On the occasion of Teachers Day, Vodafone Idea Foundation unveiled ‘Teachers Diary’ – a compilation of real life stories of outstanding and inspiring teachers in the country
Education is an important enabler of social change, inclusion, higher standards of living, and better quality of life. On the occasion of Teachers Day to celebrate teachers, Vodafone Idea Foundation (VIF), the CSR arm of Vi, hosted a virtual ‘Vodafone Idea Teachers Day Celebration’.
On the occasion, Vi Foundation felicitated select teachers for their exemplary work in the field of education. The teachers were honoured by Dr. Rukmini Banerji, CEO, Pratham Education Foundation, in the presence of P Balaji, Chief Regulatory & Corporate Affairs Officer, VIL, and Director, Vodafone Idea Foundation; and Dr. Nilay Ranjan, Head, Vodafone Idea Foundation.
Vimala, from the Government Lower Primary School in Doddagubbi Village, was one of the teachers recognised for her achievements. When Vimala first joined the school there were only around 18 students and none of them were girls. Vimala was committed to visit homes and convince parents to send their daughters to school. Many hailed from impoverished backgrounds and Vimala, aside from educating them, cared for them, taught them basic life skills, and nurtured them as her own children.
Additionally, Vi Foundation also unveiled ‘Teachers Diary’ – a compilation of real life stories of outstanding and inspiring teachers. The book is a tribute to all the teachers across the country who not only play a powerful role in shaping the lives of their students but also in nation building. The book also captures instances on the various unique approaches that teachers have adopted to keep students engaged in learning.
At the event, P Balaji, Chief Regulatory & Corporate Affairs Officer, VIL, and Director, Vodafone Idea Foundation, said, “We at Vodafone Idea Foundation believe that use of technological interventions and innovations will improve the quality of education, learning outcomes of children and most importantly will help in reshaping the education sector. Our transformative programmes such as Jigyasa, Gurushala, and the Teachers & Students Scholarship are designed to improve the teaching and learning experiences by empowering teachers with training resources and technology. Lakhs of teachers are connected with the Vodafone Idea Foundation delivering training to children from across the country. Our aim is to enhance the quality of education to promote social good and positively impact people’s lives so they can secure a better and brighter future for themselves and the nation. On Teachers Day, we recognise the exemplary contribution of teachers in the society. It is our way of giving back to the teaching community which works selflessly for the good of the society.”
Dr. Rukmini Banerji, CEO, Pratham Education Foundation, said, “As we seek to revisit our education policies, we also need to rethink what we give to our teachers. We need to enable teachers to continue finding purpose and relevance in their work and provide support through resources and engagement. Teachers need the involvement, participation and ownership of the community in helping children meaningfully grow and learn.”
Vodafone Idea Foundation’s flagship programme ‘Jigyasa’ aims to build capacity of teachers, introduce digital content, training tools and innovative pedagogy to make learning and teaching more enjoyable, and augment existing infrastructure as needed. Additionally, Gurushala, a knowledge sharing & exchange platform, digitally enabled thousands of teachers and students to upload and access material for students learning & development anywhere and anytime. Vodafone Idea Teachers Scholarship programme provides aid to teachers for e-learning infrastructure such as laptops, online courses etc.
