Sterlite Copper, in partnership with K.C. Mahindra Education Trust and Naandi Foundation, launched ‘Ilam Mottukkal’ project here on Saturday.
The project is one of its initiatives to improve the quality of lives of the community around them. For this project, the corporate will support for the education of 5,000 girls studying in 73 government schools in Tuticorin. Pankaj Kumar, Associate Vice-President, Operations, distributed formal letters of communication on the project to representatives of the schools in the presence of Rohini Mukherjee, Chief Policy Officer, Naandi Foundation, according to its statement. A memorandum of understanding on the project was signed by the organisers at a programme in Chennai recently.
“Realising that girls are marginalised in the society, we felt the need to provide girl children with a good and healthy childhood. Through this project, we seek to provide girls with the opportunity to study and grow to achieve independence in thought and action. Our project ‘Ilam Mottukal’ will help in the holistic development of these girls,” said Mr. Pankaj Kumar. Additional academic support, material, social and moral support is the key components in the programme. Academic special classes will be conducted for 1.5 hours beyond school time which will help bridge learning gaps and enable children to reach their grade-specific competency level in school.
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The classes will be conducted by 160 trained tutors selected within the community with the vision that they would be the local resource to act as friends and mentors to the children. Education kit comprising school bag, undergarments, shoes, socks, stationery, notebooks, umbrella etc., will be handed over to all the beneficiaries at the earliest. It has allotted Rs 1.4 crore for this initiative. Perumalsamy, District Elementary Education Officer, Tuticorin, Shankar Iyer, Deputy Inspector of Schools, Col. S. Krishnan, General Manager, Administration and Security, R. Rajasekarapandy, Head, Corporate Social Responsibility, and students were present.