Appala Raju hails from Kondavalasa village in Srikakulam District, Andhra Pradesh. Following the untimely death of his father when he was only 7 years old, his young mother courageously took over the responsibility of raising her children by working as a farmer.

Due to her perseverance, Raju was able to complete his graduation from a local Degree College. However, after graduating, he remained clueless on what to do next.

It was at this time that he heard about the 'Pratibha' Centre at Rajam and enrolled as a member. Pratibha library-cum-career counselling center established by GMR Varalakshmi Foundation helps rural youth get to know about various career options and to prepare for competitive exams by providing them with study material, and organizing coaching, career counselling, mock interviews and group discussions.

The counsellors at Pratibha exposed him to various career options. Inspired, he began travelling around 30 kms every day to attend the coaching classes. He spent 4-5 hours a day reading the books available in the library.

In the beginning, he appeared for many competitive tests conducted by different Govt. agencies but was unable to clear the exams. However, the counsellors encouraged him to not give up.

Ultimately, he got selected as a clerk for Andhra Bank. Raju says he will forever be grateful to GMRVF for guiding him and enabling him to provide for his family.