Awareness of Pollution by LEADer Rathnakar

LEADer Rathnakar from GSCET is a student who is passionate about saving our environment from pollution. It is for this reason that he used the LEAD platform to create his project, "Awareness of Pollution".

Rathnakar knew he wanted to create awareness within his community about pollution by showing people videos, images, and information about the state of our environment today because of pollution. After speaking with his uncle about his project, he suggested that he direct his message to the young people, as they will better be able to understand the message and are still young enough to change their ways and make a big difference over their lifetimes. 

Rathnakar took this as a challenge, and conducted his "Awareness of Pollution" project at Vasudha High School in Nizamabad. While this was a challenge, Rathnkar felt very proud to gain compliments and thanks from the teachers and students of the school after his project. 

During this project, Rathnakar learned to speak in front of strangers and has learned a to about communication skills all throughout his LEAD journey. He also notes that this project helped him improve his confidence when speaking to elders, such as the school principals and teachers. The motivation Rathnaker got from the LEAD is what he says encouraged him to do this project and ultimately gain these skills for the long term. 

My Story: Sharon Blessing

Sharon Blessing, SRCW College

Before joining LEAD, I was quite a reserved person. However, I had lots of energy (but didn't know where to channel it), and I had dreams of becoming an independent woman with her own company and a large network. 

When I was in my 2nd year of college, I attended a LEAD orientation. I watched the LEAD employees, and saw they had a confidence and patience I admired… I wanted to gain the skills they had and be like them. I also saw LEAD as a platform for channelling all my energy I had towards reaching my goals of entrepreneurship and independence.

Since joining LEAD, I have completed 18 projects in total, including working on 13 projects in one month during my first year of LEAD. I therefore won the Most Active Leader award during my local Valedictory in my first year, and this encouraged me to keep going. Since then, I have also won the Best Leader award in the local Valedictory in 2013. 

One of my major projects was a driving license check. I had read many sad stories about accidents and death due to unlicensed drivers, and knew I wanted to do something. After speaking to my parents about my concern, I realized I didn't want to just make people aware… I wanted to do something that would actually make a concrete difference. By completing a survey of driving licenses and giving these statistics to the police, I was able to help the local police to determine some of the drivers in my community without a license who were a possible danger. Through this project, many of the local police and the High District Officer now know my name and who I am, and I feel very proud of my recognition in my community.

Although I feel very good about my accomplishments in LEAD, there have also been challenges. It is difficult when you are taking a leadership position, trying to be innovative, but people oppose you or don't believe in you. However, through LEAD I have become more confident and better understand my true potential, so I know it's important not to let those people discourage me. 

Finally, one of my LEAD accomplishments I feel the most proud of is how many students I have encouraged to join LEAD. Since I became the first student from my college to join LEAD, I have convinced 153 students to join LEAD with my testimonial. My hope is that all of them have a better understanding of their potential through LEAD, just like I have. 

Fundraising for Flood Victims by LEADer Gazala Muskan

When the Chennai flood disaster hit in November 2015, LEADer Gazala Muskan from Nishita Degree College felt compelled to help her fellow Indians who were facing extreme struggles. After discussing with her mother and father about this problem, she came up with the idea to ask the successful and people-in-charge in her community for donations to the victims Chennai Flood.

Gazala gathered a team and promoted her project in the media, and then by making personal visits, raised 10,000 Rs for disaster relief. While it was a challenge to get the people to trust they would be responsible with the money, the media coverage and support from the mayor helped to ease their minds that the project was legitimate.

However, after raising the funds, it was announced that the government would not be accepting donations to the disaster relief fund. Gazala and her team tried to find ways to circumvent these regulations to get the funds to a program that was supporting the victims, but had no luck. Eventually, they decided to put the funds to use in the immediate community instead, giving the 10,000 Rs to both education initiatives and to train a seamstress in teaching her skills to unemployed women who could then become seamstresses as well.

While conducting this project, Gazala both improved her communication skills and gained experience in talking to the people of power in her community and the media.

My Story: B. Anvesh Kumar

My Story: B. Anvesh Kumar, GS College of Engineering and Technology, Nizamabad

Growing up, I received many awards in my schooling, including a scholarship to and eventually “best student award” in my private college after attending a government school. However, my journey with LEAD did not start until my second year of my B.Tech at Gnyana Saraswathi College of Engineering And Technology, Nizamabad. Before I joined LEAD I was interested to do social service, but was I waiting for the opportunity to come to me. When I joined LEAD, I learned that opportunity won’t come to your door... you need to seek it out.   

After my completing some of my early initiatives, I got a chance of be a part of LLP (LEAD Leadership Program) in Hubballi. I learned lots of things like time management, leadership skills, and was lucky enough to visit Akshaya Patra, the world’s biggest kitchen. Soon after these 10 days spent with LEADers from areas outside my own, I saw that transformation inside me after meeting my fellows and college staff when I returned home.

Through my initiatives and active participation I was promoted to a Telangana LEAD Ambassador and also got the chance to work with LEAD as an Intern. I have also participated in LEAD Prayana 2015, attended the “Design Thinking” workshop in Hubballi with Mr. Adithya Pasupuleti, and feel lucky to have had the chance to co-organize and volunteer at many LEAD events.

Of my many projects, I feel the most proud of the Swatch Nizamabad and Safety First projects. However, I have faced resistance, including people suggesting I simply focus on my studies and if there is a problem in the community, leave it for the government to solve. However, I had to tell people, India is my home and therefore I feel compelled to solve the problem of my home. If government is not taking action, I can do my small part to improve my home. After me telling them this, they are much more supportive and appreciative of my work.

Safety First

Safety First: I feel that every kid is an upcoming leader, so I started guiding school students about the traffic rules. I have so far I reached 200+ students of my 2000 student goal.

Swatch Nizamabad

Swatch Nizamabad: Along with 25 of my co-LEADers, we cleaned from the railway station to the bus stand of Nizamabad, and within 3 hours we completed this project. While doing this project, people around us started supporting by joining their hands with us, and our project was telecasted in the local media for 45 minutes.

LEAD has showed me the importance of speaking to everyone, even the poor whom I was hesitant to interact with before. Now I speak to all the members of my society, and have gained the leadership skills to make my community better. I hope to eventually become an entrepreneur with my own software company, and to contribute to making India a cleaner and greener place, starting with my community and my city.