Sourav Ganguly and Farhan Akhtar with Coca-Cola Support My School students.
Chandigarh, April 21, 2015: Coca-Cola India, NDTV and UN-Habitat’s multi partner programme for Happy, Healthy and Active schools –Support My School - has completed a significant milestone. The programme that adds to the Prime Minister’s efforts under Swachh Bharat, SwachhVidyalaya has completed the revitalization of 500 schools. These schools have received better access to water and sanitation amongst other facilities, especially in rural and semi-urban areas, impacting over 150,000 students across 22 States.
Sourav Ganguly, appointed by Hon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi as one of the ambassadors for his national Swachh Bharat campaign, has also joined hands with the Support My School programme. Sourav will guide and support the Support My School campaign in reaching 1000 schools by 2017. He will actively contribute towards spreading awareness about the campaign and taking it to a larger number of students across the country, apart from emphasizing the need to remain fit and healthy through active participation in sports, which is also an important element of the campaign.
The announcement of SouravGanguly’s association with the Support My School campaign was made in the presence of Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skills Development & Entrepreneurship, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, leading Bollywood Actor Farhan Akhtar, VenkateshKini, President Coca-Cola India and South West Asia and Vikram Chandra, Group CEO NDTV, and some select students from across the country who have benefitted from the Support My school campaign. All stakeholders had gathered to celebrate the completion of 500 revitalized schools.
On this occasion, Aircel, India’s leading mobile telecom company, announced a contribution of Rs 82,60,000 lakhs towards better sanitation facilities in government schools and Allana Private Limited announced a donation of Rs 25 lakhs.
Support My School started as a WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) initiative that aimed to improve basic amenities in government schools like separate toilets for boys and girls and access to water. The campaign has over the past 4 years committed to developing the overall infrastructure like playgrounds and a clean environment to encourage a holistic learning environment in these schools. The campaign today has a more expanded purview and looks at providing the following: Access to separate toilets for students, especially girls; Access to water; Access to sports; Library/Rainwater Harvesting; and Environmental Upkeep.
The Schools revitalized under the campaign have served as model schools in several districts and have led to enhanced community engagement and higher emphasis on attendance and enrollment.
Speaking at the occasion cricketing legend and Coca-Cola Happiness Ambassador, Sourav Ganguly, said, “I am honored to be associated with Support My School. It is my belief that it is an important initiative to catalyze a movement towards building healthy, active and happy schools and fulfilling the Prime Minister’s vision of Swachh Bharat, SwachhVidyalaya. Having visited an impacted school and seen the transformation first hand, active, healthy and happy schools can be a major game changer for students and I will try and bring in my learnings to scale up the programme.”
Farhan Akhtar, Leading actor and Coca-Cola Ambassador, who was also present on the occasion added, “It is no secret that education is the foundation for a nation to grow and sustain progress in the long run. And good education is not possible without adequate and appropriate infrastructure in schools. It is incumbent upon us citizens of the country to make it our mission to make schools welcoming, so that children study in an appropriate environment. Support My School’s endeavour is a step in right direction. It was a privilege to meet with NGOs, students and other partners who have played a role in the transformation of schools. Hope to see the campaign complete its mission of 1000 school at earliest.”
Speaking at the event, VenkateshKini, President - Coca-Cola India & SWA, said “I would like to thank all the partners and donors, for joining hands and taking this concept of happy, healthy, inclusive schools to 500 schools. After the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s Swachh Bharat, SwachhVidyalaya announcement last year, we have committed to scaling up our target to 1,000 schools by 2017. Other than the infrastructure and facilities that this campaign has created, for me what is more valuable is the exposure that the students get when they interact with global leaders, teachers, students and experts from other schools and colleges, through this platform. I thank Swachh Bharat Ambassador Sourav Ganguly for lending his hand to the campaign and Farhan Akhtar for steering this concept as the Coca-Cola brand Ambassador. We are on an ambitious journey of trying to keep our children, where they belong, but it is a journey that we are traversing together.”
According to Vikram Chandra, Group CEO NDTV, “It has been a monumental effort by all partners associated with the campaign in helping reach the milestone of 500 schools. The message that healthy and happy schools are central to the foundation of a new India will be our priority and as proud founding partners of this campaign we will continue to give voice to different stakeholders in this journey. I would like to invite more partners to this campaign, as we embark on the mission to reach 1000 schools.”