DanielEdtech startup BYJUS has collaborated with the NGO, Akshaya Patra Foundation for providing tech-driven education to 2 lakh students. The program that comes under BYJU’s social initiative “Education for all” aims to give quality education to underprivileged children. More than 200 million students were affected due to the pandemic.
Most of them who belonged to the urban areas had easy access to laptops and internet connections. But the lockdown hampered the education of students belonging to the rural population, who didn’t have access to these basic tools.
BYJU’S co-founder Divya Gokulnath said, “BYJU’S has a strong vision to undertake various transformative social initiatives to uplift children across different sections of society and bridge the gap between quality education and digital access. We are delighted to collaborate with the Akshaya Patra Foundation, which has been working relentlessly to boost meal programs for school children in India.
“Our partnership with them is a significant step towards making a lasting impact on the development of children’s welfare through education and well-being,” he added.
The program will include free streaming services and smart classrooms for the students. BYJUS along with Akshaya has already teamed up with the Uttarakhand government for a similar free education program for underprivileged children.
This initiative is also a part of Akshaya Patra’s flagship National Endeavour for Student Transformation (NEST), which aims at improving the quality of education in the country by providing the required tools to the weaker sections of the society.
“At Akshaya Patra, we further the cause of education, a fundamental right of every child, irrespective of their socio-economic backgrounds. We firmly believe that digital inclusiveness can help in creating a world where children from economically weaker sections do not have to forfeit opportunities because of affordability or accessibility issues,” said Akshaya Patra Foundation CEO Shridhar Venkat, talking about the initiative.
With 100 partners like American India Foundation, United Way, Right to Live, Magic Bus, SOS, Save the Children, CRY and more across 26 states in India, the program has made a positive impact and reached 35 lakh students across the country.
