NEW DELHI: Keventers, the 96-year-old iconic milkshake brand, on Tuesday announced its support for a programme that trains underprivileged girls in essential life skills using the game of tennis. The programme, called Edu- Tennis, is currently operational in two schools for low-income families.
“The programme that Keventers is supporting is called EduTennis, which is an awareness building initiative to empower girls to exercise their agency, learn life skills, and access quality education and health, along with other development outcomes listed under the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Agastya Dalmia, founder CEO of Keventers and Managing Trustee of the Amba Dalmia Foundation Trust.
The programme is for school children aged 14-17 years. “The reason we believe tennis works is because we have found it to be an effective medium to actualise the Sustainable Development Goals, especially around girls’ empowerment,” said Jaideep Bhatia, co-founder of EduTennis and honorary secretary of the International Lawn Tennis Club of India.
The partnership is part of Keventers’ policy of “giving back in order to build back better” after the pandemic. To be a part of the initiative, consumers can donate as little as `5, which can be added to their bill in select Keventers outlets across India.
All funds thus collected will be donated to the cause. “Our training will help girls develop an empowered mindset among girls,” said Shivani Singh, EduTennis coach. “We are using children’s interest in tennis to impart valuable lessons. Girls can use such skills to fend off child marriage and being forced to drop out of school.”