Prasad Ethireddy

A Catalyst for Positive Social Change in South India: Prasad Ethireddy Gives Time and Heart to Dream a Dream’s Children

Prasad Ethireddy, a Dell inside sales account manager for the Australia and New Zealand region in Bangalore, India, believes that developing life skills can change lives and bring about positive social change. And he puts that belief into practice.

In addition to his full-time job, Prasad dedicates two or three days a week to Dream a Dream. Established in 1999, this charitable trust opens doors for South India’s underprivileged children to learn life-changing skills — interpersonal and cognitive. With a variety of weekly programs ranging from sports to creative arts to mentoring, the organization and its volunteers — like Prasad — are instilling confidence, creativity, self-awareness and a genuine passion for learning in 1,500 children who currently are at high risk for a life of poverty.

Prasad took advantage of the One Dell: One Community campaign by becoming an active member of Dream a Dream’s volunteer management team. In this role, he trains new volunteers, holds weekly volunteer meetings, and gets feedback from both the volunteers and the children to ensure the programs are the best they can be.

Dream a Dream’s mission and the children that it serves have become a large part of Prasad’s life. Not only does he guide the volunteers; Prasad also takes part in developing various programs, assessing how the children’s life skills are progressing and raising funds.

“I’m a creative soul who loves reading, music, art, cooking and play. My work with Dream a Dream allows me to share my passions with children who otherwise wouldn’t have exposure to such activities,” said Prasad about his motivation.

He also recognizes that the children aren’t the only ones who benefit from his work with Dream a Dream.

“Volunteering also is about receiving. There are many takeaways for a volunteer, such as personal satisfaction and being a catalyst for social change. In my time at Dream a Dream, I’ve learned to be more patient and supportive and to better appreciate our differences.”

Through his gift of time, Prasad is teaching life-changing skills to give hope to and instill confidence in the poor and abandoned children of South India. His belief in the program is confirmed as the children compete in national meets, pursue graduation and even come back to volunteer their own time.

Prasad’s relationship with Dream a Dream is a win-win for both the children and him — a true testament to the One Dell: One Community campaign.

More information about Dream a Dream is available at www.dreamadream.org