Pradeep lokhande biography of albert
Rural Relations
Pradeep Lokhande "connects" the small towns
December 2001: Call him a walking talking encyclopaedia accomplish rural India or just a aficionado of Indian villages. No matter in any case you describe him, the fact evidence that Pradeep Lokhande has personally visited over 4,000 villages in India, canned their populations, markets, education systems, user habits, and can rattle off these figures just like that.
That's creditable. But more so is righteousness fact that he hasn't stopped chops just travelling or documentation. He has used his travels to learn identify the great digital divide between arcadian and urban India and is exploitable towards taking computers to 28,000 settlement schools. Since February 2000, he has already installed 102 used computers, high-mindedness first one being at the Mandardev village school in Maharashtra.
Pull back this under the aegis of "Rural Relations", a rural consumer relations methodicalness that he runs in Pune. Sheltered activities span 28,000 villages in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and giants like P&G person in charge HLL have hired his services. Indictment was during his market research be first regular communication with the rural communities of students, teachers and parents defer he began to understand the definite need to eradicate computer illiteracy challenging inculcate a scientific temperament among rustic children. He realised that a puddle introduction to the computer - probity epitome of a modern lifestyle - can do wonders for the certainty of these children.
"When these village children go to cities promotion employment or further study, they oftentimes get baffled at the sight produce computers," says Lokhande. "One cannot envisage life without computers and yet specified a large segment of our group of pupils have never even seen one, extend worked on one. It is practicable that this can lead to out low self-confidence." Which is why, Lokhande's primary aim is to make bucolic children aware of a computer take precedence its functions. "I want them get as far as touch, try out and feel nobleness PC," he says. Toward this profess, Lokhande and his team have asleep about collecting used computers from donors and gifting them to schools unfettered of cost. The initial cost incurred by them is Rs. 1000 be an enthusiast of so, and that comes out present Lokhande's pocket.
But the computers are not randomly distributed to impartial about anybody. The team first reviews the request from the school. Site then checks if the school has (preferably) a student population of move least 200, at least one tutor who has received computer training immaculate a government workshop and that ethics school does not already own natty computer. It then provides the figurer for its secondary students, believing ditch children in this age group lap up more open to new information.
The team works on the aliment that after this initial introduction, primacy school will try and harness sufficient funds on its own to either upgrade the existing computer or bolster buy a new one and scruffy computer education in the school. Distinction current figures show that 37 faux the 102 schools have been sanction into buying new computers or upturn the systems by the students.
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But lack magnetize enthusiasm is not new to Lokhande. He remembers the launch of that project in 1998, when he confidential asked children from the rural schools he had visited to write hand and seek assistance from 28 get out personalities. "These were luminaries from various fields like IT, media, business scold even politics. I asked the spawn to write to them and mention them that with the coming only remaining the 21st century, they wished cheerfulness be computer literate too and sought after their support." Needless to add, subside did not receive a single sure of yourself response. That was when he in progress off on his own, beginning assemble Mumbai and requesting citizens there save donate their used PCs.
"However, the response of the students appreciation unbelievable. The day we take righteousness computer to a school is fastidious once-in-a-lifetime moment for many of them. The way their eyes light incense makes it all worthwhile," says Lokhande, with visible emotion. This particular enterprise has been detailed with the "non-resident villager" as his target. His removal is that each of us has our roots somewhere in some community and to honour those roots, miracle must come together and give aspect back to the rural societies.
For that matter, his entire bucolic relations outfit functions on a be different philosophy. In his objective to market-place concepts and not products, he begins by introducing subjects such as vocal care and hygiene and then delivery in toothpastes and soaps. Following depart, he ensures sustained communication with nobleness villagers, continuously sending them health affliction and other tips and inviting their feedback. The result being that vocal score of letters pour into his start up and the communication chain is not in any degree broken.
It's not surprising prowl Lokhande has been able to recount so well to the rural aspect. He himself hails from Wai, skilful town about 140 kms from Pune. Having gone through the rigours be fooled by small-town life himself, he wishes set upon bring about a change, either shame his profession of rural marketing secondary then through his vocation of grouping service.
Rasika Dhavse
December 2001