unemployment « Amritha Alladi

Scribbled in the margin: juggling the 4 crystal balls of life

March 29, 2009 at 3:35 pm | Posted in At work, Seen and Scene | Leave a comment
Tags: glass balls, internship diary, job prospects, notes Vairamuthu, unemployment

Job prospects don’t look good for Americans. Surprise, Surprise. As a journalist, I’m extremely concerned about where I’m going to end up next, especially when I keep hearing about newspapers downsizing and the unemployment rate is just at over 10% in 7 states, according to Bloomberg Media.

I couldn’t help but think today of an address given by Tamil poet Vairamuthu at a hospital’s anniversary celebration yesterday. He said, in life, we have to balance 4 balls: health, family, friends, and work. One of balls is made of rubber, and the other three are crystal. The three crystal ones, we cannot afford to drop, but the rubber one is one we can live without, he said. Take a moment to think of your priorities in life, and try to guess which one he said is drop-able.

I’ll give you a hint: it’s none of the first three.

His point was that we often sacrifice our own health for our jobs and such, a valid point to make at the anniversary celebration of an eye hospital. But as a twenty-something year old just out of college in a world where it seems all economies (and by that I mean, American) are crumbling in front of my eyes, it’s really hard for me to accept that the ball labeled “work” is made of rubber. I mean, how can we possibly ensure the security of the other three without a job? I have to disagree. A job means money, and with money we can take care of our families, our friends, our health. That’s not to say that I value money more than the other three. In fact, it’s for the other three that the fourth, work, becomes so necessary.

Plus, in an ideal world, its all well and good to be talking about how it’s only family, health and friendships that make a life worth living. Of course these are important to me. But let’s be practical–”work” cannot be dismissed as the rubber ball. And hey, without work to stress us, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy the pleasures that family and friends give us when we get time off.

Especially in today’s job market, I feel like if I were tossed the “work” ball, I’d catch it and hold on to it for dear life.

At The Hindu: “One person’s work can kindle change in society”

March 19, 2009 at 6:08 pm | Posted in At work | Leave a comment
Tags: Chennai, internship diary, social divide, social entrepreneuship, social work, The Hindu, unemployment

CHENNAI: All it takes is one of us to reach out to another to bridge the gap, according to P.N. Devarajan, founder and managing trustee of the Centre for Social Initiative and Management (CSIM). “Each one, reach one,” has always been his motto.

Delivering the Sister Christine Endowment lecture on Wednesday, hosted by the Department of Sociology, Stella Maris College, he said even the work of one person can kindle change in society.

“Like an epidemic, it will begin to multiply, and everyone will begin thinking that is the thing to do,” he said.

He said the social divide arises from several factors separating the “haves” and “have-nots,” including remoteness from mainstream society, poverty, lack of education, disability, or lack of healthcare. But individuals can bridge these gaps when they equip the “have nots” with the skills to be productive.

“When we dismiss them as useless, we are reducing them to zero,” he said.

Through social entrepreneurship, which applies business models to social work, a person can identify which factor is causing the divide, recognise the use or talent of a “have not” group, and teach them the skills necessary to build upon that talent to make a living. But a person must take responsibility for the change rather than assigning the task to someone else. If people can spare time for social work regularly and also be emotionally committed, he said they can “get joy in a variety of ways.”

This article appeared in The Hindu on March 19, 2009.

At The Hindu: Leading them from darkness to light

March 18, 2009 at 6:06 pm | Posted in At work | Leave a comment
Tags: Chennai, education, IIDA, internship diary, slums, The Hindu, unemployment

CHENNAI: For 35 years, the Inter-Mission Industrial Development Association (IIDA) has cast light on the futures of those whose past has been shrouded in shadows.

At its anniversary celebration here on Tuesday, founder and president of IIDA Jochen Tewes said the Association has worked to transform the lives of those below the poverty line by equipping them with the skills necessary to obtain jobs.

A mechanical engineer, Mr. Tewes recognised the prevalence of unemployment when he came to India in 1974. “The immense poverty in slums touched my heart,” he said. He wanted to provide them with the tools to secure self-sustaining jobs.

What began as a “one-man army,” with Mr. Tewes training seven boys in fitter skills, has now become a full-fledged set of community colleges, industrial schools and day care centres, which have given degrees to over 4,000 students in Chennai.

Former IIDA student, A. Shanker, says he had a life filled with troubles, because his mother had died when he was five years old and his father was an alcoholic.

“My life was like a wilderness, but my friends now see it has become a garden,” said Mr. Shanker, who works for Youth With a Mission, Ooty.

German Consul General in Chennai Roland F. Hermann said India should be proud of its advances, as it has developed into a strong nuclear power and has provided a large market of consumers and IT companies. Still, he said, “that is half the story of India,” and millions of people are still without clean drinking water or proper sanitation. For those people who cannot see a ray of light in their futures, he said providing them an education is the best way to make them self-sufficient.

“Give them the basics,” Mr. Hermann said, “it is the key for the country.”

The most rewarding experience for Mr. Tewes has been seeing former students at well-paid jobs now, and he said many have even started their own businesses. “The teachers are often envious when they see the students now make more than they do,” he added.

This article appeared in The Hindu on March 18, 2009.