finding rickshaw.

I’m a Bisleri half full optimist to the core. But since I returned to India this January, my conviction about the country’s destiny has met much resistance. From corporate fraud, to the understated impact of the global recession on economic growth, to fears of an imminent war, to the frustrating state of Indian politics and democracy, I must admit even I have become a bit disheartened.

Luckily, my spirit was rejuvenated rather quickly during a visit to Saath, an Ahmedabad based NGO focused on slum development, where my good friend Rick Desai has been working over the past eight months. During the three-hour morning tour, I felt oceans away from the tacky theatrics of the political stage and the sophisticated sounding but mostly nonsensical commentary on the Bombay Sensex. Instead, I witnessed the implementation of genius ideas and the resulting tangible progress, all narrated by the Saath representatives who make it happen day after day.

Our day started at the largest UMEED center in Behrampura, Saath’s vocational training program, where students aged 18-30 regularly attend classes in subjects such as English, computers, or customer service in preparation for entry into India’s private sector. In the ‘Livelihood Resource Center’, a new program initiated by Rick, students were putting in extra time practicing their typing and logging into their brand new e-mail accounts. In the center of the room, two girls were busy preparing for upcoming interviews with a call center and a home appliance retailer.

Next door, a fresh batch of students listened as a senior Saath instructor introduced them to the training program. Rick interrupted the session to introduce us and share some motivational words in his broken yet charming Gujarati. As I stared across to the 20 or so young students, I noticed a strangely familiar look in their eyes – the same look I’ve seen during countless interactions with young employees in retail stores, restaurants, hotels and offices across India. It’s a look of ambition, determination, energy and pride. When thought of as a collective force – hundreds of millions strong – it’s a competitive advantage no other country can match in scale and intensity. The optimism came rushing back!

At the Balghars, a pre-school education program.

From UMEED, we headed to a Muslim slum in Juhapura and visited a preschool and a microfinance institution. As we walked through the narrow lanes, Rick pointed out the recent advancements brought about with Saath’s help – paved roads, metered power, streetlights, sewage systems, and water supply, to name a few. From there, we headed to Saath’s Urban Resource Center in Vasna to meet with Devu Ben, a revered community resident and Saath employee for 20 years. She graciously offered her time and walked us through their home manager program, a private enterprise aiming to organize the domestic housemaid industry.

Across Saath’s programs, one rule stays constant: No free handouts. All their services are paid for at least in part by the direct beneficiaries. This enables the NGO to experiment with sustainable and profitable development ideas that could ultimately be scaled across Gujarat, across India and potentially beyond. However, my takeaway from the tour was that action, not just ideas, was at Saath’s core. Saath’s unique genius is its ability to take action by building consensus around an initiative, which means garnering support from slum residents, Government, and private companies, simultaneously.

This execution capability, Rick explains to me, comes directly from Saath’s founder, Rajendra Joshi. Now that sounds like a true leader – is there a write-in section on the National ballot?

With the tour winding down and our observations from the morning slowly digesting, we began to discuss future opportunities and challenges for Saath and UMEED. How can Saath maintain quality controls as it expands? Are there feedback mechanisms in place to ensure the curriculum is designed to meet the human capital needs of the economy? Where can technology be used to help scale, add efficiency, and create value?

These opportunities call upon another promising demographic, the new generation of well-educated Indians with a strong desire to create meaning and value. As these young entrepreneurs come up with innovative ways to channel the ambition, energy and determination of the greater pool into dignified jobs and valuable output, India’s destiny as a prosperous nation will not only be achievable, it will be inevitable.

– Aniket Shah

~ by findingrickshaw on April 28, 2009.

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