Oct 17
Enabling Arena
by  CBMC Tagging on 10/17/2022 11:11 AM
Enabling Arena
In June, Karnataka got its first exclusive play park for children suffering from one or another form of disability. The park, located in Bengaluru, has been developed by Mindtree in collaboration with Bal Bhavan and Smart City.
 
Karnataka Governor Mr Thaawar Chand Gehlot inaugurated the Disabled Friendly Park on 25 June in the presence of Mindtree CEO & MD Mr Debasish Chatterjee and other dignitaries. Spread over one acre land provided by the state government in the Jawahar Bal Bhavan at Cubbon Park, the park has been developed at a cost of about Rs 3 crore under the guidance of health and child development experts and award-winning design firms.
 
Designed in the shape of a turtle, the park consists of different zones for a wide range of physical, mental, therapeutic, leisure and touch-and-feel activities.
 
The park provides a safe, inclusive, and physiotherapeutic place where children with multiple forms of disabilities can play unhindered and without the risk of accidents. This will, in turn, help improve their agility, wellness, and social skills through community and multisensory experiences. The park will benefit some 2.4 lakh children with disabilities such as cerebral palsy and autism.
 
“It is a social and moral imperative to develop inclusive and accessible playgrounds for disabled children. I congratulate Mindtree, Bal Bhavan and everyone associated with this inspiring initiative for taking the lead in addressing a vital need,” Mr Gehlot said at the inauguration.
 
The Governor added that children with disabilities and their parents struggle with numerous obstacles, biases, and misconceptions in their effort to lead full and capable life.
 
“This exclusive park will provide them with an opportunity to feel happier, healthier, and more connected with the world around them, thus developing critical cognitive, emotional and social skills.”
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Oct 17
Dropout to Distinction
by  CBMC Tagging on 10/17/2022 11:10 AM
Dropout to Distinction
Two aided rural schools – Kanya Uchha Madyamik Vidayalaya (Nimbodi Phata) and  Vaijavnath  Madhyamik  Vidyalaya (Vaiju Babhulgaon) – at Pathardi in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district reported 100% success rate in this year’s Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exam.
 
While for schools in cities such a success rate is not rare, for the two rural schools it was astonishing indeed. This is because like many rural schools across India, these schools at Pathardi were also plagued by a high dropout rate until three-four years ago. But something changed subsequently, leading to the excellent result!
 
In partnership with an NGO named Light of Life Trust, L&T in 2018-19 kickstarted a multi-year education intervention at Pathardi to arrest the high rate of dropouts in schools. In particular, the initiative was targeted at the students of VIII-X, wherein the dropout rates were higher.
 
The intervention was two-pronged: a School Based Programme at the two identified schools, and an Empowerment Programme across three learning centres at Karanji, Lohasar and Chichondi.
 
In the three years between 2018-19 and 2021-22, as many as 968 students and 60 teachers were covered under this education intervention that L&T undertook as part of its CSR mandate.
 
The L&T-supported NGO team distributed education materials among the target group. It also conducted several student-friendly supplementary academic classes in maths and English, summer schools, weekend empowerment workshops, career guidance and events to help the children showcase their talent.
 
This apart, it facilitated training for schoolteachers on ways to make classes enriching and interesting. And to ensure that parents are receptive to these interventions, the team visited their residences and counselled them.
 
The impact of the interventions was assessed through ‘High School Personality Quotient’ and ‘2R’ (Writing, Arithmetic) tests. The findings, over the three years, revealed a gradual growth of the students in all the traits that were measured.
 
In specific, notable improvement was recorded in the traits pertaining to teamwork, socialisation, discipline, and self-sufficiency. There was also a significant increase in leadership and creativity quotients of the students.
 
And then came the biggest validation: 100% of the students from the two targeted schools passed SSC. Once on the verge of dropping out, they went on to acquire distinctions in this vital exam, and now want to continue studying even further!
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Oct 14
Tanking Thirst
by  CBMC Tagging on 10/14/2022 4:40 PM
Tanking Thirst
Around 3 km from L&T’s A M Naik Heavy Engineering Complex (AMNHEC) in Hazira lies the village of Mora. Around 90% of  the villagers are migrant labourers, dependent on nearby industrial areas for their livelihood. Further down, around 17-20 km from AMNHEC are the villages of Admor and Ariyana, where agriculture – mainly paddy and vegetation – and livestock management are the chief means of sustenance.
 
Surveying these villages, the AMNHEC CSR team learnt about the scarcity of water for drinking and household usage. While an adequate supply of water was received by the Gram Panchayats from the Gujarat Water Supply and Sewerage Board (GWSSB), the lack of water storage infrastructure at the village level resulted in a limited supply of water – only once or twice a week for 45 minutes! All the villages had a well-established underground pipeline network connecting all the houses.
 
Hence, the CSR team decided to construct underground water tanks in these villages. L&T-MHI Power Boilers Pvt Ltd (LMB) constructed the tanks, with storage capacity of 5 lakh litres, 2.75 lakh litres, and 3.5 lakh litres in Mora, Admor, and Ariyana, respectively, incurring a cost of Rs 1.76 crore in FY 2021-22.
 
This 6 August, the tanks were formally handed over to the Gram Panchayats governing the three villages. The function was graced by several dignitaries – Mr Mukeshbhai Patel (Minister for Agriculture, Energy & Petrochemicals - Gujarat), Ms Zankhanaben Patel (MLA – Choryasi, Gujarat) and representatives of the District Panchayat and Taluka Panchayat.
 
Mr Srinivas Sirupa (Chief Executive & Whole-Time Director - LMB), Mr Atik Desai (Advisor – AMNHEC), Mr Rashid Hashim (VP & Head – LMB, Hazira) and other L&T officials were also present.
 
Now, instead of 45 minutes twice a week, the Gram Panchayats will be able to provide water to the village households every day for 30 minutes, enhancing the lives of some 26,400 villagers.
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Oct 14
Care for Coimbatore
by  CBMC Tagging on 10/14/2022 4:14 PM
Care for Coimbatore
Many of the underprivileged live in remote areas, far from established medical facilities. To give them quality medical care, L&T and the L&T Public Charitable Trust (LTPCT) run mobile medical units that are well- equipped and professionally staffed.
 
One such mobile medical unit was inaugurated by Mr J D Patil, Advisor to L&T CEO & MD, on 2 July at L&T’s Coimbatore campus. In association with WESTRIC Trust, LTPCT will run this project serving rural and tribal communities in 17 villages in Coimbatore’s Kinathukadavu block.
 
Since 2013, L&T has been running mobile medical units in Coimbatore’s Madukkarai block, bringing the benefits of good health to more than 25,000 underprivileged people annually.
 
In terms of facilities, many government schools provide only the bare minimum, and that’s where the private sector comes in. For years, L&T has been supporting government schools in myriad ways.
 
As part of its CSR initiatives, L&T, on 27 June, inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Coimbatore’s district education department for the adoption of seven government schools. The MoU was formally exchanged by Ms N Geetha (Chief Education Officer – Coimbatore) and Mr S Saravanan (Head – L&T Coimbatore Central Management).
 
Appreciating the initiative, Ms Geetha underscored that L&T’s school adoption programme has improved the infrastructure of several government schools in Coimbatore. This is helping enhance the quality of education and student participation. Starting in 2015, L&T’s Coimbatore campus has so far adopted 23 government schools in the district.
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Oct 14
Sowing Seeds
by  CBMC Tagging on 10/14/2022 3:57 PM
Sowing Seeds
Science opens doors to a brighter tomorrow. That’s why it’s important to take the amazing world of science to the underprivileged.
 
Driven  by  this lofty  thought,  L&T’s A M Naik Heavy Engineering Complex (AMNHEC), in association with Larsen & Toubro Public Charitable Trust (LTPCT) and AGASTYA International Foundation, recently deployed a mobile science lab for the students of 26 schools of Choryasi block in Gujarat’s Surat district.
 
The lab is part of the ‘Science on Wheels’ (SOW)Programme that the troika launched for Surat district in FY2014. SOW seeks to take science education to the doorstep of underprivileged students through rural and municipality schools. It is delivered through a multiplicity of means: mobile science labs, science centres and resource management, science fairs, as well as special programmes to develop innovation, social development, training, and capacity building of science teachers.
 
Back in FY2014, a mobile science lab was launched to cater to 23 rural schools in Olpad block and Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) areas. The second mobile science lab has been launched this 8 August.
 
Mr Atik Desai (Advisor – AMNHEC) flagged off the mobile lab at one of the targeted schools – Jawahar Vidyalaya-Saniya Kande. The headmasters and teachers from the targeted schools, as well as the students and trustees of Jawahar Vidyalaya were present at the launch.
 
Between them, the two mobile science labs will reach out to around 7,500 students of 49 schools.
 
Young Science Leader – a Navsari and Surat District Level Model Making Competition – was also announced on the occasion, with the objective of sparking curiosity and nurturing creativity among children through innovative and experiential science education.
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Oct 14
By Women, For Women
by  CBMC Tagging on 10/14/2022 2:48 PM
By Women, For Women
Women’s empowerment is one of the key enablers of progress. Over two decades ago, wives of L&T-ites and women employees set up L&T Ladies Clubs around the Company’s facilities across India. These clubs evolved into the Prayas Trust – having branches at almost all L&T locations.
 
Prayas Trust undertakes a slew of community services for the underprivileged. As part of this, it has now set up a skill-development centre for underprivileged women at Vihaan in Gujarat’s Vadodara. Named Samarth, the new centre was inaugurated on 30 July by Prayas Trust president Ms Meena Subrahmanyan.
 
Housed in a newly constructed building, Samarth imparts training in stitching, tailoring, mehendi art, and beautician courses, etc. The training is imparted by skilled personnel, and the centre provides the necessary equipment and tools.
 
The centre has a capacity to train 200 women at a time. Prayas Trust – Vadodara chapter president Ms Anita Shah says that they are able to carry forward the welfare initiatives of the Trust because of the wholehearted support of the L&T management.
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