KOLKATA – The World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) and Education for All, a Kolkata-based NGO, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for strategic partnership to promote and collaborate on WFUNA’s training programmes. The memorandum was signed by Mr Bonian Golmohammadi, Secretary General of WFUNA, and Mr H M Bangur, Trustee, Education for All, in the presence of Ms Kiran Mehra Kerpelman, Director, United Nations Information Centre (India & Bhutan) and Mr Sundeep Bhutoria, Member Trustee, Education for All.
WFUNA, a global non-profit membership organisation, represents and co-ordinates over 100 United Nations Associations (UNAs) and its thousands of members across the world. WFUNA works for a stronger and more effective United Nations. “We glad to enter into this partnership that would further add to our expanding field of work across the globe. I am sure the projects jointly carried out with Education for All would benefit the society,” said Mr Bonian Guomohammadi, WFUNA.
Shri H M Bangur, Trustee, Education for All, who is also the Managing Director of Shree Cement – one of India’s leading cement manufacturing companies said “It is a major milestone for Education for All to enter into a collaborative partnership with World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA). Shree Cement has initiated many social welfare projects as a part of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and education being one of the areas.”
Shree Cement has created a corpus for funding various social and environmental projects.
“It is a matter of great prestige for us at Education for All in Kolkata to partner with WFUNA and its programmes that bring together the corporate sector, UNAs and global citizens, to implement grass root solutions. One of the important areas of work in the future would be on climate change,” said Mr Sundeep Bhutoria.
Education For All has been instrumental in launching various welfare programmes for children to promote education and learning. Over 14,000 students from across India have been supported with grants and scholarships since 2006.
The Education For All Project prioritizes need above merit, with the belief that any child who wants to continue going to school has the right to do so. The Trust believes that problems plaguing the nation such as unemployment, crime, corruption and population explosion have all been created by the lack of basic education. Creating opportunities for children to be educated will help minimize, if not eradicate, such issues.