Since being featured on the Channel 4 series The Secret Millionaire, Kavita Oberoi has adopted a businesslike approach to helping others. The entrepreneur lived undercover in Ladywood, a deprived area of Birmingham, for the programme and had to survive on just £8 a day.
Oberoi donated money to two charities at the end of the show but wanted to be more involved than merely writing a cheque and has thrown her business skills behind one of the projects, Sisters With Voices (SWV).
The scheme, set up by the charity Martha’s Oasis, uses mentoring and activities such as rock climbing to boost the self-confidence and aspirations of teenage girls. Ladywood has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the country.
“It’s all about empowering young women, improving their self-esteem and making sure that they can reach their full potential,†says Oberoi, 38, who grew up in Bradford. She studied chemistry at university and worked in pharmaceutical sales before launching Oberoi Consulting, based in Derby, which provides IT services for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.