PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, Aug 25: Steel City would soon get its first Sabal centre for supporting the cause of Persons with Disabilities ( PWDs).
Moreover, efforts would also be made to strengthen the ‘ Masti Ki Pathshala’ initiative in Jamshedpur.
Thanks to a recent Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU) signed between Tata Steel Foundation band Jamshedpur Continuous Annealing and Processing Company Private Limited (JCAPCPL) in this regard.
SABAL is a one-of-its-kind among centres in India that envision a life of dignity for Persons with Disability and is a one-stop resource centre for skilling, employability and financial independence.
It also builds the capacity of other organizations as well as of individuals from within communities through a training-of-trainers (ToT) programme.
JCAPCPL will partner with TSF to set up the first Sabal Centre at Sakchi. For subsequent years, the allocated budget is proposed to be spent on operational expenditure requirements through this “in-principle” agreement.
Tata Steel Foundation aims to launch the Jamshedpur Sabal Centre by December this year.
Masti Ki Pathshala is a citizen-led programme aimed at enabling Jamshedpur to be a city free of the worst forms of child labour.
Structured through residential and non-residential bridge schools, it attempts to mainstream children, who are engaged in the worst forms of child labour (rag picking, begging, brick-kiln-workers, etc.) and manifestations of abuse, to the formal education system.
The programme has seen success in the last four years, reaches more than 1,200 children as of the date and is on a fast impact growth path in line with the aspirations of the children who rest at the core of the idea.
The MoU is intended to support 40 kids at the Sarjamda in the outskirts of Jamshedpur.
Sourav Roy, chief, Corporate Social Responsibility, Tata Steel said, “The objective of partnerships is to create models that will work in all contexts, geographies, along with an honesty of purpose and citizens’ efforts. That is where the involvement of JCAPCPL is especially commendable in trying to make a decadal transformation in these areas.”
