Lala Bhutia

�I thought this is it, I am never going to get a job and will fail but STeP gave me hope�

Lala Bhutia�s from an early age saw his mother struggle very hard to earn for the family and feed her children. She also knew the importance of child education and with a small hawking stall on the street she tried to earn and educate her children to remove the challenges she had faced due to illiteracy and poverty.

Lala failed his HSC exams and the financials pressures from the family did not allow him to continue his studies. He could not land a job either; he lacked the skills the market required. Upon a recommendation from his friend he joined the STeP course provided by Smile Foundation and from then on there was no looking back. Lala�s communication skills improved, his personality changed due to the training and soon Westside hired him as a deserving candidate. Lala now supports his family and continues to encourage his younger brothers and sisters to study. His struggling days are behind him and he is looking at a bright future.

Nafees

�Today, I got my first job. Although I have many things on my mind, but I will be getting new clothes for every one with my first salary�

Nafees grew up in a family which struggled to make both ends meet every day. His father worked as a daily wage earner and it was a family of six he had to support; Nafees, his mother, a brother who was deaf since birth, another brother who lost his right leg in an accident and a sister who was of marriageable age. Even though Nafees had dreams of acquiring a degree which would help him get a job, financial conditions back home acted as a hurdle.

Nafees joined STeP with high hopes and soon enough he was equipped with a better personality, good communication skills and technical knowledge. He was hired by Caf� Coffee Day after the completion of his course. He now supports the family along with his father and aspires to do more to help his family.

Shiva Kumar

�I have bought new clothes for my father, I hope he likes them.�

Shiva Kumar's father wore and re-wore the same two sets of clothes for years. The colours faded and stains from the auto rickshaw he drove for a living took their place. But his resolve to educate Shiva did not fade away. Shiva who had seen his father struggle round the year to feed the family did not study beyond the 12th standard and began looking for a job. But his lack of professional skills and proved to be a major hurdle in his pursuits.

When Shiva accidentally came across Smile Foundation�s STeP programme he immediately enrolled for the course. Gradually his communication skills and computer skills improved and so did his confidence. His personality also developed and after the completion of his course he landed a job at the reputed multinational pharmaceutical company Dr. Reddy's Lab.

Shiva can now help his father support the family. He hopes to work harder and take care of all the needs of his family.

Vijaya

�My parents are proud of me. I am happy that I can support them all by myself.�

Life for Vijaya has not been what a young girl would expect. Staying with her parents and three younger siblings in Mumbai, poverty and struggle have been a part of her life since childhood. But Vijaya has fought her circumstances with grit and determination and has emerged a winner.

Vijaya�s family had no steady source of income. Her father retired recently and her mother has been bed-ridden for some time now. Due to financial constrains Vijaya could not pursue higher studies and had to drop out after passing her 12th standard. She lacked computer skills and did not have much of a strong hold on spoken English.

Upon a friend�s suggestion she joined STeP which completely changed her life. She soon landed a job at Westside after completing her six month course and now supports her family with her earnings. Her parents are very proud of her and she is very happy with her job.