Accenture and READ India to launch rural community development center in Karnataka

NEW DELHI: To provide jobs to over 150 underprivileged women and young girls, Accenture and READ India are launching a rural community development center in Bagepalli in Karnataka. The initiative will provide life and work-skills training in areas such as self-confidence, gender sensitization, sewing and stitching, computer skills, local crafts and reading and writing.

The new center will include a multimedia and communications room, an IT area for ICT-based learning, a library and places where women can attend classes, participate in training and receive medical examinations.

Sarva Dharma Samanvaya Trust, which has been running a school for children at Bagepalli since 2001, is providing the space for the center.

"The rural development center is an extension of our collaborative work to bring systematic change within a community," said Rekha M. Menon, chairman and managing director, Accenture in India. "The overarching goal is to encourage other non-profit and co-funding partners to work together to build an initiative that has far reaching impact and is based on a scalable model with sustainable outcomes. A rural community thrives when the engagement and programs are multi-faceted and address various needs together in a holistic manner."