Projects.

GLOBAL OUTREACH

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Jeevandahara

Jeevandhara supports initiatives that provide children from the most marginalized and disadvantaged communities with access to education, psycho-social and skills development support for academic advancement and social well-being. AEC hopes to play a key role in preventing children from feeling obligated to take part in child labour; we hope to encourage children to embrace a mentality of empowerment, and make formal education the norm. Our educational endeavours include funding school libraries and providing the children with books, partnering with neighbouring schools for underprivileged children, and offering youth orientation programs and other specialized training courses.

The Khushi Charitable Society

AEC has partnered with The Khushi Charitable Society, an organization aimed to provide disadvantaged children with education, supplemental nutrition and medical assistance. AEC provides much needed laptops, textbooks (generously donated by Torontonians) and a year’s supply of unlimited Internet for the Khushi Vocational Centre in Rishikesh, India. The contributions made by AEC will foster a positive learning environment for the disadvantaged children in Rishikesh with state of the art computerization. For more information about the Khushi Charitable Society, click here.
Read about the recent statement from the Khushi Charitable Society, in thanks for AEC's efforts in funding the donation of 350 school bags for school children.

Raiwala

Philanthropist and founder of AEC, Diana Alli D'Souza, was in Raiwala, a rural area in India, in an effort to help the poorest of children. Through partnering with an ashram, AEC aims in the coming future to begin mentoring programs in clinics in Raiwala, find ways to provide clean drinking water to the area, and raise funds that will be used towards bus transportation so that the children will no longer have to walk bare foot to school during the winter months.

IN OUR OWN BACKYARD

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The Summer Mentorship Program

Aboriginal youth from the GTA and reserves deservedly will benefit from this unique program and return to their communities as confident citizens and future ambassadors. It has been an honour to witness our rising stars reach new heights in post-secondary education and continue as leaders through youth engagement, the creation of new knowledge and investment in career opportunities for themselves and their communities. One of the main visions of Access Empowerment Council is to "build networks and partnerships with schools, colleges, universities, corporate organizations and communities with sustainable outreach, mentorship and job opportunities for youth," an ambition linked closely with those of the Summer Mentorship Program.


By creating partnerships AEC has begun its first priority right here in Canada by supporting Aboriginal Youth through the Summer Mentorship Program in the Health Sciences, an initiative co-founded by Diana Alli D'Souza (President of AEC) in 1994, near and dear to her heart. AEC funded the SMP  for several years. In partnership with the Faculty of Medicine, this annual donation covered the costs of travel, accommodation, and meals of at least four students from Aboriginal reserve/settlement communities with financial need. The SMP empowers students with job shadowing experiences in hospitals and clinics, and provides ample opportunities with hands-on activities in a variety of health care fields such as Dentistry, Kinesiology, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work and more.