Marathi school forms marketing team to keep it alive

When around 800 Marathi-medium schools shut in city, DS High School at Sion is the first that is striving endlessly to sustain the troubled water. The rising demand of the English-medium schools is giving the Marathi-medium schools a tough time. The school has formed sales and marketing a teams 'messiah', comprising four people. The team approaches the school alumni, corporate companies and small-medium entrepreneurs (SME) to generate funds.

DNA, in December, had reported how the school, along with Marathi Abhyas Kendra organization, conducted a convention to call for saving the Marathi-medium schools from closure.

Children, mostly from the economically-weaker section, come to the DS school. The school is aided but is not getting non-salary grant since long from the government. Therefore, in order to sustain the school has decided to form a team of sales and marketing for a project named 'Shivdhanushya' that has 12 activities including spoken English, e-learning, music, learning disability rehabilitation, fine/visual Art etc for school students.

Bhavika Koli, a telecaller from sales and marketing team, said, "I make at least 100 calls a day. I speak to the alumni of the school, corporate companies and SME. My job is to explain the project and convince them to donate in order to help underprivileged children take this project. The donations can be done from Rs 500 up to lakh. If a child needs to provide all 12 activities, they can donate Rs 9595."

Another team member from sales and marketing, Bhagyashree Revandkar, said, "I make calls from 10 am. If there are appointments fixed then I and my another teammate Vrushali Khedekar go and meet the people to explain them about the project. Once, we went door to door in one of the societies where there are 30 households. One of the families has given a cheque of Rs 10000 for our project."

The team is headed by Rajendra Dighe from ABC ventures, who explains the plan of action and motivate the team. Rajendra Pradhan, president of DS High School, said, "Our aim is to take this project in other Marathi-medium schools free of cost and also help them sustain. Almost 800 Marathi medium schools have shut. We have the aim to generate within six years at least 400 crores fund."