INTRODUCING 100 Soochnapreneurs
Meet the Rural Wireless Information Entrepreneurs Riding the New Digital Wave
INTRODUCING 100 Soochnapreneurs
Meet the Rural Wireless Information Entrepreneurs Riding the New Digital Wave
August 2017
Introduction
As much as 67 per cent of India’s with Qualcomm, initiated the population lives in rural India; Soochnapreneur programme in and even by 2016, over 900 April 2016. Soochnapreneur is million Indians do not have a rural entrepreneurship-based access to the Internet. More than model that aims at empowering 300 million identified individuals youth in the villages of India fall under the category of below to sustain their livelihood by poverty line (BPL) who, by providing information and definition, earn less than a dollar services to those who are a day. This is the same share of information deprived and population that directly depends digitally excluded. on access to government schemes and entitlements as Flipping through the pages of their most basic rights. this booklet, you will read about 100 such Soochnapreneurs Realising the need to serve and understand their personal India’s rural, remote and journeys, their association marginalised population with with the programme, and what relevant information about keeps them going to serve their government services, schemes communities. and entitlements in a timely manner, Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), in partnership Abdesh has a simple and down to earth personality. In his family he has his mother, two brothers and a sister. He is married and has two children, i.e. a son and a daughter. His family’s occupation has been farming. Abdesh has completed his BA degree. For the past two years he has been managing a kiosk bank. Playing cricket is his favorite hobby. He has a simple dream that he wants to earn enough money to lead a good quality of life. He is glad to be part of Abdesh Dhakad the SoochnaPreneur programme and he has been helping the people from 25 years nearby areas to solve their problems in using a computer. He says that with the Vishanwada Panchayat, help of Information Technology people Bamori Block, Guna, in rural areas need not travel far from Madhya Pradesh their homes and they can get the basic facilities in their village itself. In his free time he likes watching movies and playing cricket. He is a big fan of Ajay Devgann and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Abdesh has earlier been felicitated by the bank where he was working for his excellent performance.
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Abhimanyu is a young enterprising SoochnaPreneur from West Champaran district in Bihar. He has done his education till Class 12th. He belongs to a BPL family. His father has been a small farmer. In his family are his parents, his wife, two brothers and a sister. His wife is also educated till Class 12th and is currently a home-maker. Prior to joining the SoochnaPreneur programme he had gained experience of working at an Aadhaar Card centre. He feels as Abhimanyu Yadav a SoochnaPreneur he can help people with filling out forms related to various 25 years schemes. He realizes that due to lack of information about various schemes which Vishanwada Panchayat, was not percolating down from the block Bamori Block, Guna, level, many of the potential beneficiaries Madhya Pradesh were being left out from accessing the benefits of the schemes. His presence has ensured that people in his community are able to get such useful information from Internet. In his free time Abhimanyu likes playing cricket, surfing the net and watching movies. He is a big fan of film star Ajay Devgann.
PAGE 7 Akram comes from a humble background. With limited means he had somehow managed to finish his graduation and was looking to start something of his own. One day, as the luck would have it, he met Pankaj Sharma in the market of his village. Pankaj is a district coordinator, SoochnaPreneur project, in Alwar and was than conducting interviews for hiring SoochnaPreneurs to meet the digital requirements of his village. Pankaj was particularly impressed with the young Akram Khan lad for his passion to commence his own business. Akram also showed good 22 years knowledge in terms of digital needs and wants of the area residents, so he was Nangal Khanjadi Village, selected as he fit the bill completely. Laxmangarh Block, Alwar, This arrangement happened at a very Rajasthan opportune moment with regard to his depleting financial conditions. Today, he is not only running a profit-making Soochna Seva Kendra but is also serving the community members with digital literacy, digital services and access to government schemes and entitlements. Akram has two brothers and two sisters. He is very fond of younger sisters and he is planning to send them to New Delhi for higher studies.
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Alamgir proudly introduces himself as a budding rural entrepreneur. He has completed his education till Class 12th. In his family are his parents, two brothers and one sister. His father is a farmer and mother is a home maker. Coming from a rural background from a remote area in Bihar, there have not been much job opportunities for the local youth. Alamgir wanted to study further but due to his family’s poor economic condition he could not continue his studies. He assisted his Alamgir Alam father in farming activities for some time, but wanted to do something different. 21 years He wanted to remain close to his home for work. Getting associated with the Kangli Village, Sikta Block, SoochnaPreneur programme has proved West Champaran, Bihar quite beneficial for him as he can make a living for himself without going far away from home and also get an opportunity to serve the people around him. When asked about what is the best thing he likes about being a SoochnaPreneur he says that he has been able to gain respect for the work he has been doing for his community. Watching movies is his favorite hobby and he is a big fan of actor Aamir Khan.
PAGE 9 Anil’s village is located in one of the most backward areas in Lauriya block of West Champaran district in Bihar. After he started his Soochna Seva Kendra, he started receiving complaints from his community members, largely vabout the errors made in their identity documents. This was a big hindrance for them in availing the benefits under various government schemes. To change the status quo, Anil has coordinated several camps in close association Anil Kumar with concerned government officials to correct errors in their identity 24 years documents. Since then, many community members, who felt handicapped Telpur Village, Lauriya earlier, were able to apply for welfare Block, West Champaran, schemes and avail the benefits. Anil Bihar has completed his graduation and he wants to qualify Civil Services exam. Working as a SoochnaPreneur has been helping him expand his understanding about governance challenges around entitlements. In his free time he likes reading on politics.
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Anjali is a feminist. She believes her biggest achievement in life was when she stopped a child marriage in her village. She is just 25 years old and has already set up 4-5 SHGs in her village, promoting financial independence among women folks. She is also actively involved in several social activities and has played a pivotal role in introducing latest technologies to the farmers through an NGO. As a SoochnaPreneur she is promoting digital literacy in her Anjali Kumar community through a Soochna Seva Kendra and has been mobilising the 25 years villagers about their entitlements and rights. She feels that the poor can be Narayan Soso Village, empowered at a faster pace through the Angara Block, Ranchi, medium of Internet. She says technology Jharkhand is changing the way we communicate and express ourselves. She loves listening to old sings and her favorite singer is Kishore Kumar. She wants to be successful in life so that it compels others to change the perception that women should be confined to their households.
PAGE 11 Arbab is quite direct in his approach. He means what he says and keeps his speech straight and honest. In his childhood, his father faced a lot of problems due to his piling debts. He has seen his father struggle with his finances which led to violent domestic problems in his family. That experience changed Arbab forever. He decided to work for his community people who are stuck under the weight of debt. He is trying to help tham avail employment opportunities through Arbab Khan Soochna Seva Kendra so that everyone gets a fair chance to earn and pay back 23 years their debt which is holding them captive. Before joining SoochnaPreneur Arbab Sedwa Panchayat, Dhanau was running a successful e-Mitra centre Block, Barmer, Rajasthan and is an SBI Banking Correspondent. Sedwa, being a remote area, has very few bank branches and ATMs, and he has played an instrumental role in providing banking services at the doorsteps. Right from an early age Arti has understood the importance of being independent. She has done her education till Class 12th. Unfortunately she had to discontinue her education as she was married off very young into an agricultural family. One day her friend’s mother informed her about SoochnaPreneur. The opportunity of becoming an entrepreneur filled her with excitement. The thought that she could contribute to her family’s Arti Toppo earnings’ gave her more confidence. Her husband was also very supportive of her 28 years becoming a SoochnaPreneur and helped her at every step. As a Soochnapreneur Kurgi Panchayat, Bero she likes helping the beneficiaries in Block, Ranchi, Jharkhand availing benefits of various government schemes and providing them with digital services. She says that technology brings empowerment for women and more women should learn to use digital tools. She wants to become a successful entrepreneur and ensure a good quality of life for her family. In her spare time she likes reading books and watching movies. Her favourite actor is Aamir Khan. Ashok used to run a small grocery shop in his village. The profit was shared with his uncles and cousins who were partners in the business. Even after putting in a lot of efforts, the take away in terms of income was not sufficient to provide a good life to his family. Ashok wanted to move out and start his own business. He was also bored with the stagnating work at grocery shop which he felt prevented him from moving forward in life. Ashok was introduced to the SoochnaPreneur Ashok Kumar programme by Shakur Khan, another Soni SoochnaPreneur. Ashok now owns a Soochna Seva Kendra and is doing good 29 years business by offering digital services like photo printing, online form submission Sheo Panchayat, Barmer and more. His professional success has Block, Barmer, Rajasthan helped him provide better education and facilities to his children. Ashok shares that since his marriage his wife wanted to move to a bigger house and he feels that her dream would soon come true.
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Ashutosh is a young motivated SoochnaPreneur from West Champaran district in Bihar. He has done his education till Class 8th. His father is a farmer and his mother works with a government hospital as an ASHA supervisor. Ashutosh is married and has a one-year-old son. Before being part of the SoochnaPreneur programme he was running a mobile repair shop. He got to know about the SoochnaPreneur programme through a friend and was Ashutosh Kumar suggested that he can increase his revenue by providing people with 27 years information on various government schemes, along with offering other digital Pipariyah Village, Gaunaha services like photocopying, scanning, Block, West Champaran, colour photos, basic computer education, Bihar etc. He believes that government’s impetus is very important in ensuring that rural India is not left behind in this digital age and more government services should be available online so that there is more transparency and convenience for the people. He idolises Prime Minister Narendra Modi and believes in his vision of Digital India.
PAGE 15 Bahadur comes from a poor landless family and has seen extreme poverty since childhood. His family comprises 10 members including his five brothers and two sisters. His parents have been working as farm labourers. He has completed his education till matriculation. Prior to joining SoochnaPreneur team he worked with Madhya Pradesh Rajya Ajivika Mission. This experience came quite handy for him when he got an opportunity to get Bahadur Singh associated with the SoochnaPreneur Kewat programme as he had become adept at community mobilisation. Bahadur is 26 years admired for his skills for dealing with Panchayat and Block officials. Through his Dehri Kalan Village, Aron efforts several people in his community Block, Guna, Madhya have been able to avail benefits of Pradesh various government schemes. He says that government introduces many schemes for the poor, but information about them do not always reach the needy. He is glad that he is able to fill this chasm by being a SoochnaPreneur. In his free time he plays cricket and his favorite cricketer is Virat Kohli.
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Banwari, a proud farmer, has dedicated himself to the struggle of liberating his village from the disease of ignorance. Banwari, unlike most fellow villagers, is educated and aware of the level of damage ignorance can unleash on his village in near future. He says that rich class in the village and government officers have looted and exploited us for decades. This could have been avoided, if we were educated and were aware of laws and our rights. He is thus using Banwari Kewat the technology-enabled Soochna Seva Kendra for promoting digital literacy in 22 years his community to pave way for a better, self-aware and empowered generation. Mudhrakhurd , Aron Block, Earlier he has also gained experience Guna, Madhya Pradesh of working on Aadhaar seeding under Madhya Pradesh Rajya Aajeevika Mission. He likes Virat Kohli for his aggressive leadership skills.
PAGE 17 Bhagaram is considered a veteran in Soochna Seva Kendra team in Barmer, Rajasthan. He has been associated with Soochna Seva Kendra for more than two years and is regarded as an expert on government schemes and entitlements. So when he joined the SoochnaPreneur programme, he was already well aware of various welfare schemes. Everyone in the team had high hopes from him and, without surprise, he exceeded them all. He has brilliantly applied his past Bhagaram experience in dealing with community members and prioritising welfare issues 27 years in his territory. He is also promoting digital literacy, especially among youth Mandli Village, Kalyanpur so that at least the next generation Block, Barmer, Rajasthan becomes empowered in the real sense. He feels that in Rajasthan women are still being discriminated a lot and this practice should be opposed. He believes change begins at home. He is passionate about sports and follows football the most. As many fellow Indians he has a dream to see India qualify for the soccer World Cup.
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Brij is closely working with the teaching staff employed at the Panchayat School in his village. He says to move forward and make our youth digital literate, the first thing we need is digitally sound teachers. He says, “There is no point in placing technology in the hands of the students without the clear thought of how to supervise their learning.” He thinks digital literacy doesn’t require teachers to become experts, but it does require them to understand the tools that can improve Brij Kumar the teaching-learning experience of the classrooms. He trains the school faculty 23 years in evening classes at his Soochna Seva Kendra. Brij is really concerned about the Bakhari Pachrukhia Village, development of Bihar and says that the Gaunaha Block, West youth in Bihar should be more risk-taking Champaran, Bihar and think about entrepreneurship rather than just repeatedly trying for regular government jobs.
PAGE 19 When Chandrakala decided to become a SoochnaPreneur, it was a well-thought- out decision for her career progression. Before taking up this new role she was running a Digital Empowerment Foundation supported Community Information Resource Centre (CIRC) for two years. She quickly understood the modus operandi of a SoochnaPreneur model and was confident about leveraging her past work experience of community outreach activities. She Chandrakala was happy that the project also opened Meena up a window of opportunity for her to become an entrepreneur. Chandrakala 32 years is well educated and has completed her MA and B.Ed. She likes to keep herself Malakheda Village, Umrain updated with current affairs and has a Block, Alwar, Rajasthan huge appetite for news. For that she has even downloaded many news apps on her mobile. Today, she is one of the most successful SoochnaPreneurs running a self-sustainable Soochna Seva Kendra in Alwar district. Running the centre in partnership with her husband Ramesh has made their bond even stronger.
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Deepak believes technology, when used creatively and correctly, can be used to eliminate differences. Deepak runs a Soochna Seva Kendra and uses it as a tool to educate his village residents. He says that his village is backward and hopelessly behind in terms of education standards. He is putting in a lot of efforts in promoting services offered at his centre among community members so that he gets higher footfall at the centre and maximum people get benefitted. Deepak Kumar He is confident that if education levels improve in the area then people will not 22 years indulge in trivial issues and will become more productive. Deepak has exemplary Belsandi Village, Gaunaha standards in discipline and he thinks that Block, West Champaran, being part of an RSS Shakha has played a Bihar key role in his rigorous training.
PAGE 21 Deepak is an aspiring tribal youth from Ranchi, Jharkhand. He has completed his education till Class 12th. In his family are his parents, two brothers and two sisters. His father is a farm labourer. He likes being a SoochnaPreneur and he feels that he is contributing towards transformation of his village in becoming digital. Through the SoochnaPreneur programme he feels that he is able to make people of his community more conscious about various government schemes, which they earlier Deepak Kumar used to think was of no use to them. He Mahto says that the sorry state of bureaucracy and present level of poor literacy among 20 years the people has resulted in low penetration of government schemes among people in Hesalpiri Village, Burmu general. In his free time he likes watching Block, Ranchi, Jharkhand movies and listening to old Hindi songs. He is a big fan of music composer Sachin Dev Burman. In future he wants to set up a big business of his own. Deepak likes thrill and adventure in life. He likes riding a bike the most. He says that riding a bike makes him feel alive and kicking. According to him working for his community, especially the weaker section who are deprived of basic amenities in life, gives him the same rush of adrenaline as he gets when riding his bike. He is just 23 but has more than four years of experience of working as a professional photographer. As a SoochnaPreneur, he teaches Deepak Mahattam community members to use digital tools like a computer, the Internet, and 23 years sometimes, a camera in his free time. He uses his Soochna Seva Kendra as a Bargarh Block, Bargarh, platform to promote information about Odisha government schemes and entitlements and help beneficiaries to avail the benefits. Participating in Odisha Disaster Mission and doing relief work for cyclone affected people has been a life-changing experience for him. M.S. Dhoni’s six on the last ball of the 2011 World Cup is the favourite moment of his life. Deepak thinks that six, in that pressure situation of the game, changed everything about his approach towards life. Now his new found perspective is that everything is possible and all you need to achieve even the impossible is timely and relevant information. He grew up in a joint-family; his father once had a successful confectionery business but failed to cope with western sweet outlets. Deepak Singh The business slowly dried up and Deepak had no option but to find work and give 22 years up his dream for pursuing higher studies. As a person, he likes acquiring knowledge Mungaska Village, Umrain , and being a SoochnaPreneur has helped Block, Alwar, Rajasthan him stay abreast of government schemes and entitlements. Today, he enjoys reaching out to vulnerable communities to inform them about government programmes and help them avail benefits under it.
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Every person you meet is a potential door to new opportunity - both personally and professionally. The statement cannot be truer in the case of Devaram. Devaram met Bhagaram (another SoochnaPreneur) when the latter was on an official visit to Kalyanpur block, Barmer, Rajasthan. Bhagaram was planning an Aadhaar camp in the area and was looking for volunteers within the local crowd. The event turned out to be a huge success and well attended, Bhagaram spotted Devaram immense managerial talent in Devaram. He was highly impressed with his skills 31 years including promotion, area knowledge, ability to engage with audience and Mandli Village, Kalyanpur data collection etc. Later, on Bhagaram’s Block, Barmer, Rajasthan recommendation he was offered a SoochnaPreneur franchise. This platform is not just an employment opportunity, but it is also a way of contributing to the community. He wants to spread the message of the importance of going digital to each and every member of his community.
PAGE 25 Dinesh is using SoochnaPreneur project as a vehicle to enable youth from his community to avail government scholarship grants to pursue higher studies. Dinesh was a bright student and had plans to go abroad for further studies, but his family’s sudden financial crisis distanced him from his dream. When he thinks about it, he still gets disheartened expression and may be that is why he is so passionately involved in promoting digital literacy among community youth. Dinesh Mahattam He also guides students in applying for scholarships and admissions for 20 years different universities. Earlier, he has also worked for a year at a photo studio. His Bargarh Block, Bargarh, community people really admire him for Odisha his bravery as he once saved a child’s life in a fire accident.
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Dubraj Oraon is a cheerful person who is an inspiration for people who get depressed in difficult situations. From his childhood he has faced financial difficulties and things became much more difficult when his father passed away. His mother had to take care of him and his siblings. However, this did not dampen his spirit and he toiled hard to complete his graduation. He tried doing some odd jobs to support his family and had been working in a cyber café for two Dubraj Oraon years before joining the SoochnaPreneur programme. His stint at the cyber café 30 years had made him adept at providing various digital services though he was not very Kurgi Village, Bero Block, much familiar about various government Ranchi, Jharkhand schemes. He says that MeraApp is quite useful as it has helped him to quickly learn about various schemes. In the long run Dubraj wants to become a successful businessman. In his free time he likes reading books and playing cricket. He is a die-hard fan of M.S. Dhoni with whom he shares his hometown.
PAGE 27 Fulsharif has studied only till Class 8th but he was able to get some vocational training in Mumbai and also had an opportunity to visit West Asia. Fulsharif feels that this was a watershed development in his life. He has worked with G.C.C. Pvt. Ltd. in West Asia for four years. His father has been a farmer. Fulsharif has been married for past two years. He came to know about the SoochnaPreneur programmme when he was once traveling from Patna to Bettiah and met a SoochnaPreneur during the Fulsharif Ansari journey who explained to him about the SoochnaPreneur programme. He liked the 25 years idea of it as he thought that it would give him an opportunity to work in his own Majhaulia Block, West village. He feels that with the help of digital Champaran, Bihar technologies, villages can be transformed into much more self-sufficient communities along with being interconnected with the external world at the same time. Fulsharif is an avid fan of the world of Internet and in his free time he likes using Facebook and doing net surfing. He is a big fan of cine star Aamir Khan.
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Gagan has cultivated a strong relationship with village panchayat heads and has a knack for getting development work done in the village in a timely manner. He has also developed a working relationship with all block-level government offices which is helping the issues resolve, fast, on the ground. Gagan has been successful in bringing together administration, panchayat and community on a shared common ground. The process of resolving blocked pension issues Gagan Bishi and government activities like Aadhaar camp has seen exponential growth of 21 years development in the village. The locals are quiet happy with the sudden influx Bijepur Block, Bargarh, of government activities and attention Odisha towards the area. Gagan feels that being a SoochnaPreneur gives him the confidence to take the lead and do his job, better. Earlier Gagan has also worked as an LIC agent for one year. Watching car racing is his favourite hobby and his room is full of posters of Michael Schumacher.
PAGE 29 In his community, Ghulam is known as the advocate for education. Ghulam is pained by the rampant superstitions and taboos prevalent in his village. He is one of the few who had the privilege to attend college from his community. After completing his BA and B.Ed. he decided that he will not leave his village and look for a job in metros instead he stayed back to share his learnings with his community. The progress he made so far never felt more significant until he Ghulam Ali donned the role of a SoochnaPreneur. He feels as if some superpower has been 29 years given to him to eradicate the taboos and bad practices from his village. Ghulam is Sedwa Panchayat, Dhanau also teaching computers and the internet Block, Barmer, Rajasthan to his community members and trying to connect them to digital India. Ghulam is married and also has a 5-year-old son.
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Golu is a young fellow who wants to serve his community. He has studied till Class 12th and has completed a basic computer course. His family consists of his father, three brothers and a sister. Farming has been his family occupation. Prior to joining SoochnaPreneur he had gained some experience in sales at Honda Motors. He joined SoochnaPreneur with the belief that he would get an opportunity to help others and take his community forward. Since the time he has Golu Bairagi been working as a SoochnaPreneur he has gained respect from his community 23 years members and many people have been able to avail benefits of various Vishanwada Panchayat, government schemes. He believes Bamori Block, Guna, that technology in today’s age plays a Madhya Pradesh pivotal role as it helps in making people more aware about their basic rights and entitlements along with creating opportunities for employment. Moreover, technology also helps in saving precious time of people, which can be put to better use. Golu’s hobbies include listening to music and watching movies. He is a big fan of Salman Khan.
PAGE 31 Golu comes from a family of wrestlers who are known in the community for their wrestling prowess. He has himself won medal at district level in wrestling. Since childhood Golu has shown keen interest in learning computers but due to limited access to computers in his village he had to travel far to attend computer classes. This instilled the desire in him to spread digital literacy among people of his community. He had also visited the nearest Soochna Seva Golu Kushwaha Kendra a few times where he got to know about opportunities for being a part of 17 years the SoochnaPreneur programme. As a SoochnaPreneur, Golu has done extremely Genukhedi Panchayat, well in promoting the government Chachora Block, Guna, programmes related to welfare schemes Madhya Pradesh among the weaker sections of society in his village. He says that MeraApp was quite useful for him as it helped him to quickly learn about various schemes for the beneficiaries and he does not need to look up anywhere else. Golu wants to join the Indian Army in the long run and is a big fan of The Great Khali. Gopal is happy with his SoochnaPreneur role and believes that he is sparking a grassroots movement that brings together vulnerable communities and government benefits on a common platform. He thinks that more and more society representatives like him should choose to become SoochnaPreneurs to bring prosperity in their communities. He also thinks that the SoochnaPreneur initiative should not be a one-time initiative and similar ventures should be Gopal Behera attempted repeatedly to see multiplier effect happening in our society. In his 18 years free time Gopal likes reading newspapers and these days he prefers to read them Bijepur Block, Bargarh, online. He was felicitated two years back Odisha at Panchayat level for saving two children from drowning. Gopi was working at a local e-mitra centre on commission basis before joining the SoochnaPreneur programme. Gopi grew up in Kishangarh, a backward and populous block of Alwar, Rajasthan. He was well educated but never got a suitable employment opportunity in his village. Even the income as a commission agent was so meagre that he could barely afford a simple lifestyle. Personally, he never preferred doing a job and always aspired to become a businessman. His Gopi Chand dream was to start his own information centre leveraging his expertise in scheme 24 years and entitlement field and networking among the locals. The SoochnaPreneur Jharkhera Village, venture gave Gopi the breakthrough Kishangarh Block, Alwar, he was looking for. Today, Gopi runs his Rajasthan Soochna Seva Kendra in Kishangarh and has helped many to correct errors on their identity documents and later helped them avail benefits under welfare schemes. He also serves community members with computer training. Gopi is married and has a 2-year-old son.
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Gufran is a soft-spoken person by nature. He has done his education till Class 12th. His father is a Madarsa teacher and he has also done his earlier education in a Madarsa. Along with his parents, there are six sisters and two brothers in his family. Prior to joining SoochnaPreneur, Gufran has also worked with a Pragya Kendra for three months. After being associated with the SoochnaPreneur programme he has been able to provide knowledge about various government schemes to people, Gufran Tasnim which they are not aware of. He says, that earlier government schemes were not 22 years able to reach out to many people because the information related to the schemes Itki West Panchayat, Bero used to reach very late and very few Block, Ranchi, Jharkhand people had complete knowledge about it due to lower literacy level. Now with the information on government schemes being available online, more people can get to know such information through programmes like SoochnaPreneur, even when they may not be able to use internet on their own. He likes watching Basketball and is a big fan of Michael Jordan.
PAGE 35 Gulshan has completed his education till Class 12th. His father is a farmer and mother is a home-maker. He lives with his parents and five brothers. He got to know about the SoochnaPreneur programme when a new centre was opened in West Champaran and SoochnaPreneurs were recruited for it. He likes being a SoochnaPreneur because he is able to expand his knowledge along with serving the people. Before becoming part of the SoochnaPreneur programme, he Gulshan Kumar himself was not aware of many of the government schemes and now he is able 18 years to provide others with such information. He does not see being a SoochnaPreneur Shikharpur Panchayat, just as an employment opportunity, but Narkatiaganj Block, West also as a means of serving the people. Champaran, Bihar He wants to spread the message for the importance of going digital to each and every member of his community. In his free time he likes watching movies and listening to music. He is an avid follower of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
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Gurudev is nothing less than a celebrity in his neighborhood. As a SoochnaPreneur, he has helped many avail benefits under welfare schemes run by the government. The locals hail him as a hero as he stood for all of them in every time of need. Gurudev has an interesting past. He was born in a poor family and his parents worked as labourers on construction sites. Life back then was full of challenges. He somehow completed his schooling and started working to Gurudev support his family. Working so early in life taught him many important lessons what 23 years he could never imagine learning from just going to any college or university. Mungaska Panchayat, His job experiences varies from working Umrain Block, Alwar, as a local councilor assistant, secretary of Rajasthan a local politician and computer operator in the government hospital. Few years back he started his own e-mitra Kendra. Not a typical rag to riches story but his journey is exemplary, on many levels, and especially for those who are up against the harsh realities of life.
PAGE 37 Hakim loves traveling and visiting new places. By heart, he is an explorer. He believes that traveling teaches a lot and changes our view in life. Just like our life, the only constant thing in travelling is change and it helps you to become adaptable. The more you are on road- the better are you prepared to handle the curveballs life will inevitably throw at you. As a SoochnaPreneur also, Hakim likes to visit new villages and help communities in making their lives better. Hakim Khan He also takes computer classes at his Soochna Seva Kendra bringing digital 23 years wave in his community. Hakim has done Bachelor in Arts with distinction. His Jane Ki Beri Village, Dhanau family’s traditional occupation has been Block, Barmer, Rajasthan farming. Hakim is a big fan of Shahrukh Khan and his favorite movie is Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge.
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Imam is an idealist. He wants best for his village, community, family and himself. No compromises. Running a Soochna Seva Kendra has given him confidence of achieving his mission of a prosperous and developed Binjasar- a backward village in Dhanau block of Barmer, Rajasthan. In his words, “no one saves us but ourselves”. He thinks the community has to come together to combat poverty and ignorance and put in plain, earnest and continuous efforts to create an ecosystem of self- ImaM Khan sustainable development. He believes that only technology and education put 20 years together has the power to rescue rural India. Imam’s father was a truck driver Aalu Ka Tila, Dhanau Block, and used to travel a lot. He has fond Barmer, Rajasthan memories of his father sharing stories of different places in India. In his free time he likes playing cricket and is a big fan of Virat Kohli.
PAGE 39 Since his school days, Iqbal was not much into studies but had a knack for repairing electronic devices broken at home without even having any formal training. On his father’s advice, after school time, he started working as an apprentice to a local mobile/television electrician. By the time he completed his schooling he himself was a recognised as a skilled electrician in the area. His digital acumen was a big factor and was considered while offering him the SoochnaPreneur Iqbal Khan franchise. Iqbal has smartly picked up all the nittigrittie of the service model and is 20 years giving digital literacy and digital services from the centre, efficiently. His strong Aalu Ka Tila, Dhanau Block, networking in the area has also propelled Barmer, Rajasthan the information dissemination of public schemes and entitlements in the area. Iqbal has heard a lot about Silicon Valley through Googling and he dreams to visit it once in his lifetime.
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Post an elementary course in hardware and networking, Irfan did not have much idea about his future, especially in the event, if he chooses to stay back in his village. It was not surprising that there was a meagre demand of his technical expertise in the village and he soon realised that this way he won’t be able to last long. As a last resort, he joined his family farm business to be able to put two square meals a day on his dining table. Life continued and he Irfan Khan showed no apparent remorse but his heart longed for a suitable career as per 24 years his expertise. When he got a chance to become a SoochnaPreneur, it was like a Nangal Khanjadi Village, new lease of life. For him, the best part Laxmangarh Block, Alwar, of the SoochnaPreneur programme is Rajasthan its flexibility. The model allows Irfan to easily juggle between his farming occupation and running a Soochna Seva Kendra, effectively. He enjoys teaching computer applications to community youth and supports many in availing the government scheme benefits.
PAGE 41 Irfan, 23 years old, comes from a family of farmers and unlike his cousins had the rare privilege of going to the college. Although he was good in academics, he never imagined a career in some other field except his family owned farm fields. The fact that his father needed him in his farming business was enough for him to never think otherwise. When the choice to become a SoochnaPreneur came in his way, he showed no reluctance as the project gave him full freedom to Irfan Khan continue with his family business and still create an additional avenue for more 23 years income. The project has helped him to put his academic learnings in helping his Raybka Village, Kishangarh community members and enable them Block, Alwar, Rajasthan to access government aid and support. Irfan is a religious person by nature and believes in treating everyone equally and fairly as God’s command. INTRODUCING 100 SOOCHNAPRENEUR
Irshad’s friends describe him as a technophile. Since his childhood, he was drawn towards technology even though he had no understanding of it. As a young boy his best pastime was to stand outside village phone booth and watch people talk on phone. Even today he is the go-to person for anyone in the Raibka village who want some tips before buying a new mobile phone. As a SoochnaPreneur, he is more into helping community members with online form submission for applying Irshad Khan for identity documents like passport. The programme’s interventions have brought 19 years technology, infrastructure and latest ICT tools to the environment and Irshad Raybka Village, Kishangarh is confident that his village will soon Block, Alwar, Rajasthan become a fully-equpped digital village. Even though he is just a matric pass but he is confident that with his new acquired digital skills he can achieve his dreams.
PAGE 43 Jagdish has experience of working with some big NGOs like UNICEF, IIHMR, Care India, Udaan, etc. in Madhya Pradesh. He is a well-qualified person and has completed his MSW, PGDCA and Diploma in Public Health and Community Nutrition. Jagdish lives with his parents, wife and two children. Even though he had worked with national level NGOs, but he had a craving to serve his own community. When he got to know that the SoochnaPreneur programme was Jagdeesh Bairagi being launched in Guna he expressed his interest in joining the programme. 30 years His wide experience, qualification and background have been quite helpful in Vishanbada Panchayat, strengthening the SoochnaPreneur team Bamori Block, Guna, in Madhya Pradesh. He feels that true Madhya Pradesh development of a village is only possible when the community people who have availed good education choose to stay back and work at the local level. He feels that it is high time that Panchayats play a big role in strengthening the local governance and promoting participatory development through involving community people in the local decision making.
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Jamshed is a spirited youth who believes in a dream of Digital India. He got associated with the Soochnapreneur programme in December 2016. In his family he has his parents, four sisters and two brothers. His father has been a farmer. Jamshed has a wife and a two year old son. Jamshed is still pursuing his graduation (BA) along with his job. Working as a SoochnaPreneur is his first job and he sees it as a great opportunity to make a difference in his community. Jamshed Khan According to him most of the people in his village are illiterate and they live 21 years in “information darkness”. He wants to help them with access to information Naurangabad Village, and wants to teach computer to all the Umrain Block, Alwar, kids there. In his free time he likes to Rajasthan play cricket, watch movies and listen to music. He sees his larger vision with the government’s ongoing Digital India program and wants to connect the maximum number of people digitally in his capacity.
PAGE 45 Jethram loves his village. He was born and brought in Bhim Gaon, a picturesque village amid lush green farms splendor. Although he is very ambitious and wants to make a big name for himself, he never thought of leaving his village and going to the city in search of employment opportunities. He wanted to be successful but not at the cost of separation from his land, farm, friends, and family. He acknowledges shortcomings in his village and says, ”life in the village is Jetharam not perfect but still I find beauty in this imperfection”. He is always visibly and 18 years vocally proud of his land and heritage. Now after becoming a SoochnaPreneur, Bhim Gaon Village, Baytu he is working to improve the economic Block, Barmer, Rajasthan landscape of Bhim Gaon. He is helping the community by assisting them to apply and avail the benefits under government welfare schemes. He also promotes digital literacy by teaching computers to children in the community. Jetharam a big fan of Sehwag, likes playing cricket in his free time and is an opening batsman of Bhim Gaon boys cricket team.
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Johnson is an industrious youth who believes that information technology should make lives easier for people. He is associated with Soochna Seva Kendra, Itki. His father is a retired Railway employee and his mother has been a homemaker. Johnson has two younger sisters. He is a B.Com. graduate and has worked earlier with Reliance Life in insurance sector. There he also got a chance to acquire good computer skills. He heard about the SoochnaPreneur programme Johnson Ekka earlier and contacted the team when he was looking for better opportunities. 29 years According to him, SoochnaPreneurs act as a bridge for the ordinary people Pandra Panchayat, Ratu connecting them to entitlement schemes, Block, Ranchi, Jharkhand access to information and digital literacy. He believes that smartphones play an important role in today’s world as it brings information on the fingertips for everyone. His main hobbies are listening to music, riding bikes and playing cricket. He is a big fan of Virat Kohli. Johnson sees his father as his role model.
PAGE 47 Kanhaya has used his digitally enabled Soochna Seva Kendra to convert his village panchayat into an e-panchayat. He has helped the panchayat to get rid of their, to large extent, paper work and has put their important official records online. This has brought full disclosure of facts related to expenses incurred by the panchayat office and openness in their other public dealings. The community people are happy to know exactly what is happening in the village Kanahya Kumar and panchayat’s role in overall scheme of things. He has trained the panchayat 20 years office workers to use digital tools like internet and computer applications Bagahi Panchayat, including Microsoft Office to record data Ramnagar Block, West accurate and completely. He is concerned Champaran, Bihar that a majority of educated youth in Bihar go outside the state for studying and in search of work. He says that the youth of Bihar should work for the development of their own state.
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Kanha is widely admired in his village for his honest personality and selfless nature. He is always the first person to take part in ceremonies preparation in the village and ensure that everyone enjoys the event activities. Kanha is supremely aware of the government programmes as he is often preferred by the local government authorities as a lead volunteer for every government camp activities in the village. He is now pushing the envelope by using his Kanha Kushwaha SoochnaPreneur cap as a means to end injustice and inequalities existing in the 18 years village due to information darkness. He is using door-to-door approach in meeting Meriyakhedi Panchayat, everyone separately in the village to Beenaganj Block, Guna, inform them about their human rights. Madhya Pradesh Since the day he had used a computer, he had made up his mind that he would do a job which requires computer skills.
PAGE 49 Kanti is a young ambitious SoochnaPreneur from Ranchi, Jharkhand. She is a graduate and was looking for a job when she came to know about the SoochnaPreneur programme. She wanted to support her family along with becoming independent. She has five sisters and one brother in her family. She is from a farmer’s family with limited income. One day she contacted her nearest Soochna Seva Kendra for any employment opportunities. The centre Kanti Kumari in-charge informed her that they are looking for women entrepreneurs as 22 years they wanted to encourage women folks in their SoochnaPreneur programme. Now she is successfully managing her Bare Panchayat, Burmu own Soochna Seva Kendra in her village. Block, Ranchi, Jharkhand She is making her community aware of several government programmes related to public welfare schemes. She is also closely working with youth of her community and training them using digital tools. When asked about who is her favorite personality, she replied that she is impressed with Sushma Swaraj because of her fearless attitude.
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Karim is a fan of Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar. In his opinion, India’s religious tolerance is as precious as our independence. Karim wants to do something revolutionary for India and contribute in the development of the country. Karim before joining the SoochnaPreneur project was running an e-mitra centre. He also works as a SBI bank correspondent in the area and facilitates villagers with easy cash delivery. In the time of demonetisation, Karim Khan Karim took the onus of arranging cash for his community so that no one faces 21 years any unfortunate situation. No wonder he is the most sought after person in his Binjasar Panchayat, Dhanau village. As a SoochnaPreneur, he keeps Block, Barmer, Rajasthan updating villagers about government programmes and avail benefits under different schemes. Karim is a graduate and he loves reading history books. His favorite book is Discovery of India written by Jawaharlal Nehru.
PAGE 51 Kishore is respected as a man of few words and significant actions. Anyone who plans to communicate with him must prepare himself for one word response to any question. In his own words, “often people judge me and take me as moody but this is just how I am, I don’t mean to offend.” If his short responses annoy his friends then his ability to deliver results has earned him respect too. Turns out, his words are worth listening to. As a SoochnaPreneur he is Kishore Sharma focusing on curbing the migration in his community youth. He is promoting 29 years welfare schemes in the community especially employment specific so that Sedwa Panchayat, Dhanau local residents get employment and are Block, Barmer, Rajasthan not pushed to leave their land and loved ones. He is very down to earth and never mentions about his academic degrees that he is a law graduate. INTRODUCING 100 SOOCHNAPRENEUR
Lukman believes every time is the right time to begin good work. He said, “if you wait for the perfect conditions then you will never get anything done.” He clearly dislikes laid-back attitude. According to him, villagers are inherently honest people but their complacent attitude costs a lot. This easy-going attitude prevents village of economic growth and corners the real development to enter the landscape. Lukman shares that after completing his graduation he was Lukman Khan struggling to find a suitable job and the SoochnaPreneur programme gave him 28 years the much needed breakthrough. As a SoochnaPreneur, Lukman is focused on Binjasar Panchayat, Dhanau changing the economic status quo of his Block, Barmer, Rajasthan village progress and bring his community at par with their urban counterparts with the help of Soochna Seva Kendra. Lukman is a peace loving person and believes in teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.
PAGE 53 Mahtab loves making friends and interacting with people. He is an amiable person and can make friends easily because of his fun loving nature. He comes from a modest background living with his parents, three brothers and two sisters. Mahtab has completed his graduation and has earlier worked at a computer repairing shop. He has been looking for a better work opportunity where he could do something of his own. He is glad for being chosen as a Mahtab Alam SoochnaPreneur as it gives him a chance to hone his skills as an entrepreneur 27 years and also to earn better than his previous job. It also gives him the satisfaction Karanji Panchayat, Bero that through his work he is able to Block, Ranchi, Jharkhand help the underprivileged sections of the society who are often left behind because of lack of proper support. He says that the rampant problem of unemployment among the youth from lower economic strata cannot be solved without promoting entrepreneurship and providing adequate support for it. Mahtab likes watching movies in his free time and is a diehard fan of Salman Khan.
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Mami Padhan is a 20 year old dynamic young girl from Bargarh district in Odhisa. She firmly believes that technology should not be limited to men. She is right now pursuing her graduation along with being a SoochnaPreneur. Her family occupation has been farming. She lives with her parents and two siblings. In her community very few people know how to access internet and have faced extreme difficulties in the past to access even basic digital services. Now, the students Mami Padhan from her area can apply online for various exams and government jobs by visiting 20 years the Soochna Seva Kendra and can also avail facilities like photocopying and Barpali Block, Bargarh, browsing the internet. She feels that the Odisha digital technology is enabling more girls to improve their literacy and become more empowered. Mami likes watching cricket and is a big fan of Virat Kohli. In her college she has arranged donation camps to raise funds for Chief Minister Relief Fund.
PAGE 55 Manoj is a father of two children at a young age of 25 years. He got married at an early age but his life partner has been quite supportive of him. Before joining the SoochnaPreneur programme. he has worked at an Aadhaar Card centre as a computer operator. When he got to know about this programme he felt that he could do something which would enable him to work independently along with serving the people. His familiarity with computers helped in running the digital Manoj Ojha literacy classes for children along with helping the villagers in availing digital 25 years services. Manoj takes great interest in showcasing the potential of internet to Barkheda Hat Village, the villagers, where he resolves any query Aron Block, Guna, Madhya of the villagers through internet. He says Pradesh that as usage of internet would increase in rural areas, the learning curve of children here would be much more than urban areas. He likes reading story books in free time and also loves reading out stories to his children.
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As a SoochnaPreneur, Mansharif is using his Soochna Seva Kendra for the promotion of government schemes and entitlements. He says, “while promoting the schemes, I help potential beneficiaries avail the benefits but on the other hand I also prevent the misuse of government facilities.” He says that there is a nexus of government officers and panchayat heads in the village and they often exploit the poor villagers and deprive them of their entitlements. As a SoochnaPreneur, Mansharif Ansari he has taken the onus upon himself to prevent well-intended government 18 years efforts from being misdirected and put a stop to rising fake beneficiaries’ scandals Sairswa Panchayat, in the village. While Mansharif sounds Majhaulia Block, West quite matured for his age, he says that his Champaran life experiences has made him so.
PAGE 57 Mayaram lives by a philosophy. He believes people are more willing to respond and help you if you connect with them. It pays to build a relationship. As far as he is concerned he has invested a lot of time for the development of his village. The SoochnaPreneur programme is just another way to make his vision, a reality. For him, SoochnaPreneur is like bringing entrepreneurship to the village. Mayaram is happy that the project is flexible about the implementation area perhaps gives Mayaram him full freedom to operate in his own village. The proximity also gave him a 21 years lot of confidence and support to begin this journey. Coming from a big family Bhalgaav Village, Dhanau with six siblings he wants to shoulder Block, Barmer, Rajasthan the responsibilities with his parents for the education of his younger siblings. He himself could not study beyond Class 10th but wants to ensure that his brothers and sisters attend college.
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Mohan has an extensive experience of 10 years in teaching at a school in his village. By education he has a B.Sc. degree in Biology and has also done a Diploma in Education (D. Ed.). His family’s occupation has traditionally been farming. He has two brothers and a sister. His aim in life is that people in his community should not differentiate between boys and girls and he wants to spread education among the girls. He got to know about the SoochnaPreneur Mohan Sharma programme when another SoochnaPreneur visited his village and 28 years told him about this opportunity. He likes being a SoochnaPreneur and he feels that Myana Village, Guna Block, he is contributing towards transformation Guna, Madhya Pradesh of his village in becoming digital. He feels that through Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) tools people are becoming more aware and this can be an effective medium of providing benefits of various government schemes to the people. He wants to see every child in his village becoming digitally literate.
PAGE 59 Mohd. Sanaullah is a dedicated SoochnaPreneur from Ranchi, Jharkhand. He has completed his education till Class 8th. He lives with his mother, wife and two children. His father is a small businessman and he has been assisting his father in the family business. Becoming a SoochnaPreneur changed his perception regarding availing government services. Now he is helping others in availing benefits of various government schemes. He feels that in Mohd. Sanaullah this age, Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) is a great enabler as it 31 years helps people to access information at any point of time at any given location. This Karanji Panchayat, Bero makes the society a level playing field Block, Ranchi, Jharkhand and has a huge impact on everyone. In his free time he likes reading newspaper and watching cricket. He is a big fan of Virat Kohli. In future he wants to be a good businessman and wants to earn well for his family.
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Munesh is one of the youngest SoochnaPreneurs in his team. He is currently pursuing his Intermediate education along with picking up skills of being a SoochnaPreneur. He came to know about the SoochnaPreneur programme through one of his friends and he was very much interested to be part of the programme. Being associated with this he sees an opportunity to help in bringing digital technologies within the reach of rural masses, who are Munesh Kumar otherwise mostly deprived of them even in this era. He says that without the reach 17 years of technology even a simple thing like getting a photocopy is so much of a time Damrapur Village, consuming thing for people. In his family Mainatand Block, West there are his parents and a younger Champaran, Bihar brother. His father is a farmer. His major hobbies are studying and sightseeing. In the long run Munesh wants to become a teacher.
PAGE 61 Nagma Khatun is a young woman SoochnaPreneur from West Champaran district in Bihar. She has completed her education till Class 12th. Her family consists of her parents, two brothers and one sister. Nagma’s father is a farmer and her mother is a home-maker. She feels that even in today’s age girls from rural India are not often allowed to stand on their own feet and she wants to break that perception by showing to others that women can be equally competent Nagma Khatun and independent as men. Before working as a SoochnaPreneur she had very less 21 years knowledge about her Gram Panchayat and various government schemes. Now Kangli Village, Kathia she is able to pass on the information Mathia Panchayat of Sikta related to various government schemes Block in West Champaran, to the people in her community and is Bihar making an effort towards helping people so that they can get benefits of the schemes and in turn get their due rights. The SoochnaPreneur programme has also enabled her to provide basic digital services to people which they were not able to avail in their vicinity. INTRODUCING 100 SOOCHNAPRENEUR
Najibulah is a young and dynamic SoochnaPreneur from West Champaran district in Bihar. He is currently pursuing his graduation along with being a SoochnaPreneur. His father is a teacher in a government school and his mother is no more. He has four brothers and two sisters in his family. Since the time he got a chance to try his hands on a computer in an internet café he has been fascinated by it. He was amazed by the idea of getting information about so many things Najibulah Ansari at his fingertips without going anywhere. He says that contrary to urban spaces, 19 years villages have very few centres of learning and that too mostly limited to primary Telpur Village, Lauriya or secondary level schools. In such a Block, West Champaran, scenario having access to internet is Bihar really a boon for the people in rural areas. When asked about his favorite pastime, he says that he likes playing cricket and is a big fan of Virendra Sehwag.
PAGE 63 Omprakash believes that the importance and scope of digital literacy extend beyond the simple theory of empowerment. The reality in today’s time and age is that without being digitally literate one cannot become employable. There was a time when ‘proficient in Microsoft Word’ was a big highlight in candidates resume and now such skills are considered a standard. The world as a place has become digital and to validate our existence in this Omprakash space we need a digital citizenship. He Kumar says it’s time we enhance our use of technology in teaching methodology. 19 years He still remembers that once he had to travel 5 kms far to get a photocopy and Belsandi Panchayat, he used to wonder as why such simple Gaunaha Block, West services are not available in villages. Champaran, Bihar Now he proudly displays his photocopy machine at his Soochna Kendra and says that people in his community are quite relieved to have such a service near their homes.
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Pankaj thinks becoming a SoochnaPreneur has put his life on the right track. He has completed his education till Class 12th. His family’s traditional occupation has been carpentry but he was not interested to take it up further. He has earlier worked with Reliance Jio as a salesperson. Since he became SoochnaPreneur he has been actively involved in providing benefits of government schemes to villagers. He ensured that he does not limit his role Pankaj Jain just with filling application forms of beneficiaries but also made people aware 23 years of their entitlement rights. He says that rural youth like him often migrate to Mrigwas Village, Chachora cities in search of work, but it is always Block, Guna, Madhya better if employment opportunities can Pradesh be made available in rural areas. In his free time he likes to watch movies and play cricket. He is a big fan of cine star Amitabh Bachchan.
PAGE 65 Being a SoochnaPreneur was like stepping outside his comfort zone and into work that is drastically different from his day-to-day routine. This is an experience he is really grateful for and will set him apart for future career opportunities. It has also given him a new perspective and view of becoming a self-made man. Prabhu has a small cattle-farm in Dhanau block, Barmer. He was struggling with his finances and was looking for some additional source of Prabhu Lal income when he met Shakti Singh. Shakti is a district manager, SoochnaPreneur 28 years project, Barmer. Shakti encouraged him to come on board and work for his community and in the process run his Bhalgaav Village, Dhanau own information centre to generate Block, Barmer, Rajasthan income to support his family. It worked for him. He says that income from the centre has solved his domestic issues, to some extent, and had re-energized him for working more passionately towards social development. Prabhu has a big family which includes six brothers and five sisters. He is married and has two children.
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After he became SoochnaPreneur, Pradeep has seen a transformation in the way his village community is consuming the information and learning about the current affairs. He says that many elderly gentlemen who used to consume news from radio are now visiting his Soochna Seva Kendra to see audio-visual enabled videos using electronic media. They enjoy watching variety of videos online and also learning about the different cultures in the world. He says that whenever they Pradeep Kumar come for some welfare scheme related work or to get some photocopy, they 21 years always invest some time in learning about using a computer and the internet. Bagahi Panchayat, Pradeep comes from a family of farmers Ramnagar Block, West and has five siblings including four Champaran, Bihar brothers. Though he has himself studied till Class 12th, he wants to send his younger siblings to college.
PAGE 67 Pramod is a down to earth person. His family occupation is farming. He lives with his parents, wife and two daughters. He has studied till Class 12th but could not study further. He had been assisting his father in his agricultural work but was not really satisfied with it. He shared that farming has become an unprofitable occupation for the small farmers and the future is quite uncertain. He wanted to try something different but was restricted by the fact that he could not leave his Pramod Bhargav parents. He came to know about the SoochnaPreneur programme through one 40 years of his relatives and showed interest in being part of it. He has shown leadership Bhador Village, Guna Block, skills in his community and has been Guna, Madhya Pradesh an active participant of various Gram Sabha meetings in his Panchayat where he has been quite vocal about issues faced by the community. Since joining the SoochnaPreneur programme he has been quite upfront in dealing with Panchayat officials and block officers. He wants to send both of his daughters to college when they grow up, which he was himself unable to do so.
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Prasanta is a grounded SoochnaPreneur from Bargarh district in Odisha. His family’s traditional occupation is farming. He lives with his wife and daughter. He has completed his education till Class 12th. He has over 10 years of experience in mobile selling and repairing business. He got associated with the SoochnaPreneur programme when he got a chance to meet Ashwini Kumar Sahu, the district incharge for SoochnaPreneur Bargarh team. Through his Soochna Seva Prasanta Panda Kendra he is offering several digital services like photo-printing, scanning, 35 years internet browsing, online applications, etc. After becoming a SoochnaPreneur, Barpali Block, Bargarh, several people in his community have Odisha consulted him to enquire about various government schemes, along with applying for schemes with his help. He says that technology plays a vital role in the lives of the poor as without its help the poor cannot access the information which can elevate them out of poverty. He considers himself a true patriot and idolises Shaheed Bhagat Singh.
PAGE 69 Rahul is a tech pro SoochnaPreneur from Ranchi, Jharkhand. He is a single child. His parental occupation is farming but his parents advised him to finish his graduation and do a white collar job. Later, he joined Paytm company as an executive. He soon lost his interest as he realised that he wanted to do something on his own. He came across the opportunity of getting associated with the SoochnaPreneur programme when the SoochnaPreneur team had organised a Rahul Kumar camp in his village and he was intrigued Sahu by the idea that an entrepreneurship opportunity existed around entitlement 23 years services. He showed keen interest to be a part of the team and was inducted Ita Panchayat, Bero Block, after an orientation program. His stint Ranchi, Jharkhand at Paytm came handy in operating ICT tools and even trained other new recruits under the SoochnaPreneur programme. Rahul has emerged as a key resource for training and capacity building of the Soochnapreneur team in Jharkhand. He loves watching movies and likes listening to songs of Arijeet Singh.
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Raja, apart from bridging the digital divide through Soochna Seva Kendra in his village, is also helping the local farmers in boosting their trade. He is receiving a high footfall of community people at his centre who wants to learn about the latest technology and an equal number of people who use his centre for getting digital services like photocopy. But the happiest section of people in the village is farm traders. They are using his centre to contact buyers online in city Raja Kumar areas to sell-off their commodities at a good price. This has helped them to end 22 years the menace of middlemen, who have exploited them for decades by eating Bagahi Panchayat, farmer’s huge chunk of profit share. The Ramnagar Block, West trade is picking up and giving a rise to Champaran, Bihar an economic revolution. The traders and other farming community members are appreciating Raja’s role in bringing the positive change in village’s social ecosystem. Raja is personally a nature- loving person and in his free time he likes to sit near the river close to his village.
PAGE 71 Rajeshwar wants to work towards transforming his village. He is a BA Economics graduate and has earlier worked with an NGO called Krishi Gram Vikas Kendra (KGVK), a CSR initiative of Usha Martin company. In his family are his parents, a younger brother, wife and son. His father is a farmer. Rajeshwar’s hobbies include expanding his knowledge and playing football. It is interesting to know that Rajeshwar got to know about the SoochnaPreneur Rajeshwar Gope programme through the Soochna Seva Kendra in Burmu Block which he visited 25 years to get information about various government schemes. He mentions that Dandiya Village, Burmu in his village there was not a single Block, Ranchi, Jharkhand photocopy shop and villagers had to go as far as 5 kilometres to get a single photocopy. With an SSK now operating in his own village, he can provide digital services on his own along with helping villagers avail various government schemes.
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Rajkishor has managed to study till Class 12th but could not continue further due to financial constraints. His father is a farmer and sometimes Rajkishor assisted his father on the field. He has been married for four years. He associated with Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) in 2014 through an Oracle project in Guna. He was really dedicated towards his work and DEF was quite impressed with his managerial skills. When the SoochnaPreneur programme was Rajkishor Singh launched in Guna, he was keen to be Chauhan a part of it and his earlier association made him a natural fit. Rajkishor has 29 years emerged as a key resource for training and capacity building of Soochnapreneur Kanjai Village, Raghogarh team in Madhya Pradesh. He strongly Vilage, Guna, Madhya believes that digital technologies should Pradesh not remain confined to urban spaces and the government should work on a mission mode to connect all villages through Internet. He is an avid follower of the teachings of Swami Vivekanand. He has been felicitated at district level for providing digital education to underprivileged children.
PAGE 73 Ramesh was a computer teacher at a community school in Alwar before he joined a Community Information Resource Centre (CIRC), run by Digital Empowerment Foundation, in 2014. Deep inside, Ramesh always had the desire to move out and teach those who find it difficult to access school education. For two years Ramesh provided digital literacy to vulnerable communities through CIRC and had further plans to expand it into a computer training Ramesh Meena institute. The SoochnaPreneur initiative gave him the opportunity to fulfill his 37 years dreams. Through this venture, he has received ICT and infrastructure support Malakheda Village, Umrain to run a Soochna Seva Kendra and also Block, Alwar, Rajasthan generate revenue by enabling schemes and entitlements. He is running this centre in partnership with his wife Chandrakala and this has made their bond even stronger. Ramesh enjoys providing digital literacy, earning through schemes and other digital services and managing to save enough money to work on his dream project of opening a big computer training institute.
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Ramniwas is passionate about working for his community. Even though he has not finished his matric, he has a confident personality. His father is a labourer. Ramniwas has three siblings including a sister. With the curiosity to learn computers, he used to go to CIRC Madhusudangarh to learn computers. It was there he heard about the Soochnapreneur programme. Since becoming a SoochnaPreneur he has been actively involved in helping the Ramniwas Sen villagers with their schemes, entitlements application, and has been actively liaising 27 years with the block office in order to ensure timely delivery of the benefits to fellow Ukawad Village, villagers. Ramniwas displays exemplary Maksoodangarh Block, leadership skills and has been chosen as Guna, Madhya Pradesh Tehsil-level president of Sen Samaj. In the long run he is interested in becoming a Sarpanch and working for the welfare of his Panchayat. He wants to make his Panchayat a true Digital Panchayat. He draws his inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
PAGE 75 Ramu through his Soochna Seva Kendra is providing a learning centre to the village students. The students visit centre to access the Internet and learn about computers and other digital tools and technology. This is a great opportunity for village students aspiring for jobs to stay abreast with the employment opportunities in government and private sectors. They gather a lot of information about vacancies by browsing different websites and portals. He claims that Ramu Kumar Soochna Seva Kendra is fostering job placement across the Damarapur block 26 years landscape. Ramu is a graduate and has also been giving private tuitions to high Damrapur Village, school students to support his family. Mainatand Block, West Ramu is married and has a 2-year-old Champaran, Bihar son. In his free time he likes playing cricket and surfing the net. When asked about his favorite personality, he says it is cine star Sunny Deol.
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“I want to stay close to my community, always” says Ratan Lal. Ratan is closely attached to his village and could never imagine his life elsewhere. He is well educated and belongs to a respectable family in Dhanau block, Barmer. He could have easily gone to any city to settle down but he chooses his village over the city comfort. He says life is more truthful in village but it has its own set of issues as well. According to him, just because we don’t get uninterrupted electricity supply Ratan Lal it doesn’t mean we should run away. Ratan is one of the best SoochnaPreneurs 28 years working in Barmer district and has helped many elderly members of his Gangasara Village, Dhanau village enroll under different pension Block, Barmer, Rajasthan schemes. Ratan is an open-minded person and he has encouraged his wife to become a SoochnaPreneur just like him. His wife Timu Devi is the only female SoochnaPreneur in Barmer team and Ratan is proud of this fact.
PAGE 77 Ravi is a tribal youth working as a SoochnaPreneur since November 2016. He is a BA graduate. In his family are his parents and two sisters. His father’s occupation has been farming. Being with SoochnaPreneur is his first job. Earlier, Ravi had got in touch with Soochna Seva Kendra in Bero Block and from there he got to know that through the SoochnaPreneur programme he can work with his own community. While joining SoochnaPreneur he got some IT training Ravi Fransis Minz and was glad that he could use a laptop on his own. Many of the people in his 25 years village had then seen a laptop for the first time. He has been providing information Karanji Village, Bero Block, on schemes to people and has been Ranchi, Jharkhand helping them get their labour cards, which in turn has helped in addressing the issue of migration there to some extent. His hobbies include playing football and he enjoys playing tribal musical instruments. He wants to be remembered in the long run for the good work done for people around him.
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Ravi is a young and dynamic SoochnaPreneur from West Champaran district in Bihar. He has completed his education till Class 10th. His family consists of his parents and five brothers. His father is a farmer and mother is a home maker. He got to know about the SoochnaPreneur programme through the District Manager of Soochna Seva programme. He likes being a SoochnaPreneur as it has given him an opportunity to acquire new skills and Ravi Kumar improve his employment opportunities. He feels that in most discussions 20 years around India as an emerging knowledge economy conversations focuses more on Telpur Panchayat, Lauriya urban India and people in the rural areas Block, West Champaran, are being left behind. In such a scenario Bihar he says that the SoochnaPreneur program is a boon for young people like him who do not want to migrate in search of work. In his free time Ravi likes watching movies and he is a big fan of Amitabh Bachchan.
PAGE 79 Ravi comes from a modest family. Both his parents have been illiterate. However, he managed to complete his education till Class 10th. Although, he was a bright student in school he could not continue his education due to financial crisis. His family’s prime occupation has been farming. He is married and lives with his wife and two sons. He has earlier worked with Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS). Through his Soochna Seva Kendra he is offering Ravi Lohra several digital services like photo- printing, scanning, Internet browsing, 38 years online applications, etc. After becoming SoochnaPreneur, Ravi has focused Jonha Panchayat, Angara on issues related to errors in identity Block, Ranchi, Jharkhand documents of his community members and getting them rectified. He says digital is the way forward and wants to teach computers to children of his community as he sees them as the future of the country. He idolises former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for his teachings and motivational speeches. In his free time he loves cooking and learning about different cultures.
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Ravindra Ojha got associated with the SoochnaPreneur program in January 2017 when he attended a SoochnaPreneur event in Guna, Madhya Pradesh, and was keen to be a part of the team. He has earlier worked with telecom companies Reliance Jio and Idea. In his family are his mother and two siblings. He has done his education till Class 12th. He has been working at the Haripur Soochna Seva Kendra in Guna, Madhya Pradesh. Ravindra has been working Ravindra Ojha towards ensuring that benefits of various government schemes reach maximum 24 years number of people. He believes that things becoming digital around us is crucial as Budhewalaji Panchayat, it enables people to access information Guna Block, Guna, Madhya easily, through which they can make Pradesh their lives better. In his free time he likes playing cricket and watching movies. He is a big fan of popular actor Akshay Kumar.
PAGE 81 Sachindra Kumar is a young motivated Soochnapreneur from Ranchi, Jharkhand. He lives with his parents and wife Sanju Devi. He has completed his education till Class 12th. He belongs to a farmer’s family and had been helping his father in farming activities. Not untouched with impact of technology in rural areas, he felt that he should do something beyond farming and make a place for himself. He had learned computers at a private institute and had also gained some Sachindra Gope experience in teaching computers. When he visited the nearest Soochna Seva 22 years Kendra to enquire about government schemes for farmers, he got to know Hesalpiri Panchaya, Burmu that new Soochnapreneurs were being Block, Ranchi, Jharkhand recruited at that point of time. He says that the youth in the villages are keen to learn digital tools despite their limited knowledge of English language. He feels that tablets should be subsidised by the government so that more rural families can afford it and become connected to Internet revolution. Sachindra loves playing cricket and is a big fan of MS Dhoni. Sadanand is a passionate SoochnaPreneur from Bargarh district in Odisha, who believes that one should keep striving for achieving something better in life. By education he has completed his matriculation. Farming has been traditionally his family occupation, but he wanted to do something different. Sadanand is married and has one son. Professionally he has eight years of experience working in a photo studio as a videographer. Having familiarity Sadanand Bhoi with using computers, he had not much difficulty in transitioning to his role as a 32 years SoochnaPreneur. He is happy to see that people in his community are being able to Barpali Block, Bargarh avail benefits of both digital services and District, Odisha government schemes at their doorsteps. He feels that information technology and digitisation are introducing a vital impact on the lifestyle of common people and it is helping in improving their economic status. In his free time he has been volunteering to teach children from a slum area. In the long run he wants to build a modern digital studio in his own village. Sahibana changed as a consumer when he first used the Internet for his school assignment. He was overwhelmed by the reach and veracity of the medium. That experience with technology in that impressionable age re-arranged his core values. Slowly, technology usage started dominating in his daily routine creating a profound impact on his attitude and outlook. When the opportunity to be a part of the SoochnaPreneur programme came he saw the perfect marriage of Sahibana Khan technology with a smart business idea. It felt like a dream job to him. Now 23 years Sahibana uses his profession to learn something new every day and applies Sedwa Panchayat, Dhanau same knowledge to help his community Block, Barmer, Rajasthan in terms of awareness and infrastructural development. Sahibana is a big fan of Narendra Modi’s Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan and has taken a vow to make his entire Panchayat open defecation free.
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Saif is an ambitious SoochnaPreneur from Ranchi, Jharkhand. He has completed his education till Class 12th. There are eight members in his family which include his parents, three sisters and two brothers. He comes from a economically poor background and his father has been a labourer. Saif has earlier worked in a mobile repair shop, where he also got an opportunity to acquire some basic computer skills. Saif had an earnest desire to become an entrepreneur Saif Alam and also serve the needy through his work. The SoochnaPreneur programme 25 years sounded as the right combination of fulfilling both his expectations and he Itki West Panchayat, Bero eagerly became a part of the team. He Block, Ranchi, Jharkhand feels that if the youth from the poor economic background are given the right exposure on technology, then they can really change their economic condition through hard work and determination. In his free time, Saif likes playing cricket and watching movies. He is a big fan of Shahrukh Khan.
PAGE 85 Sandeep is a resident of Guna, Madhya Pradesh. He lives with his parents and four brothers. Sandeep is right now pursuing final year of his graduation. Being a SoochnaPreneur is his first job. His dream was to join the Indian Army but he could not pursue it. He got to know about the SoochnaPreneur program when another SoochnaPreneur visited his village and told him about this opportunity. He likes being a SoochnaPreneur and he feels that he Sandeep Sahu is contributing towards transformation of his village in becoming digital. 20 years After being associated with the SoochnaPreneur programme he has been Mrigwas Panchayat, able to provide knowledge about various Chachora Block, Guna, government schemes to people, which Madhya Pradesh they had not been much aware of. He says that earlier government schemes were not able to reach many people because the information related to the schemes used to reach very late and very few people had complete knowledge about it due to lower literacy level.
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Sanjay is a motivated SoochnaPreneur from Ranchi, Jharkhand. In terms of education he has completed his Diploma in Manufacturing. In his family there are his mother, two elder brothers, Sanjay’s wife and a 2-year-old son. He has prior experience of working with other NGOs in Ranchi such as CINI, PFI and ICRW. He got a chance to visit a Soochna Seva Kendra and met the centre in-charge there. Through him he got to know that he can get a chance to do something Sanjay Kumar on his own along with helping others alongside. He was excited to know that 25 years an entrepreneurship model is possible around entitlement services, which is Lupung Panchayat, Angara otherwise mostly unheard of. He used Block, Ranchi, Jharkhand to think that for common people it is very difficult to avail benefits of various government schemes, but after being associated with the SoochnaPreneur programme it has totally changed his perception. In his free time he likes teaching young children, playing and watching cricket and other sports. He is a big fan of former Prime Minister Atal Bihar Vajpayee.
PAGE 87 Satish is a grounded SoochnaPreneur from Guna, Madhya Pradesh. He lives with his two brothers, three sisters and his parents. He is married and has two kids. His wife is a homemaker. He is about to complete his BA degree. Coming from a rural background from a backward district like Guna, it has not been easy for him to find a stable job. For a long time he has assisted his father in farming activities. He got to know about the SoochnaPreneur programme through one Satish Kumar of his friends and was keen to avail the Bairagi opportunity to do something on his own. He is an avid follower of PM Narendra 35 years Modi and believes in his vision of Digital India. Satish feels that digital technology Mrigwas Panchayat, plays an important role in transforming Chachora Block, Guna, lives of ordinary people and people from Madhya Pradesh rural India should get an opportunity to be connected to the world of Internet. In his free time he likes playing cricket. Leveraging the skills learned as a SoochnaPreneur, he wants to become a big businessman in the future.
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Shakil is a passionate SoochnaPreneur from West Champaran district in Bihar. He has completed his graduation in BA (Urdu) Hons. His family consists of his parents, four sisters and two brothers. Before joining the SoochnaPreneur programme he was teaching at an English medium school. Shakil used to go to a shop for some work near the Soochna Seva Kendra in Bagahi where he got in touch with one of the Soochna Seva staffers. Through him he got to know Shakil Ahmad about the SoochnaPreneur programme and expressed his interest in becoming 29 years a SoochnaPreneur. Familiarity with basic computer skills helped him quickly pick Telpur Panchayat, Lauriya up his role as a SoochnaPreneur. In his Block, West Champaran, free time Shakil likes playing football and Bihar he is a big fan of Argentinian footballer Maradona. He knows multiple languages such as Hindi, Urdu, Arabic, Farsi and English.
PAGE 89 Healthcare support in Barmer block is in grim state and causes a lot of inconveniences to the locals. In absence of life-saving drugs, many have lost their loved ones in past. One such person is Shakur. He lost his grandfather because of shortage of a common medicine in the primary health centre in his village. He says that clinic was supposed to have it, it was their duty, and the death could have been easily avoided. The reason for becoming a SoochnaPreneur is personal Shakur Khan for Shakur; he wants accountability, ownership, and discipline to come in 37 years the public system. He is determined to work for the social causes and help Sheo Panchayat, Barmer vulnerable communities avail benefits Block, Barmer, Rajasthan under government programmes. Shakur is a family oriented person and loves spending time with his children. Shakur is a graduate and he makes it a point to convey to his kids the value of education.
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Shyam has been married for past 12 years and has two kids. His wife supports him in running the family through tailoring work. He has finished his MA and has some experience of teaching at a local village school. However, because of limited pay he was looking for a better opportunity without going far from his village. The SoochnaPreneur programme seemed to him the right opportunity for his career progression. He was also earlier under the impression that government schemes Shyam Prakash launched for the poor just exist on paper Ojha and very few people actually avail it. However, through the SoochnaPreneur 32 years programme he realises that someone needs to provide the helping hand to the Barkheda Hat Panchayat, people for availing the benefits of various Aron Block, Guna, Madhya schemes. He says that easy availability Pradesh of right information plays a key role in reducing this gap. When asked about his achievement in life he proudly says that he helped Chironji Lal, a disabled homeless person living in dire poverty avail the grant under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
PAGE 91 Shyam holds an MA in Sanskrit and a PGDCA and believes in the value of education. His family’s occupation has been farming. He lives with his parents and two siblings. He has worked as a teacher in a school in Guna and has also worked as a computer operator in his Panchayat. He was earlier part of DEF’s Oracle project. Being a part of DEF family he got to know about the SoochnaPreneur programme being started in Guna and he was interested Shyam Sharma in exploring it as it gave him a chance to hone his entrepreneurship skills. 26 years His previous training with computers and work experience with Panchayat Jamra Village, Guna Block, made him an excellent candidate Guna, Madhya Pradesh for SoochnaPreneur. He says that it is heartening to see that the government is moving more and more towards providing digital services which can be accessed online. He is really impressed with the Madhya Pradesh Government’s ‘Samagra Portal’ where status of beneficiary applications can be easily tracked. INTRODUCING 100 SOOCHNAPRENEUR
Sirnam is highly disciplined; he has got a timetable for every activity - from daily morning exercise to sipping his evening tea made of local leaves. Everything should be on time without any fail. He is also a civil rights activist and works to raise awareness of the racial inequalities in his village. He is an eloquent orator and is liked by most villagers. Sirnam is always invited by Panchayat heads of the village to moderate community meetings or whenever they have Sirnam Singh something important to announce Raghuwanshi in the village. When SoochnaPreneur initiative reached his village, it was 40 years one of the village panchayat heads who recommended Sirnam’s name as a Bhador Panchayat, Aron potential SoochnaPreneur. Everyone in Block, Guna, Madhya the village agreed and had the belief Pradesh that only he can do the justice to this challenging role and can run an effective Soochna Seva Kendra. He has lived up to the expectations of his village.
PAGE 93 Sonu was born and raised in a poor family. Several generations before him they gave horse carriage rides for a living. Sonu remembers spending his childhood in harsh poverty, going to bed hungry and without supply of electricity or running water at home. Irrespective of the limitations, his father ensured that Sonu completed his schooling and had a bright future ahead. Since his young age, Sonu had compelling thoughts of a better life. He was looking for that one Sonu Prajapat opportunity which could help him to be financially free. It was a turning point 21 years in his life when he got the chance to work as a SoochnaPreneur. The project Jharkhera Village, gave him the platform to showcase his Kishangarh Block, Alwar, skills, talent and unlock his potential. Rajasthan Sonu has fast emerged as one of the best SoochnaPreneurs in Alwar district, Rajasthan. With his zeal to succeed, he is certain to achieve greater heights in his professional career.
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Subodh is a motivated SoochnaPreneur from Ranchi, Jharkhand. He has completed his education till Class 12th. His family consists of his parents, one brother and one sister. His father is a farmer. Subodh has some experience of running a small business, but had to face some setbacks. He was trying to figure out what he should do next when he got to know about the SoochnaPreneur programme. He felt that this could be a good opportunity for him, especially as Subodh Pandey the programme was being implemented at a pan-India level. While he did not 26 years have much prior idea about the realm of entitlement services, but through Sonahatu Panchayat, MeraApp he could easily access Sonahatu Block,Ranchi, information on government schemes Jharkhand and help the needy in availing them. He says that earlier he had not given much thought that rural areas can offer decent business opportunities through services, but getting to know the SoochnaPreneur programme has changed his perception. In his free time Subodh likes playing cricket and watching movies.
PAGE 95 Despite all odds 19-years-old Sukurmani has emerged as a champion. She belongs to Sonahatu panchayat of Ranchi district in Jharkhand. She was born into a poor family rooted in conservative thoughts. Her father is a farmer and her mother is a home maker. Sukurmani has no siblings. She managed to study till Class 12th, but could not study further because she was married just after her schooling. After her marriage she earned some money by stitching clothes and doing Sukurmani some handicraft work at home. However, Kumari she wanted to do something bigger and convinced her husband to let her work 19 years outside home. As a Soochnapreneur she quickly picked up the skills to work Sonahatu Panchayat, on digital tools and is also an effective Sonahatu Block,Ranchi, community mobiliser. Being associated Jharkhand with the Soochnapreneur programme has given her the confidence to travel on her own, meet new people, deal with government officials and encourage other women folks to take more control of their lives. She is a big fan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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Sunil believes enlisting the full potential of women in our society is the only way to make our country great and meet global standards. Sunil, as a responsible member of his community, has always expressed the importance of education in moulding the future of village youth. He is known for his tough uncompromising, modern social and political views, and became dubbed as ‘Shehri babu’ in the village. After becoming SoochnaPreneur he is trying to maximise the digital Sunil Kumar Ram literacy in village youth and help others, especially the older population, with their 23 years healthcare related issues. Sunil is married and has a 3-year-old son. His wife has Damrapur Village, studied till Class 8th. In his free time he Mainatand Block, West has likes to write stories and surf the net. Champaran, Bihar
PAGE 97 Suraj is a young SoochnaPreneur from Bargarh district in Odisha. He has completed his education till matriculation. He lives with his parents and three siblings. His family’s occupation has traditionally been farming. He has two years of experience as a computer operator, which turned out to be quite helpful when he got associated with the SoochnaPreneur programme. Through his involvement as a SoochnaPreneur he has been able to help people in his Suraj Sahu community avail various government schemes such as Old Age Pension, 22 years Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, etc and has also Barpali Block, Bargarh, helped students in the villages to avail Odisha government scholarships. He feels that with the help of digital technology the economy of the villages are developing and day to day life of people is becoming easier. In future he wants to become a big businessman, and give back to his community. In the past Suraj has been involved in arranging blood donation camps in his village.
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Taj believes simplicity in lifestyle brings joy, freedom, and balance. He says when we adopt simplicity in our actions and experience liberation from all the worldly fears then we are in the best position to focus on the essentials of life. And according to him the key essential to life is caring for your family. But unlike his simple approach to life, his definition of family is quite unique. For him, his family also means his friends, community, village and country. That is the reason why he Taj Mohammad joined the SoochnaPreneur program,me to help his family. He is selflessly working 23 years and has dedicated his whole life to fight for causes existing on the humanitarian Jane Ki Beri Village, Dhanau frontlines. At his Soochna Seva Kendra, Block, Barmer, Rajasthan he is teaching community young girls and women how to use computer and Internet at a very modest fee. This is his way of liberating the women from feudal practices of rural India.
PAGE 99 In Tausif’s family are his mother and brother. His father passed away when Tausif was young childhood and he had to shoulder responsibility of his family at an early age. With great difficulty he completed his graduation and also acquired some computer skills during his study. He did some odd part-time jobs during his college days but wanted to do something on his own. Being a SoochnaPreneur has helped him rise on his own feet along with an opportunity Tausif Alam to serve the needy. Since becoming a SoochnaPreneur several people in 23 years his community have consulted him to enquire about various government Itki East Panchayat, Bero schemes and apply for them. Through Block, Ranchi, Jharkhand the SoochnaPreneur programme he has also been able to take digital services like photocopying, printing and scanning to remote places, which was not possible earlier. He says that technology plays a vital role in the lives of the poor as without its help the poor cannot access the information which can elevate them out of poverty.
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Timu Devi is a star member of the Barmer team and the only lady SoochnaPreneur working in the region. Timu is also an expert Aaganwadi worker. She has a strong network in the area and is well known among the locals especially women. While briefing, Timu immediately liked the SoochnaPreneur business model and knew exactly what it would take to make it a roaring success. She strongly felt that she could leverage her government office contacts and easy Timu Devi access to vulnerable families to facilitate dissemination about welfare schemes and 26 years help beneficiaries in availing the benefits quickly. She was right about her instincts Gangasara Village, Dhanau and has shown incredible finesse in her Block, Barmer, Rajasthan community outreach strategies. Despite coming from a remote village area she has managed to study till Class 10th and understands the importance of education. She encourages women in her community to send their girls to schools.
PAGE 101 “As far as I could remember, I always dreamed of being a businessman, and It finally happened when I became a SoochnaPreneur,” said Urfan. Urfan is in his early 20s, pursuing graduation and already married. He is also blessed with a baby boy, Amesh, who is a bundle of joy in his life. Urfan comes from a traditional family of farmers. The pressure of a newborn responsibility and rising household expenses were troubling him until he came to know about Urfan Khan SoochnaPreneur project. “Limited annual income from seasonal farming was not 20 years enough to provide a decent lifestyle for my family especially in a joint-family setting”, Chandoli Village, Umrain said Urfan. Things changed for better Block, Alwar, Rajasthan when he joined the SoochnaPreneur programme. He found that being a SoochnaPreneur not only offers him an additional source of income but also provides an opportunity to work for the development of his community. He wants to join local politics to speed-up the economic development in his village. INTRODUCING 100 SOOCHNAPRENEUR
Vimal is a young SoochnaPreneur from Ranchi, Jharkhand. After completing his Class 12th education he had pursued an ITI diploma course. He lives with his parents and five sisters. He comes from an economically humble background and had to look for job opportunities at an early age in order to support his family. He was full of ideas as how more people can be provided with digital services and benefits of government schemes in rural areas. He helped the SoochnaPreneur Vimal Kumar Team in Jharkhand to develop interesting Mahto audio-visual content in local language to reach more people. He likes using 21 years his smartphone a lot and feels that social media should be leveraged to Childag Panchayat, Angara its maximum potential in rural areas Block, Ranchi, Jharkhand to solve local problems. He wants to spread awareness about importance of smartphones among community members. In his free time he likes listening to old Hindi songs. He adores Prime Minister Narendra Modi and never misses to listen to his “Mann Ki Baat” show on radio.
PAGE 103 Vishal is a young SoochnaPreneur from Guna, Madhya Pradesh. He has studied till Class 11th. In his family are his parents, two brothers and one sister. His father is a farmer. Before becoming a Soochnapreneur he had gained some experience in mobile repairing. Vishal has a fascination about smartphones and he thinks it is one of the best things made for the common man in recent times. He did not know that accessing Internet would become so easy in rural Vishal Ojha areas. He earlier thought only the youth in urban areas have that privilege. He 18 years likes exploring various apps in Google Play Store and he keeps showing his Vishanbada Panchayat, friends what various apps can do. He Bamori Block, Guna, says that initiatives like MeraApp would Madhya Pradesh play a big role in breaking the barriers of information, which otherwise remain accessible only to a few people. In his free time he likes watching movies and playing cricket. He is a big fan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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Vishnu likes the idea of doing a commercial business and still not discounting the social work component in SoochnaPreneur business model. He says the essence of the SoochnaPreneur programme is anchored in helping the rural population especially the youth. It was a defining moment for Vishnu when he joined the project. He signed up for the SoochnaPreneur role because he wanted to start his own business and also help his community. To be able to Vishnu Gour do that SoochnaPreneur seems to be the best option. In his words, “Running 20 years SoochnaPreneur centre is like doing God’s work, the help which we provide Baytu Panchayat, Baytu to beneficiaries fills me with immense Block, Barmer, Rajasthan pride and gives my business a whole new meaning”. He admires the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India and he wants to see every rural household realising the full potential of Internet.
PAGE 105 August 2017