India is home to a number of dynamic individuals with a drive to make India better! With an aim to empower the youth of India, SBI Youth for India fellowship gives an opportunity to the young and bright minds of the country to pull up their socks and work towards the progress of the underserved communities, especially in the rural areas.
"SBI Youth for India Fellowship has helped me to think beyond". In conversation with The Logical Indian, Abdul Majid, an alumnus of the SBI Youth for India Fellowship from Kashmir, took us through the dynamic journey of his fellowship.
What Is The Application Process?
There is an application for two cohorts for the SBI Youth for India Fellowship, and as far as the selection process is concerned, a candidate has to go through 3 stages. Majid said, "It's fairly simple! The first stage is the Preliminary Application and can simply be filled out even on mobile phones in a matter of ten minutes. You can apply through the SBI Youth for India website, or find details on their social media handles. Upon clearing this stage, you go to Stage 2 - The Online Assessment. It's essentially an online test where apart from my basic details, I was given three interesting situations of the village and I was asked to write on how I would respond to these scenarios." He added saying, "After successfully completing Stage 2, you go to Stage 3 - Personality Assessment & Interview. I was called for an interview at the SBI Youth For India Fellowship office in New Delhi". Majid told The Logical Indian about how he got to meet the alumni from diverse backgrounds at the interview. "The SBI Foundation Management and alumni were also present there." Once the interview is done, the candidates selected for the fellowship are sent an email, in the words of Majid, "Only after a few days, I was sent an email that I have been selected for the Fellowship and, I was asked to come for the orientation." To join the fellowship, Click here to apply and finish the Preliminary application form in 10 minutes on your phone!
Tell Us About The Orientation
The Journey of SBI Youth for India Fellowship starts from the orientation. Majid told us how the orientation was just a sneak peek into the dynamic world of rural development that was lying ahead. Talking about the orientation, Majid said, "They had brought world-class experts from various fields to give us a broader perspective of things. We were made to acquaint ourselves with the larger theme of the development sector." He added, "SBI Youth for India Fellowship fuels the vision of a number of NGOs located in different parts of India. After our orientation, fellows are sent to different NGOs, from where we ultimately go to our project locations based on our interests."
What Has Been The Journey Like?
Speaking about the beginning of his journey, Majid said, "I was allocated SBI Youth for India's partner NGO Barefoot College (SWRC) in Rajasthan, which was started by Padmashri Sanjit Bunker Roy in the year 1972." He continued, "This NGO works on different domains such as solar, bee-keeping, coffee, honey etc. It also works to train people on education, livelihood, and women empowerment. Over there we got two months to decide our plan of action."
As a part of my fellowship journey, I was also closely associated with Barefoot College International and their team while working with 'Digital Night schools'. This program is especially meant for the underserved and tribal children with affordability challenges. Some of the children attending the Digital Night School were also under the compulsion to work during the day to earn a living for their families. "
Majid worked in ten such night schools. His role and responsibility were to ensure WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) at these schools. Telling us about his day to day responsibilities as an SBI Youth for India fellow, he said, "Along with WASH, I put in place a number of other implementations such as washbasins and WASH kits at schools in about four states such as Bihar, Rajasthan, Manipur, and Chhattisgarh."
Interdisciplinarity! Apart from the fact that you work for the communities on their most pressing issues, Majid says the SBI Youth for India Fellowship gives more than one perspective, all very different from one's own. Furthermore, he says, "In all practicality, the SBI Youth for India Fellowship instils leadership skills in a fellow furthering their value in the market." says Majid. "You can think beyond the obvious.", he adds. On cultural exposure to the fellows, he says, "One of the most beautiful experiences is the cultural immersion. If you are from the North, it's most likely that they put you to work in the South. It helps you learn about and respect other cultures."