Pratham Education Foundation: Electrical

Showing posts with label Electrical. Show all posts

Monday, February 11, 2019

From a farmer to an electrician

Pratham 1:00:00 AM

"I belong to a family of farmers. We grow rice, cabbage and tomato. But ours is a small farm." Surya Mani Das introduces himself by talking about his family. After a few minutes, we realise that he is from Agiriya village which is in Kendujhar district of Odisha. Like many youths in his village and also in the district, he dreams to shift from the traditional family occupation of agriculture to a job delivering stable income. We are at Pratham Institute's vocational training centre at Cuttack where students get trained in the electrical vertical.

Kendujhar district is one of the 250 most backward districts of the country. As a consequence, a large population here belong to the agriculture sector. Many of them work on the farms, or they work as unorganised labour elsewhere. Many families in the district live with no steady income, and their finances fluctuate as per the fluctuations in agriculture. Surya studied till 10th grade and felt that he should change the way of living, and it brought him to the centre at Cuttack.

"My parents liked the idea. They felt that I should work and earn additional income as I have studied till 10th grade." He is the first generation school-goer from his family that has till now spent life earning income from agriculture. "They have hopes from me", he says. Besides this, Surya says his village needs electricians. Owing to a lack of industrial activity, there is no availability of skilled labour in his village that will maintain the electricity supply of the village. "If there is a problem in the supply of electricity or there is an interruption, we do not have enough people who are trained to solve it. I want to change this situation", he says.

Surya came to Cuttack with an intention to solve this problem and earn money. "I did not know much about this course till I came here", he admits. "But I thought I should give it a try." Surya happily adjusted to the course, made new friends and is now keen to enter the job market. "I am part of a Whatsapp group that has previous students from this centre who share photos of different cities where they are working. As Pune has the best reviews, I want to work there", he says. "But..", he begins, " Mumbai will also do." He then confesses that he wants to work in Mumbai because of his love for Salman Khan and Bollywood movies. "My favourite movie is Hum Aap Ke Hain Kaun as it shows a family", he says.

As we leave, we ask him what are his plans when he gets his first salary. "I will undertake house repairs, and I will also start saving money as I have to buy a smartphone", he says with a smile.

Sunday, December 2, 2018

PACE

"I want to work in Mumbai"

Pratham 10:25:00 AM

Sandeep had studied till 12th grade and was looking for a job when he came to know of Pratham Institute's training centre at Thethaithanagar near Simdega. The centre offers a course in the Electrical vertical and is making its presence felt in Simdega and neighbouring districts because of the post-course placement. Pratham's team had come to his Basia, his village that lies in the Gumla district of Jharkhand.

The youth in Gumla district is in search of jobs. However, there are many constraints, and one of them is language. Though Hindi is the official language of Jharkhand, people here predominantly speak in Saadri (also called Nagpuri). For Sandeep and many others, a transition from Saadri to Hindi is not very easy. But he wishes to be a part of the transformation the youth in his village (and many villages in the district) want - a shift from agriculture and related activities to jobs in industries!

"I had never moved out of my village, and hence I was scared before joining the course. But I knew I will be placed. Some of my friends were in previous batches, and they are now working in Rajasthan", he says. He talks to them over the phone, and they tell him about their experience of working in a different state, and with a different type of people around them.

"Before coming here, I had some idea about an electrician's job. Besides working for a company, I can also take up electrical projects in my village", he says. The latter is significant because of the frequent power cuts in his village, and with skilled people, the problem could be addressed.

But is he now happy with the course? Is there a change in him? "Yes", he replies, with a spark in his eyes! "I knew the course was good because my friends had told me about it. But I have liked it because of the individual attention I got here. I also feel comfortable because all my questions are answered, no matter how many times I ask." Sandeep is also happy because he has got new friends here, and most of them are not from his village. The experience here has propelled him to dream big, and it has translated into an ambition to work in a city that he has known through the media. "It is my dream to work in Mumbai", he says. "I have heard a lot of good things about the city."

"What will you do with your first salary", we ask him before ending our conversation. "I will send some money to my family, and also buy a good phone for me", he replies with a smile.

Saturday, November 3, 2018

Jharkhand

Manu's plans for his village

Pratham 2:22:00 PM

Simdega district in south Jharkhand is of strategic significance. To its west lies the Jashpur district of Chhattisgarh, and to its south lies Odisha's Rourkela district. To its north and east are situated Jharkhand's Gumla and Khunti districts respectively. This region comprising all these districts is one of the most backward places of the country. As a consequence, there are minimal job opportunities for the people. In the past few years, owing to a rise in school enrollments, there is a rise in population of youth who are educated and hence want a better job to justify their qualification.

In this background, Pratham Institute's Vocational Training Center at Thethaitangar is immensely significant. This centre imparts training in the Electrical vertical and is attracting youth from not only Simdega but the districts mentioned above as well. 18-years-old Manu Kumar Singh is one of the many youths of this region who has enrolled himself at this centre. He hails from Kalhatoli village which lies in Simdega's Kolebira's block.

"My maternal uncle got trained here, and he now works as an Electrician. He is my inspiration", Manu begins as he shares with us what brought him here. We learn that Manu's family occupation is farming and they grow rice. While Manu studied till 12th grade, he soon began to realise that the income from agriculture was not enough to feed a family of five members. He understood that the time had come to search for a job and add income to the family. But where was the opportunity? Manu sensed a chance when he saw his maternal uncle working in the village.

"I am one of the youngest students in this batch. Yet, I have adjusted very well. I like the schedule and the work culture over here", he says. "Back in my village, we used to work only during rice cultivation. The rest of the days were spent doing nothing", he further recalls. Did he feel shy on his first day here? Did he take a few weeks to open up and start talking to everyone else? His answer to these questions was a firm No. "I wanted to work, and hence I was keen to learn things and get a job", he says. "In fact, I have many friends here. Some of them are from villages near to mine, whereas some are from Gumla district. Some of them are also from Chhattisgarh and Odisha", he further adds. Manu further adds that he likes the schedule here, and it has made him organised, and he also has understood the importance of planning the work.

Manu is happy that he could learn practical stuff and hence he is now ready to work as an electrician. "I also like the theory session. But practicals is more fun. I like the way of teaching here. The teachers are very polite, and they make us understand everything that is required", he says. We then ask Manu what his plans for the future are.

"I want to work for my village. There are no electricians, and I can contribute to solving the problem. But before that, I want to work in Mumbai once", he says with a smile. And when we ask him why Mumbai, he replies with a shy smile, "I am fond of watching Hindi movies. Shahrukh Khan and Kajol are my favourite film artists. Many films talk of Mumbai."

Manu also wants to buy a mobile phone, and that will top his agenda after getting the first salary. However, as resolved, he will also give a part of his salary income home and ensure that his parents now work less and take rest.

Saturday, September 29, 2018

Vocational Training

"If I can do this, why can't they?"

Pratham 1:33:00 AM

Satyaprata lives in Haldi village in the Sonepur district of Odisha. He studied till 12th grade and joined his father to help in the traditional occupation of agriculture. His family cultivates rice, and it remains the only source of income for them. Satyaprata also has two elder sisters, and both of them are married, and his father has his hopes pinned on him to earn money for the family.

"After 12th grade, I was looking for a job opportunity, but there wasn't any. It was frustrating, and then I met Ananda Pradhan sir", he recalls. Ananda Pradhan from Pratham's mobilising team had visited his village to generate awareness about the course in the Electrical vertical at the centre in Cuttack. "It was interesting, but I was not sure whether it was authentic", he adds.

It was very natural for Satyaprata to feel sceptical. "I am the first one from my village to come here", he smiles. He then explains his family background to us in more detail. He speaks Sambalpuri, a dialect from his state, and he had to get acquainted with Odiya while communicating with his friends at the centre. However, he was firm to take this opportunity as his priority was set - he had to earn money, and only agriculture was not going to help him. But he admits that his friends and the teachers at the centre were very cooperative and helped him to adjust. "I like the way of teaching here. The teachers explain things in a very simple way, and more importantly, there is an emphasis on practical training", he says.

Satyaprata overcame these initial challenges and adjusted to the schedule at the centre. He grasped the techniques well and began to enjoy the sessions in the second month of the course. More importantly, he developed new friendships and says it is his biggest gain from the course. "I find it amazing to have friends from other districts and I never expected this when I was in the village", he says. "It was difficult because I was the first person from my village to come here."
He is now keen to get a job and start a new inning in life. "But how will you learn Hindi", we ask, and his face lights up!
"I like to watch Hindi movies and I hence I can speak and understand Hindi. My favourite actor is Aamir Khan, and my favourite movie is Dangal", he says. Apart from television and movies, his Hindi has also improved because of the video messages he receives on Whatsapp.

Satyaprata is keen to move to any city in India that will provide him with a stable job and a good income. But he also has one more thing in mind after he gets a job. "I will go back to my village and give positive feedback about this course to my friends. If I can do this, why can't they?"

Monday, July 30, 2018

PACE

From a vegetable seller to an Electrician

Pratham 9:39:00 AM

19-year-old Sudama Mohoto used to sell vegetables and sweets in a weekly Bazaar in his village. He lives in Kolivira village in the Simdega district of Jharkhand. But the money he earned was not sufficient to run his family.

"Kaam toh karte the, lekin paise kam milte the" (I used to work but earn very less), he says. However, Khemraj, his relative informed him about Pratham's Vocational Training Center at Thetaithangar which imparts training in the Electrical vertical. He had two things in mind when he thought of getting enrolled at the centre.

"Kuch naaya sikhenge aur paise bhi milenge" (I will learn something new, and I can earn money), he says with a smile. Pratham's vocational training centre has provided employment opportunities to many in the villages of Simdega and neighbouring districts. It also has enrollments from the districts of Orissa that border Simdega. Getting trained in the electrical vertical could help these students take up jobs as per industry requirements. In addition to this, it will also help them take up electrical assignments in their village. Presence of skilled electricians in a village will ensure its electrification and maintenance and make way for more development opportunities.

Sudama harbours similar ambitions for his village, and hence he is happy about the way of teaching at the centre. "I am happy because I get practical knowledge of the subject, and the instructors are very friendly and co-operative. If I do not understand anything, I can ask them more than once", he says. In addition to this, he also likes the fact that they teach English and computers, both essential in this competitive world. He is also happy with the food and the staying facilities at the centre. All this contributes to a perfect learning environment.

Sudama feels it is necessary to have an exposure of working at different places, before taking up independent assignments. "I am ready to work in any city, but later I will come back to work for my village", he says with confidence. "When I will start earning, I will help my mother in buying things for the house and also buy books to complete my graduation", he adds.

"Graduation?...", we ask him. "Yes, I am pursuing geography honours and currently in the first year of graduation. However, I will earn and learn, and will apply for leave during my exams", he beams.