Parikh Foundation collaborated with the Hong Kong-based Touch A Life (TAL) Foundation to sponsor and construct Gyan Mandir, a science lab-cum-multipurpose hall, computer lab and library at Yedeshwar Vidyamandir School at Yedgaon village, Junnar in Pune district.
The facility was inaugurated on 23rd April, 2022, by Ravindra Sabnis, Tahsildar (tax officer) of Junnar, in the presence of Jitendra C. Parikh and Milan Parikh, trustees of Parikh Foundation. Gyan Mandir is spread across 2,640 square feet and will benefit 870 students in five schools in the vicinity of Yedgaon.
Parikh Foundation was established in 1985 to create and manage a structured CSR program focusing on four core areas: Health, Education, Animal Welfare, and Relief & Rehabilitation.
Touch A Life is a social enterprise built on the principles of trust, transparency and traceability. A brainchild of founders Naresh Surana and his wife Seema Surana, TAL is supported by Chow Tai Fook, Rio Tinto, RSM Hong Kong and the Head Masters Association, Pune.
Their ART plus ecosystem ensures Accountability, Responsibility and Traceability to ensure 100% transparent charity supply chain and a zero loss delivery process.
The TAL Smart School ecosystem ensures that schools get access to resources and can share their needs, concerns and progress. Training materials for teachers and academic curriculum are shared digitally. Inadequate infrastructure, lack of trained teachers and poor access to technology causes disruption in learning for many students in rural areas.
The system connects vendors, advisors, sponsors, service partners and the beneficiaries on a single digital platform via mobile apps. Strict verification and compliance for all stakeholders prevent leakages and ensure total transparency.