“Think big. You should not limit your ideas”, her husband’s words were ringing in Suriya Prabha’s ears. A Microbiology major who had little experience with technology, a mother of two, financial insecurities, powerlessness in deciphering a starting point- hurdles were many in front of Suriya Prabha, who hails from Cumbum, a small agricultural town in Southern Tamil Nadu. Her vision was to work towards building an India with technologically self-reliant villages and a technically sound generation. Her only asset was the determination to achieve it. Holding her head high, Suriya Prabha formed a team of six, which included her husband and a few graduate students. Under her leadership, they founded Youcode in the year 2018.  

“I was not technologically skilled. I hopped my jobs from pure science to microbiology in the early years. I even tried to build a career in the advertising industry. But failed”, said Suriya Prabha in a conversation with INDIAai. However, learning about Artificial Intelligence created a passion that motivated her to move forward.  

Finding Youcode 

Youcode is an organization that works to empower students' tech skills in small towns and villages. They collaborate with schools and non-governmental organizations to conduct workshops for students of varied age groups. By 2020, they had envisioned over 9000 rural students with the basics of AI and other emerging technologies. Over the years, the organization has built good relationships with the teachers of government schools who were their point of contact in finding students interested in AI. Currently, they are functioning from Chennai. 

Suriya Prabha remembers a young boy who wanted to build an AI-grounded helmet. He used to cross an accident-prone area every day on the way to his school. This was his attempt to create an AI-based solution to avoid occurrences of accidents. “The ideas they present are simple. But by helping them to put their thoughts into action, we are trying to sow the seeds of interest”, says Suriya Prabha. Since the financial affordability of students in government schools is backward, Youcode seeks the help of companies ready to fund their workshops. Finding the right funding source was the most challenging stage in building their organization.  

In Youcode, the children are taught about AI using toys. Suriya Prabha found that their want to learn escalated once they understood the basics. And this, according to her, is a significant stage. She believes it is essential to lay the foundation before opening the door to advanced algorithms. Generating interest is only the first step.

AI-powered violence detection 

Before founding Youcode, Suriya Prabha used to work in private organizations. After work, she used to return home alone at night. “Whether something happens or not, the fear of darkness is present in every woman”, says Suriya Prabha. Overwhelmed by the fear of the worst, Suriya Prabha decided to build an AI-powered violence detection for women. It functions like a CCTV camera and can be deployed anywhere as per our needs. The model tracks the actions of an individual. If the action is intended to inflict harm upon someone, the model will alert the nearby police station or any other organization. “An influence of our personal experience will be present in whatever we build”, added Suriya Prabha. She believes that the violence against women can be controlled, and the current measures can be strengthened with AI. 

Juggling work during COVID-19 

Like the rest of the world, the Youcode was also affected by COVID-19. Before the pandemic, they travelled to different places and conducted workshops. During COVID-19, their external funding diminished. To find a solution to this stumbling block, they are currently working on a Micro Entrepreneurship project through which they intend to enhance the opportunities for micro-entrepreneurs from two-tier cities and villages. She believes that this project will be a win-win for entrepreneurs and students through initiatives such as smart teacher. 

Vision for the future 

Suriya Prabha opines that though there are women taking roles of responsibility in every other field. But when it comes to tech, they are still hesitant. She believes that India has a long way to go in technical development despite the gradually emerging changes. “There should be more investors ready to build startups in the villages”, she said when asked about how India can become a technological superpower. If the problems in Indian villages are taken care of, it will open a window of opportunity. According to Suriya Prabha, whether we choose to accept AI or not, it will impact every field. Therefore, it is crucial to provide the opportunity for everyone to understand this field. Through Youcode, she is trying to create an ecosystem that will aid the deserving to study AI.