October 20, 2017
Growing up in Chennai, India, Sriram always had a passion for animals. But in the traditional education system, he felt there wasn’t room to explore this passion and translate it into a career. So, for many years following his graduation from National Institute of Technology, Mangalore, Sriram brushed this aside and pursued a more “traditional” job in market research and strategy consulting. He wondered how he could combine his passion, sales expertise to create an impact.
Grevy’s Trust works to conserve the endangered Grevy’s zebra and its fragile habitat in partnership with communities
It was at this point that he learned about Amani Institute, through our partner, Escape the City. After conversations with Gigi, our Community Manager, Sriram decided to join the Social Innovation Management (SIM) Program in Nairobi, Kenya with the ultimate goal of better understanding “why he wanted to do what he wanted to do and how to execute it.”
“My ‘aha’ moment came during our class on open leadership- I discovered what made me happy- which is being in nature- and I’d lost this in my traditional education.”
Sriram in class at Amani
Now, Sriram is happily working (and pursuing his passion) at Grevy’s Zebra Trust in Samburu, Kenya. There, he leads a menstrual hygiene project in a tribal area, working with 15 schools and approximately 250 adolescent girls. As he is implementing a brand new project, there were challenges in figuring out the best approach.
“The most important skill I learned during my time at Amani was rapid prototyping. It has been invaluable in my current work, as it taught me how to explore multiple approaches and eventually make one stick.”
Sriram credits the practical approach of Amani’s education and the fact that Amani’s instructors are practitioners themselves, with the value of education he received. “Because of Amani, I’ve finally been able to combine my desire to create social impact with my private sector experience and my passions to pursue a meaningful career.”
Are you seeking to create social impact and have a meaningful career? Applications are now open for Amani Institute’s February 2018 cohort in Bengaluru, India and Sao Paulo, Brazil: bit.ly/amani2017
