Society For Development Alternatives

India is plagued by large levels of illiteracy, with a higher number of female illiterates. Development Alternatives, under its mandate to empower communities, developed the TARA Akshar+ programme to impart functional literacy in rural and urban spaces. TARA Akshar+ is an intensive information and communication technology-enabled literacy and numeracy programme, which supports and trains illiterate women in reading, writing, and doing simple arithmetic, using advanced learning and memory techniques.

Within 56 days of highly instructive and entertaining two-hour classes, which are held in villages, learners acquire sufficient literacy and numeracy skills to be able to read simple books, write letters, verify her shopping and banking transactions, and go on to learn highly valuable job-related skills. Saving some two years and huge costs, which other teaching programmes require, TARA Akshar+ is demonstrably able to position its graduates to become vocal members of their families and eff

The construction sector is considered to be one of the major contributors to economic growth of a nation. However, the sector is responsible for 37% of carbon emissions worldwide according to a 2021 UN report. The sector needs real transformation to reduce carbon emissions substantially and build resilience against the negative impacts of climate change. Development Alternatives’ ‘Low-carbon Building Materials for Sustainability’ programme focuses on this transformation. The organisation conducts research and develops building materials that use industrial, construction and demolition (C&D), and agri waste and have low-embodied energy. Technologies including Fly Ash Bricks, EcoKiln, and Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC 3 ) are among the innovative solutions that Development Alternatives deliver. For a systemic transformation, it is incessantly working towards transference of these technologies and their know-how, establishing enterprises, and building local capacities in both region