Saturday 19 January 2013

Sabbatical for social good: Part II


Is it easy to give up a well paying job and indulge your altruistic side? Not really,Priya Fonseca documents some experiences
Aravind Balagi Prasad, who studied at Purdue University and worked as a Design and Development Engineer with Lutron Electronics, quit his job, headed to India and is now a Teach For India Fellow teaching at a school in Chennai; a full time commitment for the next two years. He explains, “I worked for a lighting control company in Pennsylvania for three years before heading back and joining Teach For India. I’ve always wanted to work in the social or developing sector and wanted to work for a cause I believed in. I was doing this in the States as well. I wanted to work with the right organisation that would provide me a better understanding of the problems.”
Many may have the desire to help society or the environment but don’t know how to go about it or cannot pursue the dream due to constraints like time, responsibilities and previous commitments. Actually coming to a decision about making a life altering change is a daunting process as Alessandro, from Switzerland and currently working with UTMT, explains, “Sometimes I did doubt my decision and the logistics in planning a trip like this are enormous from pay, travel details, funds, culture and language to rent and many other factors.” For Richa Goel, who was a senior analyst with Deloitte and now a Teach For India Fellow, the decision did not come overnight, “I had to think long and hard before I finally decided and that was the hard part. My family was very supportive especially my mother. My Dad is a hardcore corporate but once I discussed things through with him he too has been extremely supportive. Of course there are some people like more conservative relatives who are surprised by my choice but by and large people have been supportive and have even expressed a desire to help out in any way they can.”
The internet and word of mouth networks are the primary sources of information on different kinds of avenues available for volunteer work or part time commitments in the social sector. Most volunteers realise during their sabbatical that they need to continue working in the field either full time or in a related capacity when their commitments are completed.  As Aravind explains, “After I finish here with my 2 year commitment, I will definitely work with a philanthropic organisation and I will be involved in the education sector in India. I know I will always keep track of development and education. It’s not something you can forget once you are involved with it. Teach For India is a movement of leaders working towards promoting education for all and the passion becomes stronger when we leave. We’ve seen the impact an organisation can make and the awareness they can create. Am sure all of us fellows after we finish with TFI will try to make an impact in the education sector and take steps to eliminate education inequality.” For Richa the option of going back into the corporate world is certainly on the cards but in a unique capacity as she says, “I am open to going back to the corporate sector but it will probably be as a consultant in the social sector. So it may be a well paying job but in the social sector for example with a company that works in tandem with the government to formulate policies. It’s in between private and social sectors.”
Money is not the only priority in the lives of many; rather the desire to handle new challenges and use their skills and experience in non traditional avenues that aid society while also providing immense satisfaction is the draw. Richa says, “I am extremely happy with my decision. There are similarities and differences with these sectors. Everyone wants to be recognised and that drives motivation whether in a classroom or with employees. The corporate world is more organised and professional while the schools are not so organised and offer scope for improvement and challenges. There is a huge responsibility as a teacher; much more than I’ve felt at my HR job.” For Aravind, “The experience has been amazing, challenging, eye opening and humbling to see the reality of the situation. TFI is such a committed group of inspired, creative and determined people that on a daily basis go out to try and solve a problem.”
Posted by admin (The Times Of India) on Jan 17, 2013

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