Considering Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation’s (‘EVF’ or ‘Ekal’) profound impact and rapid growth at the grass-root level, Honorable PM of Bharat Shri Narendra Modi in 2017 gave ‘Ekal’ a unique goal of establishing 100,000 schools by year 2022.
In Bharat’s history, year 2022 has a very distinctive significance. It happens to be the 75th anniversary of Bharat’s independence. On this front, the most exciting new development is that EVF is undoubtedly going to ring the ‘target-bell’ by early 2020 itself.
As of this moment, Ekal already has 93,000 schools in the same number of villages that are grooming 2.55 million children and youths each year for life’s major challenges. The most remarkable thing about these staggering numbers is, more than half of them are girls. Moreover, quite a few of its alumni have gone on to become high-caliber teachers, District Officers, company administrators and technocrats in their adult life.
Although rooted in education, Ekal has blossomed into healthcare, integrated village development and economic empowerment. Recently, ‘United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) confirmed that, defying global trend, Bharat is likely to meet 100% child enrolment and school completion target set by them, in 2030. This heartening affirmation is nothing but a consequential endorsement of EVF’s educational mission in rural and tribal areas of Bharat.
This year, “Ekal Abhiyan Trust’ (an umbrella organization for various off-shoots of Ekal) was bestowed with Iconic National Honor – “Gandhi Peace Prize” – by the Government of Bharat, for its contribution to education in remote areas, with gender and social equality. ‘EVF’ is the largest literacy movement undertaken by the Bharatiyas and NRIs in dozen countries.
In last one year alone, Ekal has successfully added 20,000 schools. This meteoric rise has been partly due to high-end “Future of India” GALAs that Ekal has started hosting in various metropolitan areas since 2017. Last year, between October 6 -13, it hosted three Galas – Houston, Washington and New York – and raised over $5 Million. This was in addition to $6 Million it had already raised through its annual fund-raising concerts across USA in 55 cities.
This year, two Galas have been planned – one in Los Angeles (LA) area and another in New York City (NYC). LA-Gala is being hosted on Saturday, September 14 at ‘Hyatt Regency’ (200 South Pine Ave, Long Beach, CA), and NYC-Gala is taking place on Saturday, November 9 at the majestic ‘Gotham Hall’ (1356 Broadway, NYC, NY 10018). For details of ticket purchase, sponsorship or special-project enquiry, please check www.lagala.ekal.org or www.nycgala.ekal.org for respective Galas.
At LA-Gala, the keynote speaker is going to be ‘Emily Church’, Executive Director of ‘XPrize Foundation’ with Bollywood heartthrob Vivek Oberoi as the special guest. The entertainment at LA will be provided by Bollywood Comedian Omi Vaidya which will be capped by a fusion-music Concert by ‘Nauzad’.
‘EVF’ is a duly registered non-profit Charitable Organization 501(C) in USA and dispenses all its assistance in rural areas irrespective of recipient’s religion, creed, caste and region. Its overhead is hardly around 10%.
Suresh Iyer, President of ‘Ekal-USA’, has confirmed that, so far this year, Ekal has raised almost $5.5 Million. Attributing this stunning achievement to thousands of its devout donors and dedicated volunteers, Suresh is confident that, with two Galas, Ekal, will once again cut through $10 Million mark by the year’s end.
In 2017, Bajrang Bagra, CEO of ‘Ekal Abhiyan Trust’ initiated a special literacy project for ‘troubled spots’ in border region. He recently confirmed that as of now almost 6,000 Ekal schools are in operation in Jammu-Kashmir and that has resulted in establishing peace, tranquility, and life-normalcy in people’s lives there. The schools there are run by the locals under Ekal’s guidance.
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