IIM Graduate Quits IBM Job to Teach English to Village Kids
IIM Lucknow graduate Shuvajit Payne left his IBM job to teach Spoken English to rural children in Maharashtra. He is also associated with local NGOs for setting up vocational training centres for villagers to provide training in various skills. Read his story here.
It is never easy to quit a high paying job in a reputed company. Leaving a job in order to change the lives of people definitely sounds interesting and inspiring. Shuvajit Payne, a graduate from IIM Lucknow who bagged a well-paying job in a popular company, i.e., IBM as a Senior Solutions Consultant decided not to proceed with the job and wanted to switch to teaching. Shuvajit Payne who also worked as Programme Director at Reliance Foundation found his calling in teaching and decided to take a huge step in the career.
Expressing his views, Shuvajit Payne said that he enjoyed working with IBM apart from gaining experience. However, after a certain point, he realised the real motive of his life and decided to start teaching. Through teaching, he wanted to help the rural children who are deprived of proper education and resources. Fortunately, Youth of India programme launched by State Bank of India provides a platform to proceed with teaching, he added.
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SBI’s Youth of India gives a unique opportunity to youngsters to work on rural development projects and collaborate with NGOs (Non-Government Organisations) to build solutions for rural issues. Shuvajit Payne was selected for the fellowship and was given responsibility to uplift children in a village called Waifad in Maharashtra.
Waifad is a rural village in Maharashtra that is strongly affected by farmers suicide and poverty. Shuvajit Payne was associated with Education and Communication activities of the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation.
Before starting his work, Shuvajit Payne observed that schoolteachers in the village lack proper English and those classes were helping students in developing language skills. Therefore, he took up the initiative of teaching Spoken English to rural children. He observed that children are keen to speak English and they have the zeal to learn. Apart from teaching school children, he also helped college students in developing their language skills.
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Shuvajit Payne followed several creative skills to improve the language skills of students. Along with Spoken English, he trained children in computer skills. His training helped children to build confidence. So far, 50 students have emerged successful and were able to communicate in English with confidence. He also associated with local NGOs for setting up vocational training centres for villagers to provide training in various skills.
At present, Shuvajit Payne heads the Department of Education at Barefoot College – Tilonia, Rajasthan where he manages the learning of more than 2,000 underprivileged kids in the area.