Education is one of main ways to break the cycle of poverty. We believe in life-long education, not just for children, but also for adults, training them in practical skills that will help build resilience and economic stability.
Our schools
We believe that a good education is vital to enable the children we support to fulfil their potential. At our day centres for very young children, balwadies and primary, middle and secondary schools we not only teach the children who live in our Villages and hostels, we also welcome children from our local area.
Education can be a low priority for the very poorest families. Living hand to mouth with insecure employment or none, these parents are unlikely to be able to find the money to send their children to school and often need to keep them at home, to care for siblings or to work to earn much-needed money for food and other basic needs.
We know that if a child's parents have not been to school themselves, they are less likely to understand the value of education in giving their children access to opportunities they could never have imagined for themselves.
We strive to break down these barriers with our outreach work.
Our educational outreach
Our education outreach programme provide families, who are often referred to us by local schools, to send their children to school regularly. Following an initial assessment, we make modest financial grants to parents so that their children can attend school without causing undue financial or other hardship to the wider family. The grants also help to pay for school uniforms and basic stationery.
Our staff meet families and teachers regularly to discuss the children’s progress. We run motivational sessions at our main campus for children sitting Government exams and our study centres in rural villages in the area provide children from families without electricity with a place to study. We also provide extra evening tuition at the study centres, supported by part-time teachers from local schools, and our mobile science labs travel to remote areas to bring lessons that will help pupils succeed in science subjects.
Finally, our JK Scholarship Fund enables the brightest of these disadvantaged children, who pass their 12th standard exams at the age of 18, to enter higher education.
Learning new skills in adulthood
RTU’s tailoring training gives women from impoverished backgrounds the chance to learn a trade that will always be in high demand, helping them to establish a steady income to support their families.
Many women who train as tailors skills set up businesses in their own area, keeping them close to their families, establishing stability for their children and fostering economic self-reliance.
Women who have established their independence in this way are better placed to send their children to school, ensuring they have access to the kinds of opportunities they missed out on themselves.