Aug - Dec 2007 - Punj Lloyd

Transforming lives‘Read India’ – The Pratham InitiativeIt has always saddened usthat though enshrined as afundamental right today, in reality,universal elementary educationcontinues to remain a distantdream in India.Strong contenders for providingelementary education to children,we support Dayawanti Punj ModelSchool, in a backward area in UPeducating 800 children. We recentlysupported a fund raising event called‘Read India’ in London, organisedby Pratham, a developmentalorganisation, striving towardsuniversalisation of primary educationand aiming to reach the 100 millionchildren in India who are unable toread or write.Pratham was founded in 1994in Mumbai through the combinedefforts of UNICEF, MunicipalCorporation of Greater Mumbai andseveral prominent social workerswith the goal of universalizing primaryeducation in the city.In only 14 years, Pratham hasreached over 5 million childrenacross India and endeavours to meetits goal of educating every child inIndia by 2020. This would invariablyinvolve mobilising the necessarypolitical and bureaucratic will, thecommitment of global citizens andcommunities to take ownership andraise the required resources.The fund raising ball atBillingsgate Market in the heart ofthe City of London, comprisingdistinguished members of theinternational community, businessleaders from India and the Indiancommunity in UK, was a reflectionof the sheer enthusiasm of thesepeople to transform the lives ofmillions of children. The breathtakingbackdrop for the evening’s festivitieswas designed by Delhi based designagency called Kaaru. The twogiant ceiling art installations – ‘TheLight’ a giant chandelier made ofspecial paper used as notebooksby thousands of Pratham childrenand ‘the River’, a dazzling tapestryrendered in hand embroidered fabricwith thousands of mirrors and specialpieces of clothing done by thefamilies of Pratham children.Punj Lloyd is proud of itsinvolvement in a mission that willimprove the lives of millions ofchildren in India. u13Update > Aug-Dec 2007