2014 social media marketing trends and the independent pharmacy final
NH_Vol12_Issue3_2015
1. Dr. Reddy’s Foundation | April 2015 1
The Quarterly Newsletter of Dr. Reddy’s Foundation
Volume 12 | Issue 3 | April 2015
SOCIAL MEDIA AND CSR
DRIVING IDEAS BEYOND BARRIERS
2. New Horizons | February 20152
EDITORIAL
Team
Contributors
Matuli Madhusmita Swain
Sumedha Goswami
N Sudhakar - Rural Livelihoods
Tarun Shukla - Rural Livelihoods
Kantilal Deshmukh - Rural Livelihoods - Daund
Yogesh Kumar - Zonal Corporate
Networking Department.
Krishna Reddy - Rural Livelihoods
Sree Lakshmi - LABS PwD
Bhaskar Babu Boda - Learning & Development
Puli Rami Reddy - MIS
S Suman - Operations
A Sanjeev Kumar - Administration
Vikash Lal - North Zone
Pranav Choudhary - East and Central Zone
LABS centre teams
LABS-PwD centre teams
Rural Livelihoods location teams
Administration Department of
Dr. Reddy’s Foundation (Livelihoods)
Management Information System (MIS) Department
Dr. Reddy’s Foundation (DRF) is the non-profit partner of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Limited. Founded in
1996 by late Dr. K Anji Reddy (Chairman, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories), DRF acts as a catalyst for change,
fostering, developing and promoting initiatives at the individual, group and organization levels to achieve
sustainable development. DRF’s work spans education and livelihood promotion with a particular focus
on the underserved and marginalized sections of society. Through a wide array of vocational training
programmes and rural livelihood initiatives, DRF addresses the issues of employability, income generation
and consequent improvement in the quality of life.
3. Dr. Reddy’s Foundation | April 2015 3
Snapshots
Livelihoods
Advancement
Business School
(LABS)
CONTENT
4
Social Media
and CSR
12
Rural LivelihoodsLivelihoods
Advancement
Business School
LABS-PwD(People
with Disability)
8
16
19
Special feature
Disaster
management and
livelihood
22
4. New Horizons | April 20154
COVER STORY
SOCIAL MEDIA AND CSR
DRIVING IDEAS BEYOND BARRIERS
H
istory is replete with examples of revolutions brought about
by the simple act of people joining forces to uphold ideas
and interests for the greater good of humanity. Every
change is started with the seed of communication. As the idea
spreads through words, art and group meetings, so does
the movement gather momentum. In the 21st century,
internet and social media have led the change movements
- from regime changes to the death of an international
terrorist, we have seen it all on social networks first.
Social media is driving the CSR message too, as crowd
funding, flash mobs and FB updates become the norm
for the people and companies alike.
In this age of instant gratification, how do companies
protect themselves from the onslaught of social media
eroding their brand image while at the same time leveraging
this brilliant opportunity to engage the customers into
becoming a brand convert? Communications, especially social
media driven messages are of strategic importance. Especially
in times of crisis, it’s a company’s obligation to be as open and
transparent as possible, as well as to communicate most efficiently to those
consumers impacted. The most efficient way to do this today is online. Yet before a
crisis erupts, no matter what the root of the issue, companies should cushion themselves by leveraging the good
work they’re already doing. Building a network of supporters over time that aligns with a company’s values and
actions only help a company in times of trouble.
How does a company align its communications and operations strategy with respect to CSR and Social
Media?
1. Defend first, attack later: Before bombarding the netizens with your products and advertising jargon, first
build the bulwark to defend your company’s reputation. Company’s initiatives, especially in the area of
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Authenticity is the key here, stay true to your CSR goals – a few
correct steps are much better than a fake leap.
2. Share and care: If a company is ‘doing good’, don’t be shy about talking about it. The taboo of never tooting
your own horn with a press release about your good deeds clearly has crumbled in the corporate world, and
companies today are not only promoting philanthropy through social networks, they’re building unique
Facebook pages and Twitter profiles for these important programs. All in the spirit of sharing good news,
companies have a huge opportunity to ride the high wave of CSR through social media, spread the word,
amplify their cause(s) and galvanize powerful network of friends.
5. Dr. Reddy’s Foundation | April 2015 5
COVER STORY
3. Be committed to CSR: As mentioned, it’s critical to be transparent when it comes to a company’s CSR
program, especially when harnessing social networking platforms. By transparent, it means keep it real
and no lip service. Online consumers are savvy and being open and communicative is vital to reputation
management. Showcase the strides that the company has made for the cause, whether this means funds
donated, awareness raised, consumers reached, beneficiaries helped, communities improved, etc. Highlight
the company’s long-term commitment and that of its supporters and partners. Rally third-party endorsers to
help share your stories.
4. Seek to Engage: As the adage goes, ‘there’s power in numbers’ and social media provides companies –
who actively engage – with an influential, built-in network of passionate consumers that become followers
of a brand when interested in what it’s doing. One way to build a following and keep them involved is
by deploying a fun, creative way for supporters to participate and share with online friends. Contests,
messages and a committed cause are the key elements to creating a successful online brand within the realm
of social media.
Notable examples of social media revolution are:
1 Arab Spring
Arguably the most significant demonstration of technology and social media activism in recent times, the
so-called ‘Arab Spring’ uprisings and protests in numerous countries throughout
the Arab world starting in late 2010 illustrated how social networks
could be utilised as powerful new tools for political organisation,
communication and resistance.
2 Instagram backlash
The photo filter/sharing phenomenon might
have all seemed like a bit of harmless retro
fun, but when newly Facebook-owned
Instagram tried to quietly revise its
terms and conditions in late 2012 with
new advertiser-friendly amendments,
the resulting user backlash as the
company listening to its users.
3 Gangnam Style (PSY)
Gangnam Style is the single by
the South Korean musician Psy.
The song was released on July
15, 2012. On December 21, 2012,
“Gangnam Style” became the first
YouTube video to reach one
billion views. The song’s music
video has been viewed over
2.3 billion times on YouTube,
and has been YouTube’s most
watched video since November 24,
2012.
6. New Horizons | April 20156
COVER STORY
4 2014 General Elections
During the 2014 Union elections, politicians promoted their controlled speech and presented their point
of view without being interrupted by journalists or by media format limitation. By means of social
media, political parties or politicians could mobilize public and invited them to participate in discussion
on some issues of public interest. By using the social media tools, politicians and political parties
interacted efficiently with their supporters, beyond institutional and bureaucratic rigors. Social media
played a considerable new role in Indian democracy. Social media has also credited with helping the new
Aam Aadmi Party and its candidate, Arvind Kejriwal, won a surprise victory in Delhi against major
political parties.
5 ASL Ice Bucket Challenge
ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, is an activity involving dumping a bucket of ice water on someone’s head
to promote awareness of the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and encourage donations to
research. It went viral on social media during July–August 2014.The Ice Bucket Challenge
has not only been an internet sensation, but more importantly a fund-raising success.
The lesson learned from the ‘ALS Ice Bucket Challenge’ is that if a basic
social media marketing plan is well-constructed, there is no limit to
the effect it can have on your business. Think about what you
want to accomplish and then sometimes the simplest, most
entertaining idea, combined with the right timing, can have
a big impact.
6 Earth Hour in India
Earth Hour is a global awareness program
by WWF to create awareness on climate
change and fight global warming.
People participating in the Earth Hour
voluntarily choose to switch off their
lights of their homes and offices for
one hour to make their stand against
climate change. For the first time in
2009, WWF India took the initiative
to bring this campaign to India. An
interactive and informative
Earth Hour India site was created
asking people to register
themselves. Social media
channels on Facebook, Orkut,
Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr
were created and these were
used to engage with people and
direct them to the site. Within
18 days, the Earth Hour site got
1,23,704 visitors; 28,484 people
#dreamwithDRF
Follow us on Twitter
https://twitter.com/DRFHYD
Read our Blog
http://drfcommunications.blogspot.in
Like and Share on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/drreddysfoundationindia
Visit our website
http://drreddysfoundation.org
INTERESTING SNIPPETS
“I look at myself as somebody who can change
lives. Mobilising, counseling and facilitating
are more than just work responsibilities…”
- D. Satyavani
LABS-PwD facilitator
An Annual meet of LABS-PwD was held in
New Delhi on 16th March, 2015 at Vocational
Rehabilitation Centre, Karkardooma.
A ToT conducted by Enable India, at Head
Office, Hyderabad. Our LABS PwD team is an
enthusiastic bunch.
Facilitators at the recent induction program at
DRF. Having their life skills honed they are
ready to dream big.
7. Dr. Reddy’s Foundation | April 2015 7
registered on the website to participate in the Earth Hour event; the Earth Hour Facebook Cause got 19,059
members; the Orkut Community got 4,547 members; the Flickr photostream received 1,700 views; the
Twitter channel got followed by 321 followers. Earth Hour 2009 was a huge success and the programme is on
its way to another successful year in India now.
7 Blogging about logging
Staging an old school sit-in, but with digital tools to bolster awareness and engagement, Australian
environmental campaigner Miranda Gibson has been literally living in a tree for over a
year to protect Tasmanian forests from logging. From her canopy platform she
blogs regularly about environmental issues and her record-breaking feat at
observertree.org. Unfortunately, Miranda Gibson had to leave the tree
in March this year due to threat of wildfire.
8 Wikipedia
Wait a second, isn’t Wikipedia a website? Yes it is, and
one that’s run by a non-profit, volunteer-sourcing
foundation whose stated goal is to collect and
develop the world’s knowledge and to make it
available to everyone for free, for any purpose,
making it arguably the single most ambitious
and successful digital campaign.
CSR social media strategies have
undoubtedly amplified the good actions
of companies while generating droves
of supporters. From raising awareness,
to connecting with consumers in
the way they want to engage and
fostering positive action, leveraging
CSR in the social media world can
strengthen consumer trust and loyalty
and encourage followers (and their
friends) to take action and participate
in becoming the change.
Information source: Google
Social Media in INDIA
In 2013, India became one of the fastest
growing markets for social media. Increased
mobile and internet penetration have meant that
more users have taken to social media like never
before - Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+ and
LinkedIn. While Twitter & Facebook have had a head
start in India with partnerships and users, Google+ is playing
catch up. Today, Facebook has 114.8 Million users whereas
Twitter has 20 Million users in India. YouTube accounts over
50 million users from India.
#RiceBucketChallenge – the desi tadka to #IceBucketChallenge
When the #IceBucketChallenge was trending across the world, a
journalist from Hyderabad, Manju Kalanidhi, had different ideas
brewing in her mind. Instead of wasting water in a country where there
is a scarcity of this essential life resource, why not do something that
attempts to feed millions of poor and hungry? Rice Bucket challenge on
Facebook required friends to cook or donate one bucket of rice to poor
and hungry in the locality and post a picture on Facebook/ Twitter doing
the same with the hashtag above. Within 4-5 days, the page had more than
40,000 fans and 35000+ mentions. Even celebrities like Priyanka Chopra
came out in support of this noble campaign.
Citizen Journalism
The power of citizen journalism became ever so present during the
2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Indian media has been increasingly
willing to integrate citizen journalism in its news coverage
and India is expected to see a continuation of these trends.
DID YOU KNOW
8. New Horizons | April 20158
Livelihoods Advancement Business School
HIGH LIFE SKILLS MODULE (HLS)
As an organisation we are looking forward to take our program to newer heights. With regards to this, skills
module has been upgraded to High life skills module (HLS) and released at 9 centres as a pilot program
(Alok Nagar, Barrackpore, Puri, Gondal, Shimla, TilakVihar, Vijayawada, Gopalapatnam, Mysore).
There is a phenomenal change in our approach. The life skills are aimed at developing competencies which will
groom aspirants to be employable right from the beginning.
The competencies that are intended to be developed in the aspirant are:
Work ready and open to learn Drive for results Customer focus
Team work Work ethics
Each competency is a combination of few well learned life skills which will not only help aspirants cope up with
the work environment they are getting into but also promote mental well-being and competence as they face the
realities of life.
Topics like gratitude, building relationships, communication skills have a greater positive impact on the behaviour
of the aspirants, though other elements of the module also play an equally important role in helping aspirants
mould themselves into responsible individuals.
Rigorous practice assignments are included in this high life skills module, where aspirants will the have the
scope to practice the lessons learnt and convert them into effevtive skills.
To support facilitators in making their delivery effective, 4 ‘Train the Trainer’ programs have been conducted at
the head office. After completing the TTT, to ensure the quality of delivery, supporting tools were provided to
the centres.
On the basis of feedback taken from the pilot centres, module has been customised in a way that it will help
understand concepts in an easier way.
Facilitators have expressed their immense happiness in the module as it is impacting our aspirants in a positive
way. Even aspirants have shown their interest in learning this module.
FEEDBACK FROM ASPIRANTS
“I have learned how to work on my weakness and convert them into strengths. I have improved my
communication skills & networking skills. I am thankful to Dr. Reddy’s Foundation.”
- S.Sonia, Domain: ITES
“The training program at Dr. Reddy’s Foundation has helped me to gain self-confidence & overcome
stage fear. It has helped me change my personal life totally.”
- Ch.Sita Devi, Domain: ITES
9. Dr. Reddy’s Foundation | April 2015 9
Dumpa Yamuna
(20 years old)
Ruksana Begum
(21 years old)
Livelihoods Advancement Business School
With a family size of 4 and annual family income of 90,000, it became difficult
for the family to sustain their needs. In spite of this, her indomitable spirit and
strong determination helped her to become an independent individual.
20 year old Dumpa Yamuna, comes from a very impoverished family.
Her father is a daily wage laborer and is the sole earning member of the family.
Yamuna discontinued her studies after 10th because of family’s financial
issues. She wanted to help the family but due to lack of skills, she was unable
to find a job. Through one of the mobilization drives of DRF, she came to the MSDF
supported LABS center in Gopalapatnam, Vishakapatnam (A.P). Yamuna joined the IT-Customer
Relations (IT-CR) domain and slowly began to build up her self-confidence. She successfully completed
the 45 days training and says she liked the life skills and WRM sessions because they have helped
her to grow in life. Today, Yamuna is placed as a Team Member with Cell Point, Vizag earning
a remuneration of 6000 per month. Her additional income has helped her family and she has now taken up the
responsibility of partially taking care of monthly expenses. She is also planning to make some savings.
Meet young and vibrant, 21 year old Ruksana Begum. In a family of 6, Ruksana’s
father was the only earning member. Their annual family earning was just 36,000
and there was no additional family income apart from this. Ruksana has younger
siblings who are studying in school. Ruksana is pursuing BA second year but she
wanted to support her father with the household expenses.
Although her mother was against the idea of her working, Ruksana was looking for
a job. Despite many attempts, she could not get a right job. Through one of her
friends she came to know of the 45 days LABS training. She visited the Accenture
supported LABS center at Bilaspur, Madhya Pradesh and enrolled in the Information Technology Enabled
Services (ITES) domain following the counseling. Before joining LABS, Ruksana was an ordinary girl
who was unemployed and lacked direction or aim in life. Her life changed dramatically after she
joined 45 days LABS training program at Dr.Reddys Foundation. It not only transformed her as an
individual but also made her more confident, energetic and positive about her future. After the training,
Ruksana was placed with Delta Agency, Bilaspur as a Computer Operator on a monthly remuneration
of 5000. Ruksana wants to finish her studies and is now supporting her family as well.
With only an intermediate degree on hand, he was uncertain about his future. Coming from
an impoverished family, he had to discontinue his studies after 12th owing to the financial
issues at home.
18 year old Arvind Bairwa, who, today works as an Executive with Geosansar
(SBI Kiosk) and is earning 13,000 monthly could never imagine that his life
would turn around this way and he would be able to support his family.
Arvind lacked proper skills and direction to get into a job. With a family of six
and an annual family income of 72,000, it became very difficult for the family to
make ends meet. Through one of the mobilization drives, Arvind came to know about the LABS training.
He visited the DRL supported LABS training center at Najafgarh, Delhi and enrolled himself in the
Customer Relations and Sale (CRS) domain. After 45 days, Arvind was placed through the job fair organized
by the centre. Life changed for the better as he gained his confidence back and now is also supporting
his family.
Arvind Bairwa
(18 years old)
10. New Horizons | April 201510
21 year old R.Durga Prasad comes from a very impoverished family. His father works as
daily wage laborer and is the sole earning member of the family. With an annual earning
of only 72,000, it became increasingly difficult for Durga’s father to sustain a family
of five.
Durga completed his intermediate and wanted a job to support his family. Due to lack of
skills and confidence he was unable to find a job. Through one of alumni of DRF- LABS,
he came to the JP Morgan Chase supported LABS center in Gajuwaka, Vishakapatnam (A.P).
DurgajoinedtheInformationTechnologyEnabledServices(ITES)domainandslowlybeganto
build his self-confidence. Today, he is placed as a Team Member with Maayin (A unit of Parampara crafts,
EXIM PVT LTD), Jagadamba, Vishakapatnam earning a remuneration of 8500 per month. His additional
income improved his family’s morale and he has now taken up the responsibility of partially taking care of
monthly expenses. His family debts are slowly being cleared and Durga is also planning to buy a vehicle for
the family.
Livelihoods Advancement Business School
R.Durga Prasad
(21 years old)
Sinu M
(19 years old)
19 year old Sinu M’s father is a daily wage laborer and supports a family of 4.
The annual income is mere 50,000 which is definitely not sufficient. The financial
condition of the family was bad and it was becoming extremely difficult to
take care of their day to day expenses. Sinu was not serious about his life.
He never wanted to study beyond 12th standard. His younger sister is still at
school and with the meagre income it became difficult to support her education.
Sinu wished to change for good but was unable to do it because he lacked
a guide to show him the right path. That was when he came across one of the
mobilization activity of DRF. He came to know of the LABS training program.
He came to the JP Morgan Chase supported DRF LABS training center at Palakkad, Kerala.
He was intrigued by the counseling session and decided to take up the course with a hope of turning
around his life. Sinu enrolled in the Information Technology-Desktop Publishing (IT-DTP) domain.
Sinu had to fight few odds in the process of completing the 45 days of training. His friends
would constantly pull him back and encourage him to discontinue or drop out. However, it was Sinu’s
determination to fight the odds and complete the training.
Today Sinu is working at SKS Micro Finance, Palakkad as team member on a monthly remuneration
of 8500/-. His family’s financial condition has improved. Previously it was even unthinkable for his
parents that Sinu would become responsible. Still in his teens, Sinu has come a long way fighting his inner
self and proving everybody wrong. An inspiring story indeed, Sinu today takes care of the household
expenses and his sister’s education.
11. Dr. Reddy’s Foundation | April 2015 11
K.Anirudh is 25 years old and a B.Tech graduate. After his graduation there was
a gap of one year as he was tied up with family responsibilities. His father’s health
was deteriorating as he could not handle the responsibility of constructing the house
and also his job. His mother is not well educated and cannot take up the family
responsibility and his younger brother was studying. Anirudh had to take care of
the construction work. Later when he attended interviews he was not selected as he
could not perform well and the gap after his education was problem as well. This made
him a little depressed and he lost faith in himself which lead to lower levels of
confidence and self esteem. After joining LABS, Anirudh slowly improved his way of
being, he came out of his depression and started to focus on his goal. He started to brush
up the basics of his subjects, and also worked on his communication skills. He was very
regular in the classes and would never miss any Life Skills class. The classes on Self
Introduction, Interview Skills and Grooming and the mock interviews helped him a lot
in improving his confidence and self esteem. His family members could make out the
difference in his behaviour and attitude after he joined LABS. Now when he attended
interviews, he was confident and showed good improvement in his communication.
On the day of interview with Thomson Reuters, he was excited and nervous.
The facilitator was there to build his confidence and make him focus on his interview.
His happiness knew no bounds when he cleared all his rounds of interview. He was on
cloud nine when he got a call from Thomson Reuters to inform him that he was selected.
His mother who was worried about his carrier and future was really happy to know
that he got selected into a good MNC company. She expressed her gratitude and
happiness to DRF for making her son capable of taking the first steps of his career.
Success Stories
12. New Horizons | April 201512
DISABILITY TRIVIA
AVOID USE
(the) handicapped, (the) disabled Disabled (people)
Afflicted by, suffers from, victim of Has (name of the condition or impairment)
Confined to wheelchair, wheelchair bound Wheelchair user
Able-bodied Non-disabled
Deaf and dumb; deaf mute Deaf, user of sign language, a person with a
hearing impairment
Mental patient, insane, mad Person with a mental condition
The blind People with visual impairment; blind people;
blind and partially sighted people
Livelihoods
Advancement
Business School
(People with
Disability)
PROMOTING DISABILITY ETIQUETTES
When we look for the meaning of the word ‘Handicap’
on Google, the very first meaning which it shows is ‘a
circumstance that makes progress or success difficult’.
But somehow in our minds, as soon as we hear this
word we create a picture of a person with disability.
People with disabilities face many barriers every day,
from physical barriers in buildings to systemic barriers
in employment. Yet, often, the most difficult barriers to
overcome his attitude of other people carry regarding
people with disabilities. Whether born from ignorance,
fear or misunderstanding, these attitudes keep people
from identifying the full potential of a person with a
disability.
We are often not sure how to react when we see or meet
a person with disability. Many thoughts race our minds,
‘Should I talk about the disability?’ How do I address
that person? ‘What is the right terminology, specially
abled or differently abled?’ We are so much engrossed
in such thoughts that we often forget about the person
with disability and only focus on the disability.
We at Dr. Reddy’s Foundation began LABS PwD with
an objective of providing sustainable livelihood to
people with disability. When we look back we realise
that we have employment opportunities for PwDs in
India, but have also been working towards creating an
inclusive society. There are employers today who are
not employing PwDs out of pity or sympathy, but are
employing them based on their abilities. They are being
given equal responsibilities. There are organisations
which are no longer looking at incorporating work place
solutions for PwDs as expense but as an investment
to heir people with disabilities. As we expand our
operations to 30 centres in 17 states by April ‘15,
we will be one of the largest organisations in India,
working for creating equal opportunities for people
with disability. Our very first step while expanding
our operations was to train our own team on disability.
We organised an exclusive induction program in
February for the PwD team along with Enable India that
included disability awareness, counselling techniques,
Img
13. Dr. Reddy’s Foundation | April 2015 13
Subhash Chandra Rawat LABS - PwD
“I am currently working in GVK EMRI (108 Emergency Call center). I am very
happy with this job and I am thankful to my facilitators for guiding me in every
possible way. Due to my disability I never thought I could work. But I have now
found a purpose in life”.
Facilitator’s observations: Subhash was from our first batch in Jaipur and is a
very intelligent aspirant. He was one of the most active and hard working aspirant
in the training programme.
Parent’s comments: Subhash parents are very happy. They were worried about Subhash’s future when he
was not earning. But now that he has got a job they are very thankful to Dr. Reddy’s Foundation for giving
their son an opportunity to be part of the training programme.
Employer’s feedback: Subhash is an honest employee. He is very hard working and punctual. He is also a
good team player.
Due to my disability I never thought I could work.
But I have now found a purpose in life.
Livelihoods Advancement Business School (PwD)
employability of PwDs etc. The induction also included
an outing to ‘Dialogue in the Dark’. In ‘Dialogue in the
Dark’, blind guides lead visitors in small groups through
different settings in absolute darkness. Through this visitors
learn how to interact without sight by using their other
senses, as well as experience what it is like to be blind. We will
be initiating two centres in partnership with AMDOCS, our
new partner for the PwD program in Pune and Gurgaon.
Dr. Reddy’s Foundation’s contribution in making India an
inclusive society has become very significant. We constantly
strive to work towards with our partners and reach new
milestones.
14. New Horizons | April 201514
25 year old Shreedevi Mashale comes from a lower middle class family.Her father is the sole earning
member in a family of 4. With an annual family income of 60,000, it became increasing difficult for the family
to meet their needs. Shreedevi is orthopedically challenged and finished her 12th but could not continue studies
owing to her family’s financial problems.
Shreedevi came to the Accenture supported LABS-PwD centre at Pune,
Maharashtra after seeing an advertisement in the newspaper. She enrolled
herself in the ITES domain after counselling and completed the 60 days
program. Post the training, Shreedevi was placed as a data entry operator with Cravy
data management and services in Padmavati, Pune earning a monthly remuneration
of 7400.
Shreedevi finally came out of her house, leaving behind her physical challenges. She
is very happy about this and says that this has given her an opportunity to know her inner
self and regain her lost confidence.
28 years old Sandeep Kumar KP works for KFC, Calicut as a team member
earning a remuneration of 7500. Sandeep never thought that he would come
this far.
Sandeep finished his 10th from Karuna special school for deaf and was working
in Chennai as a machine operator on a pay of 4000 per month. Sandeep was
called, informed and counselled by the DRF team and attended one day of
motivation class with his parents at Accenture supported LABS-PwD center at
Calicut, Kerala.
Livelihoods Advancement Business School (PwD)
Manish Kumar
(22 years old)
Shreedevi Mashale
(25 years old)
Sandeep Kumar KP
(28 years old)
15. Dr. Reddy’s Foundation | April 2015 15
An introvert girl from a lower middle class family now
earns 9043 every month. This might not sound like
a story but when the girl is a dwarf with problem
standing up straight, this would certainly be a life changing
experience.
Meet 23 year old Gayathri Phani Pavani from Neredmet,
Secundrabad. Gayathri is the only child of her parents. She
suffers from dwarfism and is only 3 feet in height. Her spinal
cord is affected and because of that she can only bend and walk. In
a family of 3, Gayathri’s mother was the sole earning member. Her mother
works as a school teacher in the same school from where Gayathri completed her 10th. Gayathri completed
her SSC in 2009 but then she confined herself to the house fearing ostracization and ridicule from the society.
She hardly used to speak to anybody and in spite of her mother persuading her to go out, Gayathri kept
to herself. Since Gayathri’s father is bedridden and cant’t earn, the small sum that her mother earns
wasn’t enough for the family. The annual family income before Gayathri started working, was a mere
60,000. After lot of encouragement, Gayathri finally completed her Intermediate in 2014 but still kept herself
confined to home.
One day one of our BPO facilitators, Sathyavani Devarapalli came across her in a hospital where Gayathri
came with her mother for a check-up. It took nearly 3 months for the facilitators to convince her to take up
the course as it would be beneficial for Gayathri. She came to the DRL supported LABS-PwD center in VRC
Vidyanagar, Hyderabad and enrolled herself in the BPO domain. However, the on first day of the training, she
was so intimidated that she cried and left the center immediately. With lot of persuasion she came back and
completed the 60 day training program.
Gayathri used to keep to herself and was depressed about her physical condition. Her self-confidence had hit rock
bottom and it took much time to get her out of that. She gained her confidence by developing her communication
skills and in-depth knowledge of BPO domain.
Today Gayathri is working as a Customer Support Executive with Aegis BPO, Begumpet. This was a big
achievement for her and her parents. Gayathri is now supporting the family and the family is slowly getting their
debts cleared. Her parents are confident of her future. Gayathri now wishes to complete her graduation and is
working towards it. Gayathri can’t hide her excitement when she realizes that she is financially independent and
confident of herself. She has definitely come a long way.
Success Stories
Gayathri Phani Pavani
(23 years old)
Taking interest in the program, Sandeep enrolled himself as an aspirant with the ITCR (Information Technology-
Customer Relations) domain. Sandeep had good communication skills and it did not take Sandeep long to
understand the lessons. Today Sandeep is supporting his father and the family too. He is hopeful about his future
and is happy about his progress.
Gayathri can’t hide her
excitement when she realizes that
she is financially independent
and confident of herself. She has
definitely come a long way.
16. New Horizons | April 201516
45 year old Bangarinaidu Akulais from Pallipeta village under Srikakulam district of
Andhra Pradesh. With a family of four and his children in college, the only source of
earning is agricultural labour. With an annual income of 45,000 it became difficult
for them to sustain a decent living. However, Bangarinaidu owns 3 acres of land
which was left uncultivated.
Before adopting vegetables (watermelon) cultivation as an intercrop technology,
Bangarinaidu, didn’t have any knowledge about productivity enhancement programs,
practices of improved methods in water melon cultivation etc. Even when the family
tried vegetable cultivation, they faced problems like pest and diseases, low productivity etc.
Base line of productivity in Srikakulam district is 3.5 tonnes/ 0.25 acre of land, but Bangarinaidu and his
family was not able to produce as per the base line. Their productivity is only 2-2.5 tonnes/ 0.25 acre of
land. To solve this condition they undertook several measures like applying various pesticides, using organic
matter etc. but they didn’t find any satisfactory result. By adopting the vegetable cultivation intervention,
his expenditure was 1800 whereas the income out of the production was 14,000. The family produced
3.2 tonnes of water melon from 0.25 acres of land. Now, the Pallipeta community wants to achieve something
more in their life. They want to stand on their own feet by best utilizing simple technologies and cultivate
vegetables from now on.
50 year old Amarnath Paik is a paddy farmer from Ranchandrapur village, South 24 Parganas in
West Bengal. Earlier he used the traditional way to farm paddy. This resulted in wastage of
seeds and also is more labour intensive. He owns 0.66 acres of land and his productivity
used to be 12.8 quintals of paddy from this piece of land as opposed to 16 quintals.
After an interaction with DRF’s RL team, Amarnath decided to take up the line
transplanting method in paddy farming. He applied the line sowing on his main field.
Amarnath also did seed grading, seed treatment etc to save his crops from fungal attacks.
His nursery came out to be very good. Amarnath also got his soil checked with the help
of one of the RL team members. This proved to be a money saving solution as Amarnath
started applying fertilizers in the right proportions. Amarnath is yet to get the produce from his field but he is
very hopeful and is positive that it would be more than earlier.
‘I am sure that as it has been very helpful to me, it will be so for other farmers. It is a way to control the
excessive fertilizer and money. Now, I understood that line transplantation is best for inter cultural operations.
Now my plants are healthy and free of diseases, insects. I am looking for a great yield from my paddy field.”,
says a beaming Amarnath.
Rural Livelihoods
Bangarinaidu Akulais
(45 years old)
Amarnath Paik
(50 years old)
“No unemployment insurance can be compared to an alliance between a man and a plot of land.
With one foot in the land, human society is firmly balanced against most economic uncertainties.
With a job to supply him with cash, and a plot of land to guarantee him support, the individual is
doubly secure. Stocks may fail, but seed time and harvest do not fail.”
~Henry Ford
17. Dr. Reddy’s Foundation | April 2015 17
Rural Livelihoods
Ranavena Rajeshwari is 35 years old. She is from Ushannapally village in Jammikunta.
She has two daughters to look after and agriculture is the only income source
for her family. Due to regular drought conditions from last 3 years, their income from
agriculture crops was very less and this in turn increased their debts for managing
the family. Her husband resorted to becoming an agriculture labour.
Aswatersourcewaslimitedduetoregulardrought,shestartedcultivatingvegetables
instead of major crops. Due to lack of skills in proper cultivation practices, she used
to grow only single variety of vegetables like tomato or brinjal. In 0.5 guntas unit, her
expenditure was around 12,000 and income was around 16,000. She used to spend
more on pesticides and her illiteracy in crop management resulted in low yield. As part of
vegetable crops promotion, DRF’s community mobilizer visited Ushannapally and educated Rajeswari on growing
multiple varieties of vegetables for regular and higher income. Convinced by the advantages of growing multiple
vegetables and crop protection practices, she started growing tomato, chillies, brinjal, ladyfinger, leafy vegetables
andcarrotsonthesameland.FromthechangeinthewayRajeshwaricultivatedvegetable;shecouldearn 70,000in
one harvest.
“I was surprised to see the incremental yield and regular income from multiple vegetable crops. DRF’s community
mobilizer suggested us to grow the vegetables based on the market demand and educated us on selecting seeds
and crops rotation. We are very happy on earning triple income from the same land. Our neighboring farmers
were also interested after knowing of incremental income.” says Rajeshwari.
45 year old Vitthal Tukaram Waghmare is from Malkapur village, Jalna in Maharashtra.
He owns 4 acres of land and he grows cotton, maize, soyabean and wheat.
The annual family income is 50,000. Gram is the major rabbi crop in this area.
The major problem in gram cultivation is that people generally use traditional
method (drilling) of sowing and use local seeds for sowing without following
seed treatment. They are unaware of the improved package of practices for gram
cultivation.
DRF team conducted a survey to find out the solution. We collected all the
necessary information and conducted farmer meetings at Malkapur to motivate
farmers to use improved package of practices for gram cultivation including sowing
method, spacing, improved varieties, seed treatment etc.
Vitthal adopted this technology on 1 acre of his land. He followed the dibblingb method
for sowing by 1×1 feet spacing for Vijay variety of gram. By adopting this technology his cost of fertilizer, seed
rate, etc. were reduced. This also helped to increase the yield up to 5 quintals from his specified area. Now he is
happy with better results of this technology on his farm. Vitthal will get benefit of up to 10, 000 to 11,000 in
future in the whole cropping span.
Ranavena Rajeshwari
(35 years old)
Vitthal Tukaram
Waghmare
(45 years old)
...We are very happy on earning triple income from
the same land. Our neighboring farmers were also
interested after knowing of incremental income.
18. New Horizons | April 201518
Success Story
Aambadas
Ramchandra
Hivarkar
(45 years old)
Aambadas Ramchandra Hivarkar is 45 years old and has 6 members in his family.
He owns 3.5 acres of land in Lonarwadi village in Daund, Pune. He majorly cultivates
crop like watermelon, cucumber and bottle gourd. Recently he feels that the cost of
investment is more than the profit thus, making farming less cost-effective.
One of the team members of DRF RL (Development Extension Workers) team Anil
Jadhav, met Ambadas and other farmers told them about how they can decrease or
maintain cost of cultivation. They provided information about mulching activity and
how it can help in saving cost of cultivation.
He implemented mulching activity on his field for watermelon crop. Ambadas invested
6,000 acre on PVC mulching. Before implementing activity he used to invest 5000 on
weeding and 15000 on chemical spraying. Now, he saves 5000 from weeding, 5000 from chemical spraying
and also a 30% increase in yield. Ambadas also gets good quality of watermelon and a good price in the market.
“PVC mulching activity on my farm got me 15,000 to 20,000 of additional income.” says Ambadas.
Training program on
‘Pro tray nursery management in the Shade net’
Farmers’ Exposure visit to Sustainable
Sugarcane Intervention
From 18th to 20th March, a team of 21 project
staff from AP & South zone and 10 farmers
from Araku and Pydibheemavaram attended a
3-day training program on ‘Pro Tray Nursery
Management in the Shade Net’ system’
organised by KVK Amudalavalasa. During
training, project team was educated on
practices of producing good quality F1
hybrid vegetable seedlings in shade net system
and promotion of shade net technology.
On 28th March, a group of 12 key farmers from
Lingupally of Kamareddy project location have
visited a demo plot of Sustainable Sugarcane
Initiative promoted by DRF Rural Livelihoods.
Sustainable Sugarcane Intervention is a proven
technology to reduce the cost of cultivation
and increasing the yield with less water
requirementinsugarcanecrop.Duringthevisit,
farmers were shown the process of nursery
raising, transplantation and pruning. Farmers
also visited other interventions implemented
by DRF in the village and were delighted with
the impact of interventions like detrashing
in sugarcane & vegetable cultivation.
19. Dr. Reddy’s Foundation | April 2015 19
HOW EFFECTIVE DISASTER MANAGEMENT HELPS
IN LIVELIHOOD RECOVERY
By Vishal Aditya Potluri
All people face risk in some form at all times. However
each person’s vulnerability to the same risk is varied.
Any event that can cause harm when it occurs is only
a hazard. It is only when planned incorrectly that even
small hazards can turn into disasters. This occurs when
people are either unaware or undermine effects of a
hazard that they are left vulnerable. An earthquake
becomes a disaster only if building or structure cannot
sustain it. In developed nations, like Japan which
faces an average of 1500 earthquakes annually, it is
seen that people recover quickly, as if almost unfazed,
and get back to status quo. This is because disaster
mitigation is inbuilt in their day to day conditions.
Livelihoods programs that take sustainability and
disaster resilience seriously as core part of their
strategy can allow people to bounce back and face
hazards with preparedness and confidence than fear.
Rural livelihoods face many risks, of which drought,
pest outbreak, floods and climate change are some
prominent ones. Just as we encourage diversification
of income for the poor, livelihoods seen from a
diversified perspective can offset the effects of
disasters. One such method is provided by ‘sustainable
livelihoods framework’. This approach looks critically
at five factors which pose opportunities and risks for
livelihoods of poor families. These are the natural,
financial, physical, human and social factors. The
amount of exposure and the resulting shock a
hazard brings varies for each family and each factor.
Depending on whether each factor protects or exposes
from vulnerability, it can take shape of an asset or a risk.
For example the common practice of resource sharing
in a close knit community (which is a social factor)
can be an asset during a famine. Similarly, regions
facing a risk of drought can have physical assets such
as canals and water tanks that can reduce vulnerability.
Poorly maintained electricity lines can be a physical
risk during floods. It is necessary to identify these
assets and maximize their usefulness and minimize
risk. Government agencies and NGOs provide a way
to enhance these assets and each new program much be
aware and practice a framework that suits each project.
It is said that radical change can only take place at
time of crisis. However, it would be silly to wait for
a disaster to occur so we can make changes to our
plans. By making use of tools, such as a ‘disaster risk
analysis’, we can integrate disaster management into a
livelihoods project cycle. This can be done in an easy
step wise manner by asking the right questions. First
we identify issues by finding out the possible hazards
faced in the region by our target population and
whether their livelihood assets and activities exposed
to those hazards. We then identify what internal and
external capacities exist to manage the risks from those
hazards. Once both are known, we make changes in
our action plan to prevent negative impact of those
hazards. This can be done by participating directly
(e.g. we can promote barrier trees for farms in high
speed wind zones) to address exposure to hazard or
facilitating other agencies like governments or NGOs
to reach these people. When done effectively, these
plans not only help people to recover faster, they also
minimize the effect communities face from disasters.
Vishal is an American Indian Foundation
(AIF) Clinton Fellow working with the
Rural Livelihoods team at
Dr. Reddy’s Foundation, Hyderabad.
Source: Google Images
21. Dr. Reddy’s Foundation | April 2015 21
920
Rural Livelihoods - 2015
ECZ
UTTAR PRADESH
DRF Core
Mirzapur RL Project - Mirzapur
Varanasi RL Project - Varanasi
Chandauli RL Project - Chandauli
CHHATTISGARH
DRF Core
Durg RL Project - Jamul-Durg
WEST BENGAL
Ernst and Young Foundation &
Dr. Reddy’s Foundation Core
Bankura RL Project - Bankura
Ernst and Young Foundation
Salbhani RL Project - Medinipur
Dr. Reddy’s Foundation Core
Laxmikantpur RL Project - Kolkata (South 24 Parganas)
BIHAR
Dr. Reddy’s Foundation Core
Nalanda RL Project - Nalanda
Patna RL Project - Patna
SOUTH
ANDHRA PRADESH
Dr. Reddy’s Foundation Core
Araku RL Project - Vizag
Ananthapur RL Project - Ananthapur
TELANGANA
Dr. Reddy’s Foundation Core
Srirampur RL Project - Sri Rampur (Adilabad)
Kamareddy RL Project - Kamareddy (Nizamabad)
Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories
Miryalguda RL Project - Miryalaguda (Nalgonda)
Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories/ NASSCOM
Muchintala RL Project - Muchintala (Mahaboobnagar)
High Networth Individuals - Supported
Jammikunta RL Project - Jamikunta (Karimnagar)
KARNATAKA
Dr. Reddy’s Foundation Core/ Deshpande
Gadag Livelihoods Project - Gadag
WEST
MAHARASHTRA
Dr. Reddy’s Foundation Core
Buldhana RL project - Buldhana
Washim RL Project - Washim
Tadoba RL Project - Tadoba (Chandrapur)
Jalna RL Project - Jalna
Daund RL (DEWS) Project - Daund (Pune)
Daund RL Tata Project - Daund Tata (Pune)
NABARD/ Dr. Reddy’s Foundation Core
Daund UPNRM RL Project - Daund-UPNRM - Pune
Ernst and Young Foundation
Sudhaghad RL Project - Raigad
FARMERS IMPACTED
STATE WISE LIVELIHOOD TRAINED - 2014
LIVELIHOOD IMPACTED 3,14,036
Andhra Pradesh
Bihar
Chhattisgarh
Maharashtra
Karnataka
Telangana
Uttar Pradesh
West Bengal
Andhra Pradesh
Bihar
Chhattisgarh
Dadar Nagar Haveli
Delhi
Gujarat
Himachal Pradesh
Jharkhand
Karnataka
Kerala
Madhya Pradesh
Maharashtra
Odisha
Punjab
Rajasthan
Tamilnadu
Telangana
Uttar Pradesh
Uttarakhand
West Bengal
State Farmers
impacted
Andhra Pradesh 859
Bihar 847
Chhattisgarh 567
Maharashtra 971
Karnataka 57
Telangana 1141
Uttar Pradesh 1263
West Bengal 437
Grand Total 6142
State Incepted
Andhra Pradesh 920
Bihar 252
Chhattisgarh 285
Dadar Nagar Haveli 42
Delhi 252
Gujarat 487
Himachal Pradesh 155
Jharkhand 123
Karnataka 329
Kerala 669
Madhya Pradesh 386
Maharashtra 104
Odisha 363
Punjab 100
Rajasthan 166
Tamilnadu 173
Telangana 478
Uttar Pradesh 573
Uttarakhand 70
West Bengal 457
Grand Total 6384
State wise no’s
from 1-Dec-14 to 28-Feb-15 (LABS)
6142 farmers were impacted through
3861 substantive interventions
1st Dec 2014 to 28th Feb 2015
22. New Horizons | April 201522
SNAPSHOTS
Annual meet of LABS-PwD was held in New Delhi on
16th March, 2015 at Vocational Rehabilitation Centre,
Karkardooma
Anuradha Prasad,Trustee, DRF visits
LABS center at Kochi, Kerala
‘Institutional Skilling’ at Maharaja College,
Mysore by the L&D dept of DRF
Job Fair organised by the LABS team
Tirupati, AP
DRF gets featured in the
leading Telugu daily Sakshi
on 3rd March, 2015
Rewards and Recognition program for LABS at Hyderabad
Rural Livelihoods of DRF
gets featured in the monthly
magazine of Goat Trust of India
Livelihoods Advancement Business School
