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.