The minute you see a little girl who can’t see but sings beautifully and comes from a poor family, your heart melts and rightfully so. Our hearts melted too when we saw Sargam at Arushi, Bhopal. Sargam, is blind, sings beautifully and is a little girl whose parents are struggling to make ends meet. She is studying in a school courtesy Arushi and in 11 years will complete her 12th standard. Then what ? If she is driven enough, she will manage to do her degree, maybe in music and maybe become a music teacher or even a famous playback singer…. Great and I wish that happens and Krishnan and I will personally be involved with Sargam to see this through. But what about the many Sargams that we haven’t reached and don’t know of ? 

This other girl is topping her class at ITI, in fashion designing. She has got placed in Vardhaman and will soon be joining them. But what about that girl who came 5th in class in another ITI who doesn’t know where to join ? Or that other girl, who has awesome unique designs in her head, but no money to even do her ITI course ?

Now, there is this student at the Bhali school near Shahpur, in his 12th standard, who wants to go abroad and do business. He is bright and resourceful, but has no clue how he can reach his goal…. And here is a guy who could be an employer. Then 80% of that 50 student class had just one career choice … Do a course at ITI and get a job. I do wish they all get placed or become self-employed but what of the many others who don’t even reach the Bhali school because they can’t pay even the ₹24 per month ? Yes just ₹24. No typo there. 

Now think of your office or businesses … In the next 3 to 10 years, what will be your situation. You would want to hire really bright graduates, there would be diversity targets to fulfil, your large format stores will require store assistants, your swanky front offices will need smart girls and boys to answer phones, that factory you setup as part of “Make in India” to make low cost mobile phones will need technicians, the several thousands of hospitals will need nurses and ward boys besides doctors…..the 100 smart cities will need a smart workforce. Where are you looking for these people today ? Right outside your door. In three years, that pool will dry up as the smarter, well educated lot is more mobile and you can’t hire the “skills-mismatched” candidates. You will also want fire-in-the-belly and a great attitude and yes, don’t lower your expectations !!

When you fund a student who is poor, or from the low income group, you are actually investing in your future employee and expanding the pool from which you can hire. It’s no mushy feeling with which you need to approach charity. When Krishnan and I come and ask you for funds to educate these students, we want you to know, that you are doing this for the future of your respective businesses, no charity. Now, the next thing you need to do, is develop your “diversity and inclusion” muscle. The way to do that is to hire from all over the country, all types of people and invest in developing your future employees not just outside your doorstep but every corner of this vast country. The differently abled and disabled and women are the large pool that you struggle to hire from. But this pool fulfils all your “attitude” needs and is far less mobile. I know, the attrition targets are looming large. As smart cities develop, the rural-urban migration hopefully will reduce and the big metropolises won’t break under pressure of burgeoning populations. There are several business reasons to do charity, not just mushy feelings.  

BLOT (Bottom Line On Top) – help fund education, invest time and effort with the ITIs, Skill development Institutes and even the entire educational system because it makes ample business sense, not because it tugs at your heart strings only. Hey, the Millennials that you are beginning to hire are hopefully asking you these questions :):). Do it for them.

ShikshaDaan will be funding 100 scholarships for students of ITIs in Himachal and we need ₹15 lakhs. Do open your purse strings and support this project. For more details write to us at vgkrishnan@shikshadaan.com or bindukrishnan@shikshadaan.com.