• The new project comprises of the construction of a two-storey academic building including a digital library and a dormitory for girls.
• The new dormitory will be a boon for female students from far-off villages as they will be able to live on the campus like the boys.

Moncho Ferrer, Programme Director of RDT and Visha Ferrer, Director of Women Empowerment sector at RDT performed bhoomi pooja and laid the foundation stones for a new academic block and dormitory for girl at the Government Polytechnic, Anantapur on 11^th January, 2021.

The principal, teachers, other staff and students were present for this joyous ceremony along with the Habitat team of RDT who are overlooking the construction and progress of the project. Having participated in the ceremony, Moncho Ferrer expressed, “We, at RDT, have always believed in the transformative power of education and it is a matter of pride for us to be involved in such a large-scale project for the advancement of higher and technical education in Anantapur.”

The academic block is a two-storey building which will include 10 classrooms, a computer lab, a one of its kind digital library along with other rooms for administrative purposes. Additionally, the dormitory building will comprise of with 25 rooms which will be a boon for female students who will be studying at the institute.

“Girls are not encouraged to pursue technical education in rural areas, one of the main reasons being such institutes are far away from the villages. Finding accommodation and living alone in private hostels is not feasible for the girls. But this cannot continue to be a reason these girls are left behind from doing what they want to do. We are grateful for the support of RDT,” says Dr. Keshav Chandra, ex-principal of Government Polytechnic who proposed this project and followed-up in the funding process and has recently retired.

The construction of the buildings is only one part of a bigger project. The overall goal is to promote the right of an inclusive and quality technical vocational training and encouraging respect for diversity and gender equality for the young people in the rural areas of the region of Rayalaseema. For that hundreds of workshops and trainings among other activities will be conducted for a period of two years.

The funding for this project has been received mainly from Generalitat Valenciana (Government of Valencia) and Diputación de Valladolid in Spain while Rural Development Trust (RDT) is implementing the project.

To ensure that these structures are energy efficient, solar panels will be installed on the rooftops of both these structures.

“Currently many girls like me live in a hostel outside the campus. A lot of us don’t like it but we have no choice, if we want to continue with our studies. This project will benefit a lot of girls and their education. I feel happy and proud,” shares Supraja, who is final year student of Electronic and Communications at the institute.

Text: Felita Viegas