An all women BPO Source for Change empowers rural women through
technology and employment
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Source for Change (SFC) is rural BPO providing quality data-entry and digitization services through the sheer power of their all women workforce. Located in the small town of Bagar in Rajasthan, an area that breeds purdah and female infanticide, SFC is a revolution for most women in this region. |
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Bagar is an educational centre hosting about 35 schools. Ironically, it has limited job opportunities and especially so for women. Women having graduated have no job prospects and spend most of their day at home. SFC aims to create
opportunities for these women to learn, endeavor and achieve. It aims to generate avenues that allow women to summon financial and social freedom, the freedom to buy toys for their children and the freedom to walk outside of their homes for work.
While it may seem easy and convenient to hire and train the most qualified people, SFC chooses to work exclusively with women. Here at SFC, women do not only learn computer skills but also participate in confidence-building workshops. They become financially independent and experience a greater selfworth and earn renewed respect from the community. Women in mother’s roles pass on their skills and experiences to their children which results in transfer of knowledge. Hence, the training received by the women gains a wider reach and impact. Providing employment to women also ensures low attrition and higher degree of commitment.
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Supported by The Piramal Foundation and started by an Indicorps fellow Gagan Singh Rana, SFC is an outcome of sheer dedication and expertise. The management teams’ experiences range from Citigroup, IBM, JPMorgan and U.S. Air Force to two English-language BPOs in India. Having considered the role of women in the social and economic sphere as well as the growing potential of the BPO industry, Gagan was keen to start a BPO in Bagar. “When I shared this idea with my colleagues at Bagar and industry experts, most said that it would be close to impossible,” says Gagan. However, he found similar thinking minds in a local entrepreneur Shrot Katewa and Alim Haji, one of the volunteers in Bagar seeking to use technology for grassroots’ development. |
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In two months that followed, local women were recruited and underwent a rigorous training in English and Hindi typing, confidence enhancement and computer skills. Recruitment involved daily visits to the women’s homes to win their family’s trust and support. Women were provided with soft skills training which included team building, leadership and communication skills. These incessant efforts paid off when SFC was rated the most preferred provider out of 21 states for their first ever roject for Pratham, a Mumbai-based NGO working in education with offices in the US and UK.
It was found that the women learnt faster and had a nesting period of 5 days after which their quality and quantity of work done increased noticeably. After the success of the Pratham project, SFC went through a lean phase when they had no projects for two months. “This trying period tested everyone’s patience and integrity.” This time was used to give the women additional training and relentlessly attempting to acquire more business. These efforts paid off as SFC got another project from a Delhi-based NGO Ekal Vidyalaya which the women are currently working on.
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SFC has witnessed a path breaking change in the women. In a village where there is no platform for women to come together in any public space, SFC has become a way to development of a culture of sisterhood and friendly banter. Saroj Yogi, team leader says, “Initially we were afraid to even step out of our homes. But now we have a new home out of home.” From shy, withdrawn women to sharp and confident Business Process Associates, the journey has been rewarding and empowering. |
SFC is currently scaling up from a 10-seater to a 20-seater. SFC has witnessed 0% attrition till date. It follows a simple business model which can be easily replicated in any area across the county. Though the challenges are many and often complicated, it undoubtedly paves the way for social progress and economic independence for a historically disadvantaged group in our county.
For more information contact:
Shrot Katewa
+91 99294 05785
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Bagar, Rajasthan