January, 2024
REACHA partnership with IBM and Goa State Higher Education Council,
Government of Goa for SkillsBuild Program.
Converge 2024 Powered by IBM and REACHA Updates -
Day 1 - 15th January 2024 was the inauguration of Industry-Academia Connect
(Shiksha Udyojak Sangam) - first of its kind. The goal of this connect series
was to conduct a series of industry expert sessions for the students of Goa.
Dr. Pramod Sawant Sir, Chief Minister of Goa was the Chief Guest. He shared in his
speech that the collaboration with IBM through SkillsBuild Program is helping Goa
to move towards the Viksitbharat 2047 goal. He added that the Goa Government
has proactively taken up this program in partnership with IBM. This has also
been taken up by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, India.
The ceremony was attended by more than 200 students along with the faculty of
Government College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Sanquelim.
Dr. Mani Madhukar, senior leader from IBM gave an update about the program and
also shared the vision to take this program ahead in a focused manner with Goa
Government and REACHA as the implementing partner.
Dr Niyan Marchon from Goa Government spoke about the Converge Event 2024, the
vision of this program towards Viksit Bharat 2047, and how Goa Government's
partnership with IBM and REACHA is strengthening this effort.
REACHA expert speaker Muneesh Batra gave a market expert session on Cybersecurity
and its importance to the students. REACHA CEO Nikhil Pant also marked
his presence along with team members to further strengthen this initiative.
Day 2 at the Government College of Arts, Science, and Commerce, Quepem on 16th
January 2024 - Insightful Expert Session by Mr. Divyam Garg (REACHA Team
Industry Expert) on Intro to Robotics, Application of Robotics and AI and Robotics.
Day 3 at S.S.A. Government College of Arts and Commerce, Pernem on 17th January 2024 -
Expert Session by Mr. Vasu Sethia (REACHA Team Industry Expert), focusing
on AI in Commerce.
Day 4 at the Government College of Science and Commerce in Borda Margao on
18th January 2024 - Enlightening Expert Session by
Ms. Radhika Verma (REACHA Team Industry Expert), focusing on Emotional Well-Being.
November and December
Circular dated September 20, 2023 from UPSDM, outlining the IBM SkillsBuild Programme was released. This was sent to District Coordinators of all 75
Districts of Uttar Pradesh.
Consequently, circulars dated 16th November 2023,and 26 December 2023 were issued to all
75 districts of Uttar Pradesh, recommending Training Partners (TPs) of the UPSDM / DDUGKY centres
to orient students about the IBM SkillsBuild Programme at their respective centres.
REACHA team is putting in deep dive efforts in - Varanasi, Lucknow, Kanpur, Delhi-NCR,
Raebareli districts and is closely working in coordination with the Local Administration
- DM, DC, MIS/DSM, Local Colleges and Community.
REACHA, in partnership with Jeevitam, participated in the Sansad Rozgar Mela
in Varanasi on 9th December 2023 and 12th December 2023. Team also participated at
the Kanpur Rozgar Mela held at Government ITI, Pandunagar, Kanpur organized by the Training,
counselling and Placement cell, Nodal ITI, Kanpur on 21st December 2023. Meritorious students
were presented with access to employability opportunities.
On November 14, 2023, REACHA team met with the UPSDM Mission Director to discuss
the rollout of IBM SkillsBuild in Uttar Pradesh and how it can help in upskilling
the youth of the state.On November 18, 2023, a meeting was undertaken with Shri Kapil
Dev Aggarwal, the Minister of Vocational Education and Skill Development in Uttar Pradesh
regarding the same efforts.
Prior to gaining access to employability opportunities, the REACHA team has
initiated conducting of classes on Effective Communication and students are motivated
to participate in this course. This proactive approach is aimed to equip students with
fundamental communication skills, ensuring they are well-prepared for the employment journey ahead.
A noteworthy outcome of the December 12 Job Fair in Varanasi was the successful onboarding
of two youths from UPSDM by REACHA.
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24th November 2023
REACHA team is currently on ground for monitoring and evaluation
visit for IIFL (India Infoline Group) Foundation's, Home Stay Host
Training Project in partnership with National Cadet Corps (NCC) India in Tezu,
Arunachal Pradesh.
The students were presented with the Home Stay Host Curriculum Books as they
take on this journey of getting skilled, so that they can contribute towards
the increased demands of Home Stays as a result of increase in tourism in the area.
REACHA team is also going deep into communities to spread information regarding
this training program and also for mobilization efforts. The response has been
positive.
Staff members and youth are getting more excited as they understand the intent
behind the program more, as an initiative like this has not happened in the area in the past.
The students, staff members and REACHA team also went on an exposure visit to a
local homestay in Tezu.
November 2023
REACHA announces partnership with Imperial Auto and Government ITI Faridabad for the project - Industrial Upskilling of Government ITI Students for Job Readiness - FY2023-24.
The goal of the project includes -
- Upskilling of ITI candidates who are already enrolled in ITI Faridabad in trades such as Welding, Fitter, Machinist, any other identified trade.
- Industry exposure to be given to the students of the ITI so that gap between academia and the industry can be addressed.
- The training to take place at Imperial Auto's factory and at its training center where the market aligned curriculum is to be taught to the students as part of their training.
- The enrolled youth to also be trained in life skills such as communication, job readiness etc. so that they can become better prepared as they enter the workforce after finishing ITI.
10 October 2023
REACHA team was part of the Annual IBM SkillsBuild
Event held at Hotel Pullman New Delhi and presented its work that it
has taken up pan India in partnership with IBM. IBM Global CSR team was
also present at the event.
REACHA CEO Mr. Nikhil Pant was part of the panel discussion -
Industrial Revolution 4.0 - shared how REACHA along with its partners in
innovative ways is taking the IBM SkillsBuild Program to the remotest areas in
India.
Mansi Sharma's story was covered by IBM. She joined REACHA a few months back as a
Documentation Executive. Mansi learned many skills through SkillsBuild platform,
and now herself has become a trainer, and goes and visits colleges on ground to
take orientation sessions.
7 October 2023
REACHA team signed an LoU with Department of Higher Education (DHE),
Nagaland and Investment Development Authority of Nagaland (IDAN) to bring
benefits of IBM's CSR initiative - SkillsBuild Program to youth in Nagaland.
REACHA is countrywide implementation partner of IBM SkillsBuild Program.
REACHA team along with IDAN team members covered 10 colleges, across Dimapur and
Kohima as part of phase 1 from 4.10.2023 to 7.10.2023. Around 4000 students from
colleges around these areas were oriented about the IBM SkillsBuild Program during
this phase.
The goal of the initiative is to bring market relevant skills to the
youth of Nagaland so that they can have an equal opportunity to learn these,
and also have a chance of accessing better livelihood opportunities, which can
help them to support themselves and their families.
LoU between REACHA, DHE and IDAN Nagaland is a start of a new partnership,
and will also help in strengthening the Northeastern region of India, which
the government of India is also putting a lot of emphasis on.
20 September 2023
REACHA is grateful to the Indian Army and
Officer In Charge (OIC) Lt Col Pushkar
Basu at Chinar YUVA, Baramulla, Kashmir for
all the support over the last few years.
Under Army's guidance REACHA along with its
CSR Partners has been able to bring in structure to
the Initiatives that are taking place in Kashmir.
OIC Lt Col Pushkar Basu has personally been involved
with all the CSR initiatives of REACHA and its partners at Chinar 9
Jawan Club Baramulla Kashmir.
These CSR initiatives undertaken under supervision and facilitation
of Indian Army, to mainstream school dropouts, local unemployed youth
and to rehabilitate drug addicts from radicalized areas of Baramulla
have been extraordinary and has helped in nation building efforts by
not only benefiting the local community but by also instilling a sense
of pride for country in all of them.
The collaborative nation-building efforts with the Indian Army have not
only benefited the local community but have also fostered a sense of unity
and pride among its members. The trust that has been built over the years
is a reflection of the dedication of our joint efforts. The following data
provides an overview of the accomplishments of the projects spanning from
April 2016 to August 2023, with a focus on the number of beneficiaries
impacted:
- Fashion Designing - 460
- Retail and Hospitality - 1800
- Music - 200
- Coding and Basic Computer (Aligned with National Education Policy 2020) - 120
- Rehabilitation under Drug De-addiction - 4,400
We sincerely thank Indian Army and all our CSR Partners for the support in Kashmir, and also wish Officer In Charge (OIC) Lt Col Pushkar Basu luck for his new posting, for his time and continuous efforts and guidance to the REACHA team in Kashmir! .
12 September 2023
Inaugration of Home Stay Host Training Programme for 160 Youth at Indira Gandhi College
,Tezu, Arunachal Pradesh.
This project, a collaboration between India Infoline Finance Limited (IIFL)
Foundation, the National Cadet Corps (NCC) under the Ministry of Defence and
REACHA, supported by Lohitpur Brigade and Dao Division, aims to transform the
lives of underprivileged youth and
contribute to regional prosperity.
Over the next 12 months, 160 Tezu youth will receive comprehensive
training in home stay hospitality, equipping them for the thriving
tourism industry. This program emphasizes technical skills as well
as essential soft skills such as communication, grooming and computer proficiency.
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Key program objectives:
- Community Engaement: Mobilizing youth for careers in hospitality
- Home Stay Training: Creating professional hosts with industry know-how.
- Employment: Facilitating gainful employment/entrepreneurship in tourism and hospitality.
Esteemed guests included GOC 2 Mtn Div Lt. Gen MS Bains, Mrs. Madhu Jain (Director of IIFL Foundation), Brig Dr. PM Bali, Dr. Kangki Megu (Principal, IGGC Tezu), Local District Administration, and Mr. Nikhil Pant (CEO, REACHA). Deputy Chief Minister Shri Chowna Mein, MP Shri Tapir Gao and others conveyed their wishes through video messages.
This project aligns with PM Modi's vision for Northeast development. REACHA, with IIFL Foundation and NCC's support, is taking a vital step in this direction. Collaboration is central to MDoNER's focus, setting an example for regional development.
This initiative promises positive change, nurturing youth potential and creating a brighter future for Tezu and Arunachal Pradesh.
15 August 2023
77th Independence Day celebrations were held in Kupwara, Jammu &
Kashmir with support of IIFL (India Infoline Group) Foundation
in partnership with Indian Army and REACHA on 14th and 15th August 2023
Students of Hospitality and Retail supported by IIFL Foundation and implemented
by REACHA participated in flag hoisting at DC Office (Kupwara) and interacted
with Deputy Commissioner/District Magistrate Ms. Ayushi Sudan (IAS). Students
handed over the Tiranga to the DC as a token of their love for the nation.
The National Anthem was also sung. There were more than 100 people present
during the Flag Hoisting/exchange, including people from the local community.
The event was undertaken with guidance from Col MS Navalgatti, CO, 41 RR of
the Indian Army at Kupwara.
Staff, Students of the above project and local
civilians participated in a Tiranga Rally to Machil
(60 km from Kupwara) near the line of control and distributed Indian Flags
in the villages that were on the way. Participants were received at Machil
under supervision of Brigadier Vinod Singh Negi
(Commander 53 Infantry Brigade). Col Rajat Kumar Birman
(CO 56 RR) along with other Army officers hoisted the Tiranga on 15
August 2023 along with our students and staff and paid tribute to army
martyrs at Machil War Memorial.
There was a lot of excitement amongst everyone as people came
out of their homes together to celebrate the 77th Independence Day!
The Indian army appreciated the efforts of IIFL Foundation and REACHA for
organising such an event near the line of control. This has sent a
very positive message across the border that people of Kashmir love
their nation like other citizens of India.
28 July 2023
It was such a pleasure and an honor yesterday to welcome Ms Ayushi Sudan,
IAS (DC Kupwara) to meet our graduating students (Retail Associate Training Programme)
and give them certificates at Town Hall, Kupwara for CSR projects supported by
IIFL (India Infoline Group) Foundation under overall supervision of 41 RR, Indian Army.
Her motivating words and encouragement to avail various government
schemes was much appreciated by students and staff.
Our sincere thanks and gratitude to Madhu Jain ji, Director
IIFL Foundation for her constant support and guidance. Also,
to IIFL Foundation team that provides us constant on-field support
to achieve high impact. Sahil Hamid, Zonal Manager, CSR along with
other members of IIFL Foundation are always there.
Certificates of Retailers Association's Skill Council
of India post assessment were given by Ms Sudan to students
from Retail Associate training conducted by REACHA as part of
CSR of IIFL (India Infoline Group). Col MS Navalgatti,
CO, 41 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Maratha Light Infantry was also present
to give away the certificates. Many other important government officials
were also present along with members of the community.
27 May 2023
The Cycling club was inaugurated by Major General Rajesh Sethi, SM, VSM, GOC Dagger Division at the premises of Chinar 9Jawan Club- a reputed Skill Development Centre of Baramulla (Aspirational District of Kashmir). Brigadier R S Rana, Commanding Officer Colonel R J Singh and Major Puskar Basu were also present to grace the occasion.
Ace Kashmiri Cyclist Adnan Bashir, winner of Ride Kashmir Cycle Rally 2022 edition, was felicitated on this occasion.
Adnan is currently training at the Sports Authority of India's (SAI) facility in Haryana. He is representing India in Cycling events and his dream is to get a medal for India at World Championships. He aspires to work hard, do well and become a role model for youth in Kashmir.
REACHA team along with Indian Army gifted Adnan a professional cycle during the ceremony that will help him to work towards his goals of representing India at the global stage and stand up to his potential.
Cycling Club is a noble and thoughtful initiative which would promote the use of cycles in Kashmir and would help to cut carbon emissions in the area. It would also encourage and motivate other cyclists to take up cycling as a serious profession!
11 March 2023
11 March 2023 was a momentous day for team REACHA !
We were honoured to receive and welcome Nirmal Jain ji, Chairman,
IIFL (India Infoline Group), and Madhu Jain ji, Director, IIFL
Foundation to the IIFL Foundation supported skill development projects
in Retail and Hospitality at Aspirational District, Kupwara, Kashmir.
The occasion was graced by GOC HQ 28 Inf Div Maj General Girish Kalia,
VSM along with Commander 68 Mtn Bde Brigadier T K Pant and other senior officers of the Indian Army.
IIFL Foundation is playing a key role in strengthening non-kinetic efforts of the Indian Army
to bring peace and development in the valley through Operation Sadbhavna. 180 youth in Retail trade
and 160 youth in Hospitality 'Chef trade' are being skilled and certified for placement by REACHA.
Certification in Retail is being provided by Retailers Association's Skill Council of India while for
Hospitality REACHA is exploring to partner the The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) better known
as the Taj Hotels. Thus, government mandated and industry / market alighted training and skill development
is being provided in a very sensitive geography through a CSR initiative of IIFL.
Maj Gen Kalia and Nirmal ji motivated the staff and students and encouraged them to work hard and seek bright careers.
Madhu ji along with a parent inaugurated the Hospitality lab and interacted with the students and
energised them with her words of encouragement and appreciation.
Students, parents and staff interacted in an engaging manner with the
visiting dignitaries. Students who have received placement / jobs also presented
their feedback and shared their experiences. They motivated other students to make full use of
this opportunity to develop their career paths.
Team REACHA worked tirelessly to make this happen. Our thanks also to Sahil Hamid from IIFL who has facilitated these projects.
9 March 2023
Team REACHA got the opportunity to celebrate our 31st Anniversary at the Chinar 9 Jawan Club, Baramulla, Kashmir, on 9 March 2023 with Indian Army, our staff and students.
It's been 3 decades of deep-dive community engagement to create an empowered, responsible society, and a developed nation!
Jai Bharat Jai Hind
February 2022
To catalyze 21st century IT based skilling developed by IBM, REACHA has facilitated and is the implementing partner for the IBM SkillsBuild MoU between IBM and Uttar Pradesh Skills Development Mission, Govt of Uttar Pradesh. The MoU was exchanged between IBM & REACHA with the UP Government at Global Investors
Summit on 12th Feb, 2023 at Lucknow in the presence of Government, Corporates and Civil Society.
Shri. Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Textiles, Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri.
Kapil Dev Agarwal, Minister of State, Vocational Education and Skill Development, Mr Andra Vamsi, Uttar Pradesh
Skill Development Mission Director, Mr Manoj Balachandran, Head CSR, IBM India & South Asia and Mr. Nikhil Pant,
CEO REACHA were present to grace the occasion.
A key focus of this MoU is to provide job related online courses to youth in Uttar Pradesh,
with the opportunity to explore related jobs in the market for deserving and meritorious students
from Government institutions. This is part of IBMs efforts to strengthen the New India that is
forging ahead with technology under the able leadership of our Honorable PM Sri Narendra Modi.
8th December 2022
Happy to share that REACHA team was given the 2022 CSR Times Award for
its CSR Project - "Chinar 9 Jawan Club". This award was given at the 9th
National CSR Summit - Role of CSR in Nation Building on 8th December 2022 in New Delhi.
The Chinar 9 Jawan Club Project has helped in increasing the self-confidence amongst youth
of Kashmir by generating placement and self-employment opportunities. It has helped in holistic
development of the local population to wean them away from terrorism, drug addiction and anti-national activities.
We are grateful for the partnership with the Indian Army for this project.
They have continued to be with us and have always guided and strengthened our efforts in Kashmir.
We also are thankful to our donors ONGC, Genpact, IIFL Foundation, and NASSCOM Foundation
that have supported these Nation Building efforts in Kashmir.
Since 2016 more than 5000 youth have benefitted from the above CSR-supported projects at Baramulla.
November 2022
REACHA would like to sincerely thank Genpact for its consistent support since 2018 to our efforts in the development of Kashmir in partnership with the Indian Army. As expressed by the Army, this support has and continues to play a transformative role.
We are happy to share that this partnership will continue in the coming year 2023. The main goal in 2023 would be:
- einforcement of ongoing efforts in Baramulla
- Setting up a new printing SHG in the local community that will help in generating income for the locals
- Scaling up the ongoing training / efforts to another Aspirational District - Kupwara
REACHA looks forward to this support and partnership with Genpact, all aligned with the Indian Army's broader goal to help the people in local communities of Kashmir by bringing in better training and job opportunities.
October 2022
Kojo Kalpana Project - Project Partnership between SmartGaon and REACHA.
21st Century Skills Development through Kojo Coding in Rural India Schools aligned
with National Education Policy (NEP) 2020
9 Schools have been selected with the help of Smartgaon Mart Pvt Ltd / REACHA's network.
Out of these 9 schools, 4 schools are in Uttarakhand, 2 in Uttar Pradesh, 2 in Madhya Pradesh,
and 1 in Bihar. Teachers in these schools were trained and certified by SmartGaon/REACHA Kojo
instructors at the beginning of the project. These teachers conduct weekly sessions in their
respective schools, with support from Kojo Instructors. Fortnightly online sessions are conducted
by the Kojo Instructors to guide the students and review their progress. Mr. Lalit Pant, who
is the creator of Kojo, is a mentor for the program. The Kojo Instructors have been trained by him,
and he participates in many of the sessions - to provide richer learning to teachers and students.
Coding in Kojo can help children learn a lot of fundamental and core skills
- Life skills are improved through printable arts, processes and events around it.
- Focus on regular formative assessment for learning can be checked by self-assessment
- Collaboration and teamwork activities gets improved through pair programming, projects and events
- Critical thinking, creative thinking, problem solving gets improved by building generative art and games.
- Multidisciplinary, holistic, innovation skills are improved by trying out new things with coding, math, physics, art, mandalas, culture and spirituality.
- Coding, Math, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Computational thinking can be improved through building generative art/games.
- Enquiry-driven, discovery-oriented skills are improved through generative art.
- Sense of aesthetics and art gets inculcated via regular practice and publishing.
- A rootedness and pride in India can be nurtured through creation of mandalas, which is a way to explore Indian culture.
- A strong yet beginner-friendly programming language – Scala (which has great support for all the essential ideas in computing and coding – via structured, object-oriented, functional, and concurrent programming).
- A powerful and easy-to-use App (with modern features like syntax highlighting, code completion, IPM, Tracing, History, etc.)
- Rich areas for programming and creation (with real-world connects) – Turtle Graphics, Picture Graphics, Gaming, AI, and Robotics. Well-designed learning modules are available to support the above.
August/September 2022
REACHA team is conducting IBM SkillsBuild Orientation sessions at Divisional and Government ITIs (Industrial Training Institute) across the entire state of Madhya Pradesh in the month of August and September 2022.
The goal of these sessions is to empower the youth enrolled through extra learning sessions on IBM Skillsbuild platform so that they can have better chances of getting employed in the industry. As part of this project, the enrolled youth will undergo active learning, project-based learning and innovation camps with a direct connection to the industry.
This training would help them to gain a competitive edge in the market and will enable them in improving their overall chance of getting suitable jobs.
REACHA team members are relentlessly working on the ground with our partners to create a positive impact in nation-building.
The following colleges are being covered as part of this effort with outreach to approximately 7000 students within September 2022:
Divisional ITIs - Bhopal, Hoshangabad, Indore, Ujjain, Shahdol, Rewa, Gwalior, Bhind
Govt ITIs- Dewas, Betul, Chhindwara, Seoni, Balaghat, Mandla, Singrouli, Satna, Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh, Shivpuri
The faculty and the principals of these institutes are also being presented with the books "Pandit Sriram Sharma Acharya, As I knew him... Memories of a Civil Servant" written by Sri JC Pant, (Founder of REACHA and IAS Retired; 1961 batch from the UP Cadre; Former Secretary, Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture and later Secretary, Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare) and the book “Bats for all Seasons” written by Mr Nikhil Pant CEO, REACHA as a token of appreciation.
15 August, 2022
REACHA in partnership with SmartGaon organized a Kojo coding competition to make creative designs using the Indian National Flag Tri-Color theme -- for students from Grade 6th to Grade 9th, on the occasion of India's 75th Independence Day, which was celebrated on 15th August 2022. The prizes for this competition were distributed on Teachers Day 2022 which was marked on September 5th.
159 students forming 64 teams from 7 schools participated in the competition!
At REACHA we are attempting to use Kojo for some very interesting coding projects. This helps in building the overall awareness of the student, helps them in learning core 21st century skills, helps them to imbibe and learn important cultural concepts of our nation, and also simultaneously keep up with the new NEP 2020 that lays a lot of importance on coding for school children.
July 27, 2022
REACHA team meets Goa Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant!
REACHA team representatives Mr. Hitesh Goyal and Mudit Pant met with CM Dr. Pramod Sawant and Director of Technical Education Dr. Vivek Kamat to share and discuss updates on the ongoing IBM Skillsbuild project. The interactions were quite meaningful and the CM gave ideas on how the youth in Goa can be meaningfully engaged and encouraged towards acquiring employability-enhancing skills.
This has been one of the key projects undertaken by REACHA in partnership with Goa Government and IBM to enhance livelihoods based on 21st Century Skills across pan India including Goa geography
July 27, 2022
Launch of partnership with IIFL Foundation!
A new beginning at Aspirational District Kupwara! 27th July 2022 was a momentous day for the youth of this town in Kashmir.
In the presence, and with support of Indian Army, with CSR support of IIFL (India Infoline Group) Foundation, REACHA launched a skill development initiative to train 180 youth as Retail Associates over a 12 month period. Assessment and certification would be provided by Retailers Association's Skill Council of India under Skill India initiative of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, India.
A key objective would be to train and provide placement to these 180 youth as part of empowering them for sustained, growth oriented careers.
Strengthening the Indian Army in nation building is core to this project. The project will work in close collaboration with the district administration in Kupwara.
25th May, 2022
REACHA Partnership with IBM and Government of Madhya Pradesh!
Directorate of Skill Development, Madhya Pradesh organized an ‘ITI and Industry Linkage Meet, Madhya Pradesh’ on Wednesday, 25 May 2022. The event was attended by reputed delegates from across the country. Mr Nikhil Pant, CEO, REACHA and Mr Hitesh Goyal, IBM Project Head, REACHA, represented REACHA and IBM SkillsBuild at the platform.
Shri Jitendra Singh Raje, IAS, Director - Skill Development, GoMP, delivered the welcome address speech and Sh. Akash Tripathi, IAS, Principal Secretary, Department of Technical Education, Skill Development and Employment, GoMP, shared the opening remarks. Mr Hitesh Goyal presented a detailed overview of the IBM SkillsBuild programme.
During the MOU signing ceremony, an MOU was signed between IBM and the Government of MP for IBM’s IBM SkillsBuild programme, with REACHA being the implementing partner to the project.
We are grateful to the Government of Madhya Pradesh for trusting us with this opportunity.
April/May 2022
KOJO project launched in Baramulla with ONGC support!
We have launched KOJO - Coding and Basic Computer programme (Training to 120 Youth) in Baramulla with ONGC support after a successful pilot project. We are also collaborating with the Education Department of Baramulla for this project.
The Kojo - Coding project is in full alignment with National Education Policy - NEP 2020. The objective is to develop Kojo Instructors who can be engaged/absorbed by Schools that will be soon mandated to include coding as part of their school curriculum under NEP 2020. Thus, as a first mover approach, the project is a potential placement linked 21st Century Skill Training initiative that will prepare the youth to compete for coding-related jobs in Schools.
Click here to access the video on YouTube
20th April, 2022
REACHA sincerely appreciates the opportunity provided to it by the Indian Army and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd CSR to serve the nation through focused efforts at Baramulla, Kashmir since 2016.
Presenting a film on the project journey and impact developed by ONGC - released in April 2022 by ONGC CSR.
Click here to access the video on YouTube
3rd April, 2022
So proud of our REACHA Girls from Kupwara, Kashmir, an Aspirational District!!
A group of 30 girls underwent a 45 day employment linked course on Retail trade at Kupwara in partnership with TRUST FOR RETAILERS & RETAIL ASSOCIATES OF INDIA (TRRAIN), Indian Army and Retailers Association's Skill Council of India
As part of this training they visited retail malls in Srinagar as part of an educational trip.
DC Kupwara was the Chief Guest as REACHA certified 30 young women at Kupwara on 3rd April 2022….with support from Indian Army and TRUST FOR RETAILERS & RETAIL ASSOCIATES OF INDIA (TRRAIN).
About 20 out of these 30 girls have got jobs within 1 month of completion of the training.
An exciting journey starts for these young achievers!! Our Girls from Kupwara are on way to start the journey to transform Kashmir!!
March 9th, 2022
REACHA@30
We began our journey on 9 March 1992.
REACHA team has been at Baramulla Kashmir since 8 March 2022 with our staff and children and youth along with the Indian Army. We celebrated Women's Day on 8 March 2022 and on 9 March 2022 cut a cake for REACHA @30.
Our sincere gratitude to all our partners since inception - ONGC, Genpact, NASSCOM Foundation, Titan, IBM, REC Foundation, Tata Power, Diageo for their continued support, trust and encouragement without which REACHA wouldn’t have been able to achieve this milestone.
Our salute to the Indian Army for trusting us and giving us the opportunity to strengthen its work in Kashmir to make INDIA STRONG and RESILIENT.
Our thanks to the dedicated TEAM REACHA that continues to work day and night to transform - silently but deeply, in a sustainable manner.
Over the years REACHA has impacted hundreds and thousands of lives across the length and breadth of the nation. These are the Changemakers that are attempting to bring India back to its greatness. The task is humongous but not impossible.
We continue our efforts with much diligence, empathy, intent for good and nationalism.
Your continued support, trust and blessings has powered REACHA to where it is today. Our thanks!
Jai Hind!
February 3rd, 2022
REACHA team yesterday met Hon Yashodhara Raje Scindia, Minister of Sports and Youth Welfare,
Technical Education and Skill Development and Employment of Madhya Pradesh. She welcomed our proposal to sign
an MoU with IBM for IBMSkillsBuild with REACHA as Implementing Partner on lines of the Government of Goa Model,
to train thousands of youth in 21st Century, Employment Oriented IT Skills in Madhya Pradesh as part of our nations
quest to emerge a world leader in tech enabled economic superpower. Earlier in the day REACHA team had met Shri Jitendra Singh Raje (IAS),
Director, Skill Development, Madhya Pradesh to prepare for the meeting with the Minister.
REACHA remains steadfast as a national key enabler for collaborations, co-creation and convergence to catalyse nation-building as part of Hon PM Narendra Modi ji’s vision to transform India as it moves towards 100 years of Independence over the next 25 years.
February 3rd, 2022
REACHA would like to thank Jagran Lakecity University for joining hands with us in this nation building effort through IBM SkillsBuild.
JLU Foundation for Incubation & Entrepreneurship (JLUFIE) is delighted to sign an MoU with 'REACHA' - the partner for IBM SkillsBuild Training project in India.
This MoU entails collaborations in the area of Skill Building & Learning for students on digital platform, where they can achieve Industry-relevant skills, get IBM certified badges and seek employment opportunities.
The MoU was signed by CEO of REACHA, Mr. Nikhil Pant and Executive Director of JLUFIE, Mr. Navniit Siingh Chatwal on behalf of JLU.
Other notable dignatries present during the MoU were Vice Chancellor of Jagran Lakecity University, Dr. sandeep shastri and Dean of Faculty of Jounalism & Creative Studies, Dr. Prof. Diwakar Shukla.
January 3rd, 2022
We are proud to launch our new coding project at Chinar 9 Jawan Club. Mr Nikhil Pant, CEO, REACHA; Major Puskar Basu,
Officer Incharge of Chinar 9 Jawan Club; Mr Lalit Pant, Founder, Kojics Foundation; Ms Archna, Programme Manager, REACHA;
Mr Shabid Nabi, Coordinator of Chinar 9 Jawan Club, Mr Aamir and all the potential students who would enhance their skills
through Kojo were present in the online inaugural session of the project on the 3rd of January 2022.
Kojo is an open-source learning environment that runs on any modern internet browser. It aims to make the benefits of coding available to school children so that they can be prepared to participate in technology evolution. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has laid out a roadmap to meet the skills requirements of the future and has identified coding as a core skill for the future. Kojo has been developed by Mr Lalit Pant, a member of the national governing body of REACHA. He has a B.Tech. from IIT Kanpur, M.Tech. from IIT Delhi, and extensive experience in coding and teaching.
November 27th, 2021
Recently, the team at Chinar 9 Jawan Club, Baramulla, Kashmir has been facing problems
with setting up the food processing unit (FPU) despite heavy investment because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In November 2021, when the situation improved, REACHA along with the Indian Army helped the beneficiaries in setting up
the food processing unit and its functioning using the funds disbursed by Genpact and NASSCOM Foundation.
REACHA Team met officers from the Department of Horticulture and lined up training sessions on how to use various types of
equipment at the FPU.
Genpact, NASSCOM Foundation, the Army and REACHA have jointly trained and certified 10 students so far through the Department of Horticulture, J&K Government
November 15th, 2021
REACHA scales up its efforts in the State of J&K in partnership with the Indian Army.
We are glad and honoured to announce our new livelihoods and entrepreneurship project in Kupwara!
REACHA has collaborated with the Indian Army, SIDBI and TYCIA Foundation for a new CSR initiative, “Swavalamban Disha'' which was virtually inaugurated by Shri S. Ramann, CMD, SIDBI on 13th November, 2021. The inauguration was also attended by Col. M. S. Navalgatti, Commanding Officer, 41 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Maratha Light Infantry (LI) of the Indian Army, other Senior Indian Army Officers, TYCIA Foundation team and REACHA team, held at Town Company under aegis of 41 RR, Maratha (LI).
This CSR initiative carries two themes, “SAMARTH & JAZBA”.
Under JAZBA, the intervention will aim at providing financial support via direct bank transfers and rendering capacity building to community role models in Kashmir working on social projects or promoting arts, music and culture.
Under SAMARTH, the invention will aim at generating livelihood through direct bank transfers to people who have lost their primary breadwinner to COVID-19 or their microbusiness have shut down. The funds transferred are to be used by the beneficiaries to start over or scale up their livelihood in order to provide for their family.
We are all enthusiastic and excited to start working and spreading smiles in yet another Aspirational District, Kupwara, J&K.
This is part of REACHA efforts to play a strategic developmental role to strengthen national integration by constructive collaborations with the Indian Army, Our Pride, in the beautiful, scenic, and very sensitive state of J&K.
October 3rd, 2021
REACHA with the support of the Uttar Pradesh Government and Diageo India Private Limited set up 5 oxygen gas plants in UP in an effort to support Covid relief efforts. Diageo had approached REACHA for their CSR COVID-19 project and we have facilitated the same.
The oxygen plants were set up in Konch, Jalaun district; Badagaon, Jhansi district; Talbehat, Lalitpur district;
Naraini, Banda district, Bindki in Fatehpur districts of Uttar Pradesh.
At Konch, the inaugural ceremony was attended by Mrs Sarita Aggarwal, Chairperson of the Nagar Nigam Palika and Dr R K Shukla, in charge of the Community Hospital Centre. At Talbehat, the occasion was graced by Dr Ajay Khara, in charge of the community hospital centre. At Badagoan, we had a small formal inaugural ceremony in the presence of Mr Vivek Joshi from Diageo India, Mr Devendra Singh, occupational therapist; Dr Neeraj Sharma, resident doctor on duty, and Ms Archana Sachan, a pharmacist at the hospital centre.
July 28th, 2021
We are happy to share that our CEO Nikhil Pant and REACHA's story have been featured on the CSR Box homepage.
https://lnkd.in/gARHv2R
Please check out the story at the above link
July 8th, 2021
DIAGEO (India’s leading beverage company) and REACHA, partnered to implement DIAGEO’s LEARNING FOR LIFE programme in Goa to support the hospitality and tourism industry through a skilling programme for youth to prepare them for employment and self-employment opportunities in the hospitality industry.
The programme followed a collaborative approach; it worked with multiple stakeholders – Government, educational institutions, hotels and community football clubs – to deliver the Learning for Life programme and certified a total of 343 learners, 33 percent of which were women. Learning partners included educational institutions such as Government ITIs, Agnel Institute of Catering, Rosary College and Carmel college for women. Hotel partners included the Taj Group, the Leela Goa, the W Goa, ITC Grand Goa, Lalit Goa and the Heritage Village Resort. Football Club partners included FC Goa, Salgaocar FC and Dempo FC.
The programme curriculum was delivered 100% online, due to Covid-19 restrictions, and focused on personality development and communication, enhancing life skills such as financial literacy and negotiation, and technical skills on front service, bar assistance and guest relations. Learners (above legal purchasing age) were also provided access to the Diageo Bar Academy.
The Learning for Life programme also provided learners with access to expert industry practitioners through panel discussions and webinars on aspects such as entrepreneurship, life skills, recruitment and CV writing.
The programme was very well received with 100 percent of project partners citing ‘excellent’ when asked about their overall satisfaction with the programme. The project end line survey brought out that 98 percent of learners ‘strongly agreed’ or ‘somewhat agreed’ that they would be able to use the learnings of the programme in their personal and professional life, were satisfied with the programme and would recommend it to others. 97 percent of learners also stated that they felt more confident about their career prospects after completion of the Learning for Life Programme in Goa.
Over the next 6 months, the programme will focus on industry placements for learners as the hotel and tourism sector in Goa recovers
May 23rd, 2021
India is currently battling with a deadly second wave of Covid 19 that has devastated the country like never before! During times like these it is imperative to come forward and do our bit to support efforts by government, Indian Army, organisations and local communities.
For the past month and a half since the beginning of this second wave, REACHA and its team members have been on ground trying to raise resources and help those who are in need.
Some of the efforts so far include the following:
-
Kashmir (Baramulla):
Assisting Indian Army to combat Covid 19 by providing masks, sanitizers, PPE Kit etc. Also, enabling livelihood enhancement of local women by getting them orders from the market to make masks. These are then distributed by them in the local neighbourhood to promote covid appropriate behaviour. - In partnership with corporate CSR we are assisting Government hospitals across the country, in the states of:
-
In partnership with corporate CSR we are assisting Government hospitals across the country, in the states of:
- Uttar Pradesh
- Karnataka
- Jharkhand
- Maharashtra
- New Delhi
- Providing above with the following to fight Covid:
- Setting up Oxygen Plants
- Oxygen Concentrators
- Ventilators
- BIPAP Machine
- Fowler beds for covid patients
- Sanitizers
- A 24x7 Taskforce at REACHA is working closely with donors, governments, vendors and local communities to ensure that all of these items reach the designated place at the earliest and lives can be saved. This effort by REACHA is not only to fight the current crisis, but also to prepare for the future. NGOs across the country were approached by NITI Aayog (Letter attached) on 1st May 2021 to come forward and assist. REACHA is always with the government and the people of the country FOR OUR NATION!
March 31st, 2021
REACHA has partnered with DIAGEO, India’s leading beverage company, to develop a series of projects under DIAGEO’s 'Learning for Life' programme in Goa.
This programme combines efforts to support the hospitality and tourism industry by creating employment opportunities for women and youth joining the workforce, through a skilling-cum-livelihood
programme for youth.
In six months, the programme will train 340 youth for suitable employment / self-employment roles related to the hospitality industry. The programme is a
placement-linked programme, with a strong component on soft skills and life skills training.
Supported by the Government of Goa, the 'Learning for Life' programme will bring in CSR investment in Goa to support the tourism and hospitality industry,
create an industry ready workforce and reiterate the state of Goa as a ‘responsible’, thriving and inclusive tourism / hospitality hub.
(The project has started from 20th Jan 2021 and the launch of courses will be from 5th April 2021)
March 13-14th, 2021
Sri Shashi Shanker, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), ONGC and Dr. Alka Mittal, Director HR (DHR), ONGC visited REACHA projects with Indian Army at Chinar 9 Jawan Club, Baramulla, Kashmir on Saturday, 13th March 2021. Projects include skill development of Kashmiri youth with focus on women empowerment in trades of fashion designing, retail and hospitality; livelihood enhancement through music and culture and drug de-addiction of youth to wean them away from drugs, and counsel and motivate them towards good health and responsible careers.
CMD and DHR ONGC visited the classrooms and training facility and interacted with students, staff, and army officers to gauge the program and its impact. They were provided deeper insights by Indian Army led by Brigadier Amit Dhir, Commander, 19 Arty Brigade, Baramulla and his team, on how these projects under operation Sadbhavana are transforming lives in Baramulla, Kashmir by providing a viable, sustainable, impactful and scalable model of socio-economic development for local communities. This exemplifies the positive role played by Indian Army as part of national integration and socio-economic development.
On Sunday 14th MArch 2021, ONGC leaders also visited 4 houses in Uri, district Baramulla, that were reconstructed in record time through ONGC CSR support in 2017-18 by REACHA under Army supervision. These houses belonging to local villagers near the LOC (Line of Control) were destroyed during counter insurgency operations by Indian Army. Rebuilt houses were handed over to local villagers in April 2018 - this helped Indian Army change the narrative to come across as a caring entity that also rebuilds homes and lives near sensitive border areas of the country. ONGC CMD and DHR interacted with villagers/house owners and also spoke to Colonel Khan who was posted at the location during the time to gauge impact of their support.
Both Sri Shashi Shanker and Dr Alka Mittal appreciated and encouraged the Army and REACHA to keep doing the good work. They pledged ONGC's continued support to such efforts at nation building.
All ONGC CSR supported projects in partnership with Indian Army are aligned by REACHA to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
REACHA remains ever so grateful to Indian Army and ONGC for giving it the opportunity to serve the nation!
February 27, 2021
REACHA Impact in Kashmir on National Media:
Happy to share that CNBC TV 18 and Genpact have covered REACHA's projects with Indian Army in Baramulla, Kashmir, supported by ONGC and Genpact.
We have been partnering Indian Army in this volatile valley since 2016 bringing about positive social change.
Through our people centric innovative projects, we continue to give a voice to dreams and aspirations of Kashmiri youth as part of our mission to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Indian Army has validated this role as the game changer!
Proof of concept is now ready for scaling to transform Kashmir.
The link to the video is as follows: Click here
February 24, 2021
IBM, Goa State Government and REACHA announced a partnership to provide online courses for the state’s students, job seekers and entrepreneurs that will enhance their technical and professional skills in the presence of Chief Minister of Goa Honorable Sri Pramod Sawant Ji, Chief Secretary of Goa Sri Parimal Rai Ji (IAS), and Principal Secretary (Finance) Shri Puneet Kumar Goyal Ji (IAS).
The project is aimed to foster the skills development of learners, especially village level entrepreneurs and other government stakeholders by providing industry-relevant course content through the IBM SkillsBuild program. The collaboration aims to up-skill up to 10,000 learners across 10 institutions over a period of one year. This partnership has been facilitated by REACHA!
Click to know more
