Working professionals can develop essential leadership skills, gain practical experience in addressing real-world challenges, and expand their know-how with on-ground knowledge.
Here is an interview with Mr. Sanjay Prakash, MD & CEO, SBI Foundation on how Youth for India Fellowship is contributing to India’s development story. He shares how this unique fellowship not only welcomes Indian citizens residing in India, Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), but also Citizens of Nepal and Bhutan.
Please share more about the SBI Youth for India Fellowship and its core objectives.
The SBI Youth for India Fellowship program, one of the flagship initiatives of the SBI Foundation, spans 13 months and offers urban youth an active framework to devise sustainable solutions for rural development. Fellows learn, grow, and contribute towards 12 thematic areas, including Health, Rural Livelihood, Food Security, Environmental Protection, Education, Water, Technology, Women’s Empowerment, Self-Governance, Social Entrepreneurship, Traditional Craft, and Alternate Energy. Each Fellow chooses one of these 12 areas to work on.
The objective of the YFI Fellowship is multi fold. Fellows get the opportunity to operate in rural settings alongside 13 prominent NGOs. By empowering local communities to articulate their needs and aspirations, SBI Youth for India fosters a sense of ownership and accountability, ensuring that development initiatives are tailored to meet the specific challenges and opportunities of each village.
Furthermore, the program seeks to promote a better understanding among urban youth of the ground realities of rural India. By immersing themselves in rural communities, these Fellows gain first-hand experience of the social-economic dynamics at play, enabling them to adopt a more proactive and responsible approach towards addressing societal needs.
Who can apply for the YFI Fellowship, and what do they stand to gain?
The SBI Youth for India Fellowship welcomes Indian citizens residing in India, Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), and Citizens of Nepal and Bhutan. This inclusive program attracts highly motivated individuals, typically recent college graduates or working professionals aged 21 to 32. Participants commit to a 13-month rural Fellowship, immersing themselves in challenging rural conditions.
Through the experience, Fellows gain a profound understanding of the socio-economic challenges faced by marginalized sections. The Fellowship program fosters empathy, cultural sensitivity, and a sense of social responsibility in the participants. As the Fellows return to mainstream society, these Fellows bring back valuable insights and innovative solutions to address pressing issues, contributing to a more inclusive and equitable contemporary world.
How can working professionals’ benefit from this Fellowship?
The SBI Youth for India Fellowship offers working professionals a unique opportunity to advance their careers while making a meaningful impact in rural communities. Through the Fellowship, professionals can develop essential leadership skills, gain practical experience in addressing real-world challenges, and expand their know-how with on-ground knowledge.
This, in turn, helps them devise solution-driven strategies and products to enable change and development at the very grassroots level of the country and help them be the ambassadors of change. Ultimately, the Fellowship empowers professionals, inspires product innovation, and builds future leadership in both corporate and social sectors.
It is interesting to note that candidates from Bhutan and Nepal can also apply, as also OCI candidates. How has the response been from them in previous years.
The SBI Youth for India Fellowship extends a warm invitation to Indian citizens residing in India, Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), and citizens of Nepal and Bhutan. Our diverse cohort includes highly motivated graduates and young professionals. OCI Fellows bring invaluable knowledge and experience of unique solutions from other countries, enriching our rural development efforts. Their insights facilitate the adaptation of innovative approaches to address local challenges, thereby advancing our rural development objectives.
Moreover, participation in the Fellowship offers OCI/NRI youth an opportunity to reconnect with their roots and make significant contributions to their homeland.
What message would you like to convey to youth regarding their participation in the social sector?
The SBI Youth for India Fellowship is open for applications for its 12th edition until May 2024. We feel it is an unmatched opportunity for the Youth that trains young individuals having passion to contribute to the social sector. Prior experience in development is not a pre-condition to join this Fellowship, and that makes it unique. Immersing themselves in rural setting along with 13 prominent NGOs in the country for 13 months, the Fellows stand to gain firsthand insights into community challenges.
A well thought out induction process, curated through specialists in the sector, prepares the Fellows to take up the journey. Through innovative solutions, they can address rural challenges, driving lasting change at the grassroots level contributing significantly to the development story of the country, and uplifting marginalized communities to foster sustainable progress.