Partner Organisation- People's Institute For Development and Training (PIDT)
Location- New Delhi, Delhi
Year of Association- 2007
No. of Students- 71
Employers- TSAR Health Pvt. Ltd, Archimedes Architects

The Founders

People’s Institute for Development and Training (PIDT) was established in 1980 by Subhachari Dasgupta, former professor of the National Institute of Bank Management, Mumbai. A doyen of alternative rural development, Prof. Dasgupta has served as head of the Rural Action Project (RAP) of NIBM. He has seen grinding rural poverty at close quarters and resolved to work for holistic development of the marginalized sections of rural community in the country.

Dr. (Mrs.) Aparna Dasgupta is the Chairperson of PIDT after the demise of Mr. Dasgupta. Dr. Aparna Dasgupta is a Sanskrit scholar of repute who is passionate to work for the weaker sections of the society. She has served PIDT in various capacities and continuously strives to work for the betterment of the marginalised.

About PIDT

People’s Institute for Development and Training (PIDT- which in Hindi means ‘oppressed’) is a grassroot action research National-level Voluntary Development Organization that emerged from the Rural Action Project (RAP) of the National Institute of Bank Management (NIBM) in 1980. Across all PIDT programs, empowerment of the marginalized remains the main subliminal goal.

Smile Foundation found PIDT as a commendable partner to run its STeP centre. The foundation looks for partners that share the common ideology of empowering underprivileged youth and thereby bringing a transformation in their individual lives. The placements that take place through campus recruitment at different STeP centres make many underprivileged adolescent youth self dependent thus enabling them to live a transformed life.

The partnership of Smile Foundation with PIDT proved progressive and the partner readily takes up the challenges.

PIDT works to ameliorate social conditions of oppression and deprivation by increasing the capacities of people and the opportunities available to them so that they may design different futures for themselves. Various programmes of PIDT includes education, awareness and training for transformation, self-reliant livelihood enhancement, preservation of cultural skills and knowledge systems, value based education for social changes and others.

Activities

Certificate Distribution Ceremony at PIDT

PIDT, Saket, New Delhi marked 18 December 2008 as certification distribution day for successful students from their STeP centre. On the occasion were present people from PIDT, Prof. K.K.Sen, Dr. Aparna Dasgupta etc and representatives from Smile Foundation.

Dr. Aparna Dasgupta encouraged all students and distributed certificates to 11 successful students.

Stories of Hope

It is worth mentioning about – Ashish Malik who is mentally challenged but he successfully completed six months STeP course from PIDT and has been placed in the office of Resident Welfare Association of Freedom Fighters’ Colony.

Kannathasan, a driver with a private company also completed the course to reshape his career and secure a better job. Kannathasan sees immense transformation in his personality. He has been promoted to a desk job from a driver in his previous company, Archimedes Architects.

Durgesh Kumar Singh started working as a night watchman when he came to Delhi. During this period, he joined STeP course that he completed successfully. At present, he is working with TSAR Health Pvt. Ltd, a pharmaceutical company as a sales Representative and his employers find him sincere and hard working in the performance of his duties.