Inspired by former President APJ Abdul Kalam, Gobinda Ballav Dalai, an MA in social work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai has set out on a mission to serve the society.
Aiming to help the kids of tribal and Dalit communities, he began his career as a social activist in 2010 from Mayurbhanj Public School, a community school in Kanpur in the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. At present, he is involved in several projects and spearheading a campaign under the aegis of Odisha Yuva Jagaran Yatra, to encourage youths to achieve self-sufficiency. Acknowledging his tireless efforts to serve society, several organisations have felicitated him.
Gobinda is a recipient of the India Africa Young Visionaries Fellowship 2014 for his saturation-based habitat development model. This apart, he received a fellowship to attend a summit at UN. Gobinda also received the Sir Ratan Tata Fellowship for academic excellence during his M.A. (Social Work) course.
Gobinda was born to Bishnupriya and Manas Ranjan Dalai in a tribal-dominated village of Mayurbhanj district. He says, “It is difficult to say whether I am ‘professionally passionate’’or ‘passionately professional’ when I work for the people. I have seen the helplessness and sufferings of many meritorious young rural kids who struggle to lead a dignified life in society. I have also seen people achieving success beating all odds in life but conveniently forgetting their past once they are at the top. This is unacceptable to me. ”
Even though he has vast experience in executing social impact projects, Gobinda says, he has never been after power. He would rather like to work with the youth as a team member.
Govinda, who believes in youth power, says, “The youngsters these days are capable of achieving the unachievable. I had many opportunities to work with some youth leaders of the state and the country who have produced excellent results in their respective fields. I have learnt a lot from them.”
Gobinda wants to build up a pool of social entrepreneurs who will be development ambassadors for their regions. He also aims to create a child friendly city ecosystem to encourage and help the kids from low income neighbourhoods.
At present, Gobinda is working on a project that engages young workers to speed up the development process among low income neighbourhoods/ communities. He has also actively promoted and nurtured talents from the slums.
Looking back, Govinda says, “I have so many good memories, but it is difficult to pick the best one. I believe life has always been a celebration. Sometimes, the bad memories also help you learn a lot in life. I never let the bitter memories haunt me, instead I try to learn from them. I have received help from many who have helped me grow as a person. ”
Earlier, Gobinda worked as a consultant with M4ID, a Finland-based company providing solutions in design. He has also served in important positions in one of the leading non-government organisations, which was instrumental in providing effective socio-technical support for the implementation of Odisha Disaster Recovery Project, one of the biggest social housing projects. The outfit was involved in the construction of disaster resilient housing and providing clean water and sanitation to the people. He has also been a consultant to the planning department of the Government of Odisha and a UNICEF Consultant on Right to Education.
Asked who should be credited for his achievements, Gobinda says, “I would like to thank my mentor Prof Radhamohan, who always supports me, and all of my team members who have become a part of my family. I know it’s difficult, but I try to go by the words of former president late APJ Abdul Kalam, who once said ‘small aim is a crime.’ Therefore, I always aim high with the hope that things will change for the better.”
BRATATI BARAL, OP