By S.M. Boothem

Retail chain Tata Starbucks has recently announced ‘Empowering young women program’, a new initiative to support them through education, skills development and economic empowerment.

As part of Tata Starbucks commitment to creating equal opportunities, the program will provide them with the education, financial assistance and community support they need to develop their skills and find careers. Tata Starbucks has collaborated with non-profit organisation, Educate Girls, to improve girls’ education in rural and underprivileged areas, and VIDYA India, to provide volunteering and educational support to girls and young women who have relocated to urban cities from villages.

In the first year of the program, Tata Starbucks will support 2,000 girls across India, creating education, skills development and mentoring opportunities that will empower participants to create a better future for themselves and their communities. Every Starbucks store across India will sponsor and support the education of a girl in primary school by covering the cost of enrolment, while improving learning outcomes and school retention rates.

In addition, the company will also donate a percentage of all transactions in the new all-women stores in India to help mobilise communities around the importance of girls’ education through the partnership with ‘Educate Girls’. The program aims to increase educational enrolment and retention within rural communities while improving literacy and numeracy skills.

Tata Starbucks partners can also volunteer to support girls aged four to 18 years old who have relocated to urban cities from villages. Through the VIDYA India collaboration, partners can help to conduct training for life skills, numeracy, and literacy, and volunteer as teachers’ aides to make online classes more effective and engaging. Partners are also invited to participate in parental education awareness programs, designed to advance understanding and engagement around the importance of their children’s education.