Update from Bangalore - 10-OCT-2010; 500 Youth Leaders trained; Micro Finance; village in AP adopted by a Telecom Chief.

10-OCT-2010: Bangalore, INDIA

I have arrived in Bangalore at 4am on 30-SEP-2010. I immediately got busy with VVM meetings starting at 9am on 30-SEP-2010.


In addition to many other states, about 110 Youth from the villages of Andhra Pradesh visited the VVM Center in Bangalore. We have conducted Leadership Training Programs for about 500 youth since OCT-2009. Not all of them become immediately active. I met all these young dynamic youngsters who are willing to do something for the villages, the country and at the same time stand on their own feet in the process of serving the society. They are paid a task based Honorarium.

We also started a MicroFinance Wing to help the small farmers and merchants. This will be taken forward by Village Youth Leaders and Village Committees.

I had long meetings with a few Youth Leaders to get updates.

We are now working on identifying a few villages in Andhra Pradesh and turn them into Model Villages (Nirmal Gram). We have done similar work in Maharashtra already. I will share the details in my next emails.

We have the Chairman of a Telecom Company come forward and adopt his own village in Andhra Pradesh. When the time is right, I will share more details.