1. Introduction:
In recent years, there has been paradigm shift in the
development of youth in India with a huge focus on livelihood
development through micro entrepreneurship. A severe lack of job
opportunities for youth, especially rural youth, has led to
entrepreneurship, even at the micro level, as a necessary and viable
alternative for livelihood generation. Providing the opportunity for
youth to successfully start and run a small business will improve
rural economy and lead tobetter quality of life for the youth, their
families, andtheir communities. Promoting rural enterprise will also
serve as a key to stem the migration of youth and bring about a
reduction in the number of youth who moveaway from their communities
in search of employment elsewhere. With the advancement of
technology, and the evergrowing reliance on digitalisation, rural
communities are fast being left behind on the availability of
technology based services. A huge gap exists between urban and rural
communities in this regard.To bridge the gap between urban and rural
communities, Vimukti Charitable Trust® in partnership with
Development Focus (DF), are pioneering an innovative Digital
Entrepreneurship Program in Vimukti Pothnal, Raichur district in
North Karnataka. The aim of this unique initiative is to create
rural e-entrepreneurs from socially and economically disadvantaged
rural communities.
2. Project Overview:
The project, aptly named Bridge-IT, is a micro entrepreneurship
program that aims to provide livelihood opportunities and bridge the
IT gap between urban and rural India by building the capacity of
rural youth in e-entrepreneurship. BridgeIT will focus on building
the IT and entrepreneurial skills of rural youth,build their
confidence, and enhance their life skills, providingthem with the
necessary meansand support to earn a livelihood through
e-entrepreneurship. The initiative will not only allow rural youth
to be gainfully employed and self-sufficient, but will also bridge
the IT gap by enabling the youth to bring much needed IT related
services into their communities. By promoting rural
entrepreneurship, the intervention aims to improve the rural
economy, reduce illiteracy, and provide academic inputs to both
school going children and adults through computer based education.
3. The overall goal of the project is to provide livelihood
opportunities for rural youth through e-entrepreneurship.
4. The specific objectives of the project are:
• To create rural e-entrepreneurs from socially and economically
disadvantaged communities.
• To facilitate rural entrepreneurships and micro enterprises in IT
and technology based services.
• To reduce illiteracy among adults through computer based adult
literacy programs.
• To provide supplementary academic inputs for primaryschool
children in rural areas through computer based education.
5. Project Implementation:
Vimukti started sensitizing in villages by identifying
Livelihood committee and entrepreneurs followed by the rank and
matrix. According to this project we needed 16 entrepreneurs, but we
succeeded in more than 20 villages sensitizing to identify 16
entrepreneurs but due to some reasons we still held on to 16 of
them.
6. Selection Procedure:
Vimukti interviewed more than 100 youth in all the 16 villages and
followed by the selection procedure and finally selected 16
Entrepreneurs.
7. Basic Computer Training:
After selecting the Entrepreneurs they can’t start immediately
their online business because before starting any business they must
be experts in that business that’s why those selected 16
entrepreneurs had to undergo two months of training on Basic
computer and online services. Vimukti started training on basic
computer and online services, that is why 2 months training was a
basic requirement and all the 16 entrepreneurs were everyday coming
to Vimukti and morning to till evening they learnt computer skills
and online services. After finishing the training, they need
materials for starting their business that’s why Vimukti distributed
free materials for all the 16 entrepreneurs (2 Laptops, Projector,
Internet, and Speaker).
8. Primary School Training by Neeta:
She is from Chennai, she is working in NGO and she had prepared
all teaching materials for our Bridge IT project. Practically she
demonstrated how to teach in schools and how to follow the lesson
plan and how to do effective teaching.
9. Middle School Training by Priya:
Priya Madam had given training about the Middle school teaching,
Bridge IT entrepreneurs teaching Basic computer for Middle school
children and how to use tech basic computer in schools and do
practical lessons for students.
10. Online Service Training by Basavaraj:
We invited Basavaraj to give online service training to
our Entrepreneurs. He had given full day training about different
online services, how to find out services and to apply online, and
online payment so on.
11. CSC Training by Shiva Shekar Gouda:
CSC (Common Service Centre) we invited Koppal District
Manager to Facilitate about CSC. In CSC more than 300 services are
added and its mainly online services that’s why we registered all
the 16 entrepreneurs in CSC. All the 16 entrepreneurs got their CSC
ID and now they are working in CSC.
12. Photoshop Training by Pradeep Kumar:
We invited Pradeep Kumar to give training about Photoshop,
because our entrepreneurs are getting customers for pass port size
photos and full photos that’s why we organized training about
Photoshop.
13. Book keeping Training by Thomas Paul:
Thomas Paul Sir had given training about Book keeping, in
business maintaining records which is very essential and without
proper records we are not able to identify how our business going
on, that’s why Thomas Paul Sir Briefed clearly on how to record
expense, Income, and Profit.
14. Smart classes in Government Schools:
Part of this project that all the 16 entrepreneurs are going to
their Government schools for teaching smart classes for government
school children, because now all the private schools are digitalized
they are conducting smart classes but in government schools there is
no smart class that’s why this project through Vimukti giving
opportunities to our entrepreneurs to teach smart classes in
government schools. Students were learning very curiously because
our entrepreneurs are teaching through projector, were showing
videos, pictures. Visual teaching is very effective compared to
other teaching methods.
15. Adult Literacy Programme:
Our entrepreneurs are teaching 5 days weekly to illiterate Adults in
their villages as a part of Adult literacy Programme. This is one of
the best opportunities to illiterates to learn education via digital
visualization. All entrepreneurs are teaching in their own village
and public places.
16. Challenges Faced:
While implementing this project it was hard to identify
entrepreneurs.
In villages there was competition among themselves to be the part
of this project.
Basic computer training entrepreneurs had some issues on
travelling for the training.
Hardware issues like laptop, speaker and printer for all the
entrepreneurs.
17. Results/Outcome:
• Finally, all the 16 entrepreneurs have started their own
business in their villages and all the 16 entrepreneurs are happy
and eager to do their work and per month they are earning more than
2000 rupees.
• Because of this project all the 16 entrepreneurs have started
their own business and earning money by themselves and now we have
observed happiness on their faces, and their family members.
• All the 16 village people are also happy about the online
shopping, because earlier if they wanted anything they had to travel
to city but now all the services are provided by Bridge IT
entrepreneur. That’s why now community people are happy to take
services in their villages.
• When we are observing happiness in people and everything has
happened because of our hard work that is the greatest result for
the organization.
• All these developments have taken place because of Vimukti, and
further still more such programmes will be introduced for the good
of village people and children, youth, for their happiness.
18. Its outcome /changes seen in entrepreneurs and their
families:
• Before coming to know anything about this project most of them
were unemployed and they were doing daily labour work. But now all
of them have started their own shop in their villages.
• Earlier they were not familiar with computer skills but now they
are doing all the business in computer and they have mastered
computer skills.
• Earlier in villages people were not able to identify entrepreneurs
and their role but now all the community people are identifying
them.
• Earlier all were addressing them by his/her name but now all are
respecting them as a Sir/Madam, because as a part of our project
they are also teaching in Schools that’s why children address them
Sir/Madam.
• Earlier entrepreneur’s family members were not giving more
preference and interest but now they are giving more importance to
entrepreneurs.
• Earlier entrepreneurs didn’t have more confidence but now they
have more confidence in business and earning money.
• Now our entrepreneurs are role models in their villages because
other people also want to follow their footsteps and become
entrepreneur like them.
• Now all the entrepreneurs are making good business and earning
good money.
• Now all the entrepreneurs are expanding their business to earn
more money.
• Community people also helping and encouraging the entrepreneurs.
• Community people have positive feedback about entrepreneur’s
service.
.JPG)
.JPG)
