Naresh runs Panah Foundation, a NGO based in Ahmedabad that serves a community of unskilled, migrant labour. He is himself from a family of migrants from Nepal. He is 27 years old.
Naresh Sijapati, 27, CEO & Founder, Panah Foundation
Background: After working as a waiter for two years even while he was studying, Naresh stepped into the development space in 2015. At that time, he did not have a clue of how to run an NGO, except his passion to learn and find ways to make a difference to the lives of unskilled labourers. This was a community he was somewhat familiar with since his own father had moved from Nepal to Ahmedabad as a migrant labourer.
Initially, neither did he have a network of his own to raise funds or build the trust of his community. But by immersing himself in their lives, building his own skills as a social entrepreneur and experimenting with a range of creatively conceptualised projects, Naresh has now gained the trust of not just the community, but also of individuals, companies like Accenture, TCS, the Azim Premji Foundation and many others who fund his NGO.
I will look at it through the lens of the community I serve. I'd like labour to be smart. In other countries, labour tends to be skilled, a lot more resourceful, they also have the support to solve their own challenges and most of all, they are aware of their rights. That's what we describe as smart. Being smart needn't be about wearing a shirt and tie. But more about being skilled, aware of their rights and a network of their own to get timely support when you need it. Including resources to teach your children. That's the goal we are working towards.
The government has just unveiled a scheme of 'one nation, one ration card'. This and many initiatives are required to provide them the much needed dignity of life. When a migrant worker comes to the city from another state, he tends to feel scared, afraid that he might face violence or face harassment. I've noticed that most workers are forced to migrate in search of employment, but they aren't necessarily happy from inside. Most of them don't lead purposeful lives. They've never been taught how to find your purpose or how to live life. Many of them merely focus on somehow eking out a living. And if I've earned this month, I should find ways to spend it. Only a few focus on savings.
We need to create more resources that help this large community of unskilled labour. For the moment, we merely pay lip service. Even workers are still in sustenance mode. In future, when daily wage workers from Rajasthan and Gujarat come to Ahmedabad, they must be able to move beyond living day-to-day to a more conducive environment for him to live the life he truly desires.
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