JOIN USA grounded aerospace engineer
An aerospace engineer from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Rikin B Gandhi, who was born and raised in US, is now a hero among thousands of farmers in the country.
Rikin, 30, a licenced private pilot, chose to work in remote villages over the US Air Force. Rikin decided to use his handycam as a tool for social networking. The method was simple – the farmers record their problems, solutions and success stories and ‘Digital Green’, an NGO headed by him, ensures these videos reach the needy. The videos are by farmers and for farmers.
“I had a college friend who was starting a bio-diesel venture in Maharashtra. That’s when I landed in rural India. I realised that farmers may be the largest community of small businessmen and women but they also face the biggest uncertainties – from weather to markets to government policies,” says Rikin, who was recently given the Young India Leader Award by IBN Network.
His team of 47 in Bhopal, Bangalore Bhubaneshwar, Hyderabad and Patna works to teach farmers how to use video cameras and screen them for farmers in remotest villages.
“We found that farmers were not receptive to being lectured to by outsiders of a very different socio-economic demographic. Instead, they preferred to watch a fellow farmer share his or her experiences in a manner similar to the informal social networks that they were used to interacting with,” he says. So, the videos are localised in terms of
language and socio-economic background of the farmers. As of now, 2400 videos have been produced and screened among them.
‘Digital Green’ started as a research project at Microsoft Research India in 2006, where Rikin was working. The organisation spun-off as an independent NGO in 2008. Rikin’s parents were not enthused about him moving to India though it was more palatable than joining US Air Force.
“They would have preferred a more stable career trajectory. When I joined Microsoft Research in Bangalore, they were pleased that I was affiliated with a brand. When we began Digital Green and received support from Gates Foundation, they gained additional confidence. They are very supportive now,” says Rikin. While he is Delhi-based, his parents stay in Las Vegas.
Currently working in seven states, including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, his foundation entered into a partnership with National Rural Livelihood Mission to scale up to reach 10,000 villages more, over the next 3-4 years.
How has his life changed after working at grassroot level? “One of the things that unifies as human beings is that we all eat. It is remarkable to see how a well-placed seed with some sun, soil and water can bear fruit in a few short months to feed a family,” he says.