Tech Mahindra Foundation hosts Saajhi Samajh on ‘First Aid in Schools-Role of a Teacher’

Today, Tech Mahindra Foundation (TMF), the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of Tech Mahindra, hosted the fourth edition of Saajhi Samajh on ‘First Aid in Schools - Role of a Teacher’. Ahead of the World First Aid Day on the 11th September 2021, the event marks the launch of the First Aid & CPR Training, a capacity building program for school teachers, along with the release of a research report, and a panel discussion with experts on this year’s theme. A large number of school teachers, educators, young students, and key stakeholders from the thematic domain participated in the event.

“Teachers can become catalysts of disseminating the knowledge and awareness of First Aid practices among students and the community. Our newly launched teachers’ capacity building program in First Aid & school safety (under the Shikshaantar program) is conceptualized focusing on the same, to make school a safer place of holistic learning," said Rakesh Soni, CEO, Tech Mahindra Foundation. During the first year, this program intends to train a total of 1000 teachers in First Aid and CPR. The program was launched in the presence of Dr. Seema Sharma, Additional Director, Education, East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC). 

The event also marked the release of a research report titled- ‘First Aid for Improving Safety in Schools: A Teachers Perspective’, by Dr. Vanshree Singh, In-charge of St. John & First Aid Training and Director, Indian Red Cross Society-Blood Bank. The report is based on research conducted by the Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit at the Tech Mahindra Foundation. This report focuses on the current understanding and perspectives of teachers, and how school premises can be developed as safe and conducive learning spaces with appropriate First Aid responses during emergencies. 

Addressing the role of a teacher in ensuring school safety with improved First Aid knowledge and training, the panel discussion was undertaken by renowned domain experts including Dr. Subroto Das, Padma Shri Awardee and Co-founder of Lifeline Foundation, along with Dr. Nidhi Kewalramani, Dean, the Tech Mahindra SMART Academies of Healthcare and Ms. Renu Sharma, a Government School teacher from EDMC.

About Tech Mahindra Foundation

Tech Mahindra Foundation is the corporate social responsibility arm of Tech Mahindra Limited, a Mahindra Group Company. Founded in the year 2007, as a Section 25 Company (referred to as a Section 8 Company in the Companies Act, 2013), it has been extensively working in the areas of education, employability, and disability, with a keen focus on corporate volunteering. We are committed to creating happier and safer classrooms by empowering teachers, educators, and leaders in knowledge, skills, and attitude domains aiming for effective school governance. 

Shikshaantar, one of our flagship programs in Education, facilitates the capacity building of school teachers and educators in pedagogical skills and subject-related competencies and has trained over 36,700 teachers of government schools across major cities in India. In alignment with the Shikshaantar program, ‘Saajhi Samajh (or Shared Understanding)', is the Foundation’s attempt towards creating a broader platform to enable advocacy through discourse and discussion on issues related and relevant to the development of teacher training and education in India. In the past, we have hosted three seminars with a focus on teacher development, bringing together an array of experts and specialists.