OUR INITIATIVES
INNOVATION
2018
Tech-social Entrepreneurship Development
In 2018, the Surge Impact Foundation joined hands with Indian Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIIT) Hyderabad, to set up the Atal Incubation Centre (AIC). Established with the express mandate of promoting tech-based social enterprises, the AIC is supported by the Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, Government of India. Spread over 10,000 square feet, the business incubation facility has mentored around 35 startups and social impact organisations, resulting in employment creation for more than 200 people. The AIC has disbursed funding support of about INR 1.6 Crores, and mentored beneficiaries have attracted over INR 10 crore in funding.
2019
Bridging the Digital Divide
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to push conventional teaching and learning from classrooms to computers, SIF is equipping students from weak socio-economic backgrounds not to miss out. The foundation, in collaboration with T-Social Impact Group, has supported 8,500 students by providing them with 123 internet-enabled laptops. It has now set its sight on providing 5360 laptops for 1,45,985 students of Telangana Social Welfare Residential Institutions.
EDUCATION & CHILD RIGHTS
Girl-child Rights Protection
SIF has set the ‘Wheels of Change’ rolling, with the Telangana Women Development & Child Welfare Department. The program now called ‘Project 1098’, named after the child helpline, works on eradicating the exploitation of girl-children, child marriages and child trafficking and also helps street, and runaway children. 33 districts in Telangana were equipped with Bala Rakshak Child Response Vehicles through an awareness generation and fundraising campaign spearheaded by Miss World 2021, and Director, Surge Impact Foundation, Ms. Manasa Varanasi.
Secondary Education & Vocational Skills for Girls
Recognizing the importance of building on girls’ capabilities and employment potential, SIF is spearheading CSR advocacy in this focus area. Working closely with leading corporates and non-profits, Surge has succeeded in ushering CSR policy changes in over 35 corporate organisations. Benchmark initiatives include round tables and conclaves with CSR Heads of leading corporates in Telangana. Deloitte, Mahita, and Plan International, are some of the leading entities that Surge Impact has partnered with for this project.
Social Enterprise Education Programs
An unabashed votary of impact and social entrepreneurship, SIF is committed to implanting the concept in the minds of future generations. As part of its campaign to popularise impact and social entrepreneurship, SIF regularly works with reputed educational institutions, and conducts on-site workshops for students. In 2018 and 2019, SIF trained around 30 French students for Skilled Impact’s Young Changemakers in India program. Similarly, around 900 students of Vardhaman Engineering College, participated in SDG and social enterprise workshops organised by SIF.
EMPLOYMENT & UPSKILLING
Upskilling and Placement of Unemployed Graduate Youth
The program targets the unemployment problem, by enabling eligible youth from underprivileged sections, to earn a sustainable living. Participants are trained in technical skills as well as the nuances of communication, soft skills, and employability. In the two iterations of the program, supported by Corteva Agriscience and Celon Labs, 55 beneficiaries were trained out of which 85% were placed and 7% chose to pursue higher education. The remaining 4 candidates were provided with placement support, assistance with building professional network profiles & updating resumes, mentoring for job interviews and given career guidance.
Tracer Studies on Employment Outcomes of Technical Vocational Education & Training (TVET)
Looking beyond employability enhancement courses offered by Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) in Telangana, SIF also studied their impact, to understand and improve STRIVE interventions. STRIVE stands for Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement. Through Tracer Studies, SIF tried to decode the logic behind the outcomes of training programs at ITIs in Telangana. The study results, based on quality data analysis gathered from the marketplace, provided crucial inputs for incorporating improvements in various areas of training and placement at the ITIs.
OTHER INITIATIVES
Enhancing Communications Capabilities in Emergency Medical Aid
To speed up the rescue process in medical emergencies, SIF joined hands with BluJay Solutions – to equip Telangana’s emergency medical ambulance vans with smart signals and communication. Smart technology seamlessly connects vans to traffic police and signals networks, allowing speedy movement, to ultimately save more lives. The Telangana government has equipped all emergency ambulances with this technology, ensuring immediate medical care reaches people in times of medical emergencies.
Supporting Artisans with Market Access
SIF conceived ‘Melaa’ as a platform for local artisans to be able to access markets. The market linkages have helped more than 65 artisans to improve income levels through increased sales. By regularly organising stalls of artisans on the premises of leading corporates, SIF has brought several artisans under the limelight and helped improve their sales. Beneficiaries typically report sales figures that are higher by about INR 4,000 -5,000 per month.
Plantation Drives
As part of Haritha haram, T-SIG organised a Mega Plantation drive on 31st August 2018 and planted about 5,000 saplings in the IT corridors of Hyderabad with 800 volunteers from Government departments, Public & Private Sector companies and Academic Institutions. Further 800 saplings were planted with support from Celon Laboratories and Mitsubishi Elevators.