Verizon Foundation's Volunteer Spotlight
SOURCE:Verizon
DESCRIPTION:
From where Jo Magnani sits in the United Kingdom, India is a long way away. But it’s close to her heart because of her tie to the Tripura Foundation, which she has helped to sponsor for the past six years.
She started as a sponsor of three children to provide them with education, food, after school activities, STEM classes, yoga and meditation. Now she sponsors an entire HoPE (Heaven on Planet Earth) education center, which serves 35 children.
HoPE learning centers are focused on transforming children’s lives through educational programs, physical activity, nutritious food, and phonemic intelligence; scientifically based sound technologies that stimulate the brain, enhancing learning and emotional development.
“I recently spent some time with teachers, regional coordinators and the children and I can say they are a group very deserving, great kids between 8 and 13 years of age,” Magnani said. “The children come from extremely poor backgrounds where often the father is absent due to alcoholism or suicide. In rural India, far too many children are raised in single-parent; very low single-income homes. Education is the key to their futures.”
She said she hasn’t stopped smiling since she met the children and feels in some small way she is helping.
To learn more about how you can improve the lives of vulnerable children to rise above poverty, please visit the Tripura Foundation website.
KEYWORDS: Education, People, Social Action & Community Engagement, Verizon Foundation, Volunteering, India, HoPE (Heaven on Planet Earth), rural education, nutrition, Youth, global education, after school activities
