One of the second cohort students is thirty-two-year-old Vishal Jogdand, who resides with his family in the Indira Vasahat slum community in Aundh, Pune. His father worked as a driver throughout his life. His mother is a housewife, while his two elder brothers work to support the family.
While studying in 7th grade, he met with an accident that led to an internal head injury, leaving him differently abled. He could not complete his education because of the damage. But he inclined towards art and craft and pursued it as a hobby, which kept him engaged.
When he heard about Lighthouse, he visited the centre and was amazed by the huge, beautiful, and fully equipped place. He got himself enrolled and started loving spending time at Lighthouse. There he was, enveloped in the haven of love and kindness. He would sit in the quiet space, painting for hours every day. He started volunteering at Aundh Lighthouse as a receptionist.
He has a unique drawing style where he writes every name as a picture of lord Ganesha. During the festival, Ganesh Chaturthi, he got an order to draw more than 500 in such a unique style which enabled him to make INR 50 for each name. He also got an opportunity where his paintings were exhibited in Viman Nagar.
He, too, wants to contribute to the family income, and he is doing so through his painting. He aspires to grow as a freelancer and entrepreneur, for which he joined the Junoon program to learn how to run a successful business.
If you’re a budding entrepreneur and would like to learn how to run a successful business, fill in this form: https://bit.ly/3BnlRJk
Junoon is an entrepreneurship development program that fosters support to micro-entrepreneurs from low-income communities intending to bring stability and growth to their businesses. IDFC FIRST Bank co-creates the Junoon Program in partnership with Lighthouse Communities Foundation and Global Opportunity Youth Network (GOYN).
