M3M foundation and Aide-et-Action’s ‘iMpower’ program ensuring online education of marginalized children in Gurugram
Gurugram: M3M Foundation– the philanthropic arm of M3M Group together with Aide-et-Action, an International Development Organization has successfully been running the iMpower program to ensure online education of marginalized children in Gurugram. The education division of the foundation is thriving and the iMpower programme is being taken up by the volunteers and the facilitators at the five laborer camps of M3M construction sites in Gurugram. In addition, the foundation is gaining promising results from its benevolent endeavors in several sectors including education, health, nutrition support, connections with government schemes, etc.
Each iMpower club has created its own WhatsApp group wherein the facilitators and the children connect every day to guarantee that continuous education is imparted to those marginalized children and if need be, they can communicate with their facilitators for any query or problem, personal or not.
“This initiative is ensuring that the children, no matter what their financial or social status is, should get the education they deserve nonetheless, amidst this pandemic situation. The schools are currently closed and in such a scenario, we are making sure that the future of our country is getting the knowledge they rightfully deserve,” said Dr. Payal Kanodia, Trustee, M3M Foundation.
Content-related videos are shared with the children on the WhatsApp groups. A video call is initiated twice every week to learn about the progress of the kids. Other than that, worksheets are given to the children who don’t have access to smartphones. “Children are showing keen interest in learning through these online sessions during the pandemic. They even prepare minuscule DIY models using materials like match-sticks or other things available to them, to understand the concepts as explained in the videos they see. These children are using their creativity to their best abilities and making their parents proud of their skills and talent simultaneously, even in these tough times,” she added.
“Looking at the interest of my children, I have decided to allow them to spend more time with my smartphone which I used to carry earlier at work. My old phone is enough for me to make phone calls and now my children can learn more with the help of online learning initiative of iMpower programme,” said Shahinoor’s father.
“The internet is a force to be reckoned with, especially today. We have used its potential in the right way by imparting education to the children in these labour camps through WhatsApp groups for continuous learning. With the help of iMpower programme―a joint initiative of M3M Foundation and Aide-et-Action, these children are not only learning but also having means of easy communication with their teachers and facilitators at any time for anything, even in these challenging times,” said Supriya Yadav, Project Manager at Aide-et-Action.
More than 600 families are directly linked with the iMpower program in which around 250 children are provided after-school support and 171 children are benefitted under the ECCE (Early Childhood Education) component of the program. Moreover, 258 children have been provided after-school support, 39 families have been linked with government schemes. 121 women have been provided income generation opportunities, 31 free health camps have been organized so far including 6 covid testing camps and 3 Covid vaccination drives.
M3M Foundation, the public-spirited segment of M3M Group, is working to bring an equitable improvement that helps in achieving a brighter India. The foundation envisions buildout and improvement for everyone by supporting government initiatives and schemes in the development regime. The focal point of the foundation is on health, education, disaster management and socio-economic development to transform the lives of the underprivileged.
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