Bharti’s philanthropic arm strives to upgrade rural schooling experience

NEW DELHI: Shrinivas Vasudeva Dempo, trustee of the Vasantrao Dempo Education & Research Foundation (VDER&F), has signed a partnership agreement with Bharti Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Bharti Enterprises. As part of this partnership, Bharti Foundation will provide guidance and mentorship support to VDE&RF’s proposed rural schools project, sanctioned by the Government of Goa.

Bharti Foundation will share learnings from the Satya Bharti Quality Support Program (which works with Government Schools) and support VDER&E in articulating and achieving their goals towards creating a better schooling experience. Through this project, VDE&RF aims to assist the educational endeavors of underprivileged students in two Government schools located in the heart of rural Goa: Government Primary School, Virnoda, Pernem, and Government Primary School Vadde Colony, Sanguem. The announcement was made during the Founder Vasantrao Dempo’s centennial birth anniversary event.

The centennial was held at the new campus of Vasantrao Dempo Higher Secondary School of Science, Commerce and Arts, the multi-faculty institution delivering pre-university education, based in the outskirts of Panaji. During the event Mr. Shrinivas V. Dempo announced various social initiatives. Mr. Manohar Parrikar, Union Minister of Defence, Govt. of India, presided over the function while Mr. Laxmikant Parsekar, Chief Minster, Goa, was the guest of honour. During the event, Mr. Parsekar announced the state government’s approval of the pilot project of Vasantrao Dempo Education & Research Foundation in the presence of a large number of dignitaries from government and civil society.

Speaking on the occasion, Shrinivas Vasudeva Dempo said, “I had wished to pay an appropriate tribute to my grandfather’s memory in terms of his ideals of education for the underprivileged, and am proud and pleased that we could not have had wiser, more-experienced mentorship in furthering these ideals than from Bharti Foundation through their Satya Bharti Quality Support Program. It is exciting to be working with the Foundation that has given the Satya Bharti schooling experience to rural India!”

Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Co-Chairman, Bharti Foundation said, “We are delighted to join hands with Vasantrao Dempo Education and Research Foundation. This partnership gives us the opportunity to share the learnings and best practices that we have acquired while running Satya Bharti School Program in 245 Schools of rural India.”