Sachin Tendulkar to support school campaign

Beverage major Coca-Cola India and news channel NDTV on Monday launched ?Support My School? campaign that aims to develop healthy, active and happy schools in rural and semi-urban towns.

This movement aims to improve basic amenities in schools and subsequently generate monetary resources for over 100 schools across the country.

The campaign was launched in association with Coca Cola and NDTV?s NGO (non-governmental organization) partners, UN-Habitat, Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) and Sulabh International.

The campaign started with the Campaign Ambassador and cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar unveiling the campaign logo along with Atul Singh, President & CEO, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia, and Prannoy Roy, Chairman, NDTV.

Also present to lend their support were Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Telecom and Human Recourse Development (HRD), Kulwant Singh, Advisor, UN-HABITAT, Subodh Bhargava, Chairman, CAF India, Abha Bahadur, Senior Vice-President Sulabh International Social Service Organization, actor and activist Dia Mirza and CEO, CAF India, Amita Puri, actor Raveena Tandon and Members of the Parliament Priya Dutt and Sanjay Raut.

Lack of basic amenities in schools not only results in increased absenteeism but also in high dropout rate, especially among girls, said the organizers of the campaign.

This six month campaign will not only generate awareness about such issues but will also create 100 model schools in villages and towns with the help of all partners associated with this campaign.

Some of the activities undertaken as a part of this campaign will include provision of improved access to water, appropriate sanitation facility for girls and boys, improvement in the overall infrastructure and environment, provision for sports and recreation facilities such as cricket, badminton & basket ball courts, swings etc and recharging groundwater through rainwater harvesting.

Speaking at the occasion, Sachin Tendulkar, said, ?I am honored to be associated with this noble campaign. It is my belief that a multi lateral partnership of this kind is an appropriate initiative to catalyze a movement towards building healthy, active and happy schools.

“As a firm believer in the cause, I would urge all sections of the society to come forward and contribute to the betterment of schools and overall education system in the country.?

A school in Jhundpur village (Sonepat) in Haryana, was the first school that benefited under the ?Support My School initiative.

The project supported the school by aiding infrastructural work such as building hygienic sanitation facilities especially for girls, setting up a rain water harvesting unit, providing improved access to water, renovating the sports grounds to promote healthy and active living and improving the environment.

As a part of the inaugural contribution towards this fund raising initiative, Coca-Cola & UNHABITAT have pledged Rs. 1 Crore to the Support My School campaign. The campaign over the next 6 months will raise further monetary resources from public. The fundraising will peak with a telethon hosted by Sachin Tendulka in mid 2011.