Corporate Social Responsibility and NGOs: Creating Impact Together
An open classroom residing in the thin lanes of Delhi NCR has recently turned into a dental care camp. A classroom, which once had only five underprivileged children, is now a school of 1600 plus active students having their free education. In the past, when the parents from these thin lanes thought that they could not afford the basic education for their children, they are now sending their children to learn new things from this classroom.
As from this classroom, the students return to their houses with a new tale to account to their families every weekend. Tales like getting a new notebook for a new session, a new tote bag for carrying light notebooks on special occasions, a new stationery kit to stock once they run out of their old school supplies, books, eatables, and the list goes on. And, when the parents see the excitement on the faces of their children telling those happy tales, it builds their trust on education which once upon a time felt like a far-fetched dream.
Another reason why the parents send their children to this special school is when they heard about the success story of Deepak. The first student of the NGO to complete high school and senior secondary school with excellent marks. Through the success story of Deepak, many parents of the underprivileged students saw hope in the open classroom of Pehchaan The Street School.
But Deepak’s success story is incomplete without all the partnerships that made it possible.
As we always celebrate the bigger picture in the frame. But what about the hard work that has gone into the execution of this success story? Of course, it should never get unnoticed. As in our country, India, we have evidence that proves corporations have a big role in bringing changes to the educational sector through allocating a certain amount of funds for corporate social responsibility (CSR). However, the question arises here that how can CSR meet its targets in the educational sector in India?
It is possible when the corporate world finds its right partner to implement and execute the CSR fund. They need a partner who is connected with the ground reality of the issues related to the basic education system of our country. And, an NGO is the right choice for this partnership for corporate CSRs.
Because today when you go and visit any center of Pehchaan The Street School, the colorful ambience of the learning center becomes the evidence of that collective effort. This colorful learning environment is possible through section 135 of the Companies Act 2013 that requires every corporate company to allocate a fund for the welfare of the society. That also includes children’s education. Hence, this is the reason why Pehchaan The Street School is able to provide quality education to 1600 plus students across all its centers.
As these 1600 underprivileged students tell the same story that echoes the pain of how basic education is still a privilege in our country. Their story tells us that the government scheme of providing free education is still not able to reach the lower-income localities. Since the condition of most local schools in the economically marginalized areas lack resources like teachers, toilets, smart learning equipment, and security.
These are the areas which local NGOs like Pehchaan The Street School are trying to change at the ground level. Because, they understand the problems of the underprivileged children. And also, they are aware of the privileges prevailing in the society. Like how a simple expense of pen, pencil, and notebooks may not be a big amount for many of us but it is a big expense for someone who comes from an underprivileged background.
And when a well-aware NGO backs its support through CSR fund, a system gets created where one brings resources and the other gets to decide how to utilize those resources to bring the best results in the underprivileged children’s education. Hence, when a corporate company sponsors the resources for the students, it builds a hope in them for a better future. So, the CSR funding is not just a one-time sponsorship, it is a core memory for every underprivileged child to believe that their education still matters.
And it is through this partnership; a slow confidence builds inside the students to stand tall against any obstacles in their lives. They gain the proof that education is their way out of the poverty cycle. And, when the individuals realize it, the dropout option vanishes.
This is the reason why the corporate companies should join hands with Pehchaan The Street School to support a child’s future through education. Empowering the whole community through giving a chance to grow.
Therefore to all the corporate companies – do join your hands with Pehchaan The Street School to create impact together!