By Vishal Talreja | Co founder
"........I can’t believe that there was a time when I believed that I won't be able to complete my education. Today I have completed my B. Com degree with 92% marks. I am extremely proud of the hurdles I have overcome. It was the positivity that I cultivated in the Career Connect Centre that helped me achieve my goal”, says Indraja
Indraja is a 21-year-old who comes from a family of 3 and has been receiving scholarship support from past 4 years which has been a huge support for Indraja and her family.
Indraja’s family consist of her mother and elder sister; her father abandoned the family when she was just 15 years and had just finished school and was entering college which left her traumatized.
Her mother is the only earning member in the family and works in a garment factory. Over the past few months her mother hasn’t been feeling well and is unable to go to work putting the family into great hardship. This situation required her sister to look for a job and herself to look for a part-time opportunity after college hours.
“I had just joined college when my father left us, I was very sad and kept asking myself why my father had left us and blamed myself for it. I needed to overcome my present state of mind and improve my situation, that is when I found that Dream a Dream was providing basic computer classes for free. I felt this was the perfect opportunity for me”.
Indraja got to know about the Career Connect Centre when she had just entered her 1st PUC (first year of senior secondary) at Don Bosco College.
“When I joined the classes I was very withdrawn in nature. I used to hardly speak and always worried about how my mother was going to manage everything and whether I will be able to continue my studies or not. During one of the sessions called ‘The reflective circles’ where we share our feelings etc. I shared my feelings of being insecure about my future and my studies. The session helped me calm down; I was able to plan better and interact with other young people. I applied for a scholarship and was able to seek support to find a part-time job”.
“With the help of the scholarship and the support of Dream a Dream I was able to complete my degree; I can’t believe that there was a time when I believed that I won't be able to complete my education. Today I have completed my B. Com degree with 92% marks. I am extremely proud of the hurdles I have overcome. It was the positivity that I cultivated in the centre that helped me achieve my goal”.
Indraja wants to pursue higher education do M. Com; she is passionate about teaching and wants to become a professor in a reputed University. She feels that by teaching she can help students like her and help them have a good future.
Indraja has been part of Dream a Dream's Career Connect Programme.
Career Connect Programme is an initiative of Dream a Dream. The programme equips 14-23-year-old young people from vulnerable backgrounds with information, skills and access to opportunities to make a healthy transition to adulthood. We conduct career awareness workshops, run short-term modules in English, computer skills, communication skills, money management, and career guidance and provide access to internships, scholarships, vocational training and jobs.
The programme is delivered in two learning centres, based in Bangalore. 5,000 young people are engaged in this programme every year.
The goal of this programme is also to provide a support system to young people at a crucial age when they are making critical life choices, particularly, in choosing their careers. The Career Connect Centres engage in long-term tracking of 7,000 programme graduates to ascertain their progress on a careerpath.
The two most important insights that we have learnt over the years; the first is that turning 18 is no guarantee that you are prepared for a career; the second is that just because you are younger than 18 and can’t get a formal job, doesn’t mean you are not expected to be the bread-winner for your family. Career Connect is focussed on developing the life-skills that young people need to navigate this complex phase of adolescence and ensure they are prepared for life.
Our modules include career awareness workshops, communication skills workshops, English communication workshops, money management and career guidance. At the next stage, young people can choose various skilling programmes as per their interest and need such as Beautician, Hospitality, Painting, etc. We close the loop by providing youth access to internships, scholarships, vocational training and placement. Each of these modules are strategically categorized into
With the introduction of the skill development programme last year, we had many young people showcasing skills that had the makings of a venture and independent career paths which led to piloting the entrepreneurship programme this year.
Learnings and Outcome of the Programme:
DELIVERING IMPACT
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Present Status of The Active and Tracked Young People Who Enrolled In The Programme (2013-14 to 2018-19)
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