The Rotary Club of Bombay held a graduation ceremony for its flagship ‘Adult Literacy Program’ in Palghar’s Vikramgad. In a significant achievement, the batch of the program saw 30,000 individuals successfully trained and certified, marking the culmination of a three-month effort to empower local communities with functional literacy.

During the ceremony, the instructors were felicitated with certificates of appreciation for their dedication in educating and empowering members of the community. In addition, the graduates, who completed the program, were awarded certificates in recognition of their newfound functional literacy status. Many graduates took the stage to share their personal stories, highlighting how the program had positively impacted their daily lives, livelihoods, and the confidence it instilled in them.

The ‘Adult Literacy Program’, focuses on providing functional literacy to adults, allowing them to engage more meaningfully in society. The cost to make an adult functionally literate in any vernacular language is only Rs275 per person. This fee covers an NCERT-approved primer kit, stationary, final exam facilitation, graduation certificates, and administration costs.

The program empowers adults to become literate in basic reading, writing, and arithmetic, equipping them with practical knowledge. Graduates learn to read signs, fill out banking forms, understand newspaper headlines, and even manage basic household finances. Furthermore, they are introduced to essential government schemes such as Aadhar Cards and Pradhan Mantri Yojana.

The office-bearers of the Rotary Club of Bombay vowed to make everyone in Palghar functionally literate by 2027. Sandip Agarwalla, past district governor and founder of Adult Literacy Program, said, “It is our resolution to make everyone in Palghar broadly literate. All of them have done a lot of hard work. It is a big achievement that they have become literate.”

Since its inception, the Rotary Club of Bombay’s Adult Literacy Program has educated over 95,000 women, bringing about significant societal transformations. The completion of the program results in greater confidence, upliftment for families, and a collective drive towards a brighter, more inclusive future.