COL-CEMCA and Professor Ram Reddy Trust Explore Collaborative Pathways to Empower Rural Learners

The Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (COL-CEMCA) hosted Ms Jyoti Gaddam, Trustee of the Prof Ram Reddy Trust, on 4 July 2025 for a strategic interaction to explore potential collaborations that advance the enduring legacy of Professor Ram Reddy — a pioneer of open and distance learning (ODL) in India.

Welcomed by Dr B. Shadrach, Director of COL-CEMCA, the meeting focused on aligning efforts to deliver tangible outcomes for underserved communities, especially rural youth and women. Ms Gaddam conveyed her intent to partner with the organisation to support impactful programmes that enhance employability and life skills. “Experiential learning initiatives would be a more meaningful tribute to my father’s vision than ceremonial events,” she remarked.

Dr Shadrach and his team presented several initiatives aligned with the Trust's aspirations, including a pilot project aimed at training 1,000 rural girls across India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka in industry-relevant skills. The project focuses on skilling young girls in communication, critical thinking, and analytical abilities, to mainly prepare them to face the job-market with the skills necessary in 21^st century workplace.

In this context, Ms Gaddam suggested a degree college in Mahabubabad, Telangana — a tribal region — where a dedicated faculty member is keen to mentor and support students. She expressed her interest to also review the training course structure, content, and delivery mechanism to assess its relevance and feasibility for students at the identified college.

Additional areas of mutual interest included COL-CEMCA’s AI Literacy for Farmers COURSE and a COL-CEMCA supported UNESCO course on value education through sports.

The discussions concluded with Ms Gaddam agreeing to explore ways to partner with COL-CEMCA, mainly to translate Prof Ram Reddy’s legacy into action — through inclusive education, skills development, and transformative impact on rural lives.