Born and raised in Sonwari, a small village in Madhya Pradesh where completing Class 10 was once considered a major milestone, Yogendra Singh has transformed his personal journey into a mission of creating opportunities for others. A first-generation learner, Singh’s life changed after a school headmaster encouraged him to appear for the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya entrance examination, setting him on a path that eventually led him to the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he founded Kutumb Centre, a community-led learning initiative that mobilised village youth to teach children affected by school closures while promoting values such as cleanliness, discipline and respect.
Today, Singh works as a Program Officer with HCL Foundation, strengthening digital education in government schools across Uttar Pradesh, while also running Sabka Career, a platform that has helped thousands of young people discover verified jobs, internships, fellowships and scholarships in the development sector.
Although this is not linked to a recent government announcement, his work reflects the growing importance of grassroots leadership, community participation and equitable access to education and careers.
Turning Community Challenges into Collective Solutions
Yogendra Singh’s journey demonstrates how local action can create long-term social impact. Growing up in a family of first-generation learners, he experienced first-hand the barriers faced by rural students with limited exposure to higher education. After completing school, he initially pursued a Diploma in Aviation before realising that his interests lay in education and community development rather than the aviation industry.
That conviction became evident during the COVID-19 lockdown, when schools across the country shut their doors. Concerned that children in his village were losing access to learning, Yogendra established Kutumb Centre without external funding or formal infrastructure. He invited local Class 10 graduates who had returned home during the lockdown to volunteer as teachers, creating a weekly timetable that ensured younger children continued learning.
Beyond academics, the initiative encouraged children to adopt positive social values, including avoiding tobacco products, refraining from abusive language, maintaining cleanliness and respecting others. The programme not only kept students connected to education but also inspired young volunteers to discover leadership through teaching. Yogendra later credited these experiences with helping him realise that community service could become a lifelong vocation.
From Grassroots Volunteering to Building Career Pathways
Another pivotal moment came during a Vipassana programme in Ratlam, where Singh was introduced to the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. Until then, he had never imagined that social development could be pursued as a professional career. After earning admission to the Master of Social Work (Criminology and Justice) programme, he gained practical experience across multiple sectors, working with children in need of care and protection, supporting rehabilitation initiatives with the Mumbai Police, facilitating teacher well-being programmes through Kshamtalaya Foundation, contributing to CSR impact assessments with Impact Dash, and conducting research on child marriage and the rights of widows.
Even before joining TISS, Yogendra had served as a National Youth Volunteer with Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), where he mobilised rural youth through awareness campaigns, Gram Sabhas and cleanliness drives. Following his postgraduate studies, he joined Pi Jam Foundation to train government school teachers in digital literacy, coding, computational thinking and artificial intelligence. Today, as Program Officer at HCL Foundation, he collaborates with government departments and educators to strengthen STEM and digital learning in government schools across Uttar Pradesh.
Recognising another gap the lack of accessible information about careers in the social sector, he founded Sabka Career. What started as a LinkedIn initiative to share verified opportunities has evolved into a platform supporting thousands of aspirants through job listings, internships, fellowships, scholarships, volunteering opportunities, resume support, interview guidance and career resources, making the development sector more accessible to young professionals from diverse backgrounds.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Stories like Yogendra Singh’s remind us that meaningful change often begins with ordinary people responding to the needs around them. His journey highlights the transformative role of educators, community volunteers and accessible opportunities in shaping individual lives and strengthening public systems. It also demonstrates that social impact is not created by institutions alone but by citizens who choose to act with empathy, persistence and purpose.
As India continues to invest in education, digital inclusion and youth development, creating pathways for talented young people from rural and underserved communities remains essential for building a more equitable future. Every opportunity shared, every mentor who offers guidance and every community initiative can become the starting point of another changemaker’s story.
Who was the person or opportunity that changed your life’s direction, and how can you help create that opportunity for someone else today?
Also read: From Bus Conductor to Padma Shri, Anke Gowda Built India’s Free Library of 20 Lakh Books
