“When you work hard, you can rewrite your destiny.”

I am Sachin Chavan, and I started out in life with nothing, but I was always ready to work hard. That is what brought me to where I am today.

“I went from being a student to being a labourer.”

Though I come from a village full of farmers, my parents didn’t own any land. They worked as daily-wage labourers on other people’s farms. We were so poor, we lived in temporary tent houses. Despite all the odds, my parents managed to send me to school.

I studied till standard 12 and wished to pursue higher education. But I knew we simply could not afford it. Besides, I thought it was time to share my father’s burden of earning, so I took a job in a nearby town. The pay was not sufficient, so I came home and worked on farms with my parents. I even helped my father in stone-cutting jobs. I was ready to do anything to help my aging parents, but there didn’t seem much I could do.

“One chance changed my future.”

One weekend, a friend of mine came home and he told me about the skill training course he was doing at the ICICI Academy for Skills in a nearby village. He urged me to join, especially since the courses were free, and food and stay were also taken care of.

This was my chance, and my parents sent me off with their blessings. Walking into the Academy for the first time was a very special feeling – I felt like I was in a college. From all the various course options, I decided to do the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning programme.

Besides teaching me all I needed to know about installing and servicing refrigerators and air-conditioners, I was also giving grooming lessons. Learning to dress and speak like a professional gave me great confidence. By the time I had completed the course, I was a changed man.

I got a job at the campus interviews conducted by the Academy and soon I was working independently.

“Success is sweeter when it’s shared.”

Thanks to my steady income, I could send money home to my parents. I was flooded with assignments outside of my job and made extra money working on weekends. I even took a loan to buy a bike for travelling. But my greatest achievement was the fact that I could provide for my parents’ now. But that was just the beginning. I got more opportunities to work with big multinational companies and I began to dream of owning my own shop. That dream has finally come true and now I own ‘S. S. Chavan Refrigeration’ store in my village. Next, I want to open a showroom in my Taluka, for which I have already applied for a loan under from ICICI Bank.

My parents have retired now and I am proud that I am able take care of all their needs. But I know it would not have been possible without the training, support and encouragement that I received from the ICICI Academy. They have been with me every step of the way, and I am sure, our journey together will continue.

Now I want to share my success with other young people in my Taluka. I want to create jobs for them so they can get the same opportunities that I had.