Ek Kadam Aur Foundation for Education and Health
Ek Kadam Aur (One Step Forward) Foundation works at the intersection of blindness, poverty, and inaccessibility to provide quality education to the children of underserved communities in India and Nepal.
- Bronze Certified 2023
- 80G
- 12A
- CSR-1
About
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Headquarters
Mumbai, Maharashtra
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Since
2017
About us: Ek Kadam Aur Foundation for Education and Health is a nonprofit organization registered in India in 2017. We are registered as a Section 8 Read morecompany with 80-G designation, including registrations for CSR project implementation. The Foundation helps low-income children access quality education through our programs in India. Since 2020, we have contributed to the educational and skill development needs of children with visual impairments in India.
Issue
India is the home of 320,000 children with blindness, and according to NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training), 70.84% of them do not go to school. Most of these blind children live in rural areas where they do not have access to quality education and rehabilitation due to poverty and lack of resources. Some of the critical challenges include lack or paucity of: Rehabilitation support for blind children Special schools in rural areas Special teachers in government schools Knowledge of blindness among parents Inclusive infrastructure in schools Availability of study books in Braille As a result, most of these children do not go to school or cannot complete their primary education and end up unemployed or, worse, live their lives on the street begging. An inclusive and equitable society is the solution: Inclusive and equitable societies are essential for the development of children with blindness. In conclusion, an inclusive and equitable society not only benefits children with blindness but also enriches the entire community by fostering diversity, empathy, and understanding. By prioritizing inclusivity and equity, society can create a more compassionate and supportive environment where every child, regardless of their abilities, can thrive and reach their full potential.
Action
Our Programs: Arunodaya (Sunrise) for Children with Blindness Aims to identify each blind child (with 100% vision loss; ages 5–17 years) from remote parts of India and train them under trainers certified by our team of qualified special educators. This intervention will allow them to thrive within India’s existing social and educational systems. Started in 2020, the program has been creating positive change in the lives of children with blindness. High School Leadership Program Offers 21st-century skills and high-quality learning to high-school students in India and Nepal through virtual sessions facilitated by more than 200 global experts from the US and India. Active Learning Program Promotes student-centered learning and 21st-century skills through workshops and training for teachers and students. It encourages critical thinking, peer-led discussions, and embodied knowledge. This program is active in Andhra Pradesh. We have started this program at Ramakrishna Mission’s College of Education in Coimbatore, Tamilnadu with professors who will pass the active learning concepts to the students in B.Ed., M.Ed., and PhD degree programs. We have also established an audiovisual studio for developing training materials and videos. Nurturing Youth Leaders Provides internship opportunities for high school and college students (both studying and graduates) under its two initiatives: Ambassadors of Change (for High School students and graduates) and Internships for college students and graduates. We work with student interns from Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and New York University who work on the Arunodaya program. These interns review and analyze our data on monthly tests given to the children in our program and surveys conducted on parents and teachers in the schools where our children are enrolled during Phase 2 of the program. Many interns come to India for fieldwork.
Demographies Served
Cause Area
Sector
Impact
Arunodaya(Sunrise) for Blind Program Arunodaya program identifies visually impaired children (ages 5–14 years) from remote parts of India and prepares them to be school-ready. Our Impact 243 Children with blindness are getting support in rehabilitation and assimilation into the shcool 80 Mentors are helping children 25 Special Educators are providing wholistic support 500+ parents of blind children received counseling support 35+ teachers were trained for inclusive teaching methods 1500+ community members were sensitized about the issue At present, we are working in 7 states. High School Leadership Program The program, a flagship initiative of the foundation that started in 2017, offers training in 21st-century skills like communication and leadership. Our Impact 719 Virtual Sessions were organized 1573 Students benefitted Active Learning Program The program started in 2018 and promotes student-centered learning and 21st-century skills through workshops and training for teachers. Our Impact 4 Workshops were conducted 34 Teachers benefitted
Programs
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Arunodaya (Sunrise) for Children with Blindness
The Arunodaya program aims to provide life skills, rehabilitation, and literacy to blind children from marginalized communities in India. We work with blind children’s peer groups, parents, and teachers to ensure a sustainable and lasting impact. Ek Kadam Aur Foundation’s Arunodaya program identifies blind children (ages 5–14 years) from remote parts of India and prepares them to be school-ready. It also helps blind children become independent and thrive within their social structure. We bring positive change by involving children, the community, and schools comprehensively, including training, outreach, and advocacy. We do this by providing:
One-on-one training of blind children for rehabilitation, Braille, and digital literacy
Training for government schoolteachers and sighted peers on Inclusive Education
Community development and awareness programs to prevent blindness in children
Counseling of parents to enable them to provide better support to their children -
High School Leadership Program
StateThe High School Leadership Program (started in 2017) is one of our flagship programs. Under this, we provide training in 21st-century skills such as communication and leadership skills and organize world-class lessons in STEM subjects via virtual classrooms. This direct mentorship opportunity is accessed by more than 1500 high school students in our five partner schools; four in India and one in Nepal. The students benefit from the expertise and knowledge of almost 200 professionals and industry experts in the Foundation’s global network. Over the last 5 years, more than 1500 students have benefitted from the program.
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Active Learning Program
About Active Learning Program: The current education system in India is based upon completing a syllabus mandated by the government within a fixed period. Also, the teaching methods used are not as engaging as they should be to develop real interest in learning in the students. Therefore, this program aims to redevelop how the curriculum is being taught and make classrooms more student-centric through active learning.
This internship would be perfect for students with experience or interest in education, statistical analysis, and social science.
This project aims to:
Develop a method of data collection, surveys, and interviews to assess the impact of the Active Learning program
Analyze the data collected and write a report on ways to improve the program
Make recommendations on the feasibility of scaling without sacrificing educational quality and training of teachers
Impact Metrics
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Number of Blind Children Assimilated Into Regular School
Program Name
Arunodaya (Sunrise) for Children with Blindness
Year-wise Metrics- 2022-23 200
- 2023-24 243
Leadership Team
Demographics & Structure
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No. of Employees
100+
M&E
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Internal, External Assessors
No
Policies
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Ethics and Transparency Policies
No
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Formal CEO Oversight & Compensation Policy
No
Political & Religious Declarations
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On Affiliation if any
No
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On Deployment Bias if any
No
Registration Details
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PAN Card
AAECE5297N
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Registration ID
U74999DL2017NPL310581
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VO ID / Darpan ID
DL/2018/0194487
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12A
AAECE5297NE20214
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80G
AAECE5297NF20211
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FCRA
Not Available
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CSR Registration Number
CSR00001171
Location
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Headquarters
Flat 17C, Tower D, Viceroy Park Thakur Village, Kandivali East, Mumbai, 400101
Directions
Other Details
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Type & Sub Type
Non-profit
Section 8 (formerly Section 25)
Website
Financial Details
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2023-24
IncomeRs.NoneExpensesRs.Admin ExpensesRs.NoneProgram ExpensesRs.NoneTip: Click on any value above to exclude it.