From vision to impact: Bengaluru's VIDYA South Zone celebrates 15 years of empowering change

Bengaluru: VIDYA South Zone marked its 15th anniversary on Sunday with a special event at Town Hall, themed “A journey from vision to impact”, showcasing its work in educating and empowering underprivileged children, youth and women.

The celebration featured student performances, inspiring transformation stories, and the felicitation of long-serving teachers and alumni.

Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, CEO of the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), attended as a special guest.

Under the leadership of founder-president Rashmi Misra, VIDYA has grown substantially since its inception in 2010.

Rekha Srinivasan, CEO of VIDYA South Zone, said the organisation has reached over 5 lakh beneficiaries through 146 projects and three Centres of Excellence. “What began as a small seed in 2010 has grown into a movement of hope and empowerment,” she said, noting the growth from 150 students in one school to more than 68,000 beneficiaries annually by 2025.

She highlighted success stories of alumni such as Rani, now a quality control analyst, and Santosh, who mentors others after earning a digital certification.

Misra urged support for establishing a dedicated VIDYA school and a digital hub in the city to impart job-readiness and future skills like AI and cybersecurity, ensuring the next phase is “fully digital and full of possibility.”

The anniversary event also included a panel discussion and a call to action for donors, partners and volunteers to continue supporting VIDYA’s mission of delivering quality education and empowerment across the South Zone.