Unemployed youth trained as Vidya volunteers work in primary schools, TCS and Synchronium provide financial support, University of Vignan provides logistics support
Unemployed youth trained as Vidya volunteers work in primary schools, TCS and Synchronium provide financial support, University of Vignan provides logistics support
Tribal settlements in Palnadu present several challenges including lack of access to potable drinking water, irrigation facilities, and access to quality education and health care.
High rates of dropouts in primary and secondary schools have emerged as a major area of concern in a region known for its backwardness and low literacy rate, prompting many organizations to focus awareness campaigns in villages .
Most of the children are forced to drop out of school and work with their parents in the chilli and cotton fields and it becomes difficult for them to concentrate on studies as the harvesting season is during January-April for their annual examinations. coincides with.
Now, IT major Tata Consultancy Services and Synchronium in collaboration with Asst, an NGO and Vignan University launched a unique 45-day training program in May to train young graduates from the tribal mandals of Bolpally, Machavaram and Veldurthi as Vidya Swayamsevaks. as trained. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Activity.
After training, volunteers will go back to tribal settlements and teach in primary schools.
Member of Parliament and Vice President of the Vignan Group of Educational Institutions. Lavu Srikrishnadevarayalu, who supported the idea, got IT firms to support the program in the tribal areas of his constituency.
“The onset of COVID-19 has exposed gaps in public school education systems across the country. Apart from classrooms, toilets and furniture, students need well-trained teachers. Training program for Vidya Swayamsevaks can address this issue and availability of Vidya Swayamsevaks in primary schools is a great opportunity for children from tribal areas to make their own choices and write their own destiny,” says Sri Krishnadevarayalu.
While TCS and Synchronium provide financial support to the program and pay monthly remuneration for one year to the trained volunteers, Vignan University is providing logistics support by sharing its facilities, faculty members and IT equipment.
The volunteers, who number more than 60, are now confident because they can speak and teach in English, a skill they will use to inspire children from tribal areas to enroll in government primary schools in the future.
The program started with a local NGO Asst, conducting a survey in tribal settlements and identifying 62 primary schools that have a lot of vacancies for teacher posts. It found 65 unemployed graduates and those who completed D.Ed, B.Ed and TTC in three circles and sent them for training.
Volunteers are happy to share their skills and experience in their villages.
“We have learned a lot from this program and are now confident of teaching children in English medium. I have worked in a few private schools, but I have left my job to get trained as a Vidya volunteer. Though there are many issues in our area, I am happy to inspire children in my tribal village,” said Ramavath Saidulu, a youth from Botikalapaya village in Vajralapadu mandal.