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Name: Suwarna Surlakar
Business: Codewell Computers
Location: Goa, India
Industry: Education & Training
Reason for starting? I obtained my masters of engineering in internet technology and have served as an assistant professor for nine years in an engineering college. I believe that at the age of five, a child generally has no strong answers as to what he or she wants to be when they are older. And so we train these kids with the best STEM learning, which helps them to be independent to choose their careers. Eventually we train them with coding skills and teach them robotics, which will be huge in the upcoming job market. No matter which profession you choose you will face a technology. Growing with technology helps better understand technology. Just like how you learn a language, technology is the next language. The need to work with a computer will be as strong as communication. A child who has learned skills in tech has better concentration and is more innovative and creative, and above all has the hunger to learn. This will help solve a lot of problems faced in today’s world. Educating a child is the best thing on earth to do, and, when you’re teaching them technology, it’s fun.
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How do you define success? Living a life you can feel proud of in retrospect. Seeing your students excel in their education and creating their best life. Watching them believe in themselves and choosing between right and wrong. Failing, yet knowing how to overcome the failure and moving towards success. Brand awareness, educating for a smart future, making a child independent and skilled for any task and challenges they would face. Making them aware that failure is part of life and not depression. Erase out the word depression and suicide from these kids. Make them able to live their passions. India has faced a lot of cases of youth committing suicide and having depression. Helping kids have skills and be able to get a job is great way to help this problem.
Biggest success: I could help a three-year-old learn about circuits. I could help a child be interested in education.
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What is your top challenge and how you have addressed it? After I quit my fat salary job to live my passion of educating, I had no place to start my company. I then started on a sharing-rent basis in one small 2×2-square-meter room. I could not take more then three students at a time nor had strong financial support to invest in a big place or equipment. I have a three-year-old son who needs attention of course. A mother’s role is very strong at this age. Living in a joint family, you cannot skip a task. With all this, we are under two big fat loans. My salary was the only saving we could afford. I am not eligible for a loan because of our already loaned status. So finally the biggest challenge was to dive or not, to dive in this scenario. And I dived with full investment diverted to my business and support of my husband. Managing life at home and working single handed was the other challenge. I have two friends who helped me when needed, and that’s was amazing.
Who is your most important role model? Bhagavad Geeta. It has answers to all you need, it teaches you to find way out from your failure. I borrowed a copy from the library, and it’s been overdue for quite some time. But yes that book helped me reach and find my way and keep my calm and balance in life.
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Edited by The Story Exchange