BMW, UNICEF join hands to empower children in rural India

The BMW Group and UNICEF on Wednesday announced a partnership in India with an aim to transform the educational landscape for 1 lakh children in four states. The partners would focus on foundational learning and STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) skills from early years through adolescence.

The partnership will provide access to quality STEM education to adolescent girls from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and Tribal Ashramshalas, belonging to the most marginalised groups in hard-to-reach rural areas in Assam, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, the automaker said in a statement.

The partnership is part of a global long-term tie-up between the BMW Group and UNICEF to reach more than 10 million children and young people each year through education and training, including learning in STEM subjects in five countries where BMW has large operations, including South Africa, Brazil, Mexico and Thailand.


"Current employment opportunities come with greater demands for competencies in STEM. Girls particularly miss out on opportunities to learn and practice STEM. Thus, UNICEF is proud to support building a strong foundation for critical thinking in the early years of learning," Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF India Representative, said.

BMW Group India President and CEO Vikram Pawah said the partnership with UNICEF harnesses the most powerful tool for empowerment - education.

"Merging this educational initiative with gender equality and inclusion, especially for underprivileged girl child in India, enhances its effectiveness exponentially," he added.