Kaushik Shaparia, CEO, Deutsche Bank Group, India with Nikita Ketkar, CEO, Masoom.
Deutsche Bank in collaboration with Masoom, inaugurated two evening learning centers in Sion and Ghatkopar, Mumbai, as part of the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme in India. The centers will offer educational support to 50 members of the LGBTQIA+ community, helping them prepare for the Grade X examinations (SSC and NIOS) to be held in March 2025. The inaugural event at the Sion center saw attendance from senior leadership at Deutsche Bank and Masoom along with former Masoom students from the LGBTQIA+ community and new learners.
As part of the CSR programme in India, the bank actively supports and helps skill the LGBTQIA+ community to integrate them into the mainstream community. This initiative aims to provide a formal education environment for LGBTQIA+ individuals in India. These individuals often face social and legal discrimination from an early age, leading to denial of fundamental rights such as education, accommodation, healthcare benefits and employment opportunities. Many have had to abandon their education due to discrimination and biases, further exacerbating their economic vulnerabilities.
These learning centers will provide a foundation to build their basic knowledge and competency and enable regular learning by providing all the educational resources and practice exam material for Grade X.
Kaushik Shaparia, CEO, Deutsche Bank Group, India shared, “It is our responsibility as global corporate citizens to create opportunities and platforms for those who are discriminated against. At Deutsche Bank, we have always been committed to empowering marginalised communities. By helping members of the LGBTQIA+ community complete their Class X education, we hope to open doors to gainful employment and improved standards of living.”
“We are inspired every day by the individuals who dedicatedly attend classes at our night schools, to further their personal growth. Their perseverance fuels our determination to make quality education accessible to anyone who seeks it. We are grateful for Deutsche Bank’s unwavering support as we expand our interventions to more members of the LGBTQIA+ community,” said Nikita Ketkar, CEO, Masoom.
Since 2015, Deutsche Bank and Masoom have partnered to support operations of 20-night schools in Mumbai, providing educational support for more than 10,000 school dropouts. This night school transformation programme helps reintegrate these adults into the formal education system, supporting them in their efforts to obtain their Grade X certifications and improving their career opportunities. Since last year, the bank has also supported the Masoom career cell programme offering career courses to 100 women. This year, in addition to the learning centers in Mumbai, an evening learning center is also being established in Pune to support 70 school dropouts.
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