HELP IMPROVE LEARNING OUTCOMES OF UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN | CONTRIBUTE DESKIT- A SCHOOL BAG CONVERTIBLE INTO A STUDY TABLE

WeVolunteer’ is the Employee Volunteering Program of DCM Shriram that has been designed with a philosophy to help keep the spirit of volunteering and kindness alive because the world needs it now more than ever before. It will act as a bridge to maximize the impact of our employee volunteering activities in a structured way and create a positive social impact.

This New year, let's spread happiness and help students rejoin their schools with DESKIT. DCM Shriram Foundation is actively supporting school-going children through its Khushali Shiksha program in Hardoi and Lakhimpur Districts of UP. With this DESKIT - A school bag convertible into a study table will help students in creating an enabling environment for themselves at school as well as at their homes.

PROBLEM DESKIT IS TRYING TO SOLVE

Students from the underprivileged sections of society suffer due to the lack of basic infrastructures like tables in schools and homes. They use the floor for support while reading and writing. Sitting for long hours with a hunched back has a major negative effect on a child's health where both back and eyes get strained. With no table for support, their learning ability is also affected as it is difficult for them to concentrate in class and this also results in poor handwriting.

WHAT IS DESKIT- A SCHOOL BAG CONVERTIBLE INTO A STUDY TABLE?

DESKIT is a unique combination of a lightweight school bag and an ergonomic, foldable, lightweight, portable, and detachable study table.

Proven impact of DESKIT on students:

• Students will have better sitting posture and viewing angle while studying. 
• Students will be motivated to attend school and study. Attendance level can increase by 5-10% 
• The learning level among students can increase by 15-20% as they will be able to concentrate better when they are able to sit properly.
• With a proper study table to use, children’s handwriting will improve.
• DESKIT will act as a child’s personal learning space both at school and at home, instilling a sense of ownership in them.

WHY DESKIT:

Permanent school furniture may occur to be a proper solution to solve the issue of studying with bad body posture. But the need value assessment based on interviews with several stakeholders including school authorities, teachers, district-level administrators, and media reports identifies why that might not be a possible solution at the moment in several schools across India. Some of the reasons are:

• In many governments or small private schools, there is a lack of space to accommodate both students and permanent furniture inside the classroom. Hence, in many schools, even the existing furniture is being kept aside to make space for students, especially in primary classes.
• In many schools, classrooms are held in corridors due to a lack of classroom space. This again means no space for big permanent furniture.
• In several schools, electricity is still an issue. To beat the weather classes are often held in open grounds where students sit on the floor with no infrastructure support.
• Several nonprofits that run makeshift study centers in their communities cannot afford to provide permanent and expensive classroom infrastructure.
• Permanent furniture at school can be used only in school. Often students from underprivileged backgrounds lack infrastructure facilities at home as well.

One innovative product that can solve these issues is the DESKIT. It takes less space and can be used in any kind of make-shift classroom or closed space. Also, DESKIT can be used by students both in school and their homes.

Partners:
Government Partners: J&K & Telangana
CSR Partners: Wells Fargo, ONGC, Aditya Birla, RSPL, Mahindra World City, SBI, Beekay, FICCI, etc.
NGO Partners: United Way Chennai, United Way Hyderabad, UNISED, Relaxo Foundation, JSPL Foundation, GiftAbled, Diya India, etc.

ABOUT PROSOC INNOVATORS PVT.LTD.

It designs innovative PROducts for SOCiety.

PROSOC Innovators Pvt.Ltd. is a for-profit social enterprise, based out of Kanpur (India). It intends to design and develop innovative products and services for the world. Its vision is to empower people at the bottom of the pyramid to live better lives, by designing and developing products of social importance.

It contributes towards the following SDGs: