Reprogramming Lives @A.S.Rao Nagar, Hyderabad

With the divine blessings of Bhagawan, the Computer Education Activity at ASRao Nagar began on 20th Oct, 2007. The idea behind doing this activity was that most of the active youth in ASRao Nagar were working in the IT Field and had been the faculty when the course was conducted at Shivam. After analyzing the industry requirements and the skill set of the youth available, the modules and the duration of each module was decided and teams comprising primary and secondary points of contacts were formed to execute the different modules.

Campaign:

The campaign for the activity was done in and around ASRao Nagar, Kamala Nagar, ECIL, Kushaiguda, Neredmet and Safilguda. Banners were put up at important points and application forms were given to the sevadal to be distributed in their respective zones. By the grace of Bhagawan, the response to the campaign was overwhelming and the youth had a tough time filtering out 25 deserving candidates for the course. The fact that most of the students selected were referred by the sevadal reflects Bhagawan’s continuous support to all our activities and a tribute to the organization elders in making this activity a success.

Pooling the resources:

The computers required for the activity were pooled in by the youth brothers through their contacts and few machines were also taken from Shivam. The projector for conducting the sessions was also given by one of the Seva Dals. A lab containing 10 machines was setup in the hall of the first floor of one of devotee’s residence, where the theory classes were conducted.

The Course:
All set and done, by Swami’s Will the activity began on his Avataar declaration day with Vedam and Bhajans. The modules covered in the 63 day course included Basics of Computers, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, Computer Hardware and Spoken English. Aptitude was included to assist those students who were pursuing their Bachelors degree and would be facing competitive exams, interviews once they complete their graduation. The faculty included in its ranks youth working in reputed companies like ADP, TCS, CTS , E&Y and Persistent technologies . The English classes were conducted by Sri Ganapathy Garu who is a professional tutor and his sessions as reported by the students were both interactive as well as fun filled. The students were also treated to some sessions on Human Values and ideal citizenship by senior

youth brothers and experienced elders of the organization. One student quotes.” I go to cinema theatres frequently and also eat a lot outside spending a lot of hard earned money of my parents. Sir, you have taught me how hard it is to earn money and the importance of saving money.” Whether the students go on to excel in their lives because of this course or not, such testimonials depict the true success stories of the entire activity.

The Fruits:

6 Students were offered jobs at GANNON DUNKERLY PVT LIMITED

The person recruiting the students informed us that it was not in their company policy norms to allow candidates choose their choice of location. Each student was grilled for more than 2 hours. At the end of it, all 7 students came out with flying colors. To cap it all, they were posted at locations close to their hometowns. 6 of the 7 students were offered jobs as computer operators while one student was given a job as electrician. All students will be offered a salary of 3000 Rs with accommodation during training which is likely to go up to 4500 Rs once they get confirmed.

1 student with offer letter from EMRI (Emergency Medical Research Institute)

Another student Mallesh has been selected by EMRI. He is being offered a salary of around 7000 Rs once he finishes his training .It is noteworthy to inform that the boy was also selected by Gannon, but he was reluctant to take up the job as it required frequent relocations, which meant he wouldn’t have been able to participate in Service activities on a regular basis. He had come with us to Nagasanepalli, a couple of times. When he was asked in the interview why he should be selected, he mentioned about our activities and how we operate. There were no more questions from the interview panel and he was selected.

The Finale:

On the 23rd of Dec, in the divine presence of Swami, a graduation ceremony to felicitate the students with certificates on successful completion of course was organized at Anupuram Community Hall ASRao Nagar. Other guests and dignitaries included the District President, Sri H. Srinivasulu Garu, conveners of ASRao Nagar, Defence Colony, Kamala Nagar and Safilguda, Sevadal from these zones and Youth from the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Sri. Srinivasulu garu observed that while the technical content of the course was accessible to one and all outside, the softer aspects that were taught in the course like discipline, habits of a good citizen, how to plan and manage time were the real assets that the students should learn from the course and implement them in their lives.

The highlight of the program apart from the graduation ceremony of students was a skit performed by the youth depicting the village activities done by Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organizations It was a wonderful feeling for the students, some of whom had not even completed graduation to receive certificates in front of so many people. The joy on the faces of their parents was evident and some of them couldn’t hide their tears of joy. The youth could feel Swami’s invisible hand pushing them throughout the course of the activity. Swami’s smiling face ensured that all tiredness was put to rest and everyone was revitalized to resume the activity.

This activity was a great learning experience for everyone involved and there is confidence among the youth that such a project or for that matter even more challenging projects can be taken up and executed with a heart filled with Love.