THE BELIEVERS
Five leaders in the field of development tell us why their jobs really matter
Back to School
SHAILENDRA SHARMA [ 38]
Executive Director, Pratham, New Delhi Sharma joined Pratham, the largest NGO working to provide quality education to underprivileged children in India, in 2002. Pratham was established in 1994 to provide pre- school education to the children in the slums of Mumbai. Since then, the organisation has grown in scope and runs projects across India.
FIRST MOVE Pratham was established in 1994 to provide pre- school education to the children in the slums of Mumbai city. They never let obstacles, such as space constraints, divert them from their goal. Instead they conducted classes in temples, local offices and vacant houses.
NEXT MOVE Their presence has spread to 20 states through the teams’ hard work and a series of innovative campaigns.
RESOURCE ALLOCATION Pratham has a committed network of supporters like Johnson and Johnson, Barclay’s and ICICI bank among others.
SOCIAL MOVE All volunteers are provided extensive training before being assigned to various projects. “This training helps an individual understand the basics of working in an NGO,” Sharma says. All their programmes are designed to ensure that enrollment and learning in schools and local communities increases.
STEPPING STONE Pratham’s flagship programme, Read India, helps to improve the reading, writing and basic arithmetic skills of children in the age group of six to fourteen years. Launched in 2007, the programme has already helped 33 million children in 305,000 Indian villages. For more information visit
Career wise Team Pratham is made up of people from diverse academic backgrounds. With one volunteer in 308,671 Indian villages, 400,000 unpaid volunteers offer their time and efforts to educate others.
Power moment Under Sharma’s leadership, Mumbai- based Pratham today undertakes a variety of social projects across the country. As of 2012, Pratham has made a difference in the lives of millions of children.