FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Swadheen’s students launch BPO operations by processing data for the general elections in India.

Indapur, Maharashtra, May 17, 2009– Lend-A-Hand India (LAHI) and Desi Crew, a IIT Chennai incubated start-up, have come together to launch a pilot BPO venture at Alfa Byte Computer Training Institute, Indapur (near Pune in the state of Maharashtra). Seven graduates of Project Swadheen (Lend-A-Hand India’s Career Counseling program implemented by Alfa Byte Computer Institute) worked on their first assignment for a Delhi-based advocacy group which promotes transparency in parliamentary elections.

It’s a unique model that extends the logic of outsourcing to rural India, creating sustainable livelihoods while delivering valuable services to affluent urban areas. Desi Crew is a rural BPO company and LAHI is non-profit organization that provides vocational training and career development opportunities to boys and girls in rural areas. This is a natural partnership; Desi Crew has outsourced the task of supporting the Empowering India project, launched by its client Liberty Institute, to LAHI’s Project Swadheen.

The seven students of Swadheen that were carefully screened and selected worked to compile personal data (assets, liabilities, criminal charges, if any) from affidavits filed by Lok Sabha (Congress) candidates and disseminated that information to voters, civil society, and media. These young men and women, all computer literate and fluent in Marathi, earned Rs. 25 per affidavit as they process the information. Now as election results start coming in, they will also track news published in local print and electronic media and submit those reports for further analysis. Each participant is expected to earn at least Rs. 5,000 ($ 110 approx.) per month for this work.

This is only the beginning of this social venture. A certain percentage of the profit made by Alfa Byte will go to Project Swadheen and help with its goal of becoming a sustainable and self-financed venture. Once this first assignment is successfully completed, Alfa Byte, LAHI and Desi Crew will sign a MoU to formalize the relationship for collaboration in future projects.

About Lend-A-Hand India
Lend-A-Hand India (LAHI) is a non-profit venture launched in 2003. It is based in New York City and focuses on issues related to education and youth. The current focus of its programs is vocational training, career development, employment, and entrepreneurial opportunities for young boys and girls in rural India. LAHI collaborates with dynamic grassroots non-profit organizations to develop innovative projects and implement them. LAHI is a tax-exempt 501c3 non-profit with offices in US and India. For more information, please visit www.lendahandindia.org.

About Desi Crew
Desi Crew Solutions Pvt. Ltd (DC) is a rural BPO company, incubated by RTBI of IIT- Madras. DC sets up IT enabled service centers in rural areas, and employs and trains local people to meet the back office demands of clients. By integrating technology and trained resources in rural areas, it offers cost effective outsourcing solutions that help clients cut existing costs by up to 40 percent.

Contact: Sunanda Mane
Phone: +1 917 493 9000
Email: sunanda.mane@lend-a-hand-india.org