Gurcharan Das supports education through Microfinance

Microfinance Focus, May 24, 2010: Gurcharan Das an author, a management guru and a public intellectual has forayed into microfinance by joining one of the leading microfinance institutions, the SKS. He is currently the Chairman of SKS’s Society and is on the boards of a number of other companies. He was the Managing Director of Procter & Gamble Worldwide (Strategic Planning) before becoming a full time writer. He is the author of The Difficulty of Being Good: On the Subtle Art of Dharma and the International Bestseller, India Unbound. He writes a regular column on Sundays for the Times of India, Dainik Bhaskar and other papers and periodic guest columns for the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, and Newsweek.

Gurcharan Das

In an interview with Microfinance Focus, Gurcharan Das talked about his support for microfinance and the reason for joining SKS. His support comes from his belief that microfinance gives poor a life of dignity by creating entrepreneurs amongst them. He feels proud of his association with this wonder, which is able to create opportunities for the poor and gives them a chance to break out of poverty. Being an ardent supporter of quality education for the poor children, Gurcharan Das has been actively engaged in SKS’s school programs.

“I always had a passion for education and I am very disappointed how badly the government schools perform in India. The poor gets really a bad deal and so I feel that budget schools for the poor, that is, private schools which charge a very modest fee are a good answer until the government schools could be reformed. What I like about the SKS school system is that it only charges 175-200 rupees as their fees and they cater to the poor and to the same families who take loans from the SKS for their business work” he says.

Gurcharan Das was also on the boards of SKS microfinance and SKS Trust but has recently resigned from the posts in order to devote all his energy and time to education. He says, “I did not want to flitter. There is so little time in life so one should do few things and should do them well and should do things which are your passion and this is my passion.” With a vision of creating world class education for the poor and enrolling more than a million poor children in SKS schools, he is continuously working towards his dream.

In his opinion, the most remarkable thing about microfinance is its self-sustainable nature. Given the extent of poverty in India, he feels that only a market based solution can bring a significant change. He says, “Instead of going around with a begging bowl to rich people asking for money, it is better that the organization is self sufficient. And that is a wonderful thing that has happened in the case of microfinance”.

© 2010, Microfinance News. All rights reserved. 2008-09