ILSS – What made you consider the social sector as your second career? What has the transition process looked like for you?

Ishmeet – I chose this field with the vision to give back to my community in any area which could make a difference while also making it the foundation for the next 25 years of my life. My aspiration was to work and contribute in the area of public health. The current situation of public health has only further determined my resolve. 

How did you choose the path you eventually took to serve in the Social Sector? How did you leverage the ecosystem (ILSS community and beyond) on this path?

Exploring avenues and speaking to family and friends in the sector helped me understand my options. I started from the area of health and asked myself, “What can I do given my experience and current stage of life?” Public health became an area where I could acquire skills and contribute; assessing time, commitment and resources were essential while making this decision. 

There are many resources available once you start looking. My priority was to acquire skills and knowledge in the sector. I used online sites to access courses and programs, including a certified diploma course in public health. The next stage was understanding the developing sectors and opportunities for a transition candidate. “How does one build networks in this sector, and where to look for jobs?” I then came across ILSS – India Leaders for Social Sector on social media, attended a few webinars, and decided to give it a shot.

What is the work you and your organisation are involved in now? 

Piramal Foundation focuses on improving the lives of marginalised communities by strengthening Government systems and leveraging the power of youth (through fellowship programs) with the spirit of service or “seva bhava”. My work is primarily in the Piramal Swasthya vertical – strengthening areas of the health system. I am leading the Digital Bharat Collaborative, which is focused on supporting state governments in their digital transformation journey and using technology to improve the accessibility, availability and quality of public health services for the communities. 

Why was it essential to invest in your leadership journey?

My experience is in general management, leading large teams, sales, marketing and digital technology. You must invest in your leadership development skills if you are serious about creating an impact and have decided to have a second career in the development sector. Combining this with your multi-sectoral experience will help you contribute meaningfully and shape the cause you pick.

What was the “unlearning” and “relearning” process – What was challenging and straightforward? What are the rewards and the pains in this work?

For me, it was all new learning! I don’t feel you need to unlearn anything. You are what you learned till now. You will learn new ways and skills and navigate the way through uncharted waters and your experience and knowledge will hold you in good stead. 

The most significant opportunity & challenge I faced was managing diverse team members and stakeholders. Unlike my corporate teams, the motivations, incentives, and aspirations vary among the NGO teams, donor organisations and government stakeholders. A smile from a beneficiary and a genuine acknowledgment of impact by the stakeholder can be gratifying. However, it may be tough to get to it. 

What do you see as your future path within the sector? What are the most prominent developmental challenges the country is facing right now?

Every area has many challenges, and we are yet to mature on the development journey. Strengthening government programs and mobilising communities to engage in their development journey is a task every citizen should be involved in, in some manner. At an individual level, your journey and work must give you meaning, learning, joy and pride. Inspiration is everywhere.  

What responsibilities do we, as citizens, have to contribute to the social development sector?

“Social Development sector is part of nation-building just like any other sector that builds the country’s economy, values and culture. As citizens, every activity we involve ourselves in, must serve the purpose of personal growth and community welfare around us. It is our responsibility to remain honest with this philosophy.”

Could you highlight the key challenges/opportunities and key levers/strategies critical to the cause you work for?

Our organisation has deployed many high-impact solutions to strengthen government service delivery across three sectors- Health, Education and Water. The focus has been to complement the efforts of the administration in each ministry to build leadership capability and tech solutions and enable the adaptation of new and improved processes to impact the direct beneficiary experience. It requires a lot of patience and control to build capability and support for the system to change and deliver, instead of diving directly to take charge of executing the program. 

Join the 16th Edition of The ILSS Leadership Program, taking place this April from the 14th – 23rd, and become a part of the diverse ILSS Community.

Limited seats left; register now!

https://bit.ly/41scEfd

The post Alumni Spotlight – Ishmeet Singh appeared first on India Leaders for Social Sector.

I thought transitioning from an investment banking career to a social entrepreneur was tough enough. But the stakes changed drastically when I decided to join the impact world after running a social enterprise for more than a decade. I was excited to be part of an inspiring mission, and took up the challenge to lead the fundraising efforts for one of the largest collective philanthropic efforts in the country.

But I must admit, fundraising for a nonprofit has been the toughest job I have ever done. As a banker, I would ask clients to part with their money with the promise of great returns. But in the nonprofit world, it can be intimidating to ask people to part with their hard-earned cash. Building and maintaining relationships during a pandemic can be challenging, but with the right strategies, we can create long-lasting bonds.

1. Research, Research, and then… do more Research.

Recently, I gifted one of my donors a painting by an acclaimed folk artist. Knowing he had a keen interest in the History of Art, I bought the painting from a NGO that was supporting this particular diminishing folk tradition. When I shared the NGO’s story with him, he immediately wanted to support their work as well. Doing research and understanding your donors is the first step to build a meaningful relationship. Fortunately, today we have more access to information about our donors than ever.

You need to be able to answer these questions if you want to get to a donor’s heart:

• What kinds of causes or passions do they care about?
• Do they have a history of giving? What other causes have they given to before?
• What are their objections, fears, and concerns about giving?

In other words, understand your donor so well, it’s like you have read their mind.

2. Keep the Ask Simple.

As a rookie banking professional, one of the best pieces of advice I’ve been given by one of my mentors was: Keep the ask simple. Always link what you want to ask for with a specific goal that can be quantified and shared. And this is not just important for fundraising; it’s about setting specific goals for your organization. And the only way to do it well is practicing your ask with these simple outcomes/goals in mind. For example, building a ‘Gift Tree’, showing how their gift could make an impact is a very effective method. 

3. Build Strong Relationships. Listen and Respond.

My journey as a fundraising professional started early last year. Due to the COVID crisis I could not have any in-person meetings. Suddenly the world of fundraising, which thrived on face-to-face meetings, moved into a virtual space. At this juncture, decades of experience of building strong relationships came to my rescue. I studied what my donors are interested in, and communicated with them regularly. I sent them articles according to their interests and wrote personal notes. As an organization, we would engage them in various activities as advisors, mentors, and advocates.
One of the personal learnings in this exercise has been to listen more. Listening carefully can be a very underrated part of communication skills, especially when it comes to responding to the nuances of donor needs. 

4. Perseverance is Key.

Every fundraising professional has been rejected by donors. I was dejected after hearing a “No” from a CSR Board after months of hard work. But being able to put it aside and not become disillusioned or demotivated was the only way I could move forward. Major gifts require a lot of hard work, tenacity, and determination to pull off. Since it often requires an organization to build a long-term relationships, perseverance is a crucial quality for a fundraising professional.

5. Continue to Show Gratitude.

At our organization, we don’t just thank donors at the time of giving. We find opportunities to show our continuing gratitude. We celebrate their “donorversary” by sending personalized thank you notes. We thank them with a story of how exactly their gift has created an impact, leaving a lasting impression and an emotional connect. One of our donors even shared such a story with his friends, who in turn were motivated to get involved with the cause.

6. Create a Process-Driven Approach.

Having a strategic process goes a long way. It is essential to capture all the information and data in one place, like in an Excel spreadsheet, in CRMs, etc. This has helped us gain insights on prospective donors, communications, and donor engagement strategy. With additional contributions and referrals from donors, this approach has multiplied our returns. On top of it all, a process-driven structure helps to leverage the diverse skillset of a team, maximizing performance.

7. Make it a Collective Effort.

In a nonprofit world, fundraising is a collective effort. Everyone who is connected to the cause, including founders, advisors, and extended team members, can majorly contribute to the fundraising effort. They open doors for you, extend their support, and champion the cause. Aligning their strengths, networks, and passion to the cause is the key to build a strong group of fundraising champions.

8. Commit to the Cause.

After a fundraising pitch, the donor committed his contribution saying, “I can see your passion, and that’s why I feel energized to contribute to the cause.” This was one of the biggest highs for us in the team. When a fundraiser is truly passionate about the organization, it shines through in their work. We don’t convince donors. We help them realize that they already care, and then connect their passion to the cause. Once donors believe that your cause truly matters, giving almost becomes an afterthought. Of course they’ll give!

9. Invest in Yourself.

Even though I had the experience of fundraising in my earlier corporate avatar, the world of the nonprofit was very different. I decided to invest in my learning and signed up for the ILSS Fundraising Program – one of the best decisions I made. It not only helped me to understand the nuances of philanthropic fundraising, but also build my network with some amazing nonprofit leaders who are now close friends and mentors.

Fundraising is a roller coaster ride with its ups and downs (sometimes the downs are more than the ups)! But the everlasting impact it can have on your cause makes it all worthwhile.

The post The Rollercoaster Ride: Fundraising in the Impact World appeared first on India Leaders for Social Sector.

As CEO of Apni Shala Foundation, a Mumbai-based nonprofit working to implement programmes for emotional wellbeing in schools, Rohit Kumar was one of several organization founder-leaders to invest in building his fundraising skills through the ILSS Fundraising Program. Some months into the Program, through conversations with peers and pitching the Apni Shala cause to donors, Rohit realized that there was fundamental personal work to be done before these lessons could be truly applied for his organization.

“It is a relatively recent phenomenon that nonprofit leaders are coming from middle and working-class backgrounds,” says Rohit. “While there have been many social workers and activists from very diverse, at times deeply economically challenged backgrounds, the social sector as we know it was mostly started by upper-class families’ efforts to ‘do good’ with their money.”

“There aren’t yet structures in place to address these gaps within the sector itself, and we don’t know how to have those conversations. So, people working in the development sphere usually have to approach asking for funds whilst having a complicated, sometimes painful, relationship with money themselves.”

Rohit reflects on his upbringing in a middle-class North Indian family, which informed some of his own beliefs about money. “Growing up, having money was like having respect. It should be earned, not given to you, let alone asked for. If you don’t have money and have to ask for it, it is considered a personal failure, and becomes a site of trauma. After years working in the social sector, I realized that asking for money, even though I knew I had to do it for my organization, still carried with it the shame, guilt, and other painful associations ingrained into me from my early years.”

Class politics are also, unfortunately, fully at play in the everyday efforts of running a nonprofit and raising funds. Rohit remembers an experience he had meeting a potential donor in Mumbai. After a full day of fieldwork, Rohit made his way to the appointment at the donor’s plush apartment building, and was stopped at the gate. “The security guard thought I was building staff, telling me to use the back service entrance,” Rohit recalls. “After I told him I was a guest of one of the residents, a hesitant phone call was made, and I was let through.”

More than anything, this event highlighted the vast class difference between Rohit and the donor, cementing the social messaging that he was undignified in asking for money, and should be ashamed. “I don’t really care about the misunderstanding… you can think of me however you want. But, I did come up to the donor’s flat with a distinct feeling that I do not belong here.”

“I was in a different bracket of human, based on my class perception. How could I possibly apply concepts of ‘Making a Good Pitch’ and ‘Creating a Strong Organization Narrative’, let alone even being personable, when I am struggling to gather my humanity?”

Rohit knew he was not the only one with these experiences – with deep trauma around money to be unpacked. With this in mind, Rohit organized a session with his organization’s leadership team, where the agenda was just that – talking about how we feel about money. “We started with exploring how our body responds to money. Many of us felt the weight of shame in our stomach, or aching hurt in our chest…” The session led to everyone articulating their insecurities around money, sharing their hurt around it based on their life and experiences.

“It became a space of healing, where we for once could talk freely about this realm of life that is often given very little attention. We opened ourselves, and cried, and held each other in our vulnerability. We also found each other, felt together, and laughed. It helped to be able to name and place our trauma, and have compassion for conflicting experiences, even within the room.”

“Most importantly, it was critical to recognise how social and economic systems induce shame and guilt that we do not have to live with.”

The Apni Shala leadership team decided that the outcomes of creating this space should be first, compassion – for themselves and each other, as well as figures who may have hurt them in the past. Rohit explains that, “even the privileged donor with biases, discriminating against people who do not fit their model of appropriately poor, or conveniently disadvantaged, have their own self-work to do. Their prejudice is a reflection of an inability to fully engage with the world, that must be actively undone. When we understand that, we open up space for dialogue. Narrative Practices, one of the philosophies that Apni Shala’s work is informed by, invites us to consider that people are not the problem, the problem is the problem. No matter where you are in the class ladder, your outlook is informed by the same hierarchical system.”

That’s where the healing begins. “In development work, when we start leaning on and supporting each other, we create opportunities for everyone to heal from systemic pain, creating new possibilities of relating to one another.”

“Those who have privilege also have the responsibility to do this self-work. Hating or dismissing each other is not going to help us in our healing. Luckily, in my work of fundraising in the last few years, I have also met some really thoughtful and self-reflective donors who are engaging with us in this reflective, co-healing journey.”

The team also realized that understanding this hurt and shame affected the way they related to the beneficiaries of their social work. “We asked ourselves how class and money affected the way we relate to our professional roles, and how we relate to the children whose lives we are a part of. Naming our pain, and therefore deeply trusting ourselves as educators, gave us a clearer picture of our impact and work on the ground. As a result, we could now really envision donors as our partners and supporters, which was just an abstract concept before.” Soon after their session, the Apni Shala Foundation held a large event where they invited existing and potential donors, showcasing their vital work with confidence and assurance like never before.

An oft-repeated mantra in the ILSS Fundraising Program reminds fundraisers that, “If you don’t ask, the answer is no.” While undeniable, it is essential we acknowledge that the notion of asking for money itself is incredibly loaded, and potentially fraught. Money, after all, cannot be separated from the context of India’s deep class divides, which inevitably run through the very sector that is working tirelessly to undo them. At the core of these fissures are the very real, lived and felt experiences of the people that make up the social sector – trauma to be healed, and solidarity to be celebrated. Rohit and the Apni Shala team understood that we cannot leave behind the inherent humanness of development work, in all its complexities, as we strive and sweat toward a harmonious world. The journey begins with self-compassion.

The post Healing Our Relationship with Money: Unpacking Funding Systems appeared first on India Leaders for Social Sector.

A year and a half ago I was employed at a leading global education company, doing reasonably well by most standards. Deep inside, however, I was bored with what I was doing and racked with the sense that what I was doing was inconsequential. I felt that I had several good years still ahead of me and that I should not waste them doing something I just did not enjoy or relate to anymore. So, I decided to put in my papers and serve out my notice period. That was the easy part.

In search of new direction

The difficult part was to figure out what to do with the next chapter of my life. All I knew was that I wanted to step into a new territory and do something more exciting. That’s when I came across an article in the ET on ILSS. This piqued my interest and I soon discovered that someone I knew had gone through the program as well.  While contributing some of my time to the social sector had crossed my mind before, for the first time I began contemplating a future career in the social sector. Some friends and well-wishers I spoke to advised me to consider the downsides carefully – from significantly lower income, to having to make a fresh start in my career, the slow nature of change in the sector, the lack of defined processes in non-profit organisations, dealing with the long shadow of the government, etc. Others suggested that this could be the last opportunity to do something worthwhile with my life! All of this meant that while the social sector was in consideration, I wasn’t entirely sure if I wanted to head that way. So, the ILSS program seemed just right for a person at the fork, wanting a sense of what lay ahead if one was to venture onto this path.

The learning journey with ILSS

As things turned out, I quit my job a year ago and tumbled straight into the ILSS Leadership Program. It was, unquestionably, the best 9-day experience that I could have imagined. The content was new and stimulating, the speakers were inspiring (some of the sessions made our hair stand on its end), breakout sessions were invigorating and what was revealed about the issues, challenges, the scale and complexity of India made our usual corporate problems seem small and trivial. What Anu Prasad and her remarkable team at ILSS have managed to create is something that provides a great overview of the possibilities of the social sector without getting into the weeds, giving a taste of what could come without sugar-coating the future. The program energized me, filled me with a greater sense of purpose and imbued me with the belief that I could play a small role in solving these big problems. It also introduced me to a set of inspirational course mates and a larger network of corporate crossovers.

What I was not prepared for, however, was how invested the ILSS team would be in my social sector journey after the course. The team does a fabulous job of curating a whole range of social sector employment opportunities for those interested in making the switch. In addition to the efforts of the folks at ILSS, I also tried reaching out to people in the sector on my own. In doing so, I realized that people in the non-profit sector are generous with their time and advise. Despite everything, the right opportunities took time to come by and, in retrospect, I should have been more prepared for it.

Presently, I am serving a full-time contract with Central Square Foundation working on EdTech in government schools, which is a deep interest area for me. Further, I also serve on the boards of two other non-profits.

Key learnings so far

The journey thus far has been quite humbling and a great learning experience. I have had to adjust to several new realities and this is still very much a work-in-process. Some of my key learnings in the first few months of my journey have been:

1. Managing large scale of operations: The scale of a pilot ed-tech project in a single state in the government school sector is close to the size of an entire business catering to private schools. It takes getting used to.
2. Being patient and persistent: As a non-profit one may be offering one’s services for free; but getting the government to agree to avail of those services remains quite difficult. Patience and persistence are great assets and I know I have much work to do on both.
3. The need to be a self-starter: Given that many of the enabling structures of large or even mid-sized corporates are not to be found in non-profits, the sector demands insane levels of individual commitment and passion to drive things forward. The momentum has got to be all self-generated.
4. The importance of spending quality time learning about communities one works with: There is no substitute for field experience. Having entered the sector late in my career, it might be a bit late to make up for it. The next best thing is to learn from those that have great insights from the field. However young such people may be, it is likely that they may know more about how something might work on the ground. I need to keep reminding myself to be humbler to be more effective. 

It has been only a few months for me working in the social sector and I would be lying if I said that it has been all smooth sailing. I know that I need to commit to the sector fully without a Plan B in order for my work to create any meaningful impact over time. I am getting there!

The post A chance at doing something worthwhile appeared first on India Leaders for Social Sector.

My search for a second career began in early 2018 as I got close to my retirement date. Army officers retire young–and feel younger–thus offering a pool of “young”, well-trained, motivated and disciplined talent with a potential of another 15-20 years of useful service.

On pragmatic considerations and my wife’s advice (latter having the deciding weightage) I joined an Executive MBA program at MDI Gurugram to prepare for a corporate job. However, one week into the program I realised I did not want to become just another cog in the wheel of a profit-making machine.

Whether one believes in Maslow’s theory of ‘hierarchy of needs’ or not, there comes a time in the lives of most of us–so-called ‘beneficiaries of ovarian lottery’ – when we want to ‘give back’. So, here I was, back in discussion with my wife, with a request to consider my desire to join the social sector. She agreed, but on the condition that I do not take premature retirement–again, a practical piece of advice.

Preparing for the leap

I now needed to upskill myself to make a smooth transition from the regimented way of life in the armed forces to the complex world of social change. Thus began my search for training programs to prepare for the “big leap”. A few searches on the internet landed me in Cohort 3 of the ILSS Leadership Program in August 2018.

The beautifully curated nine-day program was exactly what I was looking for. Listening to various experts and resource persons widened my perspective. Some of the personal accounts resonated with my thoughts and others added vistas. When Ravi Sreedharan, Founder & Director of Indian School of Development Management, highlighted the importance of civil society action more than living room opinions, it just strengthened my conviction about the power of ordinary individuals in creating change.

Rudrangshu Mukherjee’s session on the relevance of Gandhi was the most impactful for me personally. His talk convinced me that the biggest mistake India made was to move away from Gandhi’s vision of independent India. However, I also found hope in the words that “it is still not too late; India can still shift focus on socio-economic and institutional development of rural society and salvage the situation”.

In addition to informing me what to expect in the social sector, the program helped me identify my knowledge and skill gaps. The immersion visit to a village gave me a chance see the rural set-up up close, including government policies and social structures in rural communities.

My major takeaway from the nine days was that the Government, civil society organisations and citizens together can possibly change the world. It also whetted my appetite for more immersion training and reading.

The path towards more learning

I soon enrolled in the Master of Social Work program of the IGNOU. On a trip to Wardha in the summer of 2019, I got exposed to the realities of water scarcity and farmer suicides; interacting with “farm widows” helped me understand the many factors responsible for farmer suicides.

That trip also gave me a better understanding of Gandhian thoughts on rural development. Visits to Anand Niketan (a school run by Nayi Taleem  Samiti, based on Gandhi’s vision of education for independent India), Gandhi Sevagram, Vinoba Ashram, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Rural Industrialisation (M-GIRI) and Centre of Science for Villages (CSV) at Wardha opened my eyes to the possibilities in developing rural schools, cottage/small-scale industries as well as social and cultural life of a model village.

I finally began to see the truth in why Mahatma Gandhi believed that the future of a self-reliant and economically stable India lay in its villages.

A journey that started at ILSS has made me introspect on several issues, including the mindless pursuit of economic growth and its impact on essential human values; the impact of market forces and mutual competition on peace and harmony; the possibility, if at all, of India reclaiming some peace and equanimity; and  localisation of production, distribution and consumption of goods and services at the village level (and linked to a few towns in the vicinity)  as an alternative model.

I am now posted at Bhagalpur, close to my native village, using this opportunity to engage in farming activities and engage with as many people as possible across caste and income levels to get my perspectives right. At a time when the  Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns have exposed the fragility of globalisation, market economy and transnational supply chains, life in a village has been comparatively easier. Food is available at the doorstep, vegetables grow in small yards in every home, the barter system has got re-introduced to meet the basic needs, and sparse population ensures automatic physical distancing.

I have started my experiments with sustainable farming to create successful models for local farmers to emulate. I am fully immersed in my future work-setting and I am excited about the future.

I would like to end with these words I read on the walls of an institute at Wardha:

Go to the people
Live among the people
Learn from the people
Plan with the people
Work with the people
Start with what the people have
Build on what the people know
Teach by showing
Learn by doing
Not a showcase but a pattern
Not odds and ends but a system
Not piecemeal but integrated approach
Not to conform but to transform
Not relief but release”

The post From the forces to the farmland appeared first on India Leaders for Social Sector.

As a medical student years ago, little did I know that some of the lessons and habits acquired during the course – gruelling hard work, meticulous planning and execution, staying calm and focused in adverse conditions, responding to unforeseen emergencies, always looking for the cause of a problem rather than just addressing the symptoms – would come handy in a different space, at a different time.

Two decades on, as a successful doctor and a hands-on mother, I had the opportunity to revisit the civic lessons learnt during my school days as I helped my children with their homework. The section related to rights and duties seemed to have assumed a new meaning and relevance this time, that set me off on a new journey. 

New directions

In the year 2013, I got interested in issues affecting my day-to-day living in the city, particularly in the subject of waste; as a doctor, I was concerned about the impact of mismanagement of waste on public health. Three years ago, after six years of research and small pilots, I finally set up an NGO, Rnisarg Foundation .

Rnisarg works in the area of making urban spaces sustainable for living, with a primary focus on waste management and road safety. Our waste management campaign ‘Follow the Monkey’ helps create awareness around managing waste in residential areas, commercial complexes, slums, educational institutions and temples. Our Prarambh movement aims to empower more than 300,000 students to address pressing environmental and road safety issues.

We also run an initiative called Project Sakhi, which aims to address the problem of menstrual waste by urging women to switch to menstrual cups. Meanwhile, our Bio-medical Waste Management Project, in partnership with the Indian Medical Association, provides training to healthcare workers for safe management of medical waste in hospitals. We have partnered with corporates, traffic departments, schools and medical associations to widen our reach and be more effective.

As a doctor, I believe that once a diagnosis has been made, the root cause needs to be understood for the disease to be treated and cured effectively. That’s why each of the projects taken up by Rnisarg focuses on creating long-term behavioural change to solve problems.

The road to ILSS and after

Setting up a non-profit was a matter of pure passion for a cause – I knew almost nothing about the non-profit sector when I set up Rnisarg. Once we were up and running, though, I encountered countless challenges daily. That’s why when a friend suggested that I attend the ILSS Leadership Program, I immediately agreed.

ILSS opened a new chapter in my life as an NGO founder. The nine-day residential program and daily inputs from stalwarts from various fields added more direction and clarity to my mission. My apprehensions on whether I had chosen the right subject or if my were values right, were also quickly put to rest.

Post-ILSS, I have become more confident of myself and my work and determined to build my organisation on a set of values that I hold dear. My approach towards my work has also changed: I have started thinking in terms of sustainability, scale and organisation building.

I think of ILSS as a beautiful bridge every person must walk on to have a true perspective of what’s in store for them in the social sector. Becoming a more conscious citizen comes with a sense of happiness that cannot be described in words. Only time will tell whether my work adds significant value to the cause of environment, but the daily actions that I take towards addressing the issue add immense value to my being.

The post The joy of conscious citizenship appeared first on India Leaders for Social Sector.

In 2017, when I first heard of India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS), I had built a corporate career of around 18 years in consulting, operations and executive roles in technology, media and internet industry. Having worked in multiple start-ups, which had given me abundant opportunities to learn and diversify, I was happy about how my professional journey had shaped up.

After joining SHEROES in 2017 as their Chief Commercial Officer, I started looking at my career very differently. SHEROES is a technology company that aims to solve the real problems of women by constantly innovating on how technology can make their lives better, how they can earn better, live better. Internet for women is about freedom and opportunities: women-led start-ups, self-employment, gig work, social commerce, credit, lending, social engagement, communities, writing, art, counseling, education, etc.

Around that time, I met Anu Prasad, who was launching the ILSS leadership program. While the program was primarily for professionals to consider transitioning to the social sector, I decided to sign up for the January 2018 edition for the following reasons:

• To gain a deeper understanding of the gender discourse, to help make my work at SHEROES more meaningful.
• My desire to do something in the education space because I truly believe that education can solve a lot of problems in India.
• I owed it to myself. My earlier experiences had prepared me for a lot for problem-solving across diverse functions and industries, but never had I had any experience of working on problems that impact human lives, communities and nations. In fact, I had a very limited perspective of the landscape itself.

A world of learning in nine days

The nine-day program was a systematic introduction to the development landscape by specialists and prominent names in the sector who spoke about issues ranging from hunger and health to gender, education, accessibility, caste, politics, public policy, funding and environment. The speakers included senior corporate professionals who had either transitioned to social sector roles or were building social enterprises – which was particularly inspiring and encouraging for a cohort of seasoned corporate people.

We also underwent two immersion sessions, one of which was at the Goonj processing centre in Delhi, where Anshu Gupta spoke to us about his journey and his motivation to continue doing the wonderful work he  does.

Our rigorous routine at the program included group reflection sessions after every experience. No book or theory can work the wonder that these sessions can. And I brought back with me the power of that ritual.

Suffice to say that, for such a short duration, the learning from the nine days was humongous and the message was quite clear: working on social development issues is not a choice anymore, but a compulsion.

Reducing inequities and bringing socio-economic changes are also the responsibilities of individuals and corporates and can’t be just left to the government and non-profit organisations to solve. And ILSS is doing a terrific job of enabling people to apply professional expertise to take up their higher calling and solve complex issues.

Doing my bit

At the end of 2018, I started building Curious Times, a news application exclusively for children. It is my honest effort at bringing about social consciousness, general awareness and empathy among children through content and communication. We aim at incorporating reading, thinking and learning to start at primary school level by bringing age-appropriate, curriculum-aligned, positive and progressive news.

With popular social media platforms geared toward sensational and biased content, there are few platforms for children to develop empathy and critical thinking by building awareness on national and global issues and sustainability goals. New-age educators and senior professionals write the curricula-aligned content for Curious Times.

We have also launched “ME – My Expressions”, a safe space for children to express their views on themes they feel strongly about. It has been heartening to see how children express globally relevant issues through articles, poems, stories and art—we have so far received entries in English, Hindi and Tamil. Educators and experts also share their views on Teaching in the 21^st Century. And some of the ILSS alumni have been solid partners since the time I started thinking of this venture.

Just five months since we launched Curious Times, we have 5,000 users and have touched 100+ locations. Our dream is to reach out to a large number of children in big and small cities and in different languages so that they can benefit from Curious Times.

Alongside building this platform, I continue as Chief Financial Advisor at SHEROES, building women’s internet with purpose. I also serve as a Senior Finance Advisor at  Saarthi Education, a non-profit in the space of early education. To sum up, as Dr Seuss says, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

The post Working on social development is not a choice anymore appeared first on India Leaders for Social Sector.

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.”
– Steve Jobs

This quote has been a motivating factor for me during my short yet thought-provoking social sector journey. My interest in the sector started late and the turning point was when I undertook a couple of social projects like MSD for Mothers and a documentary film ‘SonRise’. These projects truly heightened my interest in the sector, gave me a sense of satisfaction and utilised my communications expertise. Despite its challenges and complexities, I was convinced about the move.

I didn’t quite know the best way forward or the prospects that lay ahead, but I believed that there were no wrong turns, only unexpected paths. One thing led to another and my father-in-law, Pravin Gandhi, and I began working towards setting up a foundation with a vision of fostering a culture of collaboration amongst non-profits and donors in India. 

Whilst setting up the foundation, I wanted some field experience, so I accompanied our partners to visit their programs on partnership and collaborative action in Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand. These visits gave me an understanding of realities on the ground, engaging interactions with some bright young minds and a sense of sheer happiness!

Subsequently, I volunteered with Teach for India’s month-long Eklavya program, which gave me a glimpse of the shortcomings in the education system and the dynamics of teaching today’s children. At this point, I had a lot of questions but no real answers, and I yearned for more knowledge on the sector. That’s when I was advised to apply for the 9-day ILSS program at Ashoka University.

Navigating the social sector, with ILSS  

The ILSS course gave me the opportunity to clearly understand my intent. It gave me a better understanding of the harsh realities in the development space, the constantly changing narratives and how social entrepreneurs are innovating to create systemic change. The program is a great platform to meet like-minded individuals and experts who are deeply invested in the sector. Interacting with them, exchanging views, discussing ideas and learning from their experiences was a valuable experience. 

Some of the ideas and perspectives have been particularly helpful as I navigate this environment; for example, Mihir Mathur’s session on systems thinking demonstrated how important it is to process and understand the interaction of various factors and constituents to truly fathom a situation. Ashok Kamath’s five-point checklist for successful programs—politically acceptable, socially desirable, technically feasible, financially viable and administratively doable—was a great takeaway too.

One of my personal favourite sessions was by Rudrangshu Mukherjee, who brought alive the Gandhian ideals of simplicity, fearlessness, non-violence and truth, whilst sharing the importance of cultivating a network of interdependence and resilience. As I go about setting up our family foundation and articulating its philosophy, a recurrent idea through the ILSS sessions keeps inspiring me: that no one person can solve the problems we face and there needs to be a collective approach.

The program is a great platform to meet like-minded individuals and experts  who are deeply invested in the sector.

There’s strength in numbers

Of course, there are many times, when I am alone, introspecting, and don’t have answers – or simply failing to connect the dots. While crossing over into the social sector can be a daunting idea for most people, ILSS helps create a sense of belonging and community for those who wish to cross over or have already taken the plunge. My batch had individuals from diverse backgrounds, some with social experience and some with corporate experience. The nine days at ILSS created a platform for self-exploration, loads of banter, and a heightened need to become active citizens for our community and nation, thereby becoming a support system for each other.

For me, the sector has been like running a marathon, where the journey is, perhaps, the most important part of the experience. From celebrating a series of small achievements to outlining clear objectives and setting conservative yet attainable goals whilst going after larger ones. Setbacks and obstacles are part of the journey and must be embraced and planned for. Another fundamental element for me has been collective knowledge sharing by working together and avoiding duplication. As H.E. Luccock put it succinctly, “No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.” Real transformation takes time, so I need to be patient, pause and remind myself why I am doing it. I do this by constantly visualising the destination, appreciating the journey and believing that “Yes I can, yes I will.”

The post A meeting of like minds appeared first on India Leaders for Social Sector.

Brand and marketing specialist Mohit Beotra is the brain behind the Air Pollution Action Group, set up to address a crisis that affects the lives of millions of Indians every day. The ILSS alumnus explains how corporate training and skills can be used to create social impact.

The post ‘My skills have a role in the social sector’ appeared first on India Leaders for Social Sector.

I consider myself blessed to have been brought up in a liberal, unorthodox environment. The seeds of my social conscience were sown early on and have remained with me since then. As I grew up, I found myself following in my father’s footsteps by stepping into the world of student activism – fighting not just for the rights of students, but also for those of the underprivileged and marginalised.

My involvement in social work was quite random until 2015, when a chance meeting with an acclaimed author changed my life forever. Until then I was happy sponsoring the education of a girl child I had never seen and doing other sporadic acts of funding.  Gradually, a discontent was setting in.  I found myself itching to do more than just give money.

Partnering for good

A rather long quest to find a social welfare organisation with whom I could actively engage led me to this author, who introduced me to a grassroots organisation working primarily with scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in the remote corners of Bengal and Jharkhand.

With operational support from this organisation I started a non-formal primary education centre for school-going children in Bandarberia, a tribal village on the Bengal-Jharkhand border.

After two-three successive visits I realised that the villagers had to grapple with larger challenges – water scarcity, absence of electricity, sanitation, and so on. Through personal initiative and with help from some Good Samaritans, I was partially able to address two most basic needs – water and electricity. In collaboration with an NGO we got two tribal villages electrified with solar powered streetlights. This project was executed against unforeseeable odds and tested my project management skills to the fullest. At the end, the villages got electricity and we got our reward of smiling faces.

Finding direction

During my frequent trips to rural Jharkhand and Bengal I would visit new villages and meet new people, trying to understand their society, their customs, their challenges. Some of these were life-altering experiences. I realised just how privileged we were, and that disturbed me immensely.

Given my deep interest in folk music, crafts and textiles, I tried to dig into their culture to see if and how traditional crafts were being practised. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine at that time that this academic interest would translate into an active engagement with the eco-system.

As I was looking around for a formal induction into the social sector, I chanced upon India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS) and the ILSS Leadership Program, which is designed precisely for people like me who are looking for a meaningful engagement with the social sector. The 9-day program was deeply immersive and experiential. When I think back of all the stalwarts in the sector we met and interacted with, I feel humbled and honoured.  

Post-ILSS the desire to get into the sector was sky high. I just wanted to go out there and do something useful. And I felt most drawn towards rural development.

Finding purpose

Due to circumstances beyond my circle of influence I have not yet managed to immerse myself in the social sector completely. However, I have been on the path of exploration. By sheer chance I discovered a delightful way of engagement that addresses many of my interest areas. As an ardent admirer of the rich heritage of Indian textiles, I decided to do my bit to revive handloom weaving.

The vast repository of knowledge and experience of India’s handloom weavers is at stake today due to the onslaught of power looms and the lack of organised institutional support for handlooms. Also, traditional weavers are moving away to other professions in search of ‘better’ livelihoods. Every day we are losing a part of our heritage.

From this germinated the idea of Aasmani By Arundhati – my little creative venture. At Aasmani we are working closely with skilled handloom weavers across rural Bengal to create textiles that are natural and sustainable. We love to experiment with natural fibres and natural dyes, and the response has been encouraging. We ensure fair wages to the weavers, as they hold the key to our success.

Being an optimistic person, I feel the future is bright, if only we do our own little bit for the world. In India the problems are manifold. But where there is a problem, there is also a solution. We just have to look for it at the right place!

The post Creating change, one weave at a time appeared first on India Leaders for Social Sector.