals, culture and values along with key operational activities which were delivered concisely earlier. The new program also offers new employees opportunities for high quality, interactions with senior leaders, as well as a seven-day OJT (On-the job) training, which gives them a sense of connection with the LABS centers and help understand how the center operates on a day-to-day basis.

The former program comprised of a one-day introduction, two days of learning the process, four days of life skills and domain orientation, one day for an exposure visit, and finally, a day spent interacting with support departments. The new program, on the other hand, is an intensive month-long program divided

DRF has launched a new 30-day induction program for its facilitators – one that promises to significantly enhance organizational quality and its ability to generate more sustainable livelihoods for young people.

into three distinct phases. The idea is to give facilitators a deeper insight into the functioning of the organization and its various processes. Further, to help the inductees experience the field realities, various methodologies like case study analysis, group discussions, presentations, OJT are used during the learning process.

The trainers feel that the new program has several advantages over the previous one. Bhaskar Babu Boda, Team L&D of DRF says, “The current induction program exposes the participants to the real work environment and enables them to cohesively work with the community and the corporate world. Detailed discussions on the LABS Process, best practices and challenges ensure better understanding and learning”.

During the first phase participants are introduced to the organizational vision, mission and values, HR policies, life skills and the LABS process. In the second phase of training, participants are deputed for 10 days at ideal LABS centers across the nation. During this

period, the concerned center team mentors the participants by involving them in each step of the process, so that they can have direct exposure to the actual working of the centers.

In the third phase, participants share key learnings of their visit and discuss the best practices and challenges of running a LABS program. This is a critical part of the training as the participants are able to compare their theoretical knowledge with the practical field reality. At this point, the participant is job ready and equipped to generate livelihoods through the LABS Program.

The feedback from aspirants has been promising so far. Saurabh Dave, an ITES Facilitator at Grameen LABS in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, feels that because “the methods taught in the induction program are so simple, realistic and clear, they are easy to execute in practice”.

To further ensure that the new induction program is effective and achieving its goals, all participants undergo an assessment at the end of the third phase, followed by an interaction with the CEO.

Special Feature

Giving new employees a roaring start

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NH: How long have you been associated with LABS?

SJ: It’s been four years now that we have been closely allied with LABS. We greatly appreciate the way the youngsters are motivated and formally trained to meet the organization’s requirements. They not only exhibit talent but demonstrate high-potential competencies.

NH: What do you think of the LABS skill-based training program?

SJ: LABS training is well designed and rolled out in such a way that it sharpens the youngsters’ skills to meet the industry standards. It is easy for us to employ them straight away, though of course they must complete an in-house orientation to suit our specific needs.

Over the years we have noticed that the LABS aspirants are quick learners and perform exceptionally well in the customer service and counter sales operations.

NH: In what aspects do you think LABS aspirants require additional skills?

SJ: As LABS aspirants tend to hail from modest economic backgrounds, their communication skills need to be honed as well as their body language. The demand for candidates with strong

communication skills are the order of the day and business thrives on this basis. Shortfalls in customer service can always be balanced with excellent and persuasive communication. This will definitely make the LABS aspirants gain mileage or an edge in the competitive market.

NH: Would you like to contribute anything to the LABS Program?SJ: Definitely, yes. Recruitment is just a miniscule part. Given an opportunity, we will not hesitate to exploit the chance to impart training or share knowledge of modern industry trends, concepts and expectations so that the students are well equipped to understand and meet the modern day requirements of the industry.

NH: What about the attrition rates of the LABS aspirants?SJ: Attrition is a global issue and no one is exempt. One can be wedded to the profession but not to an employer (unless you opt out to!) So is the case with any candidate – good or bad. The only mantra that we preach is: Align yourself to the business needs, be a consistent learner and stay focused and do not change jobs often unless it is warranted. You will become successful.

‘LABS sharpens youngsters’ skills’The MGM Group was established in 1963 and has a diverse portfolio that includes logistics, international trading, distillery, manufacturing, hospitality, entertainment and mining. It has grown from 15 to 3,500 employees with around 700 MGM personnel interacting with an average of 20,000 customers per day in the

hospitality division. New Horizons spoke to Sreeniwasan Jayaganapathy (Group GM - HR and Industrial Relations, MGM Group) about his association with LABS and his views of the training program.

After successfully completing the hospitality course from MSDF LABS, Chennai, Kavitha started working as a customer associate with Marry Brown, a chain of family restaurants promoted by the MGM group. She found fulfilment and pride in her new role, saying, “The LABS training program has worked wonders for my career and has provided me the opportunity to be recognized in the corporate world. It has taught me to believe in myself and provided me with additional skills that I can use in the future”.

Carving out a bright futureParameshwari is the mother of a two-year-old girl. She and her husband, a daily labourer, struggled to make ends meet their

monthly earnings of Rs 3,500. Parameshwari constantly worried about the future and found herself under a lot of stress until she heard about the MSDF LABS program. She decided to enroll in the Hospitality course and found herself fascinated by such

subjects as Life Skills, Communicative English and Basic Computers.

After successfully completing the hospitality course from MSDF LABS-Chennai, Parameshwari started working with Marry Brown Restaurant as a Team member with a monthly salary of Rs 5,000 plus incentives. The goal setting lessons in LABS brought about a complete transformation in her life and she decided to study further and complete her degree through correspondence. Today, she is full of confidence and optimism. “LABS is the place where I realized that I can make my dream come true. I have realized that life is a journey and not a destination. I thank all my facilitators for their support and encouragement,” she says.

Employerspeak

‘LABS taught me to believe in myself’

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Education

When Parvati was about five years old, her mother set herself ablaze.

Ten years later, Parvati is still trying to gather all the pieces of her life and cement them with education – she is preparing for her Class X exams, helped by the DRF instructors at the bridge centre in the Juvenile Home for Girls at Kachiguda in Hyderabad.

Parvati’s parents had a huge quarrel on that fateful day, Parvati recalls, and in a fit of uncontrollable rage her mother went into the kitchen and set herself on fire. Little Parvati was by her mother’s side and was caught in the blaze too. While the child’s burns were not life-threatening, she lost her mother and soon afterward her father committed suicide. Her paternal aunt took her away from Nellore, her hometown, to Venkatagiri. From this point, Parvati was caught in a continuous cycle of running away from her aunt’s clutches and being brought back to her. In February 2010, however, she managed to run away all the way to Secunderabad where she was approached by volunteers of Divya Disha, an organization that provides help and shelter to runaway children.

After following all due procedures, Parvati was handed over to the Residential Bridge Center at Dulapally being run by Dr. Reddy’s Foundation under the SCOPE initiative. As she was being counseled and put into the reading writing classes at the RBC, her

aunt was contacted and informed of her whereabouts. The aunt flatly refused to take her back saying, “She has run away so many times that I cannot handle the responsibility anymore. Her behavior has caused a lot of turmoil in my family – all my neighbours and even the media have given me bad publicity because of her tantrums”. With this, Parvati’s only relative had severed links with her.

After spending a month at the RBC, the DRF staff secured admission for her at the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya at Ibrahimpatnam, from where she once again ran away after just five days, on 9 March 2010. With the help of the DRF mobilizers, local volunteers and police, she was traced on the very same day at the Ibrahimpatnam Bus Depot. The Balika Vidyalaya refused to take her in now on a technical ground – they do not take in orphans! Around the same time, DRF set up a bridge center to provide education to the children in the juvenile home. As a last resort and of course to provide sufficient security to a teenage girl, she has now been lodged in the Juvenile Home for Girls at Kachiguda.

Why Does a Child Run Away?Why does a child run away,When all hope is gone and faith has left her side,When problems become unbearable and she can no longer hide,She runs when her family will no longer listen,Knowing that no one will care when she’s gone missing,Waiting for that someone to come and take her away,Why does a child run away?

- Jonay Lynn Buster

No longer alone:A safe haven for runaways

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Residential Bridge Centers: Helping vulnerable childrenDr. Reddy’s Foundation Education Vertical under its SCOPE initiative runs Residential Bridge Centers primarily for children who are extremely susceptible to child labour – those in the 9-16 age group.

The initiative provides for Non-Residential Bridge Centers at construction sites for younger children too. Other inmates of the RBCs are children who need temporary shelter for various reasons, such as children who have run away from their homes, until they can be placed in suitable government hostels.

The RBCs impart reading writing skills in order to enable the children to get enrolled in regular schools while weaning them away from child labour. In 2008-09, DRF ran five RBCs around Hyderabad with an enrollment of 547 children. Of these, as many as 452 were mainstreamed in regular government schools.

The RBC at Dulapally has several children who have run away from home as a spontaneous reaction to situations. These children are unable to give us the entire address of their homes, but have expressed the desire to at least visit – if not return to – their loved ones.

Parvati has spent almost three months now under the care of DRF staff – either continuously or for a limited period of time daily – and she has undergone a visible attitude change. She has taken to studies very seriously and has decided that this is her only constant support and companion for a lifetime. She has expressed a desire to study well and pass the Class X exam.

With a little help and constant support and affection from people around her, she is all set to return to a life as normal as possible. Just as the scars from her burn injuries are still visible on her right arm but don’t really trouble her anymore, Parvati has embarked on a journey to heal the invisible injuries on her personality – injuries that will soon fade away into distant memories.

Jyothi Nukala is a 12-year-old girl who ran away from Nellore and arrived in Hyderabad in September 2009. Originally from Srikakulam, her parents migrated to Nellore to take up a construction job. Her parents separated after her mother began an affair with the supervisor at the construction site. Her father attempted suicide by consuming poison but was saved by her grandmother and aunt who took him to the hospital in the nick of time. Jyothi ran away from home and boarded a train to Hyderabad. She stayed on the train after it arrived in Hyderabad, hoping that she could go back on the same train to Nellore, but the railway security staff handed her over to the police. Jyothi says, “I think my mother must have returned to my father because I ran away. That’s why I ran away”. She also says she can, if taken to either Nellore or Srikakulam, identify where she lived. She hopes to return to her united family soon.

Similarly, Sumera, who is also around 12 years old, ran away from her home in Bhoipally Gate in Mahbubnagar District. Her father Abdul Khader had three wives – her mother being the second. When he died, Anees, Sumera’s mother, went to live with her mother and brothers taking Sumera and her brother with her. Sumera’s grandmother made her do all the household work and also

used to beat her. So she ran away from home only to land in the clutches of an unscrupulous woman in Secunderabad. This stranger promised to take her back to Mahbubnagar and instead took her to her house and made her do all the household work. After almost two months of this nightmare, she got a chance to escape when she was sent out on an errand. She has been with DRF since March 2010. “I want my mother to know that I am safe here, but I think I am better off here than at home. I get to study and play and above all I don’t need to do any work”, says Sumera.

Aruna and Neela, both girls in the same age group, from Khammam and Berhampur respectively, ran away from their homes for similar reasons. Their mother passed away, and they were sent to do household work in other people’s houses. They prefer to study and play and want their relatives to know that they are safe, but they do not want to return to the drudgery of hard work.

All legislations are, at the end of the day, a reflection of just and natural human urges or instincts – be it against child labour or the right to education. It is a pity that civil society needs not just legislation but also stringent enforcement and monitoring to give to children what is theirs as a birthright.

- Madhusree Vemuru

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Education

Kids shine on Annual Day Pudami - The English Primaries celebrated their Annual Day in March. The tiny tots performed a variety of dances, skits, songs and much more. Entire villages turned out to see the children’s performance. The children were extremely well trained by their dance and music teachers and received a huge applause for their performance. It was also an occasion for the team at each of the schools to interact with the villagers and spread the message of the importance of early education.

Women’s Day celebrationsWomen’s Day was celebrated in style at DRF’s education vertical office in Hyderabad on 8 March. Padmashri Ananda Shankar, a well known Bharatanatyam dancer was one of the special invitees and spoke about how women tend to neglect themselves on every count, irrespective of whether they are rich or poor, educated or uneducated. She emphasized the importance of undergoing regular health check-ups to detect health problems in the early stages. Her talk was followed by a sumptuous lunch and some games. Ms Anuradha Prasad, Ms Usha Raman and Ms Latha Mani were among those who attended the celebrations.

UK teachers visit ‘partner’ Pudami schoolDr. Reddy’s Foundation - Pudami Schools have entered into partnerships with schools in the UK. One such partnership has also received a Reciprocal Grant Visit which is funded by UK Aid. Elaine Goff and Susan Johnson, both teachers at the Westrise Community School at Eastbourne, Sussex, were in Hyderabad for 10 days and visited various Pudami Schools. They spent five days at the Pudami Neighbourhood School in Hayathnagar, which is their partner under the program, and interacted extensively with the children and the teachers. The two partner schools have decided to focus on two projects of global importance. One is environmental protection, involving such activities as recycling of old newspapers to make paper bags and persuading the community to use paper bags instead of plastic carry bags. The second project is aimed at bridging the gender gap by motivating girl students and sensitizing boys through various activities.

Green Baton reaches out to childrenVolunteers from Dr. Reddy’s have been visiting Pudami schools to promote environmental awareness as part of Green Baton, a joint initiative between the education vertical of DRF and Dr. Reddy’s. Vijayalakshmi, Padma, Srivalli and Prasad of Dr. Reddy’s interacted with Pudami school children and sought to build awareness of climate change and various other environmental issues by showing them power point presentations, films and getting them to discuss key issues.

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DRF in the News

Sakshi, 25 March

Sakshi, 4 March

Dainik Bhaskar, 7 February

Rajasthan Patrika, 10 February

The Hindu, 18 February

Eenadu, 11 January

Eenadu, 21 February

Eenadu, 20 February

Andhra Jyothi, 21 February

Andhra Bhoomi, 27 February

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NGO Spotlight

The Kusuma TrustFounded in 2007 by Dr. Soma Pujari and her husband Anurag Dikshit, the Kusuma Trust UK supports a variety of educational initiatives and projects aimed at improving the quality of life of vulnerable and marginalized children in India and Gibraltar. Explaining why Kusuma Trust chose these particular focus areas, Dr. Pujari says that her family “highly values education and sees that as the means of supporting an individual to make informed decisions to maximize their potential for employment and a better quality of life and health”.

They believe that receiving a good education in the formative phase of life has far-reaching consequences – it continues to benefit individuals as they move on further in life and is more likely to make them responsible citizens, which ultimately contributes to the society’s well being. What is more, an educated individual not only improves his/ her own life but also influences future generations, especially so in the case of an educated girl child. In Dr. Pujari’s view, “In the current environment of economic growth, we expect well-educated youth to be one of nation’s biggest assets”. Their educational initiatives range from secondary school learning right up to higher education and advanced academia.

Kusuma Foundation:Helping the underprivileged reach their potential

In the Trust’s view, the issue of at risk or vulnerable children is one that overlaps with the education of children and needs to be tackled hand in hand although the challenges may be quite different. The condition of these children may be both the cause and also partly the result of a lack of education, apart from other causes like poverty, disability, substance abuse by parents, etc. Because this is a complex issue, the Trust approaches it in different ways – in some cases by directly supporting the children and in other cases, by supporting people or institutions who deal with these children.

Empowerment of individuals through access to knowledge via the Internet was among the early interests of the Trust. It supports the Bangalore based research and advocacy organization, Center for Internet and Society (CIS), which has effectively become the source for independent opinion and research in the Internet space from the consumer/ citizen perspective and which policy makers can call upon not only in our country but also in many other countries. CIS is also involved in the ‘Right to Read’ campaign which will enable disabled people to access to a wealth of knowledge online.

Though it is just three years old, The Kusuma Trust is supporting a number

Bringing relief to flood victimsThe Kusuma Trust partnered with DRF to bring relief to victims of the devastating floods that ravaged Andhra Pradesh in October 2009. DRF’s initiative to provide school going children in the flood affected areas of Rajoli and Mahbubnagar districts with relief packages, which included school kits and engagement activities, resonated with the Kusuma Trust. According to Dr. Pujari, “DRFs request came to us very soon after the floods broke. It was a request to repatriate the children back to school after the floods which was an intervention at the right time. It is far more difficult and expensive to bring a child back into the education system once he or she has dropped out and fallen prey to child labour and lost time”. The flood rehabilitation effort touched 1,500 school children.

of innovative interventions, many in partnership with organizations around the country. Last year, the Trust reached out to as many as 37,547 children in 596 schools and institutions, primarily through partnerships with development organizations across the country. Some of the key initiatives of the Trust include:

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schools. As many as 3,000 students are benefiting from this project.

supports a mid-day meal program in partnership with Akshaya Patra, an organization that provides well-balanced, nutritious meals to schoolchildren in Medak (Andhra Pradesh) and Nayagarh (Orissa) districts. The primary goal of this program is to ensure that students attend their afternoon classes and do not lose out on their education due to hunger.

Rehabilitating at risk children

partnership with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Kusuma has developed a manual to “train the trainers” who work with children in distress. This manual is aimed at helping frontline workers who deal with vulnerable children in the field to improve their skills and services.

The trust works closely with the charitable organization Sarvodaya Ashram in Uttar Pradesh to improve and enrich the lives of the poor and marginalized. Among the projects undertaken was a disability workshop where more than 350 people were fitted with prosthetic limbs and nearly 60 underwent corrective surgeries

for disabilities. The trust is now piloting a bridge education curriculum with Sarvodaya for upper primary education (classes 6-8). It also supports the existing bridge school for primary students, from which 104 girls were mainstreamed into regular schools last year.

The Trust worked with a Hyderabad based children’s charity, Divya Disha, to rehabilitate at risk children living on the streets of the city.

Promoting academic excellence

recently established the ‘Kusuma Young Researcher Award’, a national award that carries a cash award of Rs. 2,00,000 for the winner and 1,00,000 for the runners up. The first young researcher award was announced this year in the field of development studies. One of the goals of this competition is to improve the content and quality of research conducted in the country.

faculty at IIT, Delhi with travel grants and awards 10 fellowships to young teachers at IIT to improve retention of excellent staff.

For more information, please visit: www.kusumatrust.org and www.kusumafoundation.in.

Supporting education

The Trust funds a number of fellowships and scholarships which are aimed at giving bright students from underprivileged backgrounds an opportunity to pursue higher education and serve as role models in their communities.The trust supports the Warangal (Andhra Pradesh) based charity Pragathi Seva Samithi by funding a three-year scholarship program for impoverished and/ marginalized youth from Residential Bridge Schools and other government institutions. This year, 1,200 Young Achievers received this award, which provides both financial support and career guidance counseling.

The Trust also partners with Udayan Care, Dehradun (Uttarakhand) and Sambalpur Integrated Development Institute (SIDI), Sambalpur (Orissa) to provide 400 fellowships to students. These constitute both financial and non financial support as a means to ensure the holistic development of young aspirants.

Trust recently piloted a mobile science laboratory in Hyderabad in conjunction with Project 511. The mobile lab provides equipment for science experiments to students in Classes 6-10 at 20 government

6-3-655/12, Somajiguda, Hyderabad - 500 082.Ph: +91-40-65343424, 23304199 / 1868 Fax: +91-40-23301085

Email: info@drreddysfoundation.org www.drreddysfoundation.org

Reach out to the less privileged.And give them wings to fly.

* Join hands with us

Counsel our LABS aspirants

Participate as a guest faculty

Prepare our aspirants to join the workforce

Provide placement support to our aspirants

Do post-placement mentoring

Conduct recreational activities

Assist in Market Scan

Build Capacities

Counsel the Aspirants’ Parents

Help in Skilling Rural India

Contact us: www.drreddysfoundation.orgor

mail us at: volunteering@drreddysfoundation.org