MBA graduate working on cluster development with NGO
Soumyashree Omprakash Sahoo is a science graduate from Orissa who also has an MBA in marketing. He previously worked with Ripplesoft Private Ltd., a company based in Bhubaneswar that has been credited with bringing Orissa into the IT mainstream of India through its IT training initiatives.
Early Experiences in Orissa
Soumyashree had the opportunity to experience the interior depths of Orissa at a very early age because his father worked as a veterinary officer for the state government. It didn’t take long for Soumyashree to notice a tremendous disparity between the developed eastern parts of Orissa and the neglected western parts of Orissa. Soumyashree describes the acute poverty, landlessness, and malnutrition experienced by the tribal and rural populations in these parts. “They sometimes survive just on mango kernels, which provide no nutritional value and result in starvation deaths,” he says. The lack of healthcare and education is also a concern for him. “I believe if you have the opportunity to do something, you must do it – not for recognition but for self-fulfillment.”
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Goals for the SBI Youth for India Fellowship Program
Soumyashree is working with the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation for the following year. He is interested in learning about cluster development, education, and healthcare. According to him, the SBI Youth for India Fellowship program is the ideal opportunity to work at the grassroots level, learn from others, and contribute his skills and knowledge to the betterment of society while developing his own thoughts and ideas.
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Future Plans to Help Underprivileged Communities in Orissa
Soumyashree is very clear about his goals after the program is over. “I want to open my own CSR company,” he says. “I want to target every person from western Orissa. I want to make sure no one is left out. And eventually, I want to save for my dream – to open a hospital and medical college in this region someday.” He adds, “I want to ensure that all people, regardless of their social, economic, or educational background, have access to the resources and support they need.”
