Profiles

When Kavita Oberoi last appeared on Aleena Naylor's mid-morning show, her voice was close to cracking up as she emotionally recalled meeting some of Birmingham's poorest women for Channel Four documentary 'The Secret Millionaire'.

The programme saw Kavita, who runs Pride Park IT training firm Oberoi Consulting, swap her multi-millionaire lifestyle for a budget of £8 a day living in Ladywood, one of the most deprived areas in Birmingham.

Sisters with Voices go rock climbing

Now, eight weeks after the programme aired, Kavita has become a director for Martha's Oasis, one of the charities she encountered which works to improve life for people living in the Ladywood area.

She was so impressed with the organisation's 'Sisters With Voices' project she's helped bring it to Derby.

The eight-week course aims to boost the girls' self-esteem through activities and mentoring. It begins in Derby in January and the charity has secured funding to put at least 12 girls through the course.

Before then, Kavita will be taking a hands-on role in training mentors to deliver the training.

She said: "It's been absolutely non-stop since the programme went out. We put a strategic plan together like you would do in business and looked at all the critical success factors and actions we needed to do to realise our dream.

"So we've created the logo, branding and literature. We've sold it into six schools, have a pitch coming up for 10 more and have sold it to Derby Sure Start."

Janice Nelson, another director of Martha's Oasis, says working with Kavita has been a pleasure.

Secret Millionaire, Kavita Oberoi

She explained: "What you don't see on the programme is Kavita's passion. She's given us so much of her time in terms of emails, developing the business function and evangalising for the project.

"She's also become a really good friend and we work really well together. She even mentors me and keeps me on track - she's a phenomenal woman!"

Kavita will be next on our screens in the Christmas special of 'The Secret Millionaire' which gives an update on what all its participants have been doing since their programmes aired.