Toyota Kirloskar Motor India revs up effort to teach ‘em young

In line with its wider goal to promote quality education for school children from the weaker sections of the community, Toyota Kirloskar Motor has kicked off distribution of essential school supplies to children covering 327 government schools from Karnataka state.

The school supply kit consisting of bags, books, geometry boxes, drawing books and crayons will be distributed to 24,500 students across first to tenth grades in government schools at Ramanagara district, where the company’s manufacturing plant is located.

The company represented by K V Rajendra Hegde, general manager, Toyota Kirloskar Motor handed over the books and bags to the local school children in the presence of Gangemare Gowda, deputy director of Public Instruction and Marilinge Gowda, Block Education Officer, Ramanagara, marking the commencement of the activity.

Toyota says its interventions and focused approach have stimulated a steady increase in the overall enrolment of school children amongst various government schools in the  Bidadi region at various grades up by 24 percent in 2018, as compared to 2016-17. Such initiatives have been a significant step in ensuring uninterrupted learning and reducing school dropouts amongst the financially challenged children.

Additionally, for past three years TKM has been working to build capacity of teachers in government schools on their English communication and teaching skills. 

Lauding Toyota’s initiative, Gangemare Gowda, Deputy Director of Public Instruction, Ramanagara said, “Education plays a pivotal role in the development of the economy of the country. We are happy with the way Toyota is setting a benchmark in enhancing the quality of education in the local communities through a very holistic approach.  The company has been committed ensuring education of highest quality and encouraging education for all. We encourage more corporates to come forward and help us provide free and quality education among the weaker sections of the community, so that together we can build a better tomorrow. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to Toyota for continuing this wonderful cause year after year.”

Making a difference . . . quietly
Commenting on the initiative, Naveen Soni, vice-president, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “We have been working closely with local communities to catalyse sustainable impact through system and behavioral change. Children are at the core of these interventions and act as change agents.

“We at Toyota recognise education as one of the main pillars to a nation’s development and have always worked towards providing quality education at the grass roots level. TKM believes in providing holistic solution for quality education. Thus, in addition to providing learning aids, sports kits, we have also upgraded the infrastructure of government lower primary schools in Ramanagara. This has helped in motivating the students, teachers and changing the perception of the parents. Our aim is to significantly contribute towards reducing school dropouts rate in the local communities with such sustained efforts.” he added.

These programs have expanded over a period, enhancing the beneficiary coverage to around 24,500 school children across 327 Government Schools this academic year, as compared to 3000 children in 2007.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor has, over the years, initiated several sustainable projects to accelerate access to quality education in the country. The company has reconstructed many government schools in the Yandahalli and Kupya villages in Mysore District, Dyavalinganapalya and Thalaguppe villages of Ramanagara District in May 2017, benefitting over 95 students covering the first to fifth grades. 

Under the government’s national campaign to provide clean sanitation facilities for the girl child in India, Toyota has pledged its support to ‘Swachh Bharat – Swachh Vidyalaya’ – by constructing sanitation facilities at identified schools by the government in three locations across India. The company constructed has also 588 units of sanitation facilities in 257 government schools in Ramanagara district and 218 units in 28 schools in Varanasi [Uttar Pradesh] and Vaishali [Bihar].

Also read: Toyota Kirloskar Motor staffers do their bit for families impacted by Cyclone Fani

Maruti Suzuki despatches 364 made-in-Gujarat Glanzas to Toyota Kirloskar Motor