During the pandemic lockdown and school closures the Foundation continues to support teachers’ salaries in the Diocese of Chingleput in Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

The Cuomo Foundation has been active in building and supporting schools for disadvantaged children in the Tamil Nadu state of Southern India since 1999. The current lockdown has seen the closure of all seven of the educational compounds that the Foundation continues to support across the region. The administration and management of the schools are operated by the Dioceses of Madras-Mylapore and Chingleput, with the schools supporting vulnerable communities’ in both inner city and rural areas.

This pandemic crisis has caused widespread financial hardship to many organisations and the Diocese of Chingleput, whose district region is mainly rural, has seen its regular and reliable earnings drastically reduced as its income generating sources such as churches, multi-purpose halls and shops have been shutdown since March. The worst affected by the compulsory closures have been the staff, especially the teachers in the schools partially or fully supported by the church authorities. In response to this crisis, the Cuomo Foundation has donated a financial package to enable the full payment of 123 teachers’ salaries across 18 schools in the state backdated from March through to July.

Click here to see more actions launched in India by the Foundation and worldwide with our partners in response to the current global crisis.