To bring about a revolutionary change in the sector of girls’ education in India, Saint-Gobain Sekurit has a unique programme in place that supports this academic process and encourages young girls to attend school while also picking up digital skills
Saint-Gobain Sekurit has proudly been associated with the Nanhi Kali project at Chakan near Pune since the last 10 years. This project is one of India’s largest programmes that enable underprivileged girls to complete 10 years of schooling. The project provides daily academic support as well as an annual school supplies kit, which enables girls to attend school with dignity. To ensure that underprivileged girls continue their education at the critical time, the Nanhi Kali team has doubled its efforts by investing in providing quality digital education to girls. This is to equip them to face emerging transformations in the evolving world.
Every girl in the Nanhi Kali project receives holistic support. Daily academic support is provided at Nanhi Kali academic support centres which are set up within government schools and operate for two hours before or after school hours. In partnership with a leading education technology organisation, as an educational initiative every Nanhi Kali will receive access to a personalised, adaptive learning platform called Mindspark. This widely recognised software has been proven to significantly improve learning outcomes amongst users.
Through Mindspark, Nanhi Kalis learn Math, their local language and English from Class 1-10, and additionally, Science from Class 6-10. Powered by artificial intelligence (AI), Mindspark matches instructions to individual learning levels, ensuring an understanding of the subject. The software is pre-loaded on to digital tablets, allowing access to quality education even in remote locations. Women from local communities facilitate learning and mentor the Nanhi Kalis through their schooling, and also engage with parents and community stakeholders to create girl-friendly ecosystems.
Sports Curriculum
A professionally designed sports curriculum has been built into the programme, giving Nanhi Kalis the opportunity to participate in sport and fitness activities regularly.
School Supplies Kit
The kit, provided to every Nanhi Kali annually, includes a school bag, stationery and a pullover or raincoat. As per a recent study, as estimated 45% of teenage girls in India may be following unhygienic menstrual practices. A 12-month supply of branded sanitary napkins is included in each kit to help the girls attend school with dignity. Around 500 girls are covered under this scheme. A local village representative is also part of the distribution process. Saint-Gobain Sekurit is also closely association with KG Foundation for the successful implementation of this programme.
As part of the ongoing association, the top management also keenly monitors the impact of the programme. Recently, Venu Shanbhag, Managing Director, Sekurit India, personally visited the local school at Rajgurunagar to review the progress with students. Students demonstrated how they were using digital tools for learning. The students also expressed their gratitude to the Saint-Gobain family for the support extended. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is at the heart of Saint-Gobain Sekurit’s business model and the Nanhi Kali project is one such example of the company’s commitment. At a group level in India there are various such CSR activities by Saint-Gobain India through Saint-Gobain India Foundation (SGIF).