Schumacher Centre exists as a bridge to link India’s rural poor with government, business and the civil sector.
Schumacher Centre exists as a bridge to link India’s rural poor with government, business and the civil sector.
Chairman
Board Member
Director
Office Manager
Accountant
Project Manager (Development)
Project Manager (Implementation)
Prof DK Giri, our Board Member is in conversation with the Ambassador of Equador on the fringe of celebration of the World Food Day. Dr Asif Iqbal, the president of IETO who hosted the event is also seen in the background. Prof. Giri talked about improving agriculture for a better society.
Food is produced by farmers. Right to nutrtious and affordable food is fundamental universal human right. We should produce food in a paradigm that nourishes human beings, enhances their livelihoods, and protect our planet. He also pointed out the multifunctionality of agriculture with both positive and negative outputs. The negatives have to be taxed, curbed and mitigated, whereas the positive aspects need to be subsidised and encouraged.Prof. Giri brought out the dichotomy between food- sufficiency, even surplus and hunger or deprivation. The other dichotomy is agriculture being a political blindspot despite its contribution to GDP and employment generation, the latter being comparatively the biggest.
The Muthoot Group donated a vehicle under their CSR Programme to Schumacher Society Delhi. The vehicle (EECO Van) is to be used for transportation of the underprivileged children studying in the Extra School run by the Society. It will also be used for recreational activities for senior citizens. In the photograph are: the Chairman, the MD of the Muthoot Group, Dr. Susan Cherian, the Director of Schumacher Centre, Prof. D.K. Giri, Founder-Director of Schumacher Centre and George Alexander Muthoot along with his kid. The Van is seen in the background.
The Van was donated formally in the Board Meeting of the Muthoot Group. The entire Board was present on the occasion. The Muthoot Group was inaugurating the Tower-III built with state-of-the art architecture and technology. The Board was reviewing and appreciating the progress of the company which included the opening of a new tower in addition to the previous two in the same vicinity. They also shared their work on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and individual social responsibility where their employees donate resources, time and energy to those who need them.
Schumacher Society has initiated a new project which is perhaps first of its kind, the Extra School. The School is meant for children from poor, marginalised and under privileged segments. They include domestic help, daily-wage workers, rickshaw pullers and street vendors etc. The Society provides them with quality education after their school. The Society engages volunteers and its own staff in running the school. No fee whatsoever is charged from the children. But strict discipline and educational protocols are maintained for the benefit of the children. The Society conducts regular teachers and parents meetings, periodic health check-up and necessary recreational activities for the children.
This is a new initiative which the Society seeks to replicate across Delhi in good time to enhance the standards of education of poor children. The initiative was taken after a field research on the standards of children from the said segments of population. The Society realised that, unless their levels are brought at par with children from middle and upper class studying in private schools, the children cannot break away from the poverty-cycle. The children may be plunged into the same pattern of unskilled low-paid jobs as those of their parents.