In a unique initiative, the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A), with support from tea retailer Wagh Bakri Group, has set out to provide education to underprivileged children. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has provided space under a flyover at the IIM-A junction to set up premises and conduct classes for the children.
Faculty and students from the B-school will provide their time and skills to train these students, who come from financially and socially backward families. The project, called SMILE — Student Mediated Initiative for Learning to Excel — is funded by Wagh Bakri Group, while IIM-A provides teachers and academic expertise.
Terming the initiative a ‘landmark’ for the society, Director Ashish Nanda said, “All the partners of this initiative — AMC, IIMA and Wagh Bakri Group — are enthusiastic and have come together to bring a change. We all believe we will benefit from this shared engagement. We hope the community too benefits from this initiative.”
Piyush Desai, Chairman of Wagh Bakri Group, said: “I suggested to the company’s board members to gift the SMILE project and partner with IIM-A as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility. A year ago, however, it was very difficult for the underprivileged children to join, as parents were reluctant to send them. We will look for such opportunity wherever possible.”
“Our aim is to provide them education, which will help them in their regular studies. In addition, we will also teach them English communication and computer skills,” said Rakesh Basant, Dean (Alumni and External Relations) and Faculty Coordinator for SMILE.
Located right opposite IIM-A's iconic building, the premises has 89 students of class 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 (Commerce and Arts) from urban slums of Ranujanagar, Ramdevnagar, Jodhpur Gam, Thaltej, and Vastrapur Gam, enrolled for the academic year 2016-17. Around 54 boys and 35 girls, engage in academic learning for three sessions in a day. The initiative expects the number of students to increase at the centre as enrolments pick up.
From the IIM-A side, seven faculty members, three research associates, and 38 students, along with one full-time teacher and part-time teachers, are actively involved with the initiative.