Rakesh Jinsi, President, SOS Children’s Villages of India
He currently serves as the President Of the Board of SOS Children’s Villages of India, as a member of the International Senate, SOS Children’s Villages International Austria, and as an Independent Director on the board of Fairfield Asia, a part of the Dana group.
Podcast
Overview
We often come across the realisation that nobody on earth can love us more than our parents. The bond with them goes beyond all disagreements and arguments. Now imagine the plight of those young kids who lose their parents! They are left all alone with their vulnerabilities to grow up in society. SOS Children’s Villages, a non-government global organisation, was made after the second world war to look after such kids who are all alone in this big wide world.
Society works on the model of several children growing up together as siblings under the care of a designated mother, enabling them to enjoy the joys of a family in each other.
Tune in to listen to this organisation’s work with the President of SOS Children’s Villages India, Mr. Rakesh Jinsi.
About Rakesh Jinsi
Rakesh Jinsi is the President of SOS Children’s Villages of India and Senator at SOS Children’s Villages International. SOS Children’s Villages is a global non-government organisation working for the holistic development and normal upbringing of parent-less children. They also work to train families on the verge of breaking, to ensure the safe upbringing of children.
DISCUSSION
Rakesh gives a background of the global organisation which came into effect after the second world war that left many children orphans and a lot of women as widows. A step that started as a medium to give new families to these people has, today, grown to become strong communities with families of a mother and her children living together within an area.
He says, “It is easier to provide food, shelter, and clothing to children. But what a child loses after losing family is his/her identity.”
He elaborates on the model where they have 10 to 15 houses in a gated community. Each house becomes a home for around 8 to 10 children who grow up as siblings under the care of a trained mother.
Rakesh points out the requisites to be a part of SOS. For mothers, they usually look for ladies in their 20s who do not have their own family, do not want to have it owing to their reasons, or want to live for the cause. She has to go through compulsory two years of training, under which she is a part of a family in the last module as an aunt helping the mother to look after the children.
A child can be a part of SOS Children’s Villages only if (s)he is double orphaned. It is to avoid tricky situations in the future where a child either wants to go to his biological parent or a biological parent turns up to take the child back. To avoid impact on other children, it is an essential condition.
Operating Process
Rakesh sheds light on the support system a mother gets in upbringing multiple children from a residential facilitator and a project in charge in every village. He explains, “A team of three people look after children in each house, but their front is always the mother. She retains the leadership position, while others are her support from behind.”
Currently, there are 32 villages in India looking over more than 7,000 children. It is a curable program where these children become a part of SOS Children’s Villages. The society also runs a preventive program to identify families where children are at risk of losing parental care.
He remarks, “Our model replicates the family closest to biological family.”
More about SOS
Rakesh talks about cultural similarities and dissimilarities across the globe that impact children. The organization works closely with the government of India, where they collectively identify vulnerable children and foster parents.
He says, “In the process, we become knowledge partners to the government who involve them in-laws regarding children, mothers, and juveniles.”
The organization is also heavily involved in training volunteers and employees in a similar field of work.
Profile
Born on Jan 15,1955,he is an Electrical Engineer,having graduated from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh(Punjab University) in 1977.
He has over 43 years of very diverse & extensive work experience in the Automobile, Not for Profit and Education sectors.
His areas of expertise include Change/Turnaround Management ,Business Operations and Organisation & People development.
For over 21 years he has held leadership positions with organisations such as Eicher,Hero Motors,Chase Manhattan,Force Motors,Tatra Trucks,New Holland Fiat Tractors, SOS Children’s Villages and School Of Inspired Leadership.
He has headed multi locational business operations with work strength of over 2000 employees and has had hands on experience of all major functions viz. Materials, Manufacturing & Plant operations, Marketing, & Exports.
He has had extensive exposure to working in a cross culture environment including concluded and operationalizing many overseas collaborations/JVs.
His special experiences include dealing with Financial Institutions (Central & State level) for finalization of a Rehabilitation Package for a sick Company and evaluation of new project funding proposals.
In Jan 2009,he proactively left the Corporate sector to Head an International Child Care organization looking after more than 30000 children through a unique model of residential and community programs. As a part of this responsibility,he also managed 14 Educational Institutions across the country which included K-12 Schools, Teacher’s Training College, Nursing School and Vocational Training Institutes.
He has also led a Business School which aims to create inspired Business Leaders with high focus on ethics and values.
He has been a member of National level bodies such as National Human Rights Commission and Voluntary Action Network of India(VANI),the apex body of the NGO sector.
He has also been an advisor to the Boards of few organisations including the CMD of Hero Cycles.
He currently serves as the President Of the Board of SOS Children’s Villages of India, as a member of the International Senate,SOS Children’s Villages International Austria and as an Independent Director on the board of Fairfield Asia,a part of the Dana group.
In the past he has been on the boards of many large organisations viz Schaeffler India Ltd,Minda Automotive Solutions,Hero Motors, Hero Cycles, Munjal Hospitality and Inspired Leadership Gurukul.
He has also been a member of the Proposal Approval Committee of National Skill Development Corporation, a Public Private partnership venture which funds Skill building and Training organisations.
He is also an empaneled Coach/Mentor for senior level executives and also works with SMEs to scale up their business.
He continues to be closely associated with the Not For Profit(Child care) sector,serving on the Managing Committee/Board of SOS Children’s Villages, Khushboo Welfare Society and Ahvaan Trust.
