Heroes of Today

Heroes of Today
iLEAD programme taps the latent
potential of India’s marginalised youth

Heroes of Today 3

Documentation and Designing: New Concept Information Systems
Email: communication@newconceptinfosys.com

Heroes of Today

Message from the Director General,
Aide et Action International
It is my pleasure to know that Aide et Action South Asia team is coming
out with a collection of real life stories of young women and men who were
groomed by our iLEAD programme - the vocational education programme
to enhance their skills and employability prospects.

It is a matter of great pride to know that this publication recognises them
as Heroes of Today and it represents the stories of tens of thousands
of other youth who have undergone iLEAD training in the last couple of
years. The effectiveness of training is demonstrated in these stories in
the form of their level of confidence and satisfaction and the manner in
which they are leading a much more meaningful life now.

These stories, I am sure, will become a source of inspiration for many
more youth in India and across the globe. This publication and stories of
youth with their changed destinies will encourage other regions of Aide
et Action and many other organisations to learn from the processes of
iLEAD programme.

I take this opportunity to congratulate the Aide et Action South Asia team
for successfully carrying forward this powerful programme with regular
improvisations. I wish them every success in their efforts to continue
changing the lives of many more marginalised and excluded youth, who
have been pushed out of the schooling system and other developmental
processes.

With best wishes,

Claire Calosci
International Director General
Aide et Action International

Foreword
The best way to measure the impact of any development intervention is
perhaps to ask the clients themselves. This publication is an attempt in
that direction. But when we started understanding the impact of iLEAD
programme from its graduate trainees, we realised that their stories and
expressions had tremendous potential to inspire many more excluded and
marginalised youth to come forward, take control of their life and lead the
world. These iLEAD alumni have not just changed their own destiny but have
started taking leadership for the development of their own neighbourhood,
community and larger society.

And all this could happen because of regular improvisation in the iLEAD
programme, where youth also participate in various discussions on subjects
of larger social relevance, while acquiring vocational skills.

One of the six challenges identified by the National Skill Development
Policy of India is to increase capacity and capability of existing systems
of vocational education. To tackle this challenge, the proven processes of
iLEAD programme encouraged us to initiate a four-year long project with
the Government of Andhra Pradesh to reorient its vocational education
programme. Similarly, we are also supporting the Government of Punjab
in developing its 20-year vision document and infrastructure development
plan for the employment generation sector. The quality of suggestions in
our first report has been appreciated by the government primarily because
it includes our learning from iLEAD programme.

I believe that these life-stories of young women and men would encourage
many more organisations to take up similar approach to involve youth in the
nation building process; and it would invite other governments to embark
upon reorientation of their existing skill development and vocational
education facilities using iLEAD principles.

Ravi Pratap Singh

Contents
Empowering the marginalised section, the iLEAD way 1

Transformed life 6

Nothing is impossible!! 8

Counselling to conviction!! 11

Scripting the right path 13

Breaking conventional routes... 15

A new lease of life 16

Finding the path 18

Nothing is impossible 20

Bringing out the best 22

Living the dream 24

Learning of a life time 26

The grit to change ones’ destiny 28

About Aide et Action 30

Empowering the marginalised
section, the iLEAD way
India’s booming economy has been experiencing a high annual growth rate
of over 8 per cent triggering new employment opportunities. This impressive
growth rate, however, has not been matched with availability of a competent
workforce which can exploit the emerging opportunities. The country’s education
and training efforts are, for the most part, inadequate to prepare the young for
the emerging market demands and providing value addition to existing jobs.
Apart from technical skills, emphasis today is also on factors like linguistic and
communication skills, computer literacy and presentable personality. This is just
one indicator of a rapidly changing economy that will create new challenges for
youth entering the workforce. The need for a more flexible and mobile workforce
will require new skills and greater adaptability among youth.

AeA realised that given the opportunity to learn and develop appropriate skills,
youth from the marginalised and underprivileged communities can reach out to
emerging opportunities and lead a dignified life. Hence, in an effort to equip them
with skills required to meet the current market demands, AeA launched the
Institute for Livelihood Education and Development (iLEAD) programme in India.
The programme is aimed at enabling dropout youth in the age group of 18 to 25
years from marginalised sections of society to gain sustainable and dignified
livelihood through employability training in various trades. The objectives of this
programme include accessing entry level employment opportunities, poverty
alleviation thereby reducing number of people living below the poverty line
in the intervention area, enhance personality & life skills, support the youth
having exceptional aptitude and interest emerge as successful entrepreneurs
and catalysts for employment opportunities besides advocating adoption of
similar approaches in private and state-run training programmes focusing on
employability and entrepreneurship opportunities especially for youth from the
marginalised communities.

Towards this, iLEAD has worked out training modules, tailor-made for the existing
market demands. The focus is as much on imparting students with technical skills
as with personality development including improvement in spoken English and
Heroes of Today 1

communication & behavioural skills. This is done through regular interface with
local business, industrial and other potential employers for course development,
training methodology, placements, building backward and forward linkages and
to match up with market demands. The initiative strives to address social equity
The focus is by giving priority to marginalised communities like dalits, tribals, landless, women
as much on and disabled persons by ensuring that at least 80 per cent of the beneficiaries
imparting are from BPL families, besides aiming at entrepreneurship development and
students with progression of candidates to higher levels of income and responsibilities.
technical
skills as with iLEAD’s effective training are complemented with both pre- and post-training
personality activities which include studying the market demands in the selected areas of
development intervention through Employability and Entrepreneurial Potential Assessment
including (EPA), mobilisation of candidates through Community Mobilisation Drives (CMD)
improvement and spreading awareness about the programme, placement support and regular
in spoken counselling of candidates, their families and also the employers. The course
English and curriculum is developed on identified trades specific to local market needs
communication following the EPA, and in consultation with leading business establishments and
and behavioural subject experts. EPA is conducted once in six months to understand the changes
skills. in the emerging market.

Equal emphasis is given to selection of faculty. Persons with at least two years
of industrial exposure pertaining to the respective fields with sound practical
knowledge and good communication skills are selected. The faculty are also
encouraged to network with industries to facilitate quality learning and job
placements for the candidates.

Prior to selection the candidates are informed of the objectives, course details
and teaching methodology adopted by iLEAD. The selection involves an aptitude
test to identify a prospective candidate’s interest besides counselling of the
family. The induction process, carried out in an informal environment, itself is
an exercise in ensuring healthy teacher-student relationship, dialogue, boosting
self-confidence and team-building besides working out an ethical code of
conduct. The training module not only aims at providing technical skills through
participative teaching methods but also aims at arming the candidates with
life skills to ensure that they emerge as better and confident individuals. That
around 200 hours is devoted on development of life skills speaks volumes of
the importance attached to personality development so necessary in the current
market environment.

2 Heroes of Today

Based on local market demands iLEAD offers 30 trade courses through
its 96 centres in the country. These includes Information Technology,
Automation Technology, Hospitality, Sales and Marketing, Beautician,
Dress Designing, Secretarial Practices, Refrigeration and AC Repairing,
Apparel and Garments and Mobile Phone Services and Repairing. During
the training, guest lectures are organised where business leaders and
subject experts interact with students which help them develop the right
attitude besides exposing them to both opportunities and challenges.
Subsequently, they are placed in actual workplaces for ‘on the job training’ for
2-3 weeks which prepares them for employment and acclimatises them with
real work environment.

In the post-placement activity, the iLEAD faculty prepares the students for jobs
through counselling and assessment. iLEAD’s reputation as a quality training
institution is maintained through placements of suitably job-ready candidates.
Each iLEAD centre also forms an alumni association which acts as a forum for
employed candidates to share their experiences to appropriately guide current
and potential candidates, in further strengthening the curriculum besides being
a source for appropriate placements.

The major focus of iLEAD at present is on urban areas. Though there are centres
in rural areas, these have to be contextualised according to the local economy,
particularly focusing on agriculture and allied activities. AeA is gearing up to face
the challenges and has been making efforts to contextualise iLEAD into rural
areas with new set of trades, curriculum and teaching-learning processes.

Several governmental agencies, not-for-profit agencies and corporates have
extended their support in the successful implementation of iLEAD’s programmes
and these include Gujarat Urban Development Mission, Ministry of Rural
Development, Andhra Pradesh Tribal Development Department, Catholic Relief
Services, Tamil Nadu Women’s’ Development Corporation, National Bank for
Agriculture and Rural Development and Schneider, L’Oreal, Lanco and Hindustan
Unilever.

The 94 iLEAD centres in the country have so far trained a total of 72,000 candidates
and placed more than 50,000 candidates thereby enabling quality change in the
lives of these families. It would not be unfair to say that iLEAD has developed
into a win-win model for both the marginalised communities and business
establishments.
Heroes of Today 3

Besides focusing on employability, iLEAD simultaneously strives to develop its
students into ‘change agents’. This is accomplished through Gossip Circle for
Empowerment (GCE), an open forum which provides space and opportunity
to discuss issues of substance for their comprehensive growth. This includes
orientation and sensitisation on basic values like gender equality, pluralism and
multiculturalism, knowledge building on their rights and entitlements through
understanding of workers’ rights, sensitising them on social issues of child
labour, early marriage and providing them with a global perspective too like how
globalisation affects one’s life and community.

The testimony to iLEAD’s success can best be heard from those who passed
out of its centres. In this random survey of iLEAD students cutting across the
country and various social groups including marginalised youth, women, Dalits,
tribals and even a transgender, the remarks have been the same – that the iLEAD
experience had brought about a complete transformation in their otherwise
desolate lives. Most of them believe that the emphasis laid on personality
development had changed their attitude towards life and had even changed
their lifestyles. Overall, the approach has had a positive effect on them and many
were even considered as role models and worthy of emulation in their respective
communities following the transformation.
4 Heroes of Today

Employment and
Entrepreneurial Assessment

Lead Industries Development of Curriculum Subject Expert

Identification of Instructors
and their Training  CMD
 Aptitude Tests
 Counselling
Selection of Candidates  Registration & Admission

Establishment of  Procurement of Furniture,
 Life Skills iLEAD Centre Computers
 Personality
 Procurement of Trade
Development
Specific Training Tools
 Spoken English Training of Candidates
 Setting up of Practical
 Technical Training
 Entrepreneurship Labs
Skills Placement and Career
 Discussions on Issues Guidance
of Social Relevance
Alumni Forum

Heroes of Today 5

Transformed life
Nothing is more rewarding than achieving a position where one is considered as
a role model and worthy of emulation, particularly if one hails from a poor family.
Afreen was frank For 17-year-old Afreen Begum of Hyderabad, iLEAD showed the way that if there
enough to tell is will, anything can be achieved. Hailing from an impoverished family – she lost
them that since her father when she was just five – Afreen discontinued her studies after class
she was neither 7 since her mother, the only bread-earner for the family, could not afford it. Her
good in English mother was also forced to take loans for her eldest daughter’s marriage and also
nor adept with to make both ends meet.
computers, she
had chosen Even at such a young age, Afreen was sensitive enough to understand the situation
tailoring. The and wanted to contribute to the family kitty. Her sister, who had undergone
iLEAD team training in tailoring at the iLEAD centre before being placed at a garment factory,
enrolled her for encouraged her to join the centre. Afreen did not require much persuasion since
the Garments and she was already interested in tailoring and was keen on supporting her family
Apparels course. and be economically independent.

When she visited the centre, the supportive faculty enquired about her aptitude
and interest in tailoring. Afreen was frank enough to tell them that since she
was neither good in English nor adept with computers, she had chosen tailoring.
The iLEAD team enrolled her for the Garments and Apparels course.

Afreen was delighted with the elaborate course package which stressed more
on practical training and encouragement to come up with new designs through
hours of practice. “The course is designed keeping the market demands in mind,”
she recalls. On completion of the course, she was offered a job by Venkata Ganesh
Garments, a readymade garments workshop at a monthly salary of Rs 2500 and
free bus pass. Both sisters with their combined income have managed to clear
the loan of Rs 10,000 taken to meet the cost of the marriage.

6 Heroes of Today

Afreen also recalls those days of poverty when the family had to go hungry.
“I had always dreamt of a day when I will have enough money to spend and this
is the first step towards that.” The teenager has also realised that for one to
survive in this world, one needs to have skills besides the fact that money can be
a major confidence-booster. And the gutsy youngster is set to achieve more in
life and improve the standard of living of the family.

The sisters are grateful to iLEAD for opening the doors of opportunity for them
and for transforming them overall. “iLEAD experience has changed our entire
lives, even the way we think and the outlook towards life,” she says. What makes
Afreen proud is the fact that her relatives often quote the sisters’ achievements
to their children and the need to emulate them. “This is a morale-booster but
we are also aware of the additional responsibility of living upto everyone’s
expectations,” says Afreen, promising to motivate and encourage
other youngsters like her to join the iLEAD family.

I had always dreamt of a day
when I will have enough money
to spend and this is the first
step towards that.

Heroes of Today 7

Nothing is impossible!!
A transgender’s quest to live life like all others is a seemingly difficult proposition,
but given proper and timely guidance, counselling and opportunity can do
wonders! Asin was one such transgender who did not want to fall into the trap
of sex trade or begging, as often happens with transgenders. iLEAD played a key
role in helping Asin establish herself not only in terms of economic independence
but also finding an identity for herself in society.

Born Arumugam in a remote village in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, the road
ahead was tough for the youngster since she had developed feminine characteristics.
To put an end to all misery, Arumugam decided to undergo sex change surgery
and became Asin. Despite extensive counselling, her family refused to accept the
eventuality, forcing Asin to join a group of transgenders. “When most transgenders
get involved in the sex trade or resort to collecting money on the streets, Asin was
determined to lead a life of dignity and stand on her own feet,” says the guardian of
the group, underlying the grit and determination of Asin.

After a short stint as a beautician at a Bengaluru beauty parlour, Asin gave in
to her passion to help other transgenders in her home town and joined the
Tirunelveli Social Service Society (TSSS), an NGO involved in spreading awareness
on AIDS. It was here that she learnt about iLEAD and it was only a matter of time
before she joined the ITeS course.

The faculty at iLEAD, proactive and sensitive, counselled other students at the
centre before Asin joined the classes. This helped Asin to gel in with others without
any problem. “Asin is a very friendly person who does not lose her cool in any
situation. In fact, we enjoyed the training sessions with her as much as she learnt
from us and we still keep in touch with her,” says a faculty member.

Heroes of Today And for Asin, the days at the centre were a delightful experience. She was

8 Heroes of Today

never made to feel that she was different from others. Says the empowered
youngster, “It was an encouraging experience for me and I seized the opportunity
to learn and grow as a person. My aim now is to help other transgenders, spread
awareness about AIDS and the importance of education in one’s life.” She is also
determined to mobilise and motivate at least 20 members from her community
to join iLEAD.

Speaking about her pre-iLEAD days, Asin says: “I was very frightened of meeting For Asin, the days
people since I believed that being a transgender, I would be marginalised and at the centre
ostracised by society. In the absence of any exposure to literature on successful was a delightful
transgenders, I was terrified about revealing my condition to anyone. iLEAD, experience since
however, brought about a change in me with their positive attitude and non- she was never
discriminatory approach. I never felt different from others in the classroom, and made to feel that
this was basically due to efforts of the faculty, and gradually I emerged out from the she was different
shell of embarrassment and guilt.” from the others.

Now a confident girl, Asin only feels sad about how most transgenders waste
away precious time and not seek help. She says iLEAD is the ideal place for people
with different backgrounds and ways of life to come together and even become
representative role models for others. More importantly, Asin says that iLEAD
taught her that success is not measured in terms of one’s career or exterior
beauty, but is more of an aspect concerning one’s heart and attitude towards
life. It also gave her insight that, provided with appropriate support, transgenders
too can lead a successful and productive life. The sensitivity and inclusivity
expressed by iLEAD also helped others to understand the challenges faced by
a transgender.

Asin now works as Team Leader for Peace Health Centre in their
project to spread AIDS awareness and earns a monthly salary of
Rs 4500. She also imparts training in computers and different social skills to
other transgenders which helps them to cope with the varied challenges
they face. Her colleagues at workplace regard her as a balanced and mature
professional and one who maintains cordial relations with all. “As a team
leader, she takes bold, creative and at times unconventional decisions based on
thorough objective analysis of the issue. Always presentable with a smiling face,
Asin is a true representation of a person who has successfully fought all odds.”
says a colleague. Her success story provides inspiration and encouragement to
others and sends out a clear message particularly to transgenders that nothing
is impossible.
Heroes of Today 9

The iLEAD faculty at Tirunelveli feel that Asin’s case caps their achievements
since they had succeeded in bringing about effective inclusion by adopting the
right attitude and approach.

My aim now is to help
other transgenders
and spread awareness
about AIDS and
the importance of
education in one’s life.

10 Heroes of Today

Counselling to conviction!!
“I never believed that iLEAD could change my life, but here I am, as evidence
to the fact that an organisation can indeed transform a person’s destiny,” says
Kranthi, a 26-year-old daily wage earner-turned-entrepreneur.

Initially sceptical about joining iLEAD, Kranthi today is grateful to the
organisation and its team for the persistent counselling following which he
took up the ITeS course. He realised that it was not merely tall claims when he
came face to face with the teaching methodology and how the course design
allowed space and opportunity to learn the skills.

Kranthi, a Scheduled Caste hailing from Pulaigudem village near Paloncha in
Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh, had completed his graduation but was
unable to get a job. After repeated attempts, he returned to his village and
worked as a daily wage labourer first and later on took to driving his friends
autorickshaw. He was unhappy with the meagre income despite the hard work.

Kranthi came to know about iLEAD during a Community Mobilisation Drive
conducted by SECURE, a non governmental organisation and partner of AEA, in
his village. He was among a group of 35 youngsters who showed interest, but
decided to skip it when he realised that joining iLEAD would not allow him to
earn his livelihood. But the persistent counselling and encouragement by the
iLEAD team convinced him and based on his qualification and aptitude, he was
selected for the ITeS course.

A stickler for punctuality besides being hard working, Kranthi made amazing
progress achieving high skills in typing and designing within a short period.
Such was his dedication coupled with the personal attention shown by
course instructors that he could design a visiting card or a wedding card in 20
minutes!

Heroes of Today 11

On completion of the course, he was placed with Quality Printers at Paloncha for
‘on the job’ training, but the employer, impressed by his skills, absorbed Kranthi
as a full time employee on a monthly salary of Rs 2500. His salary was doubled
within six months but Kranthi was restless and keen to do something on his own
when he realised that most printers were not doing a good job. The perfectionist
that he was, Kranthi brimming with confidence after his stint with iLEAD,
decided to set up his own DTP unit. With two years of experience behind him and
the determination to achieve success on his terms, he once again approached
iLEAD and SECURE for advice leading to applying for loan. The SC Corporation
sanctioned a loan of Rs one lakh and June 4, 2009, became a red letter day for
Had iLEAD not Kranthi when he opened his own DTP unit at Paloncha.
counselled and
convinced me, The budding entrepreneur now has a firm footing and thanks to the training at
I would still iLEAD and his attitude, his business is doing well with a healthy and dedicated
be driving the clientele. Kranthi’s parents are all the more happy because they never thought
autorickshaw. their son would establish his own business, leave alone providing employment
to others!

In his own words, the turning point in his life was the persistent counselling by
the iLEAD team when he was undecided about joining the course. “Had they not
counselled and convinced me, I would still be driving the autorickshaw,” says a
grateful Kranthi.

12 Heroes of Today

Scripting the right path
Mere qualification does not help in reaching out to ones’ dreams of leading a
successful life. It is equally important to be in the right place with conducive
environment for learning to undergo the real process of change developing
oneself as a person with a positive and confident outlook. Meena Kumari,
25-year-old, a Scheduled Caste woman whose life had only seen a string of
personal tragedies, realised this when she became a part of the iLEAD family in
Delhi.

A graduate, Meena lost her father when she was just six years old. To add to
the family’s woes, her sister too lost her husband and came to live with her The teacher-
widowed mother along with her four children. Meena tried to supplement the student
family income of Rs 3000/- by pasting bindi on paper. She was ambitious and relationship
had a dream of a good life notwithstanding poverty, personal tragedies and the was another
depressing living conditions of the slum area around her. She did a course in aspect which she
stenography from ITI, Seemapuri, Delhi, believing that it would help her get a job, believes played
but all efforts were futile as she failed to get through several interviews as the a key role in her
jobs demanded good spoken English, typing speed and overall personality. learning process.

Opportunity knocked her door when iLEAD conducted a Community Mobilisation
Drive in her area, and she didn’t let it slip away. A vivid and fervent student,
Meena opted for the Information Technology course, and acquired what
she could not at ITI. Within weeks, her typing speed on computer improved
significantly, as it was one of the prime focus of employability skills. This was
something she lacked when she had passed out of ITI as she was trained on a
manual typewriter.

Meena strongly believes that her success story was scripted by iLEAD, an
institute where individual attention is given to each student and provides an
amicable environment which is the base for nurturing their personality. The
teacher-student relationship was another aspect which she believes played a
Heroes of Today 13

key role in her learning process. As if to prove a point Meena landed up with
a job as a stenographer-cum-secretary within two months of her training
course as against the third or fourth month when students are usually sent for
interviews.

Meena found a better job as an LDC with Maulana Azad Institute of Dental
Sciences in New Delhi with a salary of Rs 8000 per month. Her passion for quality
life does not rest here she has still not reached the peak. Meena says that she
is preparing for interviews with banks and railways which is her next goal in her
life.

Says an iLEAD faculty who was closely associated with Meena’s training:
“Meena is now empowerment personified.” Equally proud is her mother who
says “it’s a nice feeling to be the mother of a person who fought against all odds
and found the path to success. Needless to say, she is also grateful to iLEAD
for not only changing Meena’s life as an individual but also for bringing about a
transformation in the family as a whole.” Today, Meena is proud that she can take
care of her entire family including her widowed sister and her children.

14 Heroes of Today

Breaking conventional routes
Reena came in contact with iLEAD through a friend and sought admission
initially in the Beauty Care course. However, the Programme Officer at the
iLEAD centre had a bold and revolutionary approach and encouraged the girls
to take up courses which were generally considered male dominated, like the
Reena believes
Automobile Trade course. He advised the iLEAD team to discuss with prospective
that, but for
employers the possibility of employing girls in hitherto male-dominated areas
the support
and found the negotiations encouraging. Following the initiative, Reena and
she received
three other girls switched from the Beauty Care training.
from iLEAD, she
wouldn’t have
Reena’s perseverance added with the iLEAD team’s patience, motivation and
been where she
encouragement paid off when the former was placed with an organisation for ‘on
is now.
the job’ training. Some people were shocked to find a girl donning a mechanic’s
overhauls and working on vehicles with tools in her hand. However, on successful
completion of the training, the company was hesitant to offer her a job because
she hailed from a backward and illiterate family. The iLEAD team again took upon
the task of getting a placement for her and approached the company, which flatly
refused to give Reena a job. Instead, they expressed willingness to take in two
boys. Not willing to give up on Reena’s case, the team made repeated visits to
the company and pointed out that she had not done anything wrong during her
training period. The company finally relented, and to the surprise of all the parties
involved, even gave Reena a promotion and appointed her as a receptionist. She
was entrusted the responsibility of customer care which she has been doing
efficiently. The employer too is happy as the iLEAD team discovered during post-
placement visits.

Reena’s mother, Kishuni Devi, has since given up her roadside business because
her daughter was not happy with the location which was near a liquor outlet.
A grateful Kishuni Devi attributes the change in their lives to iLEAD and is very
happy with her daughter’s progress. Reena is also ensuring that her younger
sister, who is in class 8, goes through her studies. She believes that, but for the
support she received from iLEAD, she wouldn’t have been where she is now.
The stint at iLEAD and the subsequent transformation has given her a sense of
security since her job provides her with perks like provident fund and medical
insurance. Heroes of Today 15

A new lease of life
Pulling out a person from a totally desolate situation, where one has attempted
suicide and has withdrawn into a depressive shell, indeed is a herculean task. But
the iLEAD centre at Gurgaon did just that and helped Santosh, an HIV+ widow,
transform her life and make it more meaningful.

For the 25-year-old graduate daughter of an automobile mechanic in Rewadi,
Haryana, fate played a nasty trick when she was married to an HIV+ person,
who deserted her after only one year of marriage. Santosh was facing a bleak
and depressing future when she too tested HIV+. Unable to bear the thought
of being a burden on her parents, Santosh even attempted to end her life.

It was during this period of extreme depression that Santosh came to know
about iLEAD through her brother’s friend. When she sought help at the iLEAD
centre, she was in such a bad shape that she could not even interact with anyone
or face people.

The Gurgaon iLEAD team, however, went about with the task of pulling her
out of the shell with constant counselling, encouragement and motivation. A
woman who was finding it difficult even to look straight into other’s eyes had
now found a ray of hope.

The faculty at iLEAD’s Gurgaon centre encouraged her towards a new life and
see the future ahead in new light which reflects the basic philosophy of iLEAD
– bringing disadvantaged youth into the mainstream through skill enhancement
and personality development.

The efforts paid off as Santosh gradually and steadily began taking life more
positively, and went on to take a course on sales and marketing. By the end of
the course, Santosh was a transformed person, brimming with confidence and
ready to take on life.
16 Heroes of Today

Looking back with satisfaction at the progress made by Santosh following the
iLEAD training, a faculty member says: “We can see a changed, enthusiastic
and confident woman who takes pride in her achievements.” The fact that she
now works as a hospital receptionist which requires constant interaction with
people speaks volumes of the efforts put in by the iLEAD team in transforming iLEAD has given
a person who was not willing to face anyone. me a new hope.
I have started
Says Santosh herself of her transformation: “I was feeling hopeless and depressed believing in
towards my life before joining iLEAD. Life was like a dark well to me.” Not only is myself and I
she determined to lead a normal life by herself now but is also keen on helping am confident
her parents out, both financially and emotionally, now that she has a job which that I can lead a
fetches her Rs 6000 every month. dignified life.

Santosh sums up her experience saying “iLEAD has given me a new hope. I have
started believing in myself and I am confident that I can lead a dignified life.”
Santosh’s parents, likening iLEAD to a doctor who gives an ailing child a new
lease of life, are pleased to see the twinkle of confidence return to her eyes.

Heroes of Today 17

Finding the path
Sultan Shaikh’s case is another instance of how intervention and motivation can
bring out the best in a person. Not yet out of his teens, this Pune lad was forced
to give up his studies after completing 12th. Hailing from a family of four, Sultan
Shaikh, a resident of Shastri Nagar slum in Yerwada would have meandered
through life without any purpose. Thanks to the Community Mobilisation Drive
undertaken by iLEAD, the 19-year-old son of a security guard found a path which
would lead him in the right direction.

On realising the potential of iLEAD Sultan Shaikh enrolled for Sales and
Marketing course as he believed having an aptitude for the field. He approached
the iLEAD centre along with 30 other people where he was appraised about
the objectives before taking an aptitude test. From there on, there was no
looking back. The faculty at iLEAD helped him choose the right career path. The
training, he realised, was far different from that offered in other institutes, with
extensive emphasis on practical and real time situations besides having access
to systems which were scarce in other institutes.

On completion of his course, iLEAD supported in placing him as a trainee in a
shopping mall with a monthly salary of Rs 5500. He made rapid progress and
from a sales executive, today he is the Team Leader with a reputed footwear
company called Inc.5, drawing a handsome salary of Rs 9500 per month. He is
excited about working for a company which is considered as one of the best in
the industry.

During a meeting with the faculty in post placement support visit, Sultan Shaikh
expressed his gratitude to iLEAD for the attention given besides the space
to explore and learn. He particularly stressed on the attention given towards
improving communication skills, an area vital in his field. His language skills,
which was a handicap, improved with newspaper reading sessions, story reading

18 Heroes of Today

and listening to audio tapes provided by the centre. Armed with improved
communication skills, Sultan Shaikh goes about his sales and marketing job
with enhanced confidence. He is also confident that though he does not possess
educational qualifications, the training at iLEAD would go a long way in his career
march.

Sultan Shaikh is candid enough to admit that his family never thought that he
would make it on his own, but today they are a happy lot particularly his father
who met with an accident recently forcing him to quit his job that used to fetch
Rs 6000 per month. Today the family dependent is on Sultan Shaikh who is
brimming with confidence of facing any challenge. His family too encourages
him to scale higher peaks in his career.

Having benefitted from iLEAD, Sultan Shaikh is keen on motivating others from
his community to join the centre for their own good.

He is also confident that though he does
not possess educational qualifications, the
training at iLEAD would go a long way in
his career march.

Heroes of Today 19

Nothing is impossible
There are times when teachers learn from the student as much as the student
learns from teachers. This was what the iLEAD team at Bhopal experienced when
Vandana Bhargurya enrolled herself for the Customer Relations Retailing course
at the centre and went on to storm the male-dominated area of welding.

Hailing from an impoverished Scheduled Caste family of five in Eatkhedi village in
Madhya Pradesh, Vandana could not afford the luxury of education since she felt the
need to contribute to the meagre family income of Rs. 2900 per month earned by
I thought I will her father as a daily wage labourer. It often pained her to see the family go without
learn some the daily bread, but was helpless without any qualification for a job.
skills but I never
believed It was during this phase of despair she came to know of iLEAD and the opportunities
that the day it held for her. Determined to overcome all odds, Vandana, after undergoing
would come training at iLEAD, was selected in by Bend Joints Pvt Ltd, an ISO 9001 2000 certified
when I would company at Govindpura Industrial Area in Bhopal in March 2008. She underwent
be in a position in-house training and subsequently joined as a welder with an initial monthly
to support my salary of Rs 2700. The management took note of her performance and raised her
family. salary to Rs 5500 with other social security benefits. Unmindful of the fact that
the work exposed her to great risks, Vandana took it up head on and proved a
point that given grit and determination, and with a little help from organisations
like iLEAD, women too can take up any kind of work. She not only set an example
for fellow students at iLEAD but also her community by earning the respect of her
employers and co-workers with her efficiency and determination to succeed at
work. She also made it a point to take her family members and neighbours to her
workplace to give them a taste of the work culture and environment.

Vandana’s level of confidence was evident when she had the opportunity to
share the iLEAD experience at a presentation and interaction meeting organised
by CII on Affirmative Action Initiative in July, 2008 at Indore. She spoke eloquently

20 Heroes of Today

on behalf of fellow students during an interaction with Dr J J Irani, Chairman, CII
Apex Council on Affirmative Action & Director, Tata Sons Ltd. Her presentation
on how iLEAD had changed the course of her life was heard by the audience with
rapt attention. Her assertion that being a woman was not a handicap and given a
little encouragement and motivation, could achieve anything was received well.

Encouraged by Vandana’s success, three other girls from her community took up
the course and have also found employment in Bend Joints Pvt Ltd, and many
more have shown eagerness to follow suit. As for Vandana herself, she plans
to stick to the organisation she works for, as the management has been very
helpful and encouraging.

The iLEAD team in Bhopal has this to say about Vandana: “She set an example
for us too by taking up a career in a male-dominated field and proving that
with grit and determination, women too can match men in any field.”

Narendra Singh, in-charge of the workshop at Bend Joints Pvt Ltd,
who played a crucial role in mentoring Vandana says: “During the
initial stage of training, Vandana was a scared and shy person who
was not sure of handling the job. But, her determination and
commitment was such that she picked up the skills and is now
on par with any experienced person at the unit. Her confidence
now is really amazing.”

Vandana is a changed person now but before she joined iLEAD
it was all different. “I thought I will learn some skills but I never
believed that the day would come when I would be in a position to
support my family,” says the beaming welder.

Heroes of Today 21

Bringing out the best
How personality development through intervention and motivation can help
a person overcome all odds in life is best described in the success story of A
Velmurgan, son of a cobbler in Madurai. The 20-year-old Velmurgan was at
crossroads after completing his school final when his father could not work due
to ill health. Velmurgan took up a job as a tailor for a readymade garments shop
at a salary of Rs 1500 per month to support his impoverished family comprising
his mother – a housewife, and a younger sister. He came to know of iLEAD during
one of the Community Mobilisation Drive undertaken by the Madurai centre, and
enrolled himself for the wireman’s course in 2007.

The iLEAD experience brought out the best in Velmurgan, who emerged out of his
low self-esteem image to that of a confident young man. Placed as an electrician
trainee with CCCL (Consolidated Construction Consortium Limited), a reputed
construction company in Chennai, Velmurgan worked with dedication and was
further helped by iLEAD in personality development during post-placement
visits. He is now a senior electrician drawing a salary of Rs 6000 per month with
free accommodation to boot!

Expressing gratitude to iLEAD for helping him stand on his own feet, Velmurgan,
sharing his experience with students at alumni meet recently, said: “I am a living
testimony of the effectiveness of the iLEAD training programme which not only
helped me with skills development but also transformed me as a person through
motivation. I now aspire to do better in life and will also help other marginalised
youth by encouraging them to join the iLEAD family.”

He recalled how he used to be an introvert with low self-esteem who could not
maintain eye contact with anybody when conversing. That he did not possess
adequate qualifications coupled with the fact that he hailed from an economically-
backward family only made matters worse for him as he constantly feared that

22 Heroes of Today

he was looked down upon by others. But all this changed when he joined iLEAD
where the faculty identified the positive aspects in him besides encouraging him
towards effective combined use of both body language and facial expressions.
“I started looking at life positively following the motivation and after deriving
inspiration from success stories which I read. I am now confident enough to
recognise my abilities and even address conflicts within the team in a positive
and open manner,” says the youngster.

Velmurgan was particularly happy with the friendly teaching methodology I started looking
adopted at iLEAD and the exposure he got from the additional training given by at life positively
experts during guest and industrial visits which immensely helped in developing following the
and sharpening skills of social interaction. motivation and
after deriving
The stint at iLEAD helped Velmurgan in several ways – it changed his outlook inspiration
towards life and developed him as a confident person, enabled him to clear family from success
loans, support his parents and his sister’s higher studies who is undergoing stories which
a course on nursing. Further, he has also been able to save for his sister’s I read.
marriage. Says the proud sister: “I was very keen on becoming a nurse but felt
the dream would never come true because of dire financial straits my family was
in. My brother, however, always encourages me to continue with my studies and
in fact, it was he who brought out the passion in me to pursue nursing. Now
that he is helping me financially, I am confident of becoming a nurse and live my
dream of serving people.” The brother-sister duo hope to help as many people
as they can to achieve their dreams.

Velmurgan’s mother is obviously proud of her son’s
achievement in life since he is taking care of the entire
family.

Heroes of Today 23

Living the dream
There are some who dream big but do little to achieve their goals and then there
are those who strive hard to live their dream. Durga Shankar Sharma, son of
a class IV government employee in Rajasthan, belongs to the latter category.
Sharma’s may not be exactly a ‘rags-to-riches’ saga but it certainly qualifies as
a major success story put on course through grit and determination with a little
help from iLEAD.

Before my iLEAD The 24-year-old Sharma hails from Singhpur village in Chittorgarh district
experience, I was of Rajasthan. His father’s salary of Rs 4000 was hardly enough to meet the
known as a dull requirements and needs of the family of six, including two sisters and a
person in my grandmother. After completing graduation, Sharma felt the need to contribute to
village and the family kitty and took up a job as a Data Entry Operator with Punjab National
people believed Bank at a salary of Rs 3000 per month. Though this was helping the family,
that I would not Sharma was not content with what he was doing or earning, and was always
succeed in life. looking for better opportunities to improve and grow. He had this constant urge
But I had to do better and scale greater heights in life so that he could fulfill the needs of
this passion to his family. The quest for something better finally led him to iLEAD. Impressed by
grow and achieve iLEAD’s concept and objectives shared during a Community Mobilisation Drive,
something big, Sharma realised it was a great opportunity to enhance his skills and didn’t let the
and see where I opportunity pass by when he realised it came without any additional burden on
am today the family.

Opting for the Desktop Publishing course, Sharma showed keen interest from
the very first day of training. Punctual in attendance and serious about the
course, he learned the basics of computer and to work on Excel, Word, Power
Point and Corel Draw. Sharma’s dedication and commitment paid off since he not
only sharpened his knowledge skills but also benefitted in terms of personality
development. He was a transformed man, a far cry from the villager and well
on his way to take on the urban world. iLEAD’s training helped him emerge as
a well-groomed manager, one who knew the nuances of speech and the dress
24 Heroes of Today

codes he would have to follow, not to speak of the bursting confidence.
After undergoing training, Sharma with the help of iLEAD faculty, landed in a job
with Fullerton India in Jaipur, earning Rs 10,000 per month in salary and perks - a
quantum jump from the meagre Rs 3000 he was earning before joining iLEAD.
His consistent quest for improvement led him to ICICI Prudential, a year-and-
half after he joined Fullerton India. Now a Unit Manager with a smart package
of Rs 1.75 lakh per annum, Sharma can look back with pride at his short track
record, and look forward to scaling greater heights.

A grateful Sharma attributes his success to iLEAD which gave him the break
and skills to march forward. He continues to be a part of the iLEAD family and
regularly visits the centre, helps find placements for its trainees and students
and more importantly, motivates other youngsters from his village to look
towards iLEAD for betterment!

“Before my iLEAD experience, I was known as a dull person in my village and
people believed that I would not succeed in life. But I had this passion to grow
and achieve something big, and see where I am today. I am heading a team of 20
persons in my organisation, and where I was earning a meagre amount of Rs 25
a day, I am now making a whopping Rs 800 per day. iLEAD has brought about a
drastic change in my life,” says a beaming Sharma.

Sharma’s parents are obviously delighted by the career advancement their
son has achieved in such a short time. The proud couple believe that it was
iLEAD which put their son on the right path and equipped him with skills and
confidence to achieve success in life. They also acknowledge his commitment
and willingness to learn and improve, to achieve whatever goals he had set for in
his life and in the process, set example for others. Indeed, Sharma is a role model
for many youth who dream of making it big in life!

Heroes of Today 25

Learning of a life time
When a person feels down and out, it is but natural for one to turn to a friend or
kin. In the case of Rekha Garg, hailing from Manpura village in Chittorgarh, iLEAD
played the role of a friend, philosopher and guide. Not only did the Chittorgarh
centre help her with skills enhancement and personality development, the
team also stood behind her at her worst times when her husband met with an
accident and was removed from his job. Rekha is a transformed person now,
computer literate, confident and more importantly, empowered.

Married to a zinc plant worker, Rekha, who has studied up to class 10, was
She has not only finding the going tough since the family income of Rs 6000 was just not enough
done well for to make both ends meet. Her job as a teacher was not fetching enough and she
herself but has had no hopes of a raise since she lacked qualification. She was on the lookout
also turned into for an institution or organisation which would help her come out of the difficult
a role model for situation.
several other
women, including It was during this time that she came to know of iLEAD and its programmes when
her own sister the centre conducted a Community Mobilisation Drive. The faculty explained to
and a physically her about iLEAD’s objectives and the various courses it offered. Motivated by
challenged cousin the discussion and the fact that it would only help her lead a better life, Rekha
who joined iLEAD joined the iLEAD family and enrolled herself for the Desk Top Publishing course.
The faculty at the centre removed all her apprehensions about lack of adequate
qualification being a barrier to learning. Putting her heart and soul into the
course, Rekha, who knew nothing about computers, stood out during the training
and began working on Word, Excel, Power Point and Corel Draw confidently.
Simultaneously, the team also worked on her personality development and
she emerged as a confident person. Needless to say, her husband is proud of
her achievement and turning computer literate. She has not only done well for
herself but has also turned into a role model for several other women, including
her own sister and a physically challenged cousin who joined iLEAD. The family’s

26 Heroes of Today

total earnings have mounted to a healthy Rs 12,000 per month after Rekha got
an increment following her qualification from iLEAD.

The family and community are particularly grateful for the way the iLEAD team
stood behind her when her husband met with an accident in the workplace
leading to hospitalisation. Not only did the employer throw him out but also
refused to pay any compensation. Rekha’s pathetic plight came to the notice
of the iLEAD faculty who immediately encouraged and motivated her to fight
for her husband’s right to claim compensation from the company. With iLEAD’s
support and guidance, Rekha went on to win the case, forcing the company to
foot her husband’s medical bill and reinstate him in his job. The company also
apologised for their earlier behaviour.

Says Rekha: “I am grateful to my faculty who not only guided me when I was
in need but also arranged extra classes for me. They also helped me in finding
ways to get compensation from my husband’s company when he met with an
accident while working.”

“After my training, I had the option of joining some office or computer institute
but I preferred teaching computer in a school for underprivileged students and
help them overcome inhibitions. And now they have options to choose from in
future.”

Rekha believes that whatever she learnt at iLEAD was the learning of her life,
and actively spread awareness on the importance of education and individual
rights.

Heroes of Today 27

The grit to change ones’ destiny
Life can be like a rusty and rundown automobile which can be brought back to
shape with hard work and determination to give it a new look. This was precisely
and quite literally the experience of Birendra Kisku, a 25-year-old Scheduled Tribe
youth hailing from Godda village in Chhattisgarh after he joined iLEAD, which
helped him remodel his life.

Born into a modest agricultural family cultivating paddy and wheat on their own
land, Kisku studied upto graduation in Ranchi but due to personal problems, he
was frustrated without any hope of being successful in life. But as the adage goes,
“destiny follows you,” fate had a ‘game-plan’ which would change the course of
his life – from that of a desolate youth to a confident person who would take on
the role of teaching others the ways of living.

With nothing to do, Kisku went out to play a game of football at Morabadi ground
when he saw a crowd gathered there. It was a Community Mobilisation Drive
taken up by iLEAD, and the team was explaining to the youngsters the objectives
of the organisation and the courses it offered. Motivated by the talk, Kisku, who
was then pursuing graduation, decided to use his spare time constructively
and joined the Automobile Maintenance course, and thus started his first step
towards making progress in his life.

In the course of the training, he realised that the course was not merely a
package aimed at enhancing skills but also involved personality development
and confidence-building. He soon made a new circle of friends and the constant
interaction with them and guidance from the faculty helped him overcome
a handicap which he felt he would never be able to – conversing in English
confidently even though he was a graduate.

28 Heroes of Today

On completion of the course, Kisku joined Shyama Automobiles, but the low salary
there made him look for greener pastures. His quest to do something on his
own led him to open a garage in partnership with some friends. Besides, he also
worked as a part-time driver. But with such a promising outlook and after the
transformation he had undergone at iLEAD, it was not long before he was asked
by the organisation to join the faculty at Saraikela centre, given his expertise in
the field, at a healthy salary of Rs 7500. Willingly taking up the offer, Kisku is
grateful to iLEAD for recognising and tapping his hidden talent, particularly since Kisku is grateful
he never dreamt that he would be capable of teaching. His learning continued to iLEAD for
even as he taught others the art of automobile maintenance because the queries recognising and
thrown up by his students often caught him off guard, forcing him to acquiring tapping his hidden
more and more knowledge on the machines. talent, particularly
since he never
The turning point in his career which made him a better professional and person dreamt that he
was when he and his students bought a rundown motorbike for Rs 1500. After would be capable
putting in a lot of hard work, the team remodelled the bike, gave it a new look and of teaching
made it roadworthy which caught the eye of a customer who willingly paid Rs
8000! That was a great lesson for Kisku whose confidence levels reached new
heights. “Hard work pays and this is the only mantra for life,” says the beaming
youth who had once lost all hopes of doing something in life. Stating that the
transformation in his life was only because of iLEAD’s intervention, he recalls the
oft-repeated words of the faculty: “Everyone can give you advice but at the end
of the day, it has to be the individual who has to work on it.”

With humility and politeness as virtues, Kisku has remodelled his life to turn
successful just as he and his students put an out-of-shape vehicle on the road.
He is a role model for other students and his family, who are now happy that
he helps them out financially. He is also helping both his elder brother and his
nephew to pursue their respective education.

Heroes of Today 29

About Aide et Action
Aide et Action (AeA) is an international development organisation working for
the cause of education since 1981 with its headquarters in Geneva. Working
on the theme “World where dignity is ensured for all men, women and children
through education – lever for human development,” the organisation operates in
26 countries including Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo,
Benin, Guinea, Senegal, Tanzania, Madagascar, Morocco, Niger, Malawi, Rwanda,
Haiti, Dominican Republic, France, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, Nepal and India besides
having presence in the US, Canada and China. In India, AeA operates through its
regional offices located at Chennai, Hyderabad, Bhopal, Delhi, Ranchi, Guwahati
and Jaipur.

In India, AeA started its interventions in 1981 to help children from marginalised
communities to gain improved access to education, and its operations here are
influenced by the country’s strategy and focus on thematic areas that include early
childcare and education, quality education, livelihood education, inclusive education,
women’s empowerment and education, HIV/AIDS, migration and disaster response,
mitigation and preparedness. These thematic areas represent the core of AeA’s
work in the region and the activities are carried out through direct implementation
of projects and partnership projects. Partnerships with governments and corporate,
providing technical inputs to stakeholders and capacity-building events, research
and advocacy are some of the major modes of intervention carried out within the
thematic areas across the country.

Besides iLEAD, which is aimed at promoting market-oriented employability and
entrepreneurship training for youth from the marginalised sections, the other
unique projects initiated by AeA in India include Back 2 Basics (B2B), Prajayatna
(People for Education Movement), EduAction wing, Liberate School, Tsunami
Rehabilitation Project and HIV-Link Worker Scheme.

B2B is an initiative in response to the increasing concern among policy-makers,
educationists and common people on the declining quality of learning in schools.
B2B is an accelerated learning and quality enhancement programme aimed at
achieving acceptable competency levels among children of primary schools, and
it currently reaches out to 2100 schools covering nearly 2 lakh children in primary
grades across the country.

30 Heroes of Today

Prajayatna focuses on enhancing community participation and ensuring
accountability of schools to the community. The project, implemented by partner
NGO, MAYA, in Anantapur and Mahabubnagar districts of Andhra Pradesh and
Bellary and Gulbarga district of Karnataka, aims at bridging the gap between
schools, communities, academicians and political bodies to ensure quality
education in schools.

EduAction Institute is based in Hyderabad and is a resource centre focusing on
capacity-building, research and advocacy in the field of development. It supports
NGOs, INGOs, large donor-supported projects and government in capacity-building
of field functionaries and other professionals, besides conducting high quality
research and addressing issues of education through evidence-based advocacy.

Liberate School is an action research project started with the objective of
enabling communities and children in particular to access any knowledge
relevant to their lives and environment through non-school based interactions
and opportunities.

The Tsunami Rehabilitation Project, implemented in 80 villages in Cuddalore and
Nagapattinam districts of Tamil Nadu and 25 villages in Sri Lanka in collaboration
with partner NGOs and local communities focuses on restoration of agricultural
land, promotion of sustainable agricultural practices, capacity-building on
disaster preparedness, emergence of schools as eco-centres and infrastructure
development for disaster mitigation.

AeA has implemented the HIV-Link Worker Scheme in 900 villages of nine
districts in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh in association with UNDP and NACO. The
project is aimed at developing a team of link workers to address populations
with high risk behaviours (including High Risk Groups and Bridge Populations) on
the premise that there are significant numbers in rural areas.

Heroes of Today 31

Aide et Action (South Asia)
16/20, Gilchrist Avenue, Harrington Road,
Chetpet, Chennai -31
Ph.: 044 28365516,17,18,19
Email: communication@aea-southasia.org
www.aea-southasia.org
2 Heroes of Today

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