I’m the CEO of The Venkatraman Memorial Trust, Kovalam, Chennai.

I previously combined my responsibilities as a VMT trustee with my professional career in international business development. I bring over 18 years of corporate and project management experience to raise the Trust’s profile in India, which will include building business relationships to enable its graduates to find good work experience and career opportunities.

Education could mean little unless the recipients are using it to benefit their lives in the long term. Until the Venkat Trust was set up, the poorest children in the village had little hope of getting to a school or progressing beyond an elementary education. Now there are nearly 300 children in school thanks to VMT’s sponsorship scheme, 28 of whom are now in higher education. A further 16 have graduated and moved onto good careers, and another 19 will be stepping into colleges and universities in the upcoming academic year. Our kids continue to inspire us.

Our villages are the backbone of our nation, representing about 70% of the country’s population. This is give-back time: it is our duty to take quality education and facilities to our villages.