Thread by @thebetterindia

(1/15) In a room full of people, Simranjeet would always sit in a corner, reserved & hesitant to ask questions or even start a conversation. A curious mind brimming with ideas & creativity, but her shy demeanor would often deter her from pursuing her dreams.

@Lenovo_in

(2/15) However, this second-year BCom student from Government PG College Ambala Cantonment, learned about a skill-development initiative, conducted in partnership with Lenovo - and ‘Medha’

(3/15) “I’ve always wanted to be independent but lacked direction. Medha boosted my confidence and helped me envision who I could be,” says the 18-year-old, who was one of the beneficiaries participating in Medha’s Lifeskills Advancement Bootcamp.

(4/15) With their help, she was able to find herself a one-month internship in November 2020 that helped her gain invaluable hands-on training experience in the financial sector.

(5/15) Hailing from a small village called Landha in Ambala, Haryana, Simranjeet lives with two other siblings and her parents drowned in financial hardships. Her father works in a factory and her mother works as a tailor and an ASHA worker.

(6/15) This did not dissuade Simranjeet from wanting to pursue her dreams and support her family financially. This month-long internship was the first step towards fulfilling her dream.

(7/15) I came to know about the data entry internship at the end of 2020, which also allowed me to work from home due to the lockdown. Medha provided me with a Lenovo laptop for the internship.

(8/15) With their support, I was able to improve my technical skills in the finance sector — something I believe will prove to be - valuable when I start seeking employment, adds Simranjeet, who received a certificate of excellence for her exemplary performance at work.

(9/15) But Medha did much more than providing her with a valuable platform. It gave her hope, motivation, and the ability to believe in herself. “Now I don’t hesitate to question things or have conversations. I follow my gut to pursue whatever interests me,” says the teenager.

(10/15) She utilised the lockdown period to hone her skills through tailoring and beautician courses while simultaneously learning programming languages and Urdu. She also learned new techniques of stitching and ended up designing clothes for her family, friends, and herself.

(11/15) Hoping to land a job after graduation, she is also preparing for various government service exams and is seeking job opportunities on various online job portals -- including LinkedIn. Simranjeet wishes to pursue her MCom, eventually.

(12/15) “Programs like these allow you to learn valuable skills beyond the classroom environment helping people broaden their horizon. Good internship opportunities have the potential to prepare you towards your professional journey and need to be taken seriously,” she adds.

(13/15) Medha is one of Lenovo’s NGO partners who are using experiential learning methods to help upskill India’s youth. Associated since 2017, Lenovo has helped Medha empower thousands of students like Simranjeet.

(14/15) Through this partnership, Medha was able to provide 80 laptops and train more than 200 youngsters, out of which 41 were placed in jobs and 169 people received internships in 2020.

(15/15) Lenovo’s mission in this endeavour has been to empower students to navigate through their studies and careers using the power of technology.

To find out more about ‘New Realities: The India Chapter' click here- bit.ly/2QfAyef