DURAI CHARITABLE TRUST

DCT DCT DCT DCT DCT DCT DCT DCT DCT DCT DCT DCT DCT DCT DCT DCT DCT DCT DCT DCT DCT DCT DCT DCT DCT DCT

Durai Charitable Trust founded by S.Duraiswamy (Founder of PGC Industries and a Member & Award winner of Social Accountability International) & Trustees D.Prem & Aadith.D.Vikram is focused on the upliftment of the deprived by enabling and empowering them. The trust is a Not-For-Profit organization. Guided by basic principles of promoting sustainable development, the Trust focuses on improving the Human Development Index through initiatives in achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

The trust aims at poverty alleviation through empowerment of rural and semi-urban youth by creating capacities and empowering the youth by facilitating job oriented skills. It believes that harnessing the untapped potential of this sizable section of the society can bring about the socio-economic transformation in the country.

The trust understands the need of consortium approach for faster, better results and is already in partnership with Prem Durai Exports (India ), Switcher SA (Swiss), T-Mart Retail (India), PGC Retail , Beausoleil (Swiss )for project implementations.

The successful projects at Tirupur include

  • Free Water Supply for Poor every day
  • YES (Youngster Education Support) program imparting vocational skills of Textile Industry like Tailoring. Also facilitates Computer Skills and library for rural and semi-urban youths.
  • Other projects are Universal education mission - Free schools for poor and Free Mobile schools for deprived
  • Health Camps and Clinique across Tirupur for all mission which conducts eye camps, free dispensaries, AIDS awareness project - distribution of free condoms and campaigns.
  • Empowering the group with a vision for Environment sustainability mission of Green energy by wind mills and solar cooker for rural villages of TN, 25000 Tree Planting, VelaiSMS project to facilitate empowerment of digitally challenged communities by "Information empowerment".
  • The Group is also working on a new project Called " Operation Green Today " where it is trying to make the most possible areas to use Eco Friendly & Organic Material . Projects like Solar Cookers for cooking food for labours , Wind Energy to promote green power projects for capative consumption ,Bio Gass Cookers & Steam Production ,etc.,

Schools

"To offer a quality education to the largest number of underprivileged children"

Even though our schools(physical & mobile schools) belong to a private organisation, they are bound by the Tamil Nadu governmental standards and are subject to an annual recognition and inspection. Each grade follows the programme established by the Tamil Nadu state.

The method to select pupils differs from the public school's method. The Durai Charitable Trust (the social wing of PGC) receives a request from the parents. Once the teaching staff has examined it, the Trust decides whether to accept the child in the school. The relevant criteria are mainly the family's social status and its living conditions. Our policy is to favour children from underprivileged families.

Weekly and monthly tests are conducted to assess the grade reached by the pupil and exams take place every term.

In each school, the teachers meet regularly to discuss the following items:

  • Regular assessment of the teachers
  • Relations between the pupils, teachers and parents
  • Help for the pupils experiencing difficulties
  • Organisation and help for children during public meetings
  • Treating urgent problems and finding solutions

Thanks to the computers donated by the International BeauSoleil Alpine College in Villars, the pupils are also taught computing skills. Three meetings with students from the Swiss college took place during the year and computing lessons were given both to our pupils and to the members of the teaching staff. We wish to underline the extraordinary commitment of the International BeauSoleil Alpine College.

In addition to the official programme, the pupils can take part in extra-curricular activities such as writing, or elocution, recitation, disguises and dancing contests, as well as other artistic challenges. These activities enable them to develop their competitive and team spirit, and their leadership and self-determination aptitudes.

Mobile Schools

The three Switcher mobile buses-equipped itinerant buses-give free access to education for street children, who either work or are deprived of all support, whether from parents or family.

YES Program (Youngster Educational Support)

This programme is targeted at young employees (16 to 25 years old) who wish to pursue their studies and develop their personal skills while working. English and computing courses are in particularly high demand. In China, collaborations with universities and training centres have been developed to run these courses.

For the development of these YES Programmes, Switcher cooperates actively with Swisscontact, an NGO based in Zurich.

Subjects taught

  • English (written and spoken)
  • Civics
  • Health programme: The health programme was introduced to teach workers the benefits of being in good health as well as the need to maintain hygiene in the workplace and in the dormitories. This year, the themes were personal hygiene, first aid, medication for young children, dietetics and a healthy diet, and illnesses transmitted by mosquitoes
  • Science
  • Literature
  • Computing: Computing has become a must in everyday life. We teach the student at the schools and also for the Yes Programme. Books on computing are available for the workers in the classrooms. So that as many employees and students as possible may benefit from these courses, three new computers have been purchased.
  • General knowledge
  • Arts and crafts: Arts and crafts courses have been introduced to bring to light the workers' artistic and creative talents. In this course, they can create bags with thread or in nylon, scarves, etc. The employees take part enthusiastically and learn how a pastime could help them in the future
  • Sewing: It is interesting to note that most of the employees who work in the spinning mill come from remote areas of the Tamil Nadu. As the majority of these women cease work when they are married, sewing classes will enable them to earn a little money at that time