Already making everyone laugh, Sunil Sewpersadh introduces himself as if at an AA meeting. But this jovial man did not always have a happy outlook on life.
“Pretty much my whole life from primary school my family and friends – and in fact my teachers too – would say, ‘You’re a failure. You’ll amount to nothing,” says Sunil, his eyes downcast.
That shame and feeling of failure haunted him until his final school year. Only recently did this web designer realise that he wasn’t born to fit in. His dream is to encourage and inspire people who have the same struggles.
With the current unemployment epidemic in South Africa, Sunil sees the opportunity to empower others to unlock their potential – not feeling stuck and unable to find work. He wants to help reveal people’s potential to dream within themselves and then give them the tools to help others find theirs.
Single mothers and single parents are on Sunil’s heart. Unemployment becomes an even more desperate situation for them, and he wants to provide them with hope. “My dream is to bring hope to those who are discouraged, retrenched, fired, unable to find work, and unemployed,” says Sunil. He envisions hosting training and mentorship programmes through online technologies. Since 2002 he has already mentored and trained many individuals and companies. He believes that this developed skill is going to prove beneficial in reducing the unemployment rate in South Africa.
Over the last few years, Sunil has begun to read up on goal setting and purpose. In the two weeks leading up to the Dreams Programme, he managed to read about ten books on the subject. He felt like he was preparing for this course before he knew he would be doing it.
“This Dreams Programme is like the practical training you need to put the theory of goal setting into action,” he says with a beaming smile ready to achieve his goals and reduce the unemployment rate.
