A journey from Corporate to Social Entrepreneurship | Gouree Manjarekar | TEDxTilakwadi

Summary

The speaker shares her journey from a middle-class upbringing to becoming a voice for rural women and children. Inspired by her philanthropic parents and Sudha Murthy, she co-founded 'Punk', a social initiative that empowers rural women through skill development and employment in handicrafts. Despite societal pressures, she champions education and equality, highlighting stories of resilience and hope. The summary calls for collective social responsibility to uplift and support the underprivileged.

Takeaways

• 🙏 The speaker feels privileged to share her journey and voice the experiences of underprivileged rural women and children.
• 👧 A childhood incident of giving an ice cream to a needy girl taught the speaker the joy of giving and its profound happiness.
• 🏡 Raised in a middle-class family with philanthropic values, the speaker was encouraged to help those less fortunate.
• 🎓 The speaker was academically successful, inspired by figures like Sudha Murthy, and had aspirations to contribute to society.
• 💡 The idea of 'giving' was a pivotal moment that led the speaker to prioritize community service over a corporate career.
• 💍 Meeting her husband during college introduced a shared vision of development and staying connected to their roots.
• 🌱 The establishment of the Joy Bank Foundation, later renamed PUNK (Wings of Hope), aimed to create a positive societal impact.
• 👩‍🏫 The foundation faced initial funding challenges, leading the speaker to take up various jobs to support its mission.
• 🧵 PUNK Handicrafts was initiated to provide sustainable livelihoods for rural women by skilling them in stitching and crafting.
• 🌐 The COVID-19 pandemic became an opportunity to produce over three lakh masks, supporting the women artisans.
• 📚 The foundation's initiatives include educational support for rural children and awareness programs for menstrual hygiene.
• 🌟 The speaker emphasizes the importance of education and equality, sharing the story of Akshata to highlight societal barriers to female education.

Q & A

What was the speaker's realization about the importance of giving during her childhood?

The speaker realized the importance of giving when she was about 10 to 11 years old at a fair, where she gave her ice cream to a little girl in need, and the happiness she felt from giving was greater than the happiness she felt from receiving.

What inspired the speaker to focus on social work and philanthropy?

The speaker was inspired by her parents' philanthropic nature, the incident of giving her ice cream to a girl at a fair, and Sudha Murthy's philanthropic work through Infosys Foundation.

What was the speaker's educational background in terms of her field of study?

The speaker completed her graduation and post-graduation in Belgaum, earning a Master's degree in Computer Applications.

Why did the speaker decide to quit her job as a software engineer?

The speaker decided to quit her job after realizing during a CSR activity that community service gave her more happiness than her work in coding.

What is the concept behind the foundation the speaker started?

The foundation, initially called Joy Bank and later renamed to Punk (Wings of Hope), was conceptualized as a virtual bank where people deposit happiness and those in need withdraw joy.

How did the speaker and her husband approach rural development?

The speaker's husband chose to stay in his small hometown, starting a business and employing local youth. The speaker moved to her husband's town and started a foundation for social work.

What was the initial challenge the speaker faced when starting the foundation?

The initial challenge was the lack of funds. To overcome this, the speaker started taking tuitions and coaching classes to generate funds for the foundation.

What is Punk Handicrafts and how does it impact rural women?

Punk Handicrafts is an initiative that aims to skill rural women in stitching, providing them with a livelihood and an alternative to manual labor. It has skilled over 300 rural women and provided them work during the pandemic by making masks.

What is the significance of the 'Make in India' tag on the products made by Punk Handicrafts?

The 'Make in India' tag signifies that the products are manufactured locally, which brings a sense of pride and promotes the work of rural women, contributing to the country's economy.

Can you describe the Gyanvardhi Nyojna initiative by the foundation?

Gyanvardhi Nyojna is an initiative focused on empowering rural women and educating rural children, covering the educational course for boys and girls in rural areas.

What is the story of Akshata and how did the foundation impact her life?

Akshata was a bright student who topped her school and stood seventh in the entire Karnataka board. Despite her potential, her mother wanted her to stop studying and take a government job to support the family. The foundation initially supported her education, but she had to stop midway. However, she later completed her BA and became a head village accountant, showing her resilience and determination.

Outlines

00:00

🙌 Empathy and Philanthropy: A Personal Journey

The speaker begins by expressing gratitude for the opportunity to share her experiences and highlights her intention to represent the voice of underprivileged rural women and children. Raised in a middle-class family with philanthropic values, she was inspired by her parents to help those less fortunate. A pivotal moment in her youth, when she gave her ice cream to a needy girl, taught her the joy of giving. The speaker pursued higher education in computer applications and was influenced by Sudha Murty's philanthropic work, aspiring to make a difference in rural areas. Meeting her husband during college, who chose to develop his hometown rather than pursue a corporate career, further fueled her desire to contribute to rural development.

05:00

🌟 Founding Joy Bank and Empowering Rural Women

The speaker moved to her husband's hometown, Chikodi, and against the advice of friends and family, started the Joy Bank Foundation in 2008, later renamed to Punk, meaning 'Wings of Hope.' Initially facing funding challenges, she taught various classes to raise money. The foundation focused on community service, with the speaker personally supporting rural women by listening to their struggles and providing advice. Recognizing the potential of rural women, she established Punk Handicrafts in 2014 to provide them with stitching skills, enabling them to earn a livelihood. The initiative has since empowered over 300 women, including producing masks during the pandemic, and the products are proudly marked with the 'Make in India' tag.

10:03

📚 Education and Skill Development Initiatives

The speaker emphasizes the importance of education and skills for development, introducing various initiatives under Punk Foundation. 'Gyanvardhi Nyojna' supports the education of rural children, while 'Kittypack' provides handmade bags and stationery to underprivileged children. 'Happy Periods' raises awareness about menstrual hygiene and promotes sustainable reusable pads, also handmade at Punk. 'Pang Pasha' involves international volunteers in mentoring rural children, and 'Blankets of Happiness' donates handmade blankets during crises. The speaker shares a personal story of Akshata, a bright student whose education was interrupted by family circumstances, illustrating the challenges faced by rural youth and the importance of support systems.

15:03

🌱 The Power of Hope and Social Responsibility

In the concluding paragraph, the speaker reflects on the common thread of hope among the rural women she has encountered, despite their lack of educational opportunities. She calls upon the audience, as educated individuals, to take on their social responsibility to uplift and support the voiceless. The speaker encourages mutual inspiration, motivation, and societal contribution, leaving the audience with a message of empowerment and the potential for positive change.

Keywords

💡Privileged

Privileged refers to having special rights, advantages, or access to resources that others do not have. In the context of the video, the speaker feels privileged to share their story and be on stage with influential individuals. This sets the tone for the narrative, highlighting the speaker's awareness of their position and the platform they have to voice the concerns of those less fortunate.

💡Rural Women

Rural women are women living in rural areas who often face unique challenges due to limited access to resources, education, and opportunities. The video focuses on the speaker's advocacy for these women, emphasizing their struggles and the need for societal support and empowerment. The speaker's work with the foundation aims to improve the lives of rural women by providing education and skills training.

💡Philanthropy

Philanthropy is the act of promoting the welfare of others, typically through the donation of money or resources to good causes. The speaker's parents instilled the importance of philanthropy, which has deeply influenced the speaker's life and work. The video showcases the speaker's commitment to giving back to society, particularly to those in rural communities.

💡Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. A pivotal moment in the video is when the speaker, as a child, gives their ice cream to a girl in need, experiencing a profound sense of happiness. This act of empathy is a defining moment that shapes the speaker's understanding of the joy of giving and the importance of helping others.

💡CSR Activity

CSR stands for Corporate Social Responsibility, which involves a company's commitment to social welfare through activities that benefit society. In the video, the speaker's participation in a CSR activity at their workplace leads to a realization about their passion for community service over their technical job. This experience catalyzes the speaker's decision to dedicate their life to social work.

💡Foundation

A foundation, in this context, refers to a charitable organization established to support a cause or initiative. The speaker founded 'Joy Bank,' later renamed to 'Punk,' which serves as a platform for social initiatives aimed at uplifting rural communities. The foundation's work exemplifies the speaker's dedication to creating sustainable change in rural areas.

💡Skill Development

Skill development is the process of acquiring new abilities and competencies, especially for employment or personal growth. The video discusses 'Punk Handicrafts,' an initiative that trains rural women in stitching and other skills, enabling them to earn a livelihood. This initiative is a testament to the speaker's belief in empowering individuals through education and skill enhancement.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability refers to the ability to maintain processes or practices over the long term without depleting resources or causing harm. The speaker's work with Punk Handicrafts and the production of reusable sanitary pads and masks during the pandemic exemplify a commitment to sustainable practices that benefit both the environment and the community.

💡Menstrual Hygiene

Menstrual hygiene is the maintenance of cleanliness and health during a woman's menstrual cycle. The video mentions the 'Happy Periods' initiative, which raises awareness about menstrual hygiene among rural women and promotes the use of reusable sanitary pads. This initiative addresses a critical need and contributes to the overall well-being of women in rural communities.

💡Educational Equality

Educational equality is the concept of providing equal access to education for all individuals, regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, or location. The speaker emphasizes the importance of education in their own life and the lives of the rural children they work with. The video shares the story of Akshata, a bright student whose education was threatened by financial constraints, highlighting the ongoing struggle for educational equality in rural India.

💡Social Responsibility

Social responsibility is the idea that individuals and organizations have a duty to act for the benefit of society at large. The speaker concludes the video with a call to action, urging everyone to use their education and resources to uplift and support those who are less fortunate. This reflects the overarching theme of the video, which is about using one's privilege to create positive social change.

Highlights

The speaker feels privileged to share her journey and voice the experiences of rural women and children who lack opportunities.

Raised in a middle-class family with philanthropic parents who emphasized helping the less fortunate.

A childhood incident with an ice cream vendor taught the speaker the joy of giving and its profound impact.

The speaker was inspired by Sudha Murthy's philanthropic work and aimed to make a similar impact on rural women.

Meeting her husband during college introduced the idea of staying close to roots and contributing to rural development.

The speaker's decision to work for a company with a strong CSR focus led to her 'day of awakening' to community service.

Quitting her job to start a foundation for social work, despite opposition from friends and family.

The foundation, initially called Joy Bank, was renamed PUNK, aiming to be a virtual bank of happiness and support.

The foundation faced initial funding challenges, leading the speaker to take up various teaching jobs to support it.

The speaker's work with rural women revealed their potential and the need for opportunities beyond manual labor.

PUNK Handicrafts was established to provide sustainable livelihoods by skilling rural women in stitching.

The COVID-19 pandemic saw PUNK Handicrafts producing over three lakh masks, supporting women during the crisis.

PUNK Foundation's initiatives focus on empowering rural women and educating children, emphasizing education's role in development.

The speaker shares the story of Akshata, a bright student whose education was halted due to societal pressures and family needs.

The importance of being a voice for the voiceless and the social responsibility of the educated to uplift society.

The speaker's belief in the power of hope and the extraordinary resilience of rural women despite their challenges.

The call to action for the audience to inspire, uplift, and motivate each other to make a difference in society.

Transcripts

i am so privileged and honored to be

sharing this morning with you all and to

be on stage with such eminent

personalities

but today

i won't be talking just about my journey

but

i will be talking and i will be the

voice of several rural women and

children who do not have the

opportunities which most of us present

over here have

i grew up in a middle class family with

extremely humble and philanthropic

parents

who constantly reminded me to thank god

for all the blessings

and the only way to repay it by helping

those who were less fortunate

one incident which made me realize the

importance of their teaching was when i

was about

10 to 11 years of age

and i had my summer vacations

i had been to a mela affair with my

parents

at the fair i saw a vendor selling ice

creams

and i so badly wanted to have an ice

cream so i kept insisting my mom to give

one for me but you all know how

difficult it is to convince your mothers

especially for an ice cream

but after a lot of buttering she finally

agreed

and i was so so happy to hold that ice

cream in my hand

i felt victorious

when i was about to eat that ice cream

i saw two eyes staring at me from a

distance

she was a little girl in tone clothes

she did not come to me neither did she

ask me anything but she just kept

staring at me

and i don't know what made me do that

but the next moment i went to her and i

handed over my ice cream to her

she ran away quickly with a smile on her

face

and that smile gave me another level of

happiness

getting the ice cream made me happy but

giving it to her made me happier

and that was the moment i realized the

importance and the happiness of giving

and that feeling which i had was

completely magical

fast forward coming to my college days i

completed my graduation and post

graduation in belgaum i completed my

master's of computer applications

and i was a bright student so for

obvious reasons my professors and my

mentors had high hopes of hopes from me

of getting placed in a good company with

a good pay package

during that time

for any student getting placed in

infosys was a dream

but what fascinated me more than

emphasis was infosys foundation

sudha murthy was my greatest inspiration

i checked all her articles about her

philanthropy about her work and how her

work impacted women from rural areas

she was my role model and i secretly

wanted to be just like her

and i believe that with good heart if

you want something the entire universe

conspires in helping you to achieve it

and that is exactly what happened with

me

i met my dear husband during my college

days

he was pursuing his mechanical

engineering in the same college and our

wavelengths matched

and one thing which he told me and which

had a very great impact on my mind was

when he asked me that if all educated

youth start leaving their smaller towns

and villages how is rural india going to

develop

wow

what a strong statement but i thought

that it is easier said than done

but he was different because despite

having a bright career despite having

various options and being a topper

himself he decided to stay close to his

roots

he started his business in a small home

town and decided to employ several other

youth in the process

and he became my next inspiration whom i

started looking up to

meanwhile i was placed in two companies

and i decided to work with mine tree

technologies and i moved to bangalore

i was good in coding i loved coding i

worked as a software engineer

until one day which i call as my day of

awakening

we had a csr activity in the company and

we visited ramnagar which is a part of

rural bangalore

we spent the entire day there

in a government school

spending time with the students and

children there telling them moral

stories having a lot of activities and

games

they told us about their stories as well

and at the end of that day i realized

that although i loved coding but

community service is something which

gave me happiness and that was something

which i would rather do the rest of my

life

i quit my job i got married and i moved

to my husband's

place chikodi which is a small town

surrounded by villages in north

karnataka

and trust me

my friends and family were horrified

with my decision

but the same year in 2008 i started the

foundation and then started my journey

of social work

we named it as joy bank i conceptualized

it as a virtual bank not a typical bank

but a place where people who had

something to give deposited happiness

and people in need withdrew the joy

it is now renamed as punk

punk which means wings of hope

so we started a lot of donation

activities like visiting old age homes

orphanages schools but the initial years

were very difficult because we needed

funds

i started taking tuitions for school

students engineering coaching classes

music classes i did everything so that

we could have funds for the foundation

we tried to continuously make a positive

change in the society

and we were blessed to have many helping

hands join us as days passed

my interest started increasing when i

started seeing that how our work is

making a positive change in the

community in the lives of people

rural women who were less privileged

started approaching me they started

coming to me to get advice to share

their struggles

and i listened to them in genuine non

ginger non-judgmental manner

giving them comfort help and advice

whenever required and that was the time

i realized

the importance and the power of simply

being there for someone

when i worked with the poorest of poor i

found out that there is that there is

very high potential in rural india but

what is lacking is opportunity

for most of the rural underprivileged

women

who they they do not have any formal

education nor do they have skills and

for them the most easiest way i can't

call it easy but the most obvious way of

earning is manual labor

which is not easy it's very difficult

many years back i met a lady

who was working at a construction site

she had two daughters

and she was carrying a pile of bricks on

her head

she might be fifth or sixth month

pregnant and i could see that that work

was physically very disturbing for her

when i asked her the reason to do that

work

she told me that she knows the risks

behind it but she has no choice

because she has to feed her family

and that shook me to the core

2014 we decided to start punk

handicrafts with the aim to make a more

sustainable impact on the lives of rural

women

the idea sparked when my cousin smruthi

and my brother-in-law manish

just discussed with me that instead of

only focusing on donations why not skill

these rural women so that they can earn

a livelihood and we generate livelihood

opportunities for several rural women

so punk handicrafts

employs

skills

and provides a platform for many many

rural women

today we have skilled more than 300

rural women

with professional stitching skills and

they have mastered the art of stitching

uniforms hospital apparels bags and many

more

you know handmade products

i'm glad to share that during pandemic

we gave them a

big work of almost more than three lakh

masks

all these women who are working with us

have their husbands either as truck

cleaners rickshaw drivers many of them

are alcoholic so they need support

during this time of crisis and they got

the support and the family was really

very happy

and it's a very proud moment for us to

see that our products are getting

exported and the make in india tag when

we put it on our products our hearts

swell with pride

honestly this journey would not have

been possible without the support of our

co-founder manish

although i started punk foundation with

a vision

it was manish who gave it a proper

direction

through punk foundation

over the years we have a lot of

initiatives

which focus on

empowering rural women and educating

rural kids

so this is gyanvardhi nyojna under which

we cover the educational course of rural

boys and girls

i believe that education and skills is

equal to development of any country

this is kittypack initiative

under this initiative we

provide handmade bags

and stationery and books to rural

children under privileged children and

the beauty of this donation activities

is that all these products which are

being donated are handmade at punk

handicrafts so not only do they help the

kids who are getting the donated

products but they also help us to

provide employment opportunities to

several rural women

this is happy periods initiative

now under this initiative we spread

awareness about menstrual hygiene

to rural women and slums

we also promote reusable sanitary pads

which are sustainable means of menstrual

practices

and all these reusable pads are again

handmade at punk a very unique concept

which we have started at punk

now menstrual hygiene in rural parts is

a topic of concern it's a very huge

topic which i'll keep it for the next

ted talk

we have punk part sharla

pang parshala is a initiative under

which many many volunteers not just from

india but from abroad have joined us in

mentoring rural children recently we

have started working with a school in

nagnur village and we are working for

you know mentoring all the students to

boost their confidence level to teach

them basic uh english skills

so this is about pang pasha then we have

blankets

of happiness where handmade blankets are

given during the

during crisis like we have you know

floods and

other crisis

this is

winter jacket donation drive all these

jackets again are handmade by the rural

woman and i cannot tell you the

happiness when these women stitch it for

these underprivileged kids the happiness

which they get while stitching these

products

today as i stand here in front of you i

go back to my roots i come from a family

of teachers

so education had a very important role

in my life

and i was the only girl child of my

parents but never did i think never was

i treated less than a son you might be

thinking why am i emphasizing so much

about education and equality it might

seem normal to all of us

but this is something which is lacking

in rural india

this is the story of akshata

now akshata was a very bright student

she came to me when she was in 10

standard

this is her marx card akshata had topped

her school not just her school she took

stood seventh to an entire karnataka

board

but her mother was working as a

household maid and her father was

absconding

her mother could not afford her

education

so we thought that we will cover her

educational costs under the foundation

she decided to take commerce and

she did exceedingly well even in her

higher secondary she was again topper to

the college and she could stood first to

the district

i had very high hopes from akshata

she had the caliber of becoming an iis

officer and i told her that i'll provide

everything for you to do that but

destiny had some other plans because one

day akshata's mother along with akshata

came to me with a bunch of bananas

and she told me madam please take this

and allow akshata not to study

i was shocked was it a bribe i was

getting to allow not to allow her to

study

i asked her the reason she told me that

akshata was qualified for some

government job

i convinced her in every possible way

but all in vain

her mother asked me that what is

education going to do

her job is going to give her money and

with that money akshata can raise her

younger brother

so akshata

stopped her study midway

when she was in become two can you

imagine a girl of that caliber who was

seventh to entire karnataka board could

not even complete her degree

but akshata was a fighter

because after joining the job

after two years she did an external ba

and today she is working as the head

village accountant in raibataluka

akshata rupa rani apsara afroza there

are so many women and so many stories

worth sharing but we are short of time

these are the ladies who teach me who

inspire me and the lessons which they

teach me cannot be read in any book and

cannot be taught by any book

they are extraordinary women who who

could not have the opportunity to go to

school but one thing which all of them

have in common

is hope

today all of us sitting over here we are

all educated and i think it's our social

responsibility to be the voice of these

voiceless

let us all inspire each other uplift

each other motivate each other

and make a difference in the society in

whatever way we can thank you

you