Akshaya Patra, NTT embark on building govt school in 7,500 sqft

Bengaluru: NTT Limited along with The Akshaya Patra Foundation on Thursday laid the foundation stone for the Government Higher Primary School in Lakshmipura, Bengaluru, to further their collective efforts to address classroom hunger and malnutrition through education.

Both the organisations aim to complete the construction of the school, which is being built at a cost of Rs 2 crore, on a government-sanctioned plot, by the end of 2023. Spread across 7,500 sq ft, the school will have unique features such as a multi-purpose hall with a dedicated space for mid-day meals, an amphitheatre, a computer lab, a library, solar power and rainwater harvesting systems. Other facilities planned are water purifying systems, classroom infrastructure, sports ground and CCTV cameras.

Speaking on the occasion, Dasarahalli MLA Manjunath thanked NTT and Akshaya Patra for coming forward to build a modern government school.

Sunil Kishore, Senior Executive Vice President, NTT, said, "Access to quality education is a fundamental right of every child, irrespective of their socio-economic background. At NTT, we firmly believe that a holistic environment equipped with the latest technologies and digital inclusiveness can help create a world where children from economically weaker sections do not have to forfeit opportunities because of affordability or accessibility issues. Our philosophy is to bring a tangible impact to our existing education ecosystem, and we are happy to have partnered with The Akshaya Patra Foundation to strengthen our social impact initiative while also providing a safe space for the children who are the future of this country."

Established in 1963, the school is currently housed in an old building and provides education to 201 children from vulnerable communities and low-income families.

The CEO of The Akshaya Patra Foundation, Shridhar Venkat said, "We are grateful to NTT Ltd. for reiterating their support towards our vision that 'No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger'. This collaboration will not only support us to provide children belonging to vulnerable communities with a holistic study space, but also help us maintain our conviction that education is one of the best approaches to nurture a happy future for our country. We are honoured to have partnered with NTT Ltd. and hope this collaboration will continue to make an on-ground impact for many more years to come."

The project is a part of Akshaya Patra's school rejuvenation program under the National Endeavour for Student Transformation (NEST), an initiative that focuses on addressing the various challenges faced at individual school levels. The Foundation firmly believes that every school has its unique challenges and the solutions will need to be customised to address these challenges with the expertise of the school administration. The program also focuses on community investment at a school level to engage parents and community members in stronger roles.