Hyderabad, August'05: Shiksha
- the special program to support education of underprivileged children across
India launched by Procter & Gamble (P&G) in partnership with Child Relief and
You (CRY) during April, May and June will support a year's education of 11,000
underprivileged children across the country including two projects in Andhra
Pradesh at Ongole and Chilkaluripet.
This has been possible due to the support of
citizens who purchased a large pack of either Tide, Ariel,
Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Rejoice, Vicks VapoRub and Pampers
during April, May and June, of which P&G donated a part of the
proceeds which amounts to Rs. 1.26 crore to CRY. Shiksha is in
keeping with P&G's global cause credo 'P&G Live Learn & Thrive' to
support children in need across the globe.
Bollywood Superstar Preity Zinta, Shantanu
Khosla (Managing Director - P&G), and Mr. Vishnu Chamadia from
Maharashtra, Mr. Anil Gupta from Jammu, and Mr. Kamal Botra from
Bihar, who were the largest contributors to Shiksha presented a
cheque of Rs. 1.26 crore on behalf of P&G to Ms. Ingrid Srinath,
CEO, Child Relief and You (CRY). The Rs. 1.26 cr. Shiksha funds
will be allocated to projects with focused on children's education
across India in Delhi, Barrackpore (West Bengal), Ongole and
Chilkaluripet (Andhra Pradesh), Bellary (Karnataka), Salem (Tamil
Nadu), Bolangir (Orissa), and Osmanabad, Wardha, Navi Mumbai,
Borivali (Maharashtra).
Mr. Shantanu Khosla, Managing Director, P&G
India said, "Shiksha is a part of P&G's global cause credo 'P&G
Live, Learn & Thrive' to support Children in Need the world over.
In India we specifically chose to support children's 'education'
because our country is home to the world's largest number of
illiterate children and that makes education of these
disadvantaged children the most fundamental need.."
Ms. Ingrid Srinath, CEO, Child Relief and You
said, Thanks to this partnership, not only will more than 11,000
children across 7 states in India be ensured their fundamental
right to education, but lakhs of consumers across India have been
provided an opportunity to participate in the movement for child
rights.
Project Shiksha has been supported by renowned
personalities from myriad fields, leading actors like Kajol,
Mandira Bedi, Katrina Kaif, Perizaad Zorabian, Pallavi Joshi,
supercop Kiran Bedi, cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle, singer
Sonu Nigam, actors Revathy, Khushboo, June Maliah, Sreelekha Mitra,
Aishwarya Rajnikant, Anita Ratnam, Anu Prabhakar, Shreya, Suman,
Aditi Govitrikar, and educationist Dr. Snehalata Deshmukh (Former
Vice Chancellor - Mumbai University), via their strong
endorsements for 'children's education'.
P&G India has had a rich history of social
responsibility initiatives which include: Project PEACE - an
environmental education program; Project FUTURE FOCUS - the
first-ever write-in career guidance service; Project OPEN MINDS -
a project with UNICEF aimed at education of working children;
Project POSHAN - with UNICEF, to combat malnutrition and many such
projects.
Reachout's News Bureau
Aug'
2005
