About Udaan
Introduction |
Udaan was started by Enactus SSCBS which aims to set up computer centres in rural India, with the aim of promote digital literacy in rural India by creating sustainable business models through the reallocation of discarded computer devices.
It involves setting up of computer lab is an entrepreneurial venture that fulfills the purpose of imparting skills and providing a prospect of livelihood to the women of the village.
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Procurement
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The disparity of access to computers between rural and urban areas is bridged through creating channels of procurement such as-
1. Companies that discard computers with minor defects or at the time of upgradation are targeted for partnership. 2. Households : With the swift transition from PCs to laptops, most urban households serve as stores for computers whose life cycle can easily be increased through minimal refurbishment. 3. Online: An online channel is created to make our project more accessible to individuals who wish to contribute. Our intervention in the area was initiated by selecting Kaloi, a village that met certain necessary prerequisites and partnering with the local government school . The association ensures a steady turnout of students to the computer centre while also lending it some useful credibility. The lack of infrastructure available to the students is made up for by the centre. The school authorities being major stakeholders in the model and the village, actively assist us in the identification of a willing and enterprising woman. Subsequently, the training process of the entrepreneur is initiated in collaboration with Godrej for a certified course which covers the basics of computer operation and classroom teaching that would be most effective in the rural setting. Simultaneously, efforts to set up the lab are undertaken. Udaan’s financial structure rests on the principles of microfinance driving sustainability and improving its employability in the rural setting due to low working capital requirements and negligible or no interest rate. An amount of 34,000 is invested initially in the set-up, out of which 24,000 is recovered over the course of 16 months.The recovered amount is then used as seed capital for the next chapter. The school is involved in the recovery process as it is seen as a centre of authority lending formality to our agreement with the entrepreneur. Therefore our delinking from the project is guaranteed at the end of these 16 months. Coherent with our vision of improving digital literacy and educational standards in the village, the centre serves as a computer lab as well as a cyber cafe. A well formulated syllabus designed by the team along with relevant teaching material is provided to the entrepreneur to ensure efficient carrying out of teaching functions. An evaluation system is put in place comprising of regular feedback sessions and monthly progress assessments We have formulated an agreement with Panasonic which ensures that students who complete our vocational training course will be guaranteed a spot in their placement process.With these efforts, our students are now skilled and teeming with potential to find meaningful employment. Prior to the establishment of the centre, services such as railway ticket booking, internet surfing and information assistance could only be availed at by travelling long distances to semi urban centres. These regularly demanded services have now formed their supply at a lower cost and an easier access. Once the agreement on the scope and terms of services are laid down with the entrepreneur the next step is to ensure acceptability and the integration of these services into the everyday life of the villagers.This is achieved by the effective design and implementation of rural marketing campaigns such as street plays/Nukkad nataaks in village centres, engaging people on a personal level through door to door outreach and community based trust building activities such as health check-up camps, career counselling sessions and regular awareness camps. In the event that any system at the centre requires replacement, it will be made sure that the computer is dispatched to a recognised electronic waste recycler thereby providing an apt solution to the growing waste dumping problem. This concludes the description of our business model from the first stage of setting up to making sure of the sustainability of the model and the independence of the entrepreneur. |
We love new
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We would love to hear your opinion about our project!
If you have any ideas, or maybe, just want to say hello, feel free to get in touch. |