60 Women graduate from Shraddha Maanu Foundation

chennai: shraddha maanu foundation hosted its fourth upasana convocation in chennai, awarding graduation certificates to 60 housewives from across tamil nadu who completed the foundation's community educator programme.the upasana initiative trains women—primarily from marginalised backgrounds—to become part-time school educators through a free, six-month hybrid course. based on howard gardner's multiple intelligences framework, the curriculum includes three months of online learning and three months of practical training. trainees are equipped in functional english, teaching methodology, primary mathematics, science, and value education.delivering the welcome address, foundation founder and ceo madhumati narayanan noted, “65% of our graduates are now working as part-time teachers or edupreneurs, with some serving as headmistresses. what began with five children and a few women has evolved into a movement empowering entire communities.”to date, 510 women have been trained under upasana, reaching 5,000 children across 88 centres in 18 districts. narayanan emphasised that the programme offers a career pathway for homebound, educated women—often overlooked in mainstream employment.justice g.r. swaminathan of the madras high court delivered the convocation address, underscoring the societal value of women's empowerment through education. noted orator and women's advocate dr. bharathy bhaskar, in her special address, spoke of education as a second chance to reclaim dignity and identity.the foundation highlighted that 209 million indian women do not leave their homes daily. by enabling them to become educators, upasana not only aligns with un sdg 5 (gender equality) but also contributes to bridging foundational learning gaps in rural india.