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Our Flagship School


PACE's Piyali Learning Center (PLC) serves as a catalyst for change in Piyali Junction, India as well as a prototype for creating a lasting difference throughout the world.


an overview196722_1894008191340_1275605702_2207576_7344661_n.jpg
India’s population exceeds 1.2 billion people. That is four times the population of the United States in an area three times smaller. 35% of the world’s illiterate population live in  India, and it is the poor that make up most of this staggering statistic. In Piyali Junction, only 57% of girls and women are able to read and write.

Piyali Junction lies about thirty miles outside of Kolkata. Much of the village lives on less than $1 per day. For most girls this means that school is not an option. Instead, they tend to their families' needs, work in the fields and as domestic servants, endure abuse, and in many cases are married off as children. Since 2003 PACE has been working to change this.




IMG_5788.jpgthe school
From math and English to computer science and dance, PLC provides a holistic education for over 200 girls. Each student receives books, stationery, uniforms, breakfast and lunch, hygiene kits, and medical check-ups. At the new three-acre site, larger classrooms, computer labs, and dormitories are just some of the many buildings that the PLC community will soon call home.

 
sanctuary abode for education (SAFE)
The abuse and exploitation that threaten a number of PLC’s students has led to the creation of SAFE. This residence ensures that at-risk girls are able to complete their education, as well as lead a life free from fear.


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shakti: adult literacy
Shakti--which means "strength" in Bengali--was made possible by the Rotary Club of Thousand Oaks (USA). Shakti teaches women to read, write, calculate practical mathematics, and make sound decisions about health, nutrition, and safety for themselves and their families. Shakti is making significant strides in the lives of women, who are in turn, making tremendous change in their communities.


vocational training center (VTC)
VTC provides women in Piyali with courses in sewing and tailoring. As part of their training the women sew the school uniforms and costumes for annual cultural performances. VTC equips women with the skill-set they need to earn an income and gain respect. Even more, the VTC women develop confidence in their abilities and attain self-worth.


349.jpgmukta: jewelry making
The women of MUKTA--which means "liberty" in Bengali--are earning an income by selling handmade jewelry. Reinvesting a portion of the revenue back into the program and depositing the rest into a savings account, the women learn about entrepreneurship and money management.


health, hunger and humanity (3-H)
Because of the partnership with the Rotary Club of Metropolitan Calcutta (India), clean water wells, roads, thousands of fruit trees and sanitation units are now a part of the village. Micro-credit loans are also making it possible for individuals to become financially stable.




rotary-mini-logo.png Association with Rotary International
Through our partnership with the Rotary Club of Metropolitan Calcutta Trust (India), the support of innumerable Rotary clubs from around the planet and the generous 3-H (Health, Hunger and Humanity) Grant  from The Rotary Foundation clean water wells, sanitation units, rain water harvest systems, solar utilities, medical and dental camps, roads, thousands of fruit trees and co-op farming will all be part of the village creating an environment where the villagers are learning to fish for themselves. Adult Literacy, Vocational Training and Micro-credit loans are already making it possible for women to become empowered and families to become more financially stable.




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