BANGALORE, May 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
The Fellowship Enables Educated Youth to Work on Rural Development Projects of Partner NGOs for 13 Months
Prior to joining the State Bank of India (SBI) Youth for India fellowship programme, Bharat Vineeth worked in the IT industry at Bangalore. But, with an unwavering passion to help the needy, Vineeth, a MBA and engineering degree holder - took a sabbatical and set out to make a change. He applied for the SBI Youth for India Fellowship.
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(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150504/10122030-b)
With a high percentage of malnourishment among children and several incidences of midday meal food poisoning due to stale food at an anganwadi (primary school) in Jeypore, Odisha, Vineeth, during his fellowship, came up with a simple but effective solution.
Midday meals served at the anganwadi were affected not only due to unavailability of food sometimes, but also because of food practices of the tribals. The nearest market was 15 kms. away and villagers did not grow their own vegetables. Vineeth took up the cause and convinced students and authorities to set up a kitchen garden. Implementation of best gardening practices resulted in the garden producing over 30 kgs. of fresh supply every month. The fresh produce could be used for the midday meals to help the students get better nutrition.
Like Vineeth, many Indian youth are passionate about causes and want to bring about a change in the lives of the rural community. Giving them an opportunity to realize their dream of transforming lives, the 'SBI Youth for India' initiative is inviting applications from creative and motivated Indian youth and NRIs.
The programme, a CSR initiative managed by SBI in partnership with reputed NGOs, gives fellows a platform to equip themselves with skills and tools, setting in motion a lasting shift in their ability to empower others. Fellows will have an opportunity to work on a variety of projects with partner NGOs across 10 states at 35 locations. Fellows can either choose to work on an existing project of a partner NGO or can implement a new idea.
Endorsing the ambitious initiative, Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus, Tata Sons, said, "Each one of you who participates in this would probably be doing far more in that year than you may have the satisfaction of doing in five years in another kind of profession."
Candidates interested in the fellowship should apply only through the website at http://www.youthforindia.org/. Last date for submission is June 10, 2015.
About Youth for India:
Youth for India is a fellowship programme initiated, funded and managed by the State Bank of India in partnership with reputed NGOs. It provides a framework for India's best young minds to join hands with rural communities, empathise with their struggles and connect with their aspirations.
The Youth for India Fellowship was conceptualized to accelerate growth and development in the rural sector while transforming Fellows into caring citizens with a more holistic worldview. The Fellowship was launched on 1 March 2011, in partnership with three reputed NGOs. 27 fellows of the pilot batch were selected out of 4500 applications. After a review of its impact, the fellowship was scaled up and in September 2014, the second batch of Fellows started their fellowship work. Presently, there are 55 fellows working at 35 locations across 10 states of the country. The alumni continue to be actively involved with the development sector.
Media Contact:
Geeta Verghese,
[email protected],
+91-8025554678,
Programme Coordinator,
SBI Youth for India
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