Meet the people who seem to have failed at one point of time in life but their determination remained intact and will stood indomitable. Most of them here have a poor background- financially and in terms of literacy. When they could trace no helping hand Literacy India encouraged and motivated them to start life afresh. Literacy India is the brain child of the first women commercial pilot of India- Capt. Indrani Singh. For Indrani flying is her passion but philanthropy is her life, her breath. She lives for the poor, the underprivileged and the downtrodden. For Indrani sky is truly the limit, this lady with wings has devoted her life to a mission. The lady pilot had set up Literacy India with aim to educate the kids who belonged to a poor section of the society. It all started in 1996 when Indrani got her command with Air India. She felt complete after achieving all she wanted out of life and then she took up the task of shaping others life. She knew only education could bring a difference in anyone’s life. In 1996, She started off with five kids and today she has each year 20,000 kids educating here. Parvati, a twenty one years old girl, is one of the 4 sisters and 2 brothers. Her father is a rickshaw puller. Her life changed when Literacy India supported her in her education. She studied at the Brijwasan Centre. Parvati knew she was earning the best gift of her life. She says, “Literacy India educated me and after I finished my studies offered me a computer operator job. I am extremely happy. Out of my earnings I am able to buy a scooty for my self”. LI gave wings to her aspirations and she is able to contribute in earning the bread and butter for the family by earning 7,500 per month. Through digital technology LI educates the children coming to their school. Digital dost is Indrani’s another project that uses Gyantantra digital dost technology to provide education to underprivileged children. Gyantantra Digital Dost enables children to grab various subjects quickly. It also educates the younger generation on issues like aids, hygiene, saving money and child abuse. Indrani has been molding the lives of many children and women, helping them to be self-sufficient and earn a life of respect. With her feelings of acute philanthropy she started motivating the mothers of the poor kids and families to lead a sustainable livelihood through vocational training. Her Indha products have won a lot of accolades. Indha as it truly means (a broad base which enables the women in villages to carry many pots on their head) would enable the women to carry a load of many things together. Under LI’s Indha project 300 women have been trained in tailoring, embroidery, art and craft, beauty culture, computer and driving. The products, called Indha crafts not only enhances their creativity and boosts their confidence by supporting them in their livelihood it also evokes in the women the sense of entrepreneurship. Sudha was tortured by her in-laws. She is a mother of two kids. After her marriage she realized that her dreams were shattered and the hell broke loose when she learnt that her husband had no interest in doing any sort of work to make money to raise his family. Sudha, finding no support from her in-laws left her house with both her kids and came to Delhi from Lucknow in search of job. Life to her was paralysed. After two years of struggle she finally was brought to the Bajghera centre of LI where she was given vocational training. LI also supported her children in terms of free education. After leaning the traits and art of creating fabulous stuff at LI, Sudha managed to earn two square meals. She is able to make Rs 6,500 a month. She shares, “My husband now comes to meet us because I have started earning.” With a ray of confidence on her face she utters, “no I earn and I eat. I am not a burden on anyone”. Sohit Yadav, Project Director, LI says, “Like Sudha, there are 300 women learning and earning out of Indha project. Overall LI educates and empowers 50,000 women, youth and children every year. The project now runs in 11 states, and we have 55 centres across the country.” Indrani says, “It all started when women would come requesting us to educate their kids. After talking to those women we realized if we do little tweaking and facilitate then they can live a better quality of life.” She explains, “Women empowerment is something that would help them to reach that point where they would not feel subjugated.” For Indrani till the time she met those women in need this subject was totally new. “It was an alien subject to me as I as a child was given complete freedom to do flying, to studies. I was encouraged to do para gliding and all such activities. I realized why can’t we help them to raise their standards to a quality life. Empowering them was more important because then the whole families started improving,” she says. Indrani feels happy when she sees women working in LI built their own houses, sent kids to schools. The Limca Book of Records 2012 holder Capt Indrani Singh says, “What they are doing is a creativity in itself. They feel they have an identity. Earlier they had a very mundane life. Doing the household work the whole day then husband would beat them in evening after coming back. They were very stressed. After coming here they feel empowered.” “We aim to evoke independence in each distressed soul. There was a 55 years old woman who had lost all hopes in life as she had an ailing husband and no respect from her son and daughter- in law. After coming to this centre (Dharuhera) she trained her skill in art and craft work. Now that women has her own identity, she is respected by her family. She feels she has achieved something in life. She is no longer living in sorrow.” Satya Prakash, Indha Project Director at LI, shares, “I have spent 12 years with LI. It gives me such a good feeling to see the power of innovation which enables the women feel empowered.” The Indha products have 190 style lie products. They are widely used for corporate gifting. Companies like Microsoft, SITA, Kuoni and the RBS bank love their products and also get personalized gifts made from these women. Indha also makes products out of recycled papers and materials. Satya Praksh, “Pan India 300 women have been trained as artisans in 9 years. It might sound as a small number in 9 yrs but a woman to be turned into an artisan takes a hell lot of time. They have been able to reach this position because we have continuously given them work. Under Indha we are working in six states- Delhi, Haryana, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Telangana. In these states we are not only training and empowering women we are also facilitating them with education for their children” Singh’s NGO markets the handicrafts made by women in India and abroad. Parvez, is working as a trainer at the LI centre in Palam Vihar. Initially her husband did not permit her to work. But later when Parvez convinced her husband and seeked his support to encourage her she started coming to the centre to learn stitching. Now after working for years at the centre Parvez is a trainer and she leads a happy family life and contributes in education of her children. Perver is supporting her family by earning Rs 7,500 every month. Urmilla has also learnt and improved her skills of stitching at the LI centre. A mother of 4 kids, Urmilla earlier had a life full of struggle and difficulties. She says, “Earlier it was difficult. I didn’t know stitching now I have learnt here. I come here at 10:30 in the morning and work till 5 p.m. in the meantime I also go back home in the afternoon to provide lunch to my kids. I am able to earn Rs 2,5000 per month. Now I am respected and loved by the family.” Like Urmilla , Pervez and Sudha – Rinku was another women distressed and needy. Like Urmilla she comes to the centre as per her convenient time. Working here for a few hours every day she is able to generate Rs 2,500 per month. She spends her income on her kids education. Captain Indrani Singh has a wide reputation in terms of being the first woman commercial pilot of Asia but she is equally respected for her devotion to philanthropy. As a support, saviour and reformer for the woman Indrani has built a platform to showcase their handmade products and market them in India and abroad. You ask Indrani how she balances her personal life with such strict schedule, she smiles and says, “When you are determined to do something you find ways and this is what I am teaching the women here.” Indrani says flying was never so difficult as philanthropy. Changing the mindset to people driving and motivating them towards education and sustainability is a tougher task to perform. “But it gives you a good night sleep when you see smile on people’s face”.
LI also provides platforms to children to express and enhance their talent by providing them the opportunity to work in films, doing theatre. Children have got the chance to visit Rashtrapati Bhawan, NSD and Shri Ram Centre to do stage shows. The children completing their education from LI have been employed by corporates, hotels and export houses. Indrani says, “Kids do theatre which is a medium for kids to earn confidence. They have become my brand ambassadors. They innovate and improvise their script on their own. Recently they performed in cyber city. They are my soldiers.” All these achievements of others makes life for Indrani so fulfilling.