Mumbai, September 06, 2023. In a bid to improve access to books for students, Vi Foundation, the CSR arm of telecom major Vi, has introduced a new tech solution, 'Donate Book' (www.donatebook.in). This platform connects book donors, organizations/schools in need of books, and NGOs working toward this cause. The initiative is a part of Vi Foundation's Connecting for Good program, aimed at bridging the gap between book access and those in need.The 'Donate Book' platform was unveiled on Teacher's Day in the presence of notable figures, including Padma Shri Surender Sharma, Mr. Rishabh Jain, and P Balaji. On this occasion, Vi Foundation also released 'Teachers Diary,' a collection of inspiring stories of teachers recognized for their exceptional contributions to education, paying homage to educators nationwide.
Speaking about the initiative, P Balaji, Chief Regulatory & Corporate Affairs Officer, VIL said, “Education is a big focus area for us at Vodafone Idea Foundation. We believe in leveraging technology in this space to improve the quality of education and learning outcomes for children from underprivileged communities and rural India where such facilities are not readily available. The Donate Book initiative is born from this objective. We believe there is a large base of book donors who are keen to help needy students. We will provide these donors with a simple, easily accessible mechanism to donate books. Initially being offered in Pune and Jaipur, we will take this to many more towns and cities in India over the coming months. Our aim is to reach ~50,000 students through donation of one lakh of books in the first year itself. In addition, to celebrate Teachers Day, we have launched the third edition of the ‘Teachers Dairy’ book which recognises the exemplary contribution of teachers in the society. It is our way of recognizing the teaching community which works selflessly for the good of the nation."
The 'Donate Book' platform simplifies book donation and collection:
- Book donors can easily contribute by logging into the platform, where Vi Foundation, in collaboration with Moinee Foundation, arranges for book pickup and delivery to those in need. In areas where the implementation partner cannot reach, donors can choose to courier the books to specified locations.
- Organizations or schools requiring books can initiate campaigns on the portal, overseen by the Vi Foundation and Moinee Foundation teams for a swift resolution.
Ensuring that donated books are in good condition and reach the right recipients is a top priority. The 'Donate Book' solution integrates technology, offering a mobile-responsive web interface that tracks a book's journey from donation to the final beneficiary.Additionally, 'Teachers Diary' showcases real-life stories of remarkable educators who have gone the extra mile to support students in their educational journey. It highlights unique teaching approaches employed by teachers from various parts of India, including Varanasi, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Ahmedabad, Pune, and Bengaluru.The Vodafone Idea Foundation is dedicated to numerous educational programs, such as 'Learning with Vodafone Idea – Gurushala,' 'Vi Scholarships,' the development of model schools, and the establishment of robotics labs.
