The Board of Trustees of the BCAS Foundation are pleased to present the Annual Report of the activities of the Foundation during the Financial Year 2023–2024.
The year witnessed many activities during the financial year with the help of volunteers and joint projects with the Human Resource Development Committee of the Bombay Chartered Accountants’ Society (BCAS). The list of activities and their impact analysis are given below:
1. Children’s Education
1.1 Digital Classrooms at Vevji, Talasari
BCAS Foundation has undertaken various projects in the Vevji area of Talasari, Maharashtra and Umbergaon, Gujarat for the benefit of tribal and other poor children.
There is an acute shortage of teachers in the Talasari area and therefore, the Foundation set up 25 digital classrooms in 11 schools in the Vevji area. Each digital classroom comprises a TV Screen and preloaded content of the curriculum of standards 1 to 10 of the SSC Board, Maharashtra. In the absence of teachers, students learn on their own with the help of digital classrooms. The project was launched on 28th January, 2023 with the help of the Rushabh Foundation and is working very well. About 1900 students will benefit every year from this project.
1.2 Distribution of Notebooks to Children at Govandi — Mankhurd
BCAS Foundation distributed 4000 notebooks to needy children studying in Municipal Schools in the Govandi — Mankhurd areas, Mumbai, with the help of Dharma Bharati Mission (DBM).
Along with DBM, the Foundation had also been engaged in a project of “Chalo English Sikhaye” for the students at Vernacular Medium Schools of Govandi — Mankhurd areas.
1.3 Educational Tailormade Games / Toys at Arch Foundation, Valsad1
Balvadi is a kind of experimental platform which not only provides interactive processes to the children but also becomes an idea exchange ground for the persons interested in assisting young kids in their foundational journey.
With the help of BCAS’s contribution, Arch Foundation earlier made a number of wooden blocks and prepared other materials which helped a number of children. Wooden Blocks and building open-ended structures, Rollers, and Water play have got children interested in trying out various structures themselves.
1. Five of the short videos of physical knowledge activities. https://drive.google.com/drive folders/19cIkxc0n0uNp4we12LD90MAwg6hmdrhp?usp=drive_link
This year with BCAS Foundation helped in developing some other things — indoors and outdoors in preschool and the surrounding external campus. Arch Foundation provides objects and playthings so that children act on them and create their own knowledge. Some of these interesting play games are as follows:
Balance Beam
The balance beam enables kids to be challenged while improving balance and coordination. Kids improve vestibular balance, movement coordination, and concentration while understanding their body’s centre of gravity. The balance beam also helps to improve self-confidence, learning stability and sense of reaction. Balance is fundamental in all human movement. Research shows that balance skills help children to develop better language, improve reading and writing skills, and improve concentration and body control. In practising new skills in all sports and physical activity, balance is the most essential.
Wooden Wobble Board
Due to the sturdy, design of a balance board, children will support their physical development, practice spatial awareness, and strengthen coordination as they balance.
Playgrounds offer many benefits and childhood opportunities. Playground equipment and child development are closely linked. Children can work on their mental and emotional development by building confidence as they master play equipment such as swings and slides. They can also build social skills as they learn to share, take turns and play together.
Incline
The popularity of slides on playgrounds indicates that young children are naturally interested in incline. Incline seemed particularly rich in potential in physical knowledge activity because children wonder how objects move at different speeds by letting them go without applying any force to them and at different angles and this wonderment builds up their learning.
2.0 Solar Panels at Vraj Hostel, Kaprada, Gujarat — A Green Initiative by BCAS
Sparsh Foundation: Vraj Hostel: Solar Efficient Vraj is home to 20 boys between the ages of 8–14 years, most of whom belong to poor families. The hostel is situated at Tetbari, Kaprada District and the closest city is Vapi, which is 60+ km. away.
BCAS Foundation funded the Solar set up which will make the Hostel a Green Project.
3.0 Tree Plantation Drive
As we celebrate our 75th anniversary, the BCAS Foundation proudly launched a significant green initiative, planting 7,500 trees in Banaskantha, Gujarat, which we now call BCAS वन (Forest). We are deeply grateful to our CSR Donors, Omkara Asset Reconstruction Private Limited and Siyaram Silk Mills Ltd. The Van was created with the support of Vicharta Samuday Samarthan Manch (VSSM) and we are extremely thankful to them. We express our gratitude and sincerely appreciate generous contributions from our various donors.
75 trees were planted by the volunteers of BCAS Foundation at the divine land of Siddh Guru Pith (Proposed), (Courtesy: MaBap Foundation) at Nivari Faliya, Bathi Karambeli, Sanjan, Umargaon.
4.0 INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY CELEBRATIONS
BCAS Foundation along with MaBap Foundation celebrated International Yoga Day on 21st June, 2023 at the Prestige Banquets, Andheri East, Mumbai 400069 from 7 am to 9 am. About 30 people participated and benefited. Yoga Teacher Pradeep Thakkar, a volunteer of the MaBap Foundation conducted the session. CA Gracy Mendes and CA Anand Kothari coordinated the event with the support of BCAS staff and volunteers of the MaBap Foundation.
5.0 OTHER HELPS
Some other activities of the Foundation
During the year the Foundation extended medical and educational help to needy students and family members of the BCAS staff. The foundation also became instrumental in carrying out 50 cataract operations for poor people in Vansada, Gujarat.
We take this opportunity to thank all our donors, volunteers, sister NGOs, office bearers of schools, Office Bearers and the Staff of BCAS, and participants of all conferences / seminars at BCAS for their continued support and encouragement to carry out some noble work to make a positive difference to the world. We also thank all beneficiaries, and children for giving us an opportunity to serve you.
We welcome suggestions and request volunteers to contact us at om1@bcasonline.org.
Best Regards,
For BCAS Foundation
Trustees
