Give a man a fish. You can feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime
Through the Goodwill Project- an initiative by Book A Workshop, embarked on a mission to create the right learning opportunities for people from all walks of life and support them by helping them learn the right things from experts. One of the communities is Upskill with BAW which is a part of the goodwill Project by BookAWorkshop.
The long-term goal of the Goodwill project is to bring industry specialists from various fields like art, science, technology, etc., together and create a safer community for the needy to either learn or earn.
The GoodWill Project has a wide range of aspects to it. Ranging from creating an ecosystem that organically funds them and spreads the knowledge and joy of creating the art form among many. Book A Workshop through this initiative of GoodWill Project is a platform for connecting these lost arts and crafts of India and their artists with the community.
Another community we’re aiming to build through this platform is called “Upskilling with BAW”. In upskill with BAW the GoodWill project has partnered with an NGO that works on a mission to help blind and low-vision students gain independence through vocational training and all-round development. Professionally competent, responsible, and adaptable global citizens in the making.
At Aesthesis Foundation, they specifically aim at enhancement of the four senses, not as mere compensation for the absence of visual sense, but actually, a different potential deriving from the development of these senses.
Problem Statement
As the world and its educational activities are becoming more complex and challenging, students with disabilities are finding it more difficult to cope with it. People with visual impairments tend to require support throughout the entire process of learning and development. The considerable gap between the right kind of teaching methods for these students and making them more employable is where the GoodWill Project comes into the picture.
Our Solutions And Action Plan
To bridge this gap, BookAWorkshop and the Aesthesis Foundation came together to develop a unique solution. It all started with a brainstorming session. This session helped us curate a list of ideation, which had different types of new-age industries and professions that these students can enter and have a career in. The whole idea revolved around making these students who were in the age group of 16-30 more employable with the right kind of skill set.
Some of these professions include-
- Radio Jockeys
- Podcasting
- Corporate Brand And Image Consultancy
After putting down a lot of these industries and professions, the next step was to get on board some experts who could conduct sessions for the students. The sessions happened bi-weekly, with each session ranging from anywhere around 1 hour to 3 hours each. These highly interactive sessions were designed with the aim of delivering the best possible content to help them become more confident and have a better career.
We are also extremely grateful to the experts who have been able to share with us their valuable time and knowledge.
Meet Our Experts-
Tarveen Kaur
She is an international image & etiquette consultant, a corporate trainer, and a global brand communication expert. She shared a lot of insights about the tree of self-image and self-esteem. With an experience of over 8 years, she has trained various corporate, students, and individuals from all walks of life and worked with several global brands. She has also been a prominent speaker at various international forums as well as an esteemed jury for several institutions.
The session she conducted aimed to help the learners be able to plan and carry out a routine activity that involves multiple steps of personality development, resulting in raised better self-confidence levels eventually.
Pushkraj Joshi
He is popularly known as RJ Raj. He has worked for radio Mirchi for 12 and a half years 10 of which were as an RJ (prime time). Has experience of over 3 years as Programming head and has hosted the red carpet for Mirchi at Filmfare awards. He also has excellent experience with scriptwriting for more than 1000 special programs, promos, and commercial ads.
He conducted an informative session on how RJ-ing is a very fulfilling career option and how these kids can make the most out of themselves through it.
Kanishka Thakur
Kanishka is a Career Counsellor who is passionate about helping students to live a life of purpose by giving them the right mindset and pathway to finding their IKIGAI.
She’s also a Strategic Marketer who’s focused on the creative side of marketing and communications while helping Content Creators build a sound Personal Brand through Networking.
Her session revolved around podcasting and how it can benefit people. An interactive online meet with a lot of the right kind of tips!
Mahesh Joshi
A master storyteller and someone who has lived a life of a maverick, he brings in the leadership, art of conversation, fun, and life into everything we do.
Maverick Minstrel Consulting is an India-based Sales and Service Design company with global ambitions. Formed by highly experienced sales professionals, the Mavericks have focused on improving the selling and conversational skills of large International Organisations.
His workshop was called “How to sell.” It spoke about what is exactly required to have good sales.
Swapna Menon
Swapna Menon is a certified Personal Brand Image Coach. She is on a mission to help professionals realize their purpose, passion and live a life in style by creating a Brand ‘YOU.’ She is a certified Image Consultant, POSH Enabler, TTT certified Soft skill trainer, and Purpose Coach. She has over the years coached, mentored, and trained numerous corporate employees, business owners, social workers, educators, and students in Mindset Coaching and Etiquette Training. She has also helped several individuals on creating a Personal Brand through Image Management skills.
In an entertaining and relaxed manner, Swapna had a great conversation about how to be the best version of yourself every day.
These are a few of our experts. We are eternally grateful to have them on board and dedicate their time to a good cause like this.
What We Have Achieved-
This initiative has been of great importance and value. Various topics have been covered, and we must say the knowledge has been very well delivered. It has helped the students shape their minds better, gain clarity towards what they love, and have a broader perspective towards various career opportunities. The mission is to train, empower and make visually impaired students self-reliant
by providing different virtual learning options that would enable them to gain access to additional career opportunities and succeed in a professional work environment.
By this, we hope we’re able to bring a difference in this society and make someone’s life better.
Thank you for reading,
See you in the next blog!
