Work and Independence - Case story from Madhya Pradesh, India

After a lot of struggle, Badri Prasad Mewada, from Pipaliya Meera village, completed his Bachelors degree in Science. Hailing from a poor family, his parents worked hard to ensure that Badri, who has locomotor disability, had a good education to earn his own living. Soon after he completed his studies, Badri got a job as a part-time assistant in Nehru Yuva Kendra. The job was a temporary one with low pay; therefore, to improve his job prospects, he joined a computer training programme.

In Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh, Leonard Cheshire Disability and ARUSHI (a local NGO), started a programme titled “Samavesh” (Inclusion) to cater to the needs of people with disabilities. Badri heard about Samavesh and approached their staff to help him get a good job.

The programme staff spoke to Badri at length to assess his qualifications and training requirements and suggested that he further improve his communication and computer skills. The staff supported Badri by helping him practice on the computer in the office after work hours.

Around this time, MPhasis, an international business process outsourcing (BPO) company had announced a recruitment drive. Samavesh staff informed Badri of the interviews and helped him prepare. Also, as part of their job placement interventions, they organised a one-day training programme for youth with disabilities on 'Interview and Group Discussion skills'. Badri also participated in this programme.

Following the training, Badri appeared for the interview and was selected.
Today, he is working at the Indore centre of MPhasisEDS, earning around Rs6000 (£75) per month plus incentives for good performance.

Badri is now a role model for other people with disabilities. He says “I am going to guide youth with disabilities to be financially independent so they can live a decent life.”

Contributed by
Neeraj Sharma
Manager, Livelihoods
LCD-South Asia Regional Office