New HorizoNsA Quarterly Newsletter of Initiatives by Dr. Reddy’s Foundation

Volume 8 Issue 4 2009

LABSA decade of transforming lives

EditorialAs we wave goodbye to 2009 and welcome the new decade, we at DRF have had a special reason for both reflection and celebration. This juncture in the Foundation’s history also marks the 10th anniversary of its flagship sustainable livelihoods program, LABS. Our cover story is therefore dedicated to LABS, and takes a look at LABS’ remarkable journey from a modest, Hyderabad based effort to reach out to underprivileged youth in a couple of neighborhoods to a highly acclaimed livelihoods training model that has been replicated all over the country – and abroad. The people who have made LABS what it is today – its creator Dr K Anji Reddy, hopeful aspirants, the dedicated DRF team and committed partners – share their thoughts and experiences on reaching this important milestone.

In this issue, we also explore some exciting and innovative new initiatives that have been recently launched. For instance, the new livelihoods training program for jail inmates who are close to completing their sentences is bringing hope and the opportunity for rehabilitation to a particularly marginalized population.

There is a touching story on DRF’s efforts to bring relief to young victims of the devastating floods that ravaged parts of Andhra Pradesh in October. The Foundation’s efforts to bring some normalcy to the lives of school going children whose lives had been turned upside down are indeed inspiring.

We also have a special feature on DRF’s Education Resource Center, which plays a vital role in achieving greater equity in education for children. From curriculum planning and teacher training to publishing a variety of books, ERC strives to empower both educators and children and improve the quality of education in our schools.

Finally, we have included a spread highlighting key events of 2009 – a reminder of how much has happened in the last year to feel proud about. All said, this issue is a celebration of important milestones as well as new initiatives that will no doubt have a far-reaching impact in the years ahead.

Happy new year to all our readers, and of course, happy reading!

Contributors Ashish Gupta AISEC, EducationBarbara Burder ERC, EducationBeljo Mathew Grameen LABS, Alapuzha Bhagwan Singh Kushwah Grameen LABS, JaipurBhaskar Babu Boda Learning and DevelopmentDr Mushtaq Ahmad Mir State Coordinator, UttarakhandJ Satish Kumar Livelihood Specialist, IKP-Urban (UPADHI) LABSK Karunakar Learning and DevelopmentNarayani Das Communications, EducationPartha Sankar Sarangi Communications, LivelihoodsRami Reddy MIS Department, HyderabadRuth Mary Learning and DevelopmentSampath Kalavendi Communications, EducationSanaullah Fathi AISEC, EducationSandhya Damodar ERC, EducationShelesh Kumar SGSY LABS, Uttar PradeshShibashish G Mohapatra Grameen LABS, PuriShilpi Lathia ARCHVaijayanthi Kari Vidyouth, Education

Editorial TeamDevi Prasad MahapatraKalyaniMadhusree VemuruMadhuri Rao Dempsey

1

C o n t e n t s

LABS News 8 L & D 10 LABS Centers 12 Education 14 Milestones 22 DRF in the News 24

New Initiatives 11 Reaching out 20

Cover Story 2

2

Cover Story

There is a fraying and yellowing photograph at DRF’s headquarters of

a group of young men and women looking earnestly into the camera. You probably would not guess that the simple picture on the back cover of this issue captures a historic moment in the life of DRF and its pioneering employment training program, LABS. The picture was taken 10 years ago and features the very first batch of aspirants to be trained in LABS.

The modest beginnings of LABS may seem unbelievable from the perspective of today, a decade later, when the program’s explosive growth has taken it to the farthest corners of the country, and even abroad. With more than 100 centers in India and over 200,000 youth trained, LABS has proved that it is a model that not only works, but is sustainable.

LABS is true to its acronym – a laboratory for innovation from the very beginning.

LABS: A decade of transforming lives

What began as a program to provide specific job skills to street children with whom DRF was then working quickly gained momentum, rapidly evolving into a program that catered to all underprivileged youth. Unlike other employment training programs, LABS identified its short-duration courses through extensive market research, focusing on delivering training in market driven domains that had a need for employees. It also went one step

3

On 1 January 1999, we took up a very small labor welfare center from the (labor) department. We went and picked up nine kids from the streets and we asked them if they wanted to learn computer skills. They said, “What is a computer?” We had come together with volunteers from TCS and Satyam. This was during the Y2K boom. Everybody was talking about how computers were going to rule the world, and how after 2000 everything would be different. We picked these kids up, and in three months they learnt how to speak very good English; they could type 42 words per minute; they understood how to walk the talk. Almost all of them got jobs in Bodhtree and Apex – BPO companies. So, we thought the magic came from the volunteers. The next batch of street kids came in and we thought the magic came from the facilitators, the trainers. The third batch came in and we thought the magic was our curriculum. But by 2000 we realised that the magic was the young people themselves. It was nothing to do with us. I mean, all those enablers did matter, but the magic came from the young people.

- Nalini Gangadharan (former Executive Director, DRF)

As told to Dr Indira Chowdhury(Archival Resources for Contemporary History)

further by helping to place aspirants in sustainable jobs at the end of the training period.

In its early days, the first areas to be identified were hospital health care (ward staff), office assistance and domestic workers. However, with the success of the program, DRF began to introduce new areas like home nursing and computer operators. As the economy boomed and new industries and sectors began to make their presence felt in urban areas, the market demand for skilled workers in a variety of domains grew. This gave LABS the perfect opportunity to create more livelihoods and reach out to more underprivileged youth. Many new domains were added – hospitality, customer service, bedside patient assistance, and many others and more and more companies came forward to employ LABS graduates.

Intrigued by the LABS model and its success, government departments as well as private organizations began to show an interest in replicating and scaling up LABS to reach greater numbers of youth. The AP government was among DRF’s earliest and most committed partners, and in 2003, Maarpu LABS became the first LABS center to be set up under the public-private partnership model.

Around this time, private partnerships had taken LABS to other major cities, like Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi. There was no looking back. When DRF entered into a partnership with the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India in 2005 to take the program to impoverished rural youth nationwide, its impact could be felt throughout the country. It is perhaps a sign of LABS universality as a model that it has spread as far as Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

The LABS program continues to be a laboratory for change and innovation – in program development, its curriculum and teaching methods. Dedicated facilitators are more than teachers – they are mentors and guides, whose relationship with their students lasts long after aspirants have graduated and settled in jobs.

As for young people who have been touched by LABS, the days of dreams deferred and potential unfulfilled are

over. Many have risen considerably in their careers and some have become entrepreneurs, even employing other LABS graduates. These young men and women proudly and confidently shoulder the responsibilities of job and family, and dream of even better things to come. Stories of lives transformed fill the air

at alumni reunions, and the difference between past and present is startling, and inspiring.

The small spark that was set off in 1999 has indeed become a life-sustaining fire that spreads its light and warmth across our country.

The genesis of a model

4

Cover Story

NH: As you reflect on 10 years of LABS, what are your thoughts on the growth and evolution of the program?

KAR: LABS was born 10 years ago out of my obsession with creating livelihoods. My firm belief is that if we create livelihoods that can help people meet at least the basic necessities of life, we would have solved 90% of the problems faced by poor, developing countries. Seeing how the program has evolved, I have no doubt that we are on the correct path. That is the reason why I set myself an ambitious target of creating one million livelihoods by 2010. Till date we have achieved more than 200,000 livelihoods. Although it is obviously a very difficult task to achieve the target within one year, we can say that, indirectly, we have already created

a million livelihoods, through other NGOs who are inspired by our work and have replicated this model in their respective organizations.

NH: Why do you think LABS took the shape it did?

KAR: I suppose it is because I analyze things. When there is a problem I go into it. If I have to develop a drug, I go to the laboratory and accomplish it. In the same way, I applied my mind to solving the problem of how to lift up a million boys and girls so that they have a life worthy of living.

NH: Were there any surprises for you in the way that LABS evolved?

KAR: I had a most pleasant experience of

As LABS completes its first decade, Dr K Anji Reddy, Chairman, reflects on the impact the program has had on the lives of lakhs of young people across the country … and on his own life.

interacting with one boy who graduated from LABS. The organization where this alumnus was working went bankrupt; he took a bank loan and managed to become an entrepreneur. He started an Internet café and created five new jobs all by himself! This boy wanted to meet me so I gave him a meeting. The first thing he told me as he entered my room was, “Sir, I also have become a Managing Director”.

NH: What has given you the most satisfaction over the years?

KAR: I was not able to imagine the transformation in the lives of alumni of LABS until I was invited to an alumni function. At this function, six boys and six girls were asked to describe their condition in life before joining LABS. Each

“I have no doubt we are on the correct path”

5

and every one of them broke down when they recollected their past – their lives had changed so significantly since then. Emotionally, it was the best moment of my life.

Another wonderful moment was when I came across another LABS alumnus who was working at the Taj Krishna in Hyderabad and introduced himself to me. Later, when I asked for the cheque, he said, “Sir, it is with compliments from Taj Krishna”. Sometimes I feel that LABS connects me with so many people with whom I may have never connected within my lifetime.

NH: What is your vision for LABS, say 10 years from now? What would you like the program to be and to achieve?

KAR: I was actually trying to go one step further and extend the concept of encouraging at least 1,000 LABS alumni to become entrepreneurs. Unfortunately I have no time. I only wish that the management of the Foundation will take this up as a serious program of LABS and fulfill my dream.

NH: In the late 90s, CSR meant doing community development only in the areas where the company operated. Starting a Foundation was a new concept at that time in India and in no way related to your business or locality. What prompted you to start a Foundation?

KAR: Actually it was born out of anger. I remember the date also. I read a Newsweek article commenting on India’s growth after 50 years of Independence, and it was mentioned that India ranked among the poorest of the poor countries. It observed that some parts of India were worse off than Sub-Saharan Africa. When I read this, I became angry. Around that time, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) asked 50 people in India to write a piece on what India should do in the next 50 years. I wrote this article almost as an answer to the accusation implicit in the Newsweek article – what we can do to improve the condition of our country? The whole thing came out of anger and it translated into a big commitment in my life.

B Venkataramana was in the very first batch of LABS, when it began a decade ago. Little could Ramana (as he prefers to be called) have known how profoundly this step would change the direction and texture of his life.

When Ramana, a newspaper delivery boy, arrived at DRF 10 years ago, it was not with the intention of joining LABS but to get a job in a water bill project that the Foundation had taken up. Instead, he got a life-changing opportunity to become among the first aspirants to join LABS.

“We were in a different world when we entered the LABS center. We forgot everything about our background and past life,” he recalls. His inspiration was his facilitator Uma Kiran, whom he still refers to as Uma madam. “She told us to dream big. This made us blind to everything but our mission of achieving our goals. We always imagined seeing our photographs alongside those of the CEOs of big corporate houses”.

Ramana feels that apart from job skills, LABS gave him vital English communication skills, which greatly helped him in his career. Having studied in the Telugu medium, he was barely able to speak English when he joined LABS. “Mr Sankar Sastry, a Dr. Reddy’s volunteer, used to teach us Communicative English. He had a rule that no one was allowed to speak in any regional language once they entered the LABS premises. In the beginning it was quite difficult for us to express everything in English. But now I feel that rule helped me to improve my communication skills”, says Ramana.

After graduating, Ramana joined Apex Technology as Scanning Operator with a monthly salary of Rs 2,000. However, he aspired to greater things and resigned from Apex to do technical courses in multimedia and web design. He landed a good job with Data Tree and worked his way up to the position of a data analyst, leading a team.

Ramana’s desire now is to give back to LABS by becoming involved with the program. “I want to share the technical skills I have gained in the past eight years with new aspirants”, says Ramana. In fact, he is strongly in favour of creating an alumni group, which will bring all LABS alumni (maybe virtually) together on one platform to share their thoughts, experiences and expertise with each other.

Today, Ramana is not only enjoying success in his career, he is also doing extremely well in his personal life. Proudly introducing his mother and his new bride, Ramana smiles broadly as he says, “I got married this year!” His mother is delighted with the path Ramana’s life has taken and the changes she has observed in her son. “We actually noticed the change within a few weeks after he joined LABS. At that time, I was quite confident that my child was heading on the right path. Earlier, he didn’t take much responsibility over the family, but now he takes on all of the responsibility”, she says with pride.

Ten years later:An alumnus’ tale

6

In 2001, Mr G Vengal Reddy, who was at that time a Project Director for the District Rural D e v e l o p m e n t Agency of the AP government, visited a LABS training program where

he interacted with hopeful aspirants from poor backgrounds. “I was impressed with the confidence they had gained after a few days of training, and I could see the glow in their faces, perhaps because of the hope of a good future that they could envision within a few days of training”, Mr Reddy recalls.

He decided that DRDA could partner with DRF and arrange similar programs for underprivileged rural youth in Ranga Reddy district. What appealed to him the most about LABS was, “the methodology of the entire program – market scan, development of curriculum to suit the market requirements and soft skills development among the trainees”.

This historic visit proved to be the beginning of a long and fruitful partnership. In 2003, DRDA entered into an MOU with DRF to train 1,000 youth under the LABS program. DRF conducted

Cover Story

the training and provided placement after training as well as post-placement support for graduates. The government provided the venue for the training and helped to identify potential aspirants. Moreover, the government covered 80% of the cost of the training, with DRF providing the balance.

The LABS model offered the government a new way of looking at youth development. As Mr Reddy observes, “It is different from regular government programs in many ways. Firstly, it ensures placement which was never there in any government programs. Secondly, it provides post-placement support, which again was never thought of in government. Thirdly, no government program focused on soft skills like communication, time management and interpersonal relationships or dress code”.

This partnership flourished in AP, with as many as 50,000 obtaining employment over the years. What came as a pleasant surprise was that some youth were even earning as much as Rs 20,000 per month. “Though the agreement was for 70% placement, the actual achievement was nearly 90%. In some places like McDonald eateries, I could see LABS trained youth conversing in English with such fluency that it baffled me”, says Mr Reddy.

A long and fruitful partnershipPerhaps, for all these reasons, this program, according to him, “spread like wildfire across the rural areas and also to many urban areas”. At the same time, many new opportunities for employment were identified in keeping with market trends, such as Business Process Outsourcing, network administration, micro-irrigation, bookkeeping, and pre-primary teacher training, among others.

The impact on impoverished communities could be felt at many levels. For one, such communities, who could at best hope for ordinary or menial jobs for youth who were not highly educated, now had options. “With their children now working in international eatery chains like McDonald’s and KFC, big malls, iMax theatres and other international brand outlets, the social and economic status of these families is raised beyond their imagination and expectation”, Mr Reddy points out. Importantly, LABS has had another notable impact, with the Government of AP deciding to implement only placement-linked trainings. “This is a revolutionary departure from the traditional program of giving training and forgetting about them”, says Mr Reddy. Without question, the joint efforts of DRF and the AP government have proved that private-public partnerships can often have far-reaching and truly transformative results.

Reunions of LABS alumni are always a deeply emotional affair. These events give alumni a platform to tell their stories and share their experiences with fellow graduates. At an alumni meet that was held in Chandanagar, many alumni broke down as they recalled their pre-LABS lives and described how much their prospects had changed.

Virtually every alumnus who attends these meets expresses the desire to give back to the program in some way. Many have helped in mobilizing others to join the program, acting as guest lecturers and even placing aspirants in jobs. Some have also given valuable inputs on the curriculum based on their real-life experiences. Here are some of their thoughts on their self-transformation in their own words.

“I decided to become a Center Coordinator at Adilabad IKP. Till date I have trained six batches (800 students) of IKP LABS and I feel proud of the fact that I have in some way contributed to the careers of many unemployed youth. LABS has given me a new life for which I will remain forever grateful”.

- Jimson Jose

“I always had a desire to work and support my family but did not think I could do it because of my physical disability. However, after LABS, I set up a ‘Corn Bytes’ stall and I am doing excellent business and earning around Rs 10,000 – 15,000 every month!”

- Rajyalakshmi

“I was a 6th class dropout. I studied photography and videography in LABS and thanks to DRF, I was able to get a loan to buy a video camera and start my own business. My life had a huge turnaround after my association with LABS and I am grateful for that”.

- Kiran

“After joining LABS, I realized that I was a transformed person who hoped to achieve something significant in my life. I am able to speak confidently and express myself well. Thanks to DRF for teaching me to believe in myself and giving me the courage to move ahead”.

- Sagarika

IN tHeIR oWN WoRdS

7

NH: In your career, you have come across many youth development programs. What, in your view, makes LABS unique and different?

JK: Most of the programs that I have worked with are self-employment programs. While self employment programs make a lot of sense in a country like ours, there is a dearth of market-driven, wage employment models for the rural and urban underprivileged. With investments coming in and the rate of economic growth picking up, it makes a lot of sense to focus on wage employment for the poor. The success rate for self-employment amongst the poor is quite low; however, it is encouraging to see a high success rate in the arena of wage employment.

NH: What are some of the most remarkable aspects of LABS’ growth and development over the past 10 years? What factors have contributed to this?

JK: LABS has impacted 200,000 youth till date. And its impact is not limited to that. There are a large number of other programs designed around the LABS concept, and if one takes those programs into account, the numbers reached

are much, much higher. Additionally, various state governments and central government departments have invested their own money in LABS and similar programs. Considering this, the impact of LABS has reached much further than two lakh youth.

NH: Where can, and should, LABS go from here?

JK: LABS has concentrated primarily on urban livelihoods. Both urban youth or rural youth who are willing to migrate to cities have benefited from the program. However, a large portion of our unemployed youth live in rural areas and the deep interiors, and migration to cities is a big challenge for them. Keeping this in mind, we are experimenting with a modified LABS model that is designed for rural areas. We are calling this program ‘Skilling Rural India’(SRI). The model is currently under trial. We are getting encouraging results and hope to launch the new program soon.

NH: Are there any new innovations or elements you would like to incorporate into the program?

JK: We have introduced a number

of innovations in last one year. New domains have been developed. Processes have been strengthened by revisiting various elements and fine-tuning them in light of changing realities. We have also added a new element to the program – post placement handholding for aspirants. Corporate networking has been strengthened. Additionally, we have worked out an incentive scheme for our staff implementing LABS. The scheme is working well and showing good results.

NH: What is your plan for the program in 2010?

JK: We intend to take LABS deep into rural areas and to touch many, many more rural youth – especially those who plan to stay in their villages and do not want to migrate to towns and cities. We also intend to continuously map the economic scenario to evolve new domains and capitalize on emerging gaps in the skill market to help poor youth find jobs. We also intend to collaborate with more agencies to see that LABS reaches every nook and corner of this country.

Looking back, moving forward

Jitendra Kalra,CEO, DRF talks about what makes LABS different from other youth employment models, what has fuelled its explosive growth and his plans for LABS in the years ahead.

8

L I V E L I H O O D S

Innovation in the classroomMST aspirants at the Kottayam LABS center have displayed innovation and creativity in designing several handy and useful devices in the classroom. These included a water level meter to control the overflow of water during pumping using both a light and an alarm; a burglar alarm intended for homes; and a series parallel test board to test winding continuity.

CSR award for dr. Reddy’sDr. Reddy’s Laboratories was conferred the ‘Corporate Social Responsibility Award’ at the CNBC TV18’s Indian Business Leader Awards (IBLA) 2009 held on December 4 at New Delhi. At a high profile ceremony, Mr Satish Reddy (MD & COO, Dr. Reddy’s) received the award on behalf of the company in the presence of eminent personalities like Kapil Sibal (Honorable Minister for Human Resource Development), Praful Patel (Minister of State for Civil Aviation) and Nandan Nilekani (Head, Unique Identification Database Project).

LABS News

Burglar Alarm

World Bank team visits dehradun LABS centerA team from the World Bank paid a visit to the Dehradun LABS center on November 12 and interacted with aspirants. They were accompanied by the General Manager of the Tehri Hydroelectric Development Corporation, which had proposed the site visit. The whole team was very impressed by the work done by DRF and looked through various materials, i.e., brochures, CEO’s communiqués and New Horizons. They were personally introduced to each aspirant and appreciated their development and progress.

Launch of new domains LABS recently launched a number of new domains: In-shop Demonstrators (ISD), Pharma Retail and Retail Sales Academy.

ISD is targeted at graduates and aims to prepare them for jobs as in-shop demonstrators by providing them with the necessary technical knowledge of a variety of consumer goods along with communication skills.

The Pharma Retail domain provides training in a variety of areas, including human body systems, prescription reading, selling skills and assisting pharmacists with dispensing medicines. After completing their training, aspirants will be placed in various pharmacy chains like Apollo, Medplus, Hetero, Medipure, Medimart, etc.

Another exciting new development is the launch of the Retail Sales Academy domain, a 60-day course which focuses on the organized retail sector at six centers across the country. Aspirants will learn key concepts of supply chain management, retail store management, retail operations and mall management.

Water level meter

9

AIdS awareness rally and blood donation campSixty-three aspirants and alumni of Grameen LABS, Puri participated in the World AIDS Rally on 1 December (World AIDS Day), to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS. Armed with the slogan “In our fight against HIV/AIDS you are the weapon, Stop AIDS – Keep the Promise”, they marched through the streets and participated in a meeting to build HIV/AIDS awareness. A blood donation camp was organized on the same day, with LABS aspirants, alumni and team members donating a total of 41 units of blood. The event received considerable media coverage.

Meanwhile, the aspirants of Grameen LABS, Shahpura (Jaipur) also organized a rally on the eve of World AIDS Day. They participated in the HIV/ AIDS awareness march, which passed through all the main areas of Shahpura Block.

MoUs signed with Pizza Corner, Barista and trentDRF recently entered into an MoU with Pizza Corner for the placement of hospitality domain aspirants in the chain’s outlets in Chennai, Bengaluru, Mysore, Hyderabad, Pondicherry, New Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Mangalore, Varanasi and Kerala.

DRF has also entered into a placement MoU with Barista Coffee Company. Hospitality domain aspirants are likely to significantly benefit from this agreement. At last count, Barista Coffee Company had over 200 Barista Lavazza Espresso Bars and Barista Lavazza Crèmes in more than 30 cities across India.

A placement MoU has also been signed with Trent, a Tata Group company. Trent now operates 39 Westside stores (which sell premium apparel and merchandise), the Star Bazaar hypermarket chain and the Landmark chain of book and music stores.

dignitaries from MoRd, NABARd visit Jagdishpur centerThe Jagdishpur center had several distinguished guests in October. Mr PL Behra, Executive Director NABARD visited the center with team members from CGM NABARD, AGM NABARD, DDM Sultanpur and two officers from the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation on 14 October. Mr Behra was particularly interested in learning about the LABS training process and placements and said, “the efforts by DRF to establish people below the poverty line deserve appreciation. The curriculum is excellent and the facilitators are confident in shouldering their responsibilities”.

On 27 October, Jagdishpur center played host to Dr Amar Singh, Joint Secretary, MoRD. Dr Singh and his team, accompanied by Mr Jitendra Kalra, visited the classrooms and interacted with aspirants from all the domains. He asked them a number of queries about the training program and their personal goals and remarked that he was impressed by the aspirants’ responses and the entire LABS training process.

L I V E L I H O O D S

10

With Hyderabad’s growing reputation as an attractive corporate

employment hub and increase in the cost of living, there has been a huge increase in the numbers of working women and households where both partners are employed. This, in turn, has created a demand for skilled and reliable housemaids to manage a range of household chores.

On the other side of the story are the ever-growing numbers of underprivileged women residing in the urban slums of the city who are struggling to earn a decent, regular livelihood. With little or no education, these women have virtually no bargaining power in the market.

Observing this dual need, DRF has initiated a new domain – the Home Managers course – to provide underprivileged urban women with better placement opportunities as domestic workers for families seeking skilled housemaids. A feasibility study conducted by DRF in and around Hyderabad showed that Kukatpally, which was easily accessible to such

From grief to independenceKanaka Thara’s fairly simple life as a housewife with two school-going children took a tragic turn when her husband, a government employee, suddenly died of a heart attack. Plunged into a financial crisis with no means of supporting her family, Thara was in a terrible situation until she found out about the Home Managers course. Enthusiastic and committed, she proved to be among the most mature aspirants in the batch, never missing a class. She enjoyed the training and found that it helped her cope with her grief. In fact, her sisters had tears in their eyes when they told her facilitators about the great change they saw in Thara.

On completing her training, Thara was hired by an employee of Microsoft to take care of her six-month-old child for six hours a day at a monthly salary of Rs 3,000. She was also given a bus pass allowance and four paid holidays a month. Thara’s employer is all praise for her child caring abilities, saying, “I never trusted anyone other than my mother to handle the baby, but I trust Thara because she handles my baby just like my mother!” For her part, Thara is happy because her employer treats her like a friend and a sister and because she is able to provide for her own family.

Home Managers: A boon for urban dwellers

L & D

fast-growing hubs as Hi-tech city, Miyapur, Kondapur, etc., would be an ideal location to pilot the first batch of the course.

For the pilot, the DRF team selected 20 women from an urban slum in Kukatpally based on their willingness to work as a housemaid for a single family, their family background and a clean police record. During the 30-day training program, aspirants were trained in a variety of domestic tasks, including operating household gadgets, cooking, home security, basic housekeeping, first-aid, caring for children and senior citizens and managing guests. They were also trained in life skills, maintenance of hygiene standards and telephone and table etiquette.

On completing the course, most aspirants were successfully placed with families at an average salary of Rs 3,000 per month. “On the whole, aspirants are very satisfied with their placements and have even referred their neighbors for the next batch”, says Ruth Mary, domain facilitator.

Even as the first batch was being placed, the DRF team began receiving requests to conduct a similar program at Amberpet, another central location for placement. The second batch had 25 aspirants, of which 22 were placed at an average salary of Rs 4,000 per month.

Busy families felt they were getting a substantial value addition with trained home managers who were trustworthy and punctual, required little supervision and had a wide range of domestic skills.

Ruth Mary observes, “Understanding employers’ and aspirants’ attitudes is very important in matching the right person with a particular requirement. We conduct background verifications of both potential employers and aspirants for the safety of both parties, which is critical to the success of this course”. With the domain still in its early stages, she adds that it is vital to share and study the success stories and challenges of each batch as a way to improve the course and help facilitators and aspirants better understand employers’ attitudes, needs and concerns.

L I V E L I H O O D S

11

For many prisoners who face the prospect of freedom after years in jail,

re-adjusting to life “on the outside” can be daunting – particularly with regard to finding work. Social stigma and the lack of education and employable skills put many former inmates at a disadvantage, with the result that many may be tempted to return to a life of crime. Thus, the vicious cycle continues.

In a bid to enhance the employability of ex-convicts after their release from jail and help them get re-integrated into society, DRF has launched a pilot program to provide technical skills in two domains to prisoners on the verge of completing their terms. The first batch with 50 aspirants began training on 27 October 2009 at Cherlapally Jail in Hyderabad. The two domains – Refrigeration & Air-conditioning and Automobile Mechanism – were selected based on market demand for such skills, with the aim that trained former prisoners could either join a workshop or garage or even set up their own enterprises after their release.

Mr Jayavardhan, Superintendent of Cherlapally Jail, is very optimistic about

the rehabilitative potential of LABS training for prisoners. “If prisoners who are going to be released from jail within a year or two are provided

with some useful technical knowledge, they can settle down after their release and earn their livelihood. But, if they are not provided any kind of technical support, they may again go down the same old path of committing crime”, says Mr Jayavardhan.

Facilitator K Karunakar points out that this program differs from regular LABS courses in that many prisoners have no educational qualifications and may be much older than the usual LABS aspirants. Training gives them hope for a better future. “This training creates an atmosphere that enables them to come out of depression. It also induces confidence in them, because once they leave the jail, they can have a normal life and earn a respectable livelihood”.

More than one month of training has been completed at Cherlapally and the 50 aspirants are showing a remarkable eagerness to learn. Dressed in their white-and-blue uniforms and ranging from young to middle-aged, the aspirants may appear to be a rather unusual batch of students but they hang on to every word their facilitator speaks and approach every challenge with enthusiasm.

Mr Jayavardhan says, “The training program is very innovative and successful. Prisoners are interested in attending the training program. They are responding very well and learning each and every aspect of the subject. We expect more prisoners to join the program in the days ahead”. There is already a marked change

A second chanceJahangir Khan grew up in Golconda, but is currently housed in Cherlapally jail, where he is serving his sentence. Prison life had caused Jahangir to sink into depression and he felt he had little to look forward to until he joined the LABS training program. Attending classes and learning new skills have completely changed his outlook. Not only is he happy about the useful technical skills he is gaining, he is glad to be learning life skills, such as discipline, money management and time management. He feels the training has made him look at his life and future differently and made him a better human being.

He proudly says, “I feel that I am an engineer now. I am confident about repairing any refrigerator or air-conditioner. My dream is to start my own company and employ some people. Not only will I have a job, but I will encourage and inspire others like me to get similar training and earn a livelihood”.

New Initiatives

for the better in many of the aspirants. “They are showing a tremendous amount of focus in learning the nuances of repairing an air conditioner, a refrigerator or an automobile engine. Slowly but surely, they are getting into the mode of professionalism”, he adds. In the coming months, Mr Jayavardhan hopes to reach out to more prisoners so that they too get the benefits of the training program.

Breaking free:LABS gives prisoners a new lease of life

12

L I V E L I H O O D S

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

1

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

3 HaryanaMSdF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Ambala, Sonepat, Yamuna Nagar

4 PunjabGrameen LABS (with Union Ministry of Rural Development)AmritsarMSdF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Ludhiana, Mohali, Patiala

5 delhiMSdF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Badarpur, Faridabad, Kalyanpuri, Madanpur Khadar, Nangloi, Seemapuri, Tilak ViharWorld Vision LABS (with World Vision India)Jahangirpuri

6 Madhya PradeshGrameen LABS (with Union Ministry of Rural Development)JabalpurMSdF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Bhopal

7 West BengalGrameen LABS (with Union Ministry of Rural Development)Barrackpore (24 Parganas North), Sankrail (Howrah)MSdF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Barasat (24 Parganas North), Bosepukur (24 Parganas South), Santragachi (Howrah)SHG LABS (With West Bengal State Rural Development Agency)Rajarhat (24 Parganas North)

8 orissaGrameen LABS (with Union Ministry of Rural Development)Cuttack, Puri MSdF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Sambalpur

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

10 Maharashtra CII-Yi LABS (with Confederation of Indian Industry-Young Indian)Andheri (Mumbai), Pune.Accenture LABS (with Accenture) Airoli (Mumbai), Wadala (Mumbai).MSdF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Nasik, Pune

1

2

3

4

5

6

9

10

1213

1415

16

17

18

19

LABS Centers

11

13

201,572 youth trained so far…

GoaMSdF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Goa

11

Tamil NaduCorporation LABS (with Corporation of Chennai)Mint (Chennai), Triplicane (Chennai)Grameen LABS (with Union Ministry of Rural Development)VelloreMSdF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Aynavaram (Chennai)

12

KeralaGrameen LABS (with Union Ministry of Rural Development)Alleppey, KottayamMSdF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram

13

ChhattisgarhMSdF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Bilaspur, Durg, Korba, Raipur

14

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

15

GujaratGrameen LABS (with Union Ministry of Rural Development)Rajkot, Vadodara, Vyara (Surat)

16

Uttar PradeshGrameen LABS (with Union Ministry of Rural Development)BastiMSdF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Arthala (NCR)NABARd LABS (with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development)(In Rae Bareli and Sultanpur Districts): Amethi, Jagdishpur, Kadipur, Lalganj, Lambhua, Maharajganj, Salon

17

KarnatakaGrameen LABS (with Union Ministry of Rural Development)Bengaluru, MysoreMSdF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)MangaloreAccenture LABS (with Accenture) Bengaluru

18

Andhra Pradesh IKP LABS (with EGMM, Government of Andhra Pradesh) Araku, Eluru, Etur Nagaram, Karimnagar, Kurnool, Mahabubnagar, Paderu, RajahmundryIKP-Urban (UPAdHI) LABS (with MEPMA, Government of Andhra Pradesh)Abids (Hyderabad), Eluru, Namalgundu (Hyderabad), Karimnagar, Mahabubnagar, Nandyala, Nellore, Gudiwada, Rajahmundry, Suryapeta, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, WarangalMSdF LABS (with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)Abids (Hyderabad), Amberpet (Hyderabad), Guntur, Kakinada, Kurnool, Tirupati, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam

19

7

8

16

Project-wise Quarterly Livelihood Report (September - November 2009)

Total Number of Aspirants Trained: 2,300

14

A Math assessment test was being conducted at the Pudami

Neighbourhood School, Yacharam – a routine exercise to track the progress of the students conducted by the Educational Resource Center (ERC), Dr Reddy’s Foundation. K Shravani, a student of Class IV B, was seen meticulously drawing 250 sticks and then striking out 88 of those. Surprised?

This is a classic example of a child who understands the concept of subtraction, can handle it in concrete manipulative (literally holding 10 stones and subtracting three), but has not been able to upgrade herself to notational representation (simply speaking, in numbers). Hence, to derive 205-88, Shravani literally draws the manipulative and removes them to arrive at the answer. The ERC team member who took note of Shravani doing this exercise on the rough paper recommended that the student be given the “individual approach” to focused learning, to help her move into the operatives of subtraction as per Books 3 and 4.

Now, three months after the assessment was done and the ERC recommendation

implemented, Shravani has not only completed the focused learning of Books 3 and 4 of Math but has also made the successful climb to notational representation.

Do you remember the difficulties that you experienced during your early education, the formative years of all concepts of language, math and science? If you do not, then you have been blessed with dedicated teachers and a good teaching learning methodology. If you are told now that we have all moved from concrete to abstract or symbolic and finally to multiple concepts application, would you say “Hey, don’t make it sound so awesome!” But that’s exactly what it is. In fact, this is a very simple way to describe a very complicated and time-consuming process that we have all been put through when at school. In Math, the entire process starts with the use of tamarind seeds – “Sowing the Seeds”, we could say!

Going back to Shravani, what are these Books 3 and 4? Who has devised these methods for successful transition? What is the complete role being played by these

Education

people? All these answers can be found with the team of passionate educationists at Dr. Reddy’s Foundation, a team called the Education Resource Center (ERC).

education Resource Center: Genesis and RoleThe ERC, set up by Dr. Reddy’s Foundation in October 2006, is basically mandated to look after the academic, pedagogical requirements of Pudami Schools. The ERC also supports the schools in developing systems, processes and mechanisms of schooling. Since it is instituted as an independent agency, it undertakes studies in education and social aspects of schooling and on pedagogical issues. It works towards partnering with agencies – both government and civil society – and individuals working in the field of education and rights of children. It also endeavors to network with these partners so as to generate and share resources and strengthen schooling.

ERC also conducts and facilitates trainings and organizes workshops conducted by teachers themselves to generate their

Sowing the seeds for equity in education

15

Aiming for high volume access to quality education

Mr dhananjay, ERC Head, tells New Horizons about the challenges inherent in providing high quality education to the masses, and how the ERC works to overcome them.

The ERC is a twin institution of Pudami schools. It is mandated to look after the academic requirements of the Pudami schools, along with undertaking teachers’ trainings, developing curricular material and being available as an academic resource center for those who wish to partner with ERC.

There is a plethora of curricular material and textbooks; there are institutions that train teachers and academic planning is made at school level besides being guided by government agencies. It is generally assumed that transacting the class-specific curricular content is the sole job of the school and the failure of acquiring it rests with either children or parents.

Acquisition of curricular content across classes is dependent on the precarious condition of pupils’ subject competency level and academic skills of language. And we have a situation where a majority of children lack comfortable language skills and are not ready to face the curriculum of the class they have moved into.

These two basic challenges, if addressed, enable larger masses of children to access quality education. This was what prompted the ERC to develop: a) materials that support children in gaining curricular training that they have lost in their previous schooling, and b) a language transition course that prepares children so they can comfortably shift to an English medium education. We aim for high volume access to quality education, addressing the inconveniences in reaching it. After all, the neighbourhood schools that DRF has set up are intended to house children from all walks of life so that they leave the school as competent as their peers.

own resources. As a publishing agency in its own right, ERC also publishes study materials, material produced by children, children’s literature, studies and evaluation reports.

To completely understand the unique contributions of the ERC, a few lines on the concept of Pudami Schools is imperative here. Pudami schools are modeled as a school for children from all walks of life and aspire to provide quality English medium education for all children in the neighbourhood. Some of the highlights of the Pudami offerings are:

• No child is eliminated due to non performance in assessments (either for admission or for promotion).

• All assessments are used to measure the learning levels and provide appropriate engagement to achieve grade specific competencies.

• Pudami schools facilitate medium transition for children from vernacular medium to English medium through a Transition Course that runs parallel to their regular classes. Hence, no child loses a year just to move to English medium.

• Provision of subsidies and even complete waiver of fees to children from economically backward families.

To make a long story short, Pudami Schools aim to achieve equity in education, empowering each child equally. To achieve this, what is required is not just the school infrastructure or the skill of adequate teachers but an entire system of producing study material, training manuals, capacity building, impact assessment studies, managing school dynamics, networking with the community and stakeholders, and the list goes on.

All these backbone activities are undertaken by the ERC, a committed and passionate team of six people at Dr. Reddy’s Foundation who have produced a wide range of study material for children from Classes 1 to 10 in Math, English and Science. In fact, the ERC can boast of having simplified the curricular objectives set by the SCERT and made a document for the daily use of the teachers at the Pudami Schools.

16

Education

The ERC has also brought out: • Textbooks in Math and English • Student Assessment Tests Material • Preparatory Material for English and Math • Thematic Books for Math • Teacher Training Material • Preparatory Plans for Math • Teachers Correspondence Modules • Instruction Booklets • Study Material for Class X • Sequence Story Cards.

Joys of learning: ERC’s educational materialsA wide range of educational material has been produced by the ERC in the past three years. Producing these materials is a continuous process, calling for constant upgradation based on the feedback received from the users. As a member of the team puts it, “We are rewarded not just when the students perform brilliantly, but also when, in the process of trying to understand, their doubts are expressed. Every question thrown in our direction is an appreciation of our work”.

Illustrated flash-cards to

teach the alphabet and basic

vocabulary.

Children’s stories told in simple

language, printed in bold type and

presented on illustrated posters.

Stories told through interesting

illustrations.

Rhymes with pleasant illustrations.

Thematic posters on a variety of

subjects, such as traffic rules, rural life,

different occupations, etc., to encourage

pupils to improve their vocabulary.

17

If you meet the children at the Pudami Primaries and they claim to have been

around the world, don’t be surprised! They are talking of a unique program that has been brought to them by AISEC.

In one day, from 10 am to 3 pm, Olalere Abayomi and Pawel Krawczyk have taken the children through a unique journey – from Chinese calligraphy and Japanese origami, to Egyptian drawing and South African crafts, Russian ballet and French songs, South American Mayan and Aztec crafts and much more.

The duo from AISEC enthralled the children for a complete day with their exhibits, photographs, drawings, dance and songs. The day ended with the children learning Salsa and performing it with the duo. And they left school with the title ‘Been Around the World’ on their lips and in their hearts.

This is one of the unique activities of AISEC that has been happening in the Pudami Primaries throughout December 2009.

AISEC volunteers take children ‘around the world’

AISEC is the world’s largest international youth-run organization which envisions peace and fulfilment of humankind’s potential. It is spread across 107 countries and has a membership of about 40,000 young individuals who are interested in ethical leadership and in issues of global socio-economic relevance. AISEC partners with over 4,000 organizations each year and DRF is one of them, alongside Google, TCS, Infosys,

United Nations, Hewlett Packard and many more

Another unique event that was organised by AISEC on 19 December in Hyderabad was the Balkalakaar, in which over 3,000 children participated. It was an opportunity to realize the hidden skills of school children and also to indulge in a day of fun and frolic. About 350 children from the Pudami schools participated in the Balkalaakar program.

18

Children’s Day: A time for celebration

For children in the Pudami Primaries, Children’s Day, which is celebrated on

14 November in India, was more than just one day dedicated to kids. Rather, it was a culmination of two weeks of exciting activities.

Sunday excursions to the Hyderabad zoo proved to be a major highlight for children and teachers of the Pudami Primaries. Each Sunday starting November 8, about 400-odd children from different schools

Education

piled into schools buses and headed to the zoo, accompanied by teachers and volunteers. Their day at the zoo included a safari ride, train ride, rock tunnel adventure, and of course, delicious tea-time snacks. And the icing on the cake, so to speak, was that the following Monday was declared a holiday.

And this was not all. The children also got a chance to participate in a number of special activities and contests, including

19

drawing, painting, essay writing, elocution and more. The grand finale had children enthusiastically participating in a fancy dress competition and in sports and cultural competitions.

Gemini Television, a popular regional channel, visited one of the Pudami Primaries on Children’s Day and dedicated a half hour slot exclusively to the children on their channel.

20

E D U C A T I O NReaching out

You see the broken barbed wire fences of heritage sites, the temples deserted

that are usually thronged by religious tourists around this time of the year. Nearby, a shopkeeper ruminates over the ravaged ruins of his shop. A little further, you find people struggling to get on with their normal lives: men dragging their cycles through the lanes engulfed in mud, and women wading through carrying pots of drinking water, with their faces partially covered to keep away the unbearable stench that strongly pervades in the air. There are carcasses of animals lying that are yet to be cleared. Still further, you witness the homeless taking shelter under

Reaching out toflood-affected children

trees with their meager possessions which they have managed to recover, a young girl clutching on to her torn school passing certificate.

In the relief camps, the victims refuse to go back. Some have nowhere to go, some are afraid to go back and some simply don’t want to face the reality. There’s fear, there’s also angst and frustration as the distressed hands scramble for food grains that are being given away as part of relief commodities. Amidst the submerged ruins, you occasionally find some trying out the half moth-eaten clothes that are hardly wearable from a piled up heap in a corner. The old are still in a state of shock; they

had never witnessed such devastation in their lifetime.

That grim picture is of Alampur, the temple town of Mahbubnagar, the “Shaktipeetham”, the “Dakshina Kasi”…the number of titles for it seem to be endless and so is the gloom, in the aftermath of the October 2009 floods. The flood fury inundated the town and reduced it to slush and mud. Was the town with its colossal mythical and historical significance relegated to history? For some time, it appeared as though it had, but there was an optimistic side to the picture too, which you couldn’t totally dismiss when you saw a group of boys

21

guarding their rundown notebooks and textbooks carefully put to dry, or another group cleaning its school premises. Their never-drowning spirits may have been submerged for a while, but they nevertheless resurfaced.

It was amidst this confusion, chaos, and talk of the town shifting, with the government machinery carrying on its rehabilitation efforts on a war footing, that DRF launched its initiative to reach out to the school-going children of the area and engage them in activities to bring normalcy to their lives at the earliest.

Twenty-five villages in flood affected Mahbubnagar were selected based on a survey by the DRF field team wherein children’s camps were set up, children were enumerated and engagement activities were taken up with the support of teams of Kalajatha – a form of folk info-entertainment theatre – in the first phase of the operation. Around the same time, the offsite operation involved procurement of the items for school kits and then packing and transport of the kits. A team of about 15 persons was engaged full-time to make price enquiries of the various items that were to comprise the school kit from the local wholesale markets.

After the processes of procurement were adhered to and delivery of the material was done, the individual items were packed into school bags. The kit content comprised broadly of two sets of school uniforms, footwear, a school bag, notebooks, long note books, slates, pencils, pens and so on. The contents of the kit were designed with a view to equipping the child with proper supplies to go back to school as per the class he/she belonged to.

The second phase consisted of planning the schedule and manpower for the distribution of the kits, and the actual distribution which concluded on 16 November. As many as 9,601 children were reached out to.

To create awareness around the initiative, DRF tied up with Sakshi Media which ran

the DRF flood relief activity promos for 15 days, airing at least 12 promos per day and also covered the children camps and the kits’ distribution in their news bulletins. To raise funds for the initiative, employees of DRF volunteered and were joined by employees of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories. Besides this, DRF Education donated uniforms made for the Pudami school children and stationery. Two additional funding partners – Kusuma Foundation and employees of Convergys who have

Children’s camps were set up in 25 villages in Mahbubnagar and engagement activities were taken

up with the support of teams of Kalajatha – a form of folk “infotainment” theatre. The offsite operation involved procuring items for school kits for children who had been displaced by the floods.

formed their volunteer group called “Just a Drop” – also joined hands.

The concluded operation at the project areas will be assessed in January 2010 to ascertain the further need for support to the children in the form of material support to the children, infrastructure support to the schools or even academic support in the form of training and teaching learning material to the children.

- Narayani Das

22

2009: THE YEAR THAT WAS Nationalization of LABS with Michael and Susan dell FoundationA significant milestone towards alleviating urban poverty was achieved in 2009 with the signing of an MoU between DRF and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation (MSDF) to run 74 MSDF LABS centers in 47 cities across the country. Under this partnership, DRF’s key role will be to identify livelihood options for young people between 18-25 years of age and train them in domains that cater to market needs.

dRF receives et Corporate Citizen Award On January 17, Dr K Anji Reddy (Chairman, Dr. Reddy’s and DRF), received the Economic Times’ ‘Corporate Citizen of the Year 2008’ Award on behalf of Dr. Reddy’s Foundation from Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh at a glittering function held at Mumbai. Mr GV Prasad (Vice Chairman and CEO, Dr. Reddy’s), Mr Satish Reddy (Managing Director and COO, Dr. Reddy’s), Ms Anuradha Prasad (Managing Trustee, DRF) and Mr Jitendra Kalra (Chief Executive Officer, DRF) also attended the function.

Spring Award for dr K Anji ReddyOur Founder-Chairman, Dr K Anji Reddy, was honoured by The American India Foundation (AIF) with the prestigious AIF – Annual Spring Award at their annual Spring Awards Gala in May in New York City. This award recognized Dr Reddy’s visionary leadership in business and philanthropy – through Dr. Reddy’s Foundation and Naandi.

enrollments up in Pudami schoolsThe Pudami Primary schools and Pudami Neighborhood schools reached out to more and more children from all walks of life, providing them with a quality English-medium education. Enrollment in the 29 Pudami Primaries were up from 3,347 to 4,767 over the previous academic year, while enrollment in the four Pudami neighborhood schools increased from 1,021 to 1,434.

14 private and public partners

136

LABS centers across India in 20 states

31,109

livelihoods created in 2009

5 new domains added to LABS program

Milestones

23

Handing the ‘Green Baton’ to the next generationTo instill a sense of responsibility towards the environment in the next generation, a new volunteer initiative called ‘Green Baton’ was initiated by DRF in collaboration with Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories. Green Baton volunteers are visiting schools throughout the city and building awareness about key environmental issues, such as water and energy conservation, recycling, afforestation and global warming through a number of exciting and innovative educational activities.

2009: THE YEAR THAT WAS

Launch of “Skilling Rural India” projectIn a bid to provide livelihood opportunities for rural youth and enable them to take part in India’s economic growth picture, DRF launched a program called “Skilling Rural India”. Adapting the LABS model to the rural socio-economic situation, DRF is providing training to rural youth in a variety of domains that will help them find jobs in factories and establishments near their villages so they need not migrate. Two pilot projects have been implemented in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, and approximately 200 youth have been trained and helped to obtain employment to date.

Key partnerships strengthen transit schools As many as 6,310 children of migrant construction workers were enrolled in Non-Residential Bridge Centers (NRBCs), while 588 were enrolled in the five Residential Bridge Centers (RBCs). These centers offer vulnerable children, who are otherwise often made to work, a safe haven in which to learn, ensuring that they have the basic competencies to be mainstreamed into regular schools. Key partnerships have been forged with the construction industry to ensure that children of laborers are enrolled in the NRBCs. These include: Indu Projects, Modi Builders, Krishna Kunj, L&T, My Home, Ramki, SEWInfra Ltd, DSR Constructions, MFar, SS Constructions, and Sri Aditya.

dRF adopts an environmental PolicyMarking our commitment to the protecting the environment, DRF unveiled its new Environmental Policy on World Environment Day, which is celebrated worldwide on June 5. The policy not only seeks to ensure that our employees have a healthy work environment but also encourages all our staff to adopt an environmentally conscious approach and good practices in their day to day activities.

1,280children enrolled in Kallam Anji Reddy Vidyalaya (KARV)

127Non-residential Bridge Centers

576youth enrolled in Yuva Centers

379teachers in DRF-run schools

24

DRF in the News

Eenadu, 15 December

The Hindu, 21 September

Sakshi, 14 December

Eenadu, 22 December Andhra Jyothi,14 October DNA, 1 December

Sakshi, 3 December

Divya Himachal, 25 October

25

This year, I have had several opportunities to connect directly

with the people who are impacted by our programs – both in urban and rural India – and each encounter left me with a feeling of deep satisfaction. Whether it was a young child of illiterate parents proudly reciting her ‘A,B,Cs’ or a LABS graduate speaking of the joys of financial security and independence, the overwhelming sense was one of hope and expectation.

I recently enjoyed a simple and hearty lunch with farmers in the middle of a field in a village near Sadashivpet where we are introducing an innovative approach to farming called ‘Small Plot Intensive Cultivation’. The farmers who had adopted the model were not only excited about the new farming practices they had implemented, they had added several innovations of their own. This is what empowerment truly means – providing opportunities for people to dream big and reach their full potential.

keen to be a part of India’s bright growth picture. With more industries moving to rural areas, our new ‘Skilling Rural India’ program is providing valuable market-driven training to rural youth who can then seek employment in these new businesses and industries without having to migrate out of their villages for jobs. The feedback we are getting even in these early stages is highly encouraging and we hope to scale up this program in the new year.

On the education front, it has been an eventful year. The Pudami schools have consolidated their presence in their respective communities and admissions have increased significantly. Importantly, the schools received almost all of the necessary permissions from the government. The Education Resource Center continues to do an excellent job of supporting the Pudami schools and helping to create equity in education for all sections of our society.

Another satisfying development is that we are now providing nutritional support, in addition to educational support, to children of migrant construction laborers at 10 non-residential bridge centers. We have also added two new residential bridge centers to help mainstream these children as their families move from one construction site to another.

As I look towards the year ahead, I am confident that we will reach out to even more people and help transform more lives and communities so that they too can participate in the growth and development of our country. With a dynamic CEO leading the way and robust systems in place, we are in a position to consolidate and expand our activities to have a greater reach and impact than ever before. Our dedicated team members at DRF have truly proved themselves to be the backbone of the Foundation, and it is my hope that they will continue to feel empowered to innovate and take our programs to new heights.

Finally, we are very fortunate to have the generous support of so many remarkable partners, donors and volunteers who have contributed to our mission in countless ways.

I wish you all success and happiness in the year ahead.

- Anuradha Prasad

A Word from the Managing trusteeIt has been a remarkable year on many fronts. For one, our flagship wage employment training program LABS crossed the 10-year mark. When I recall that we started the program with just one center in Hyderabad and a handful of aspirants in 1999 and consider that we now have more than 100 centers across the country and have helped to provide livelihoods to 200,000 youth, I am amazed at how this program has evolved. We are lucky to have highly motivated and supportive facilitators who make a huge difference in the lives of the young men and women they train and we have tied up with many new partners – both public and private – who have helped to take this model to new parts of the country. LABS is certainly a program that has captured the imagination of many, and in the months and years to come, I hope other organizations will be inspired to adopt this model on their own and take it even further.

During the past year, we felt the time had come to reach out to rural youth who are

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

The first batch of

LABS aspirants,

Hyderabad, 1999

Alumni of the

same batch in

Hyderabad, 2009