Anand Mahindra's Post For Man Who, Orphaned At 11, Turned His Life Around

Govind was only 11-years-old when he lost both his parents to tuberculosis. With the help of the Naandi Foundation, he was able to turn his life around and get an education which has today enabled him to work at a renowned apparel store. He is now trying to save enough money to rent a house and move his siblings out of the orphanage where they have been living. Govind's inspiring story was shared on social media by the Naandi Foundation on Monday and received a shout-out from businessman Anand Mahindra. 

Mr Mahindra, who serves as Chairman of the Board of the Naandi Foundation, praised Govind in a tweet last night. "People who RISE!" he wrote while sharing his story. 

According to the Naandi Foundation, at the age of 11, Govind was forced to start working at a food cart after his parents died due to tuberculosis. Fortunately a child welfare organisation took him in and enrolled him into a school where he completed his education. He was later enrolled in a Mahindra Pride School in Chandigarh, which is run by the Foundation. 

Mahindra Pride Schools were started in 2007 as a place to recruit and train socially and economically disadvantaged youth and help them find corporate jobs. 

Govind was trained in retail for three months and placed at Lifestyle Store, which is a clothing and accessories brand. "He is now saving up to rent a house for himself so that he can get his siblings to move out of the orphanage and come live with him," the Naandi Foundation wrote.

Take a look at Mr Mahindra's post for Govind below:

People who RISE! https://t.co/tyLuirGNZo

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) June 15, 2020

"Inspirational," wrote one person in the comments section. "Wow. This is amazing. This is how you empower people," another said. 

According to the Naandi Foundation, Mahindra Pride Schools recruit people between the ages of 18 to 25. The schools offer specializations courses in four verticals - ITES (Information Technology Enabled Services), Hospitality Craft, Retail Sales and Auto. Students are provided with a bus pass or train pass, uniforms, course material and more totally free of charge. After their three-month training, placement drives are conducted to help them find jobs.