Shiv Nadar Foundation – Taking Schools to Rural Students amidst Covid 19 pandemic
The literacy initiative will work to empower local and disadvantaged communities in India’s heartland where virtual learning is not possible and will facilitate learning across rural UP over 15-weeks.
The Shiv Nadar Foundation has unveiled a mobile rural literacy initiative – Shiksha Kiran, a program that will bring mobile classrooms to the doorsteps of students and adults across rural Uttar Pradesh. In the first phase, the program will use specially designed vehicles to cover 36 villages across the districts of Dadri and Sitapur in UP, reaching out children and adults who have lost access to education and literacy opportunities due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Shiksha Kiran is a part of the Shiksha Initiative which was started in 2012 with a mission to create a literate and empowered India.
The program will also deliver adult education and awareness programs across the target villages. This becomes even more relevant because virtual learning in rural India, especially for children from disadvantaged communities is a challenge due to the lack of access to computers or smartphones.
At the flag-off, Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson, HCL Technologies and Trustee, Shiv Nadar Foundation said, “The Shiv Nadar Foundation has several initiatives for transformative education. Shiksha is our youngest program aimed at making primary school education engaging for young students using ICT. With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting education especially in rural India, where hosting virtual classes is also a challenge, we decided to take the school to the students. This is a unique initiative that will help ensure that young students do not miss out on their learning journey in these challenging times.”
As part of the pilot program, classes will be held for primary school students and adults in separate batches, with each batch attending two classes a week. Each mobile learning unit will cover four villages daily. For adults, the program is designed to also include life skills and information on innovative agricultural practices such as farming of medicinal plants, Aloe-Vera farming, animal husbandry, dairy business and more.
The Shiv Nadar Foundation pursues the philosophy of ‘Creative Philanthropy’. It is a powerful model which envisages creation of institutions that are built to last and continue to impact future generations.
Source: Business Wire India
