Proximity’s CCI Tech Program:
A real shot at the future
“Seven girls. One big break. A future beyond the walls of a shelter.”
At SRD Homes in Hyderabad, 40 children share three worn-out computers. For most, they’ve always just been background noise—never tools for opportunity.
But then something shifted.
Seven girls, all teenagers, signed up for a pilot coding program run by Proximity. None of them had touched a computer or keyboard before. But they showed up—curious, a little nervous, but ready to try. That was the start of something real.
But then something shifted.
Seven girls, all teenagers, signed up for a pilot coding program run by Proximity. None of them had touched a computer or keyboard before. But they showed up—curious, a little nervous, but ready to try. That was the start of something real.
From the ground
In over 30 years of running SRD Homes, only a handful of our kids ever made it into tech. This is the first time someone brought coding into our home. It could change everything
— Srinivas Reddy, Director, SRD Homes
Here’s what we set up—and why it worked.
Students
Seven girls, aged 14 to 18. Zero background in coding.
Volunteers
Four people. Two focused on teaching, two on building the curriculum.
Duration
Four months. Two hours of mentoring each week. One hour of self-learning every day.
What they were up against—and what helped them push through.
How we structured the curriculum to balance self-learning with mentorship.
Tech felt
intimidating
None of them had used an online learning platform before. Even logging in was a challenge at first.
We broke it down. Slowly, consistently, patiently.
We broke it down. Slowly, consistently, patiently.
Big groups didn’t work
When everyone was together, no one really spoke up.
Smaller groups made it easier for them to ask, connect, and stay engaged.
Smaller groups made it easier for them to ask, connect, and stay engaged.
Focused group discussions
The content was in English. Fast-paced, technical, overwhelming.
Mentors stepped in to simplify, translate, and explain in ways that made sense.
Mentors stepped in to simplify, translate, and explain in ways that made sense.
Key outcomes & impact
What happened.
Every student completed the course with consistent engagement and participation
96%+ average module completion across HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and SQL
All seven girls submitted unit-wise assignments, individual, and group coding projects
Bilingual mentoring broke language barriers, boosting concept clarity and confidence
Students gained hands-on coding skills and are now ready for advanced tech learning
Scaling the impact
What’s next.
Going deeper
Three students from this group will move into an advanced course—web development and AI. It’ll take what they’ve learned and build on it in a real-world direction.
Reaching wider
We’re taking what worked and bringing it to three more CCIs. And this summer, we’re testing a crash course—shorter, more intense, but still built around steady mentoring.
We’re also refining the program so it fits more learning styles. Because no two kids learn the same way.
Testimonials
What they had to say.
I didn’t know what coding was. Now I’ve made my own website.
Kavya | Student
CCI SRD Homes
It was hard at first, but the mentors helped us so much. I want to keep learning.
Sanya | Student
CCI SRD Homes
Before this, I never thought I could do something like this. Now I can.
Meera | Student
CCI SRD Homes
Want to help? Here’s how.
This isn’t just about code. It’s about confidence. Careers. A sense of what’s possible.
If you believe in that—if you want to help make it happen—here’s how:
Donate: Fund laptops, learning tools
Volunteer: Mentor a student, teach a session, share your skills
Invest: Support us in scaling this model and reaching more children
Volunteer: Mentor a student, teach a session, share your skills
Invest: Support us in scaling this model and reaching more children
