UWM is collaborating with the RTOs in Mumbai and Bangalore to train all two/four-wheeler license applicants in safe riding and driving skills. The training is offered free of cost at the RTO premises to all license applicants before they go for their test.

UWM has deployed a team of master trainers at the RTO office who conduct training sessions for all the license applicants in batches of approximately 30 participants per batch. The training covers topics such as: introduction to road safety, causes of road accidents, rules of the road, defensive driving techniques, blind spots, night driving, road rage, use of mobile phones, driving under influence, Good Samaritan Act, pledge for road safety etc. All the participants receive certificates and a special kit comprising of a leaflet on road safety and reflective stickers upon completion of the training. UWM is training 7200 participants over a period of one year. Additionally, UWM has equipped the RTO with a two/four-wheeler simulator, giving the license applicants an opportunity to test their riding/driving skills in a safe and supervised environment.

Leveraging on its networks with youth from colleges, UWM is mobilising youth and conducting sessions to spread awareness and behaviour change for safe road usage and make safe riding/driving aspirational for youth. These sessions are organized during Road Safety Week, World Remembrance Day etc. to engage the community and to build an environment promoting safer road usage.

We have prepared the land and dug pits or Continuous Contour Trenches (CCT) for planting the saplings. CCT helps to prevent soil erosion, reduce runoff, and increase water infiltration.

We have planted 5900 saplings of indigenous varieties using the afforestation method. We aim to green approximately 11+ acres of land. The site belongs to a private school trust, namely Mhasoba Shikshan Prasarak Mandal School, Nimgaon Mahalungi, Shiroor Block, Pune. The school has a well in the premises and has agreed to support the tree plantation project actively. They have also committed to maintaining the trees after the completion of 3 years of the project period. The afforestation method involves creating a new forest in an area where there was no previous tree cover, by converting non-forested lands into forests by planting suitable trees.

The maintenance activities include regular watering, cutting of grass, trimming, periodic de-weeding, application of manure, and spray of insecticides/pesticides, etc. Mulching is done twice or thrice a year depending on the site requirements. Re-plantation is done during the monsoon season of the following year to replace any mortality. The plants are monitored and maintained for a period of 2 years, after which they become self-sustainable. Further, at the end of the project period, the landowners also ensure basic maintenance of the site.

UWM will gift a set of 5 beautifully illustrated children’s books to 10,000 children from low-income families. The books will be in the children’s preferred language and will cover a range of topics and genres to cater to their diverse interests and preferences.

UWM will gift 100 mini libraries (comprising 125 books each) to municipality schools with children from marginalised communities. The mini libraries will be set up in school classrooms where children can access them easily. The mini libraries will have a variety of books for different age groups and reading levels, as well as books on life skills, health, environment, and other relevant themes.

UWM will conduct book reading sessions by children’s authors, who will read aloud their stories and interact with the children. The sessions will be held at the mini library sites or other venues where the children can attend. The sessions will aim to inspire the children to read more, as well as expose them to different styles and genres of writing.

UWM will facilitate workshops for Ayvens India to participate in reading sessions and making books come alive for children of all ages. The workshops will equip the Ayvens staff with the skills and techniques to engage the children in reading activities, such as storytelling, dramatisation, games, quizzes, etc. The workshops will also help the staff to monitor and evaluate the impact of the project on the children’s reading habits and outcomes.