R Shakthi Harshith | B.com with ACCA | CMR University
I am grateful to Reaching Hand and my college for having given me the opportunity to do my internship. I was assigned to work with the Pratishtha centre. I and my friends were given the task to mobilise/evangelise to underprivileged students
The staff at Pratishtha taught us how to talk and reach out to the community. It was the first time that I and my friends were doing this. We couldn’t wait to go out and help others who were in need. We took the pamphlets with us to spread awareness about the upcoming courses at Pratishtha.
The Pratishtha centre skills underprivileged students and those who are unemployed towards employment. Youth from disadvantaged backgrounds who are unemployed frequently associate with criminals and engage in theft and looting. Others engage in illicit activity or become drug addicts.
We spoke to them in depth about the course in the local Kannada language. Soon after, we approached students and young people in Bangalore like areas around Kullappa Circle, Kammanahalli Main Road, Ramsampalya, Kacharakanahalli, Hennur Main Road and Rammaiah Layout.
Many unemployed people expressed interest in the courses that we indicated they could enrol in. The candidate must either be a 10th Pass or 12th Pass student to qualify for the courses. The course lasts for three months and is free of charge. Only a Rs. 500 registration fee is taken.
We were able to make at least 20 contacts with disadvantaged students who wanted to enrol in the course in order to jumpstart their careers. This was a novel experience for me, and as a result, I can now appreciate the value of education and the amazing work Pratishtha has been doing.