CapitaLand Hope Foundation expands Hope School Programme to Pune to offer quality education to over 500 children
Third school under the programme in India extends the Group’s support to over 28,500 children across 32 schools in India, China and Vietnam.
- (1888PressRelease) February 14, 2023 - CapitaLand Hope Foundation (CHF), the philanthropic arm of CapitaLand Group, has expanded its Hope School programme to Pune to provide over 500 underserved children with access to quality education. This is the third school that CHF has supported in India under the programme, with the first two in Bangalore.
CHF has contributed INR 19 million to refurbish the Government Marathi Medium Higher Primary School, which is located in the Bhoirwadi neighbourhood in Hinjawadi, about 1.3 kilometres from CapitaLand’s International Tech Park Pune, Hinjawadi (ITPP-H). Together with the partners and local volunteers from Hinjawadi village, CapitaLand staff volunteers from the Pune operations contributed to the refurbishment of the 20,000-square-foot school over a one-year period. CHF is also thankful to the Honourable Industrial Minister Mr Uday Samant and the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) for their dedication to improve the education ecosystem across the state and providing support to build the right infrastructure.
To provide the students with a safe and conducive learning environment where they can receive a holistic education, the school has been upgraded to offer 16 classrooms, computer and science laboratories, a library, a multipurpose room, a playground, an art & crafts room, a staff room, a sick room, and lavatories.
The school was inaugurated by Mr Uday Samant, Minister of Industry, Government of Maharashtra and CapitaLand officials led by Mr Sudhanshu Dutt, Head Operations - Pune and Mumbai, CapitaLand Investment. At the inauguration ceremony, Mr Samant said: “I am extremely happy and grateful to CapitaLand for bringing the Hope School programme to Pune. It gives us great joy when corporates such as CapitaLand take an active interest in improving the lives of the community by providing superior facilities for the children to learn and flourish. Our sincere appreciation to the CapitaLand team for their support and we hope that this action will inspire many others to contribute meaningfully to society.”
Mr Gauri Shankar Nagabhushanam, CEO, India Business Parks, CapitaLand Investment said: “We are honoured and delighted to be working with MIDC to refurbish the Government Marathi Medium Higher Primary School to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for the students, and we are grateful to the ministry for providing all necessary support. CapitaLand has had a long-standing relationship with the Government of Maharashtra and our first school in Pune under the CapitaLand Hope School programme has further strengthened this tie beyond business operations. We are humbled by the love and cooperation received from the local volunteers and it is our pleasure to hand over this school to the community. At CapitaLand, we are passionate about education and have contributed over INR 100 million to develop three schools in Bangalore and Pune. As we grow our business here, we will continue to work closely with the government to support the immediate needs of the locals, building a caring and inclusive community.”
Mr Cheong Ming Foong, Consul-General of the Republic of Singapore in Mumbai, said: "This programme will greatly benefit families and children in the Bhoirwadi neighbourhood, by providing them with quality education and facilities. It also complements CapitaLand's significant investments in the adjacent areas, where it already has ITPP-H. This is a concrete manifestation of the good that Singapore companies will continue to bring when investing in India, while also creating meaningful jobs and opportunities for local communities."
Mr Ramesh Zuluk, Headmaster, Government Marathi Medium Higher Primary School, said: “The refurbished school buildings by CHF have excellent infrastructure and facilities that allow teachers to impart quality education, and the children to grasp concepts better. Over 250 parents from adjoining neighbourhoods who wish to enrol their children at this school in Bhoirwadi have approached us. This is an encouraging development in my tenure as a teacher as well.”
Mrs Sarita Apte, mother of one of the students, Pramode Apte, said: “We live in the adjoining Annabhau Sathe Nagar. I was impressed by the infrastructure of the school and decided to enrol my son there. The commute is slightly longer than if he had gone to a school in our district, but I think that is reasonable given the quality of the facilities and learning environment in the school.”
Mr Tan Seng Chai, Executive Director of CHF and Chief Corporate and People Officer of CapitaLand Investment, said: “CapitaLand is committed to making a positive impact by enriching lives and uplifting communities where we operate. We support children through various initiatives, such as our signature CapitaLand Hope School programme which started in 2005. The programme has since benefitted over 28,500 children across 32 schools in India, China and Vietnam. We also support seniors and environmental conservation efforts, working with staff and partners through our annual #GivingAsOne campaign, to give back in an organised, large-scale manner, amplifying our impact on the communities.”
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