Telethon helps raise funds for 400 schools. The campaign will now reach 1000 schools, in 23 states, benefitting 300,000 students
- The Campaign since its initiation, has revitalized more than 600 schools, impacting close to 200,000 students
- Schools under the Support My School campaign will now also have barrier-free toilets for differently abled
- In Maharashtra alone, the Support My School initiative has impacted 32 schools and over 7705 students.
Mumbai, November 30th, 2015: Sourav Ganguly, Venkatesh Kini and Ranveer Singh came together for a 6-hour telethon with Vikram Chandra to raise funds for the
The initiative, which adds to the ongoing efforts of the Government, in realising the ‘Swachh Bharat, Swacch Vidyalaya’ campaign, will also build barrier-free toilets for differently-abled children, going forward, thereby further deepening its impact. The first four years of the SMS campaign has seen the revitalization of 600 schools, benefiting more than 200,000 school children. Its implementing partners include – Plan India, World Vision India, Charities Aid Foundation, Round Table India, Aga Khan Foundation and SRF Foundation.
Venkatesh Kini, President,
The telethon for the Support My School campaign saw participation from Chief Ministers of Uttarakhand and Gujarat and it showcased stories from rural India, highlighting the need for clean, healthy and green environment for school children. Achievers from all walks of life, the likes of Mr. N. R. Narayan Murthy, Kalpana Morparia, Naina Lal Kidwai, Zarina Screwala, Sonali Bendre, Rajkumar Hirani, Dr. Kailash Satyarthi and others, joined forces to garner support and draw attention to the cause of education.
Vikram Chandra, Executive Director and CEO, NDTV said, “It feels great to see the impact of SMS initiative and what we have achieved in terms of improving lives of children in schools. We feel proud to be an associated partner of
Accessibility to clean drinking water and sanitation issues in schools have always been big impediments for a girl child to have access to the basic education in India; resulting in absenteeism and dropouts. The SMS campaign began as a response to several studies which indicated that a large number of schools in rural and semi-urban areas lacked basic amenities leading to accelerated student drop-out rate. The campaign has been creating awareness about the conditions of schools in these areas, fostering a private-public partnership where corporate organizations step in to reinstall basic facilities in these government-run schools and making a positive difference to the lives of these children. The impact has seen increased enrollment in schools from 6.95% (2013-14) to 14.77% (2014-15).
Sourav Ganguly, brand ambassador, ‘Support My School’ said, “It gives me immense pleasure to be associated with such a cause that not only impacts several lives but has a vision of building India’s future. We need support from organizations like
Ranveer Singh, leading actor of Indian cinema, said, “I think as a nation, we all have to play our parts in bringing the country forward. Today was a heart-warming day as we were able to reach out and bring so many people on board. I would like to thank everyone who joined in for this special effort and am looking forward to stories of children studying in active, healthy and happy schools all across India”
Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) India’s CEO, Meenakshi Batra elaborated “Our strategic alliance with the
Another implementing partner added, Cherian Thomas, CEO & National Director, World Vision India, “World Vision India is delighted to be a part of this initiative, and we are proud to say that 35,000 children have been impacted each year of this campaign. Construction of toilets, hand wash stations and child-friendly spaces with play equipment accessible to all, including children with disabilities, has been a hallmark of this campaign. It is critical to many of our communities as these schools are their only hope of education amidst issues such as child labour, disability and malnutrition. Many children are coming back to the schools from private institutions and enrolment rates have improved – an evidence of the programme’s impact. We hope this effort reaches many more schools and helps more children realise their dreams.”
Suman Voora, President – Round Table India– “The
Support My School is a WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) initiative that aims to improve basic amenities in government schools like separate toilets for boys and girls and access to water. The Campaign is also committed to developing the overall infrastructure like playground and a clean environment to encourage a holistic learning environment. The Schools revitalized under the campaign have served as model schools in several districts and have led to enhanced community engagement and higher emphasis on attendance and enrolment.
About Support My School Campaign:
Coca-Cola India & NDTV launched Support My School in association with the UN-Habitat, Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) in 2011. It undertakes the following core activities:
- Provision of improved access to water·
- Appropriate sanitation facility for girls and boys
- Improvement in the overall school infrastructure and environment
- Provision for sports and recreation facilities and
- Recharging groundwater through rainwater harvesting
With such necessary amenities in place, schools are able to provide a cleaner and healthier environment more conducive to learning.
COCA-COLA ON SOCIAL