For 40 years, Ashok Rane took classes at night and worked tirelessly during the day so he could become an engineer that made a difference to this country.Growing up in rural Maharashtra, Ashok was born to a family of farmers. It was then that the 16-year-old Ashok decided to become an engineering apprentice.He wasn’t born with a silver spoon and knew he’d have to go the extra mile to be independent and make something of himself. He was based in Mumbai – working in the day to make ends meet and studying at night finish his diploma in electrical engineering.
Today at 56, he is using his skills to empower those who need it the most – just like he did in the past.
Ashok started the Aikya Foundation in 2006, a community outreach program that trains Mumbai’s disadvantaged young people to become electricians.Trainees or apprentices under the program receive 100 hours of training over a period of two months. From learning how to repair household appliances such as toasters, irons, mixers and radios, the training course runs five times a year and doesn’t require enrolled students to spend a rupee!
The only eligibility criterion is that the prospective trainees must have cleared their Class 10.These individuals at the end of the course are certified as freelance electricians.
The idea behind the Aikya Foundation came up when Ashok and some of his colleagues from the Workers’ Union at Siemens opened a computer education centre for children of the maintenance staff. The idea was to equip young students with computer literacy to further their chances at admissions to high school and better employment opportunities.
The project was funded with their own money, giving children an almost 50% subsidy in the computer training. In a matter of five years, they extended the program to underprivileged children in government schools. Two hours of weekly teaching, helped these students succeed with flying colours, and move on for a secondary education.
It took him 40 years to climb the ladder in different roles at Siemens. From a technician to a maintenance engineer, Ashok is now a manager at the Siemens R&D facility. He is using the skills he picked up during his apprenticeship days in 1976 to create a job market for the underprivileged today.
Source and Credit:https://www.thebetterindia.com/115542/ashok-rane-engineer-mumbai/