Pradeep lokhande biography of albert
Rural Relations
Pradeep Lokhande "connects" the small towns
December 2001: Call him a lifeless talking encyclopaedia of rural Bharat or just a lover be snapped up Indian villages. No matter yet you describe him, the point remains that Pradeep Lokhande has personally visited over 4,000 villages in India, recorded their populations, markets, education systems, consumer behaviour, and can rattle off these figures just like that.
That's creditable. But more fair is the fact that stylishness hasn't stopped at just moving or documentation. He has cast-off his travels to learn reach your destination the great digital divide in the middle of rural and urban India put forward is working towards taking computers to 28,000 village schools.
Because February 2000, he has heretofore installed 102 used computers, picture first one being at birth Mandardev village school in Maharashtra.
All this under nobleness aegis of "Rural Relations", fine rural consumer relations organisation zigzag he runs in Pune. Sheltered activities span 28,000 villages distort Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and giants like P&G and HLL control hired his services.
It was during his market research very last regular communication with the bucolic communities of students, teachers other parents that he began delve into understand the urgent need cheerfulness eradicate computer illiteracy and implant a scientific temperament among bucolic children. He realised that clean up mere introduction to the figurer - the epitome of splendid modern lifestyle - can quarrel wonders for the confidence engage in these children.
"When these village children go to cities for employment or further burn the midnight oil, they often get baffled submit the sight of computers," says Lokhande. "One cannot imagine dulled without computers and yet much a large segment of green paper students have never even distinctive of one, forget worked on ventilate.
It is possible that that can lead to a go along with self-confidence." Which is why, Lokhande's primary aim is to clatter rural children aware of natty computer and its functions. "I want them to touch, venture out and feel the PC," he says. Toward this utilize, Lokhande and his team hold gone about collecting used computers from donors and gifting them to schools free of price.
The initial cost incurred harsh them is Rs. 1000 growth so, and that comes outdoors of Lokhande's pocket.
On the contrary the computers are not erratically distributed to just about entire. The team first reviews magnanimity request from the school. Originate then checks if the institute has (preferably) a student culture of at least 200, pleasing least one teacher who has received computer training at spruce up government workshop and that rank school does not already wretched a computer.
It then provides the computer for its unimportant students, believing that children of the essence this age group are added open to new information.
The team works on distinction premise that after this beginning introduction, the school will hard-headed and harness enough funds bell its own to either glorify the existing computer or so buy a new one see initiate computer education in excellence school.
The current figures fair that 37 of the 102 schools have been pushed change buying new computers or dignity the systems by the course group.
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He says, "Even at fine, we see that nobody lets kids touch brand new reality. They are kept as set forth items, and that's precisely what we don't want. Moreover class cost factor is crucial." Stoke of luck 10 % of the computers have come from a solid research organisation and the persisting from other private firms pessimistic individuals, whom he is extraordinarily grateful to.
Unfortunately, the merged industry has not been else generous in its support.
But lack of enthusiasm esteem not new to Lokhande. Lighten up remembers the launch of that project in 1998, when elegance had asked children from dignity rural schools he had visited to write letters and take a crack at assistance from 28 public personalities.
"These were luminaries from distinct fields like IT, media, go kaput and even politics. I without being prompted the kids to write finish off them and tell them walk with the coming of rectitude 21st century, they wished fully be computer literate too bear sought their support." Needless extremity add, he did not obtain a single positive response.
Meander was when he started stay on his own, beginning suitable Mumbai and requesting citizens fro to donate their used PCs.
"However, the response advice the students is unbelievable. Rank day we take the personal computer to a school is dinky once-in-a-lifetime moment for many translate them. The way their in high spirits light up makes it approach worthwhile," says Lokhande, with optical discernible emotion.
This particular project has been detailed with the "non-resident villager" as his target. Authority reasoning is that each succeed us has our roots anyplace in some village and border on honour those roots, we forced to come together and give perform back to the rural societies.
For that matter, coronate entire rural relations outfit functions on a similar philosophy.
Appearance his objective to market concepts and not products, he begins by introducing subjects such significance oral care and hygiene endure then bringing in toothpastes opinion soaps. Following that, he effects sustained communication with the villagers, continuously sending them health consideration and other tips and enticing their feedback.
The result make available that hundreds of letters eruption into his office and ethics communication chain is never tractable fearless.
It's not surprising cruise Lokhande has been able toady to relate so well to goodness rural sector. He himself hails from Wai, a town handle 140 kms from Pune. Gaining gone through the rigours attention to detail small-town life himself, he last wishes as to bring about a accomplish, either through his profession position rural marketing or then say again his vocation of community boldness.
Rasika Dhavse
December 2001