CSR Dashboard

Author: csr-admin

  • PepsciCo launches rejuvenated wastewater pond, impacting 2,000 people in Punjab

    PepsciCo launches rejuvenated wastewater pond, impacting 2,000 people in Punjab

    A rejuvenated wastewater pond in Sangrur, Punjab was launched by PepsiCo India and Alternative Development Initiatives (ADI), marking the culmination of World Water Week 2021. This project has led to positively impacting the lives of over 2000 people

    A rejuvenated wastewater pond in Sangrur, Punjab was launched by PepsiCo India and Alternative Development Initiatives (ADI), marking the culmination of World Water Week 2021.

    This project has led to positively impacting the lives of over 2000 people in Bijalpur in Sangrur, PespiCo India said in a statement.

    The rejuvenated wastewater pond was inaugurated by Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) Chairman Prof Adarsh Pal Vig, Bijalpur Sarpanch S Ranjeet and ADI’s Rajinder Nijjar and PepsiCo India Head of Sustainability Juhi Gupta.

    PPCB Chairman Prof Adarsh Pal Vig said disposal of wastewater in the ponds is a major public health concern as the stagnant water leads to bad smell and spread of many diseases.

    “There is an emerging need for water restoration and preservation leading to multiple benefits including ground water recharging, environment regeneration, and livelihood and the local level,” he said.

    To take this initiative forward, PepsiCo India in partnership with ADI came forward to help the state government in their efforts to rejuvenate water bodies for daily household and irrigation purposes, he said.

    “I would like to congratulate the team of PepsiCo India and ADI for coming forward to start an initiative of taking up the village ponds for in-site remediation through use mix of cost effective and indigenous biotechnologies-based techniques so that wastewater could be treated,” he said.

    PPCB will always support and facilitate more of such water conservation projects with help of villagers and local communities to restore the ecology of Punjab, he added.

    The program complements the effort of the Punjab government in cleaning the community ponds collecting household wastewater, and using the treated wastewater for irrigation purposes, reducing the burden of depleting fresh water sources.

    This initiative will bring in more area under agriculture, as the wastewater pond will have water available round the year irrespective of climatic variability.

  • Coke and Rajahmundry MC launch Swatchata Hero

    Coke and Rajahmundry MC launch Swatchata Hero

    Sri Sarvaraya Sugars Ltd., the bottling arm of Coca-Cola in India, along with Rajahmundry Municipal Corporation (RMC) jointly launched a citizenship movement, to drive awareness on plastic waste management. Aligned to the Government of India priorities under

    Sri Sarvaraya Sugars Ltd., the bottling arm of Coca-Cola in India, along with Rajahmundry Municipal Corporation (RMC) jointly launched a citizenship movement, to drive awareness on plastic waste management. Aligned to the Government of India priorities under the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission, the Swatchata Hero Initiative is a step towards strengthening the national agenda of responsible waste segregation and management through citizen involvement. The initiative, presently spanning across Rajahmundry and Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, additionally aims at improving socio-economic conditions of the informal waste sector, raising awareness on waste segregation, influencing attitudinal changes amongst citizens and protecting natural habitats.

    With changing consumption patterns and rapid economic growth, there is an ever-emerging need to formalize and strengthen sustainable waste management through meaningful initiatives that not just engage with the citizens but mobilize them to action. To create awareness around plastic circular economy and responsible waste management, Rajahmundry Municipal Corporation (RMC) partnered with Sri Sarvaraya Sugars Ltd., bottling partner of Coca-Cola to launch a holistic cleanliness drive across the state.

    Under the initiative, several branded kiosks and selfie booths have been set up along with collection vans in 50 wards of Rajamahendravaram. In the first phase which spanned over 35 days, the initiative successfully collected 5 tons (150 kgs per day) of plastic waste from both residential and slum areas. It has garnered active participation from Andhra Pradesh citizens and also gained momentum on social media with participants posting pictures on Facebook, Twitter to further create awareness and engagement.

    Dr. A Vinuthna, Health Officer, Municipal Corporation Rajamahendravaram, said, “Cleanliness and responsible waste disposal is a discipline that we should imbibe in our day-to-day lives. To steer through the challenges around waste management, we need to make simple yet significant commitment to this cause at an individual level. Swatchata Hero Initiative is a right step in that direction to call citizens to action and drive an attitudinal change at large. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Coca-Cola India for supporting us in our Swatchata Hero Initiative and helping us spread the message of cleanliness and hygiene amongst the citizens of Andhra Pradesh.”

    Commenting on the partnership, Dr. S.B.P.P. Rammohan, Managing Director, Sri Sarvaraya Sugars Ltd, said “The Coca-Cola ecosystem, is driven by the vision of creating a ‘World Without Waste’ and remains committed to its three-pronged strategy – Design, Collect & Partner. We are really proud to liaise with Rajahmundry Municipal Corporation (RMC) to drive, create and accelerate waste collection program in major cities of Andhra Pradesh. The amount of waste being generated today and its subsequent ramifications are alarming, the onus is on each one of us to inculcate a behavioural change at the individual level. Swatchata Hero Initiative will not only contribute towards the Indian government’s Swachh Bharat Mission but also towards creating a green, clean, healthy, safe and sustainable environment.”

    Encouraged by the success of the first phase, Swatchata Hero Initiative has been extended to another 60 days to spread across 4 major cities in Andhra Pradesh. The second phase of the campaign aims at the collection of an additional 10 tons of plastic waste by citizenship movements across Andhra Pradesh. To mobilize citizen participation, Coca-Cola products and merchandise are being distributed on the collection and deposition of plastic waste. The collected waste is being sent to a local recycling partner – Shakti Plastic Industries.

  • Amway celebrates World Health Day

    Amway celebrates World Health Day

    Building on its global expertise in the nutrition and wellness domain, Amway India, one of the country’s leading FMCG direct selling companies, celebrated World Health Day with a national webinar on building a better tomorrow with a focus on nutrition in children

    Building on its global expertise in the nutrition and wellness domain, Amway India, one of the country’s leading FMCG direct selling companies, celebrated World Health Day with a national webinar on building a better tomorrow with a focus on nutrition in children. Organized in association with its NGO partner SRF Foundation, the virtual platform brought together policy experts, subject-matter experts, and industry leaders to discuss current challenges and opportunities in improving nutrition and health amongst children, especially those under 5.

    As per the latest National Family Health Survey (NHFS), 18 of the 22 states and Union Territories (UTs) have recorded an alarming rise in the malnutrition condition of children under five. While each of the surveyed states and UTs reported 22 per cent or more stunted children, at least eight out of 342 surveyed districts registered more than 50 per cent prevalence of child stunting. Deliberating on such critical issues and the need to address inequities in access to health and nutrition, present at the conference were Ms Jyotika Kalra, Member, National Human Rights Commission, Mrs Rajbala Kataria, Joint Director, Women and Child Development Department, Haryana, Dr Sujeet Ranjan, Executive Director, The Coalition for Food and Nutrition Security (CFNS), Mr Ajay Khanna, Chief Marketing Officer, Amway India Enterprises Pvt. Ltd, Dr Sirimavo Nair, Professor in Foods and Nutrition, Faculty of Family and Community Sciences, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Mr Basant Kumar Dube, District Immunization and Child Health Officer, Nuh and Dr Y. Suresh Reddy, Director, SRF Foundation.

    Speaking at the conference, Ajay Khanna, Chief Marketing Officer Amway India said, “The WHO theme* of World Health Day 2021 of building a fairer, healthier world is a clarion call to strengthen action in the best possible way to make lives healthier and better for every child in the country. Amway India is one of the foremost proponents of holistic nutrition and wellness. With our vision of helping people live better, healthier lives, we endeavour to make a tangible societal impact through multiple social initiatives. Aligned with the Government of India’s National Nutrition Mission, Amway had introduced its globally acclaimed campaign, ‘Power of 5’ aimed to raise awareness on the issue of childhood malnutrition and bring in the much-needed behavioural shift among mothers and communities at large. Leveraging the success of our pilot project in Kirari Village, New Delhi, we are launching the second phase of this project with SRF Foundation in Nuh district, Haryana. Under this two-year program, we intend to benefit over 51,000 people including 15,000 children in the age group of 0-8 years. I truly believe that with similar meaningful partnerships and collaborations, we can achieve the vision of a healthy India.”

  • Samsung phones used in eye care

    Samsung phones used in eye care

    Samsung Electronics is repurposing older smartphones to enable greater access to ophthalmic health care in underserved communities around the world. Samsung partnered with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) and Yonsei University

    Samsung Electronics is repurposing older smartphones to enable greater access to ophthalmic health care in underserved communities around the world. Samsung partnered with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) and Yonsei University Health System (YUHS) in Korea to create medical devices that screen for eye disease by upcycling Galaxy smartphones that are no longer of use. This Galaxy Upcycling program is helping to address approximately 1 billion global cases of vision impairment that are preventable with a proper diagnosis.

    According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 2.2 billion people have a form of vision impairment and almost half of these cases were preventable or have yet to be addressed. There is a large disparity in the prevalence of vision impairment depending on the affordability and availability of eye care services. This is estimated to be four times more common in low- and middle-income regions as compared to high-income regions.

    “People around the globe face barriers to accessing fundamental health care, and we saw an opportunity to engineer smart, innovative solutions that reuse products to drive more sustainable practices and make a positive impact in our communities,” said Sung-Koo Kim, VP of Sustainability Management Office, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “This program embodies Samsung’s belief that technology can enrich people’s lives and help us build a more equitable and sustainable future for all.”

    In 2017, Samsung created the Galaxy Upcycling program to introduce innovative ways that Galaxy devices can make a positive impact. Through the program, an older Galaxy smartphone can become the brain of the EYELIKE™ handheld fundus camera, which connects to a lens attachment for enhanced fundus diagnosis, while the smartphone is used to capture images. The Galaxy device then utilizes an artificial intelligence algorithm to analyze and diagnose the images for ophthalmic diseases and connects to an app that accurately captures patient data and suggests a treatment regimen at a fraction of the cost of commercial instruments. The unique and affordable diagnosis camera can screen patients for conditions that may lead to blindness, including diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration.

    “We were looking for an eye health diagnosis solution that was cost-effective to reach as many people as possible, and when we saw the performance of Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones, we wanted to integrate their upcycling efforts into our research,” said Dr Sangchul Yoon of Yonsei University Health System. “The combination of using multiple optical technologies and artificial intelligence, coupled with camera performance of a Galaxy smartphone, created an affordable medical device that was just as capable as a fundus camera used by medical professionals. This not only solved a health issue but a growing environmental concern as well.”

    Since 2018, Samsung has partnered with IAPB and Yonsei University Health System to benefit the lives and vision of more than 19,000 residents in Vietnam with its portable retinal camera. In 2019 alone, it supplied 90 portable ophthalmoscopes to health professionals operating in remote regions of the country without access to walk-in clinics. Now, Samsung has expanded the program to India, Morocco and Papua New Guinea. Samsung is also broadening its capabilities to new screening areas, including using upcycled Galaxy devices to create smartphone-based portable colposcopes to screen for cervical cancer and improve women’s access to quality health care.

  • Gen-next found to be more giving

    Gen-next found to be more giving

    Families in India have shown great traction in their philanthropic actions over the last year as they deployed both short-term relief funding as well as longer-term grants to non-profits in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and the momentum

    Families in India have shown great traction in their philanthropic actions over the last year as they deployed both short-term relief funding as well as longer-term grants to non-profits in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and the momentum is likely to continue this year as well, says a report.

    Dasra, a strategic philanthropy foundation, on Wednesday released the top ten philanthropy trends for 2021, as per which, family giving is expected to witness an increase in 2021.

    “Next-generation givers are also leaning into philanthropy now more than ever, even if their interest areas are largely varied compared to that of their families. Overall, family giving is expected to witness an increase in 2021,” it said.

    Citing a recent survey by GiveIndia, it said the country’s appetite for giving has radically increased during the pandemic — 85 per cent of respondents plan to increase their giving, with 74 per cent more inclined to contribute to local communities.

    “As normalcy resumes, priorities of retail givers might shift but at least a fourth of fresh givers are expected to remain active during this year. With the advent of new platforms such as the Social Stock Exchange (SSE) in the coming year, this thrust towards expanding the base of givers is expected to grow even further,” it noted.

    Further, the report said that over the last year, CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) capital has drastically diminished, international funding has become increasingly restricted due to FCRA (Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act) regulations, and an increasing number of family givers are looking to own and operate their own programmes.

    “Larger and more well-established non-profits are expected to receive much of the available philanthropic funding. For mid-size and smaller organisations, recovery will be much slower, if at all,” it noted.

    Among corporates in India, while proximate giving has always been an important emphasis, the pandemic has heightened its significance and further pushed CSR funding towards areas in and around company offices or factories a trend that is expected to continue this year.

    The India Philanthropy Trends 2021 is based on collective foresight from the Community of Foundations, a group of professional philanthropic leaders representing 20 of the most influential Indian and international foundations such as The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives, Omidyar Network and Nilekani Philanthropies.

  • Smile Foundation partners with IIT-Kanpur

    Smile Foundation partners with IIT-Kanpur

    Smile Foundation has partnered with IIT-Kanpur’s premier Technical and Entrepreneurship Festival Techkriti ’21 to support the latter’s social welfare initiatives. On February 12, Techkriti conducted a drawing completion as a part of its social

    Smile Foundation has partnered with IIT-Kanpur’s premier Technical and Entrepreneurship Festival Techkriti ’21 to support the latter’s social welfare initiatives. On February 12, Techkriti conducted a drawing completion as a part of its social initiative BLISS – Brightening Lives by Igniting Social Support in collaboration with Smile Foundation’s Shiksha Na Ruke campaign.

    Techkriti is a meeting of minds, an excellent platform to collaborate and bring about positive change in the education sector. The much-awaited festival witnesses nearly 20,000 participants with over 1,000 participants from abroad. Through the pandemic, Smile Foundation has implemented a blended learning approach under its Shiksha Na Ruke initiative to ensure the continued education of school children to mitigate disruption from COVID-19.

    Smile Foundation’s blended learning approach improves access to education for students across India through multiple means – smartphones, tablets, television sets, radio and even through feature phones. The blended learning approach includes a methodology for continued learning, even after schools gradually re-open.

    Speaking about the partnership, Santanu Mishra, Co-Founder, and Executive Trustee, Smile Foundation said, “At Smile, we believe that real and permanent change on the ground is only possible with the active participation of civil society. In the pandemic, people from all walks of life and organizations and institutions came together as one and showed up a resilient front which helped the most vulnerable survive the crisis. But there is a lot more to be done to get them back on their feet. Working with children for almost two decades now, we feel that children have been one of the worst sufferers of the pandemic. Particularly, less privileged children, who could not continue their education properly as they had little or no access to digital learning. Through our Shiksha Na Ruke initiative, we are making efforts to provide continued access to education for all children through a blended learning approach so that they do not drop out of the fold of education. We are grateful to Techkriti’21 for lending their support to the cause and the student volunteers who are dedicating their time to make learning engaging and fun for our children”.

  • SBI Insurance provides sanitation facilities for girl students

    SBI Insurance provides sanitation facilities for girl students

    SBI General Insurance, one of the leading General Insurance companies in India, has enabled the construction of 15 sanitation facilities for girl students in Wada and Chimur talukas in Palghar district of Maharashtra, thereby impacting lives

    SBI General Insurance, one of the leading General Insurance companies in India, has enabled the construction of 15 sanitation facilities for girl students in Wada and Chimur talukas in Palghar district of Maharashtra, thereby impacting lives of thousands of girl students.

    Under the CSR project, SBI General has funded the construction of 15‘safe space’ restrooms for girls around schools in rural districts of Maharashtra. These restrooms along with the 5 built last year will be used by over 10,000 girls in the coming five years. This will have a two-fold impact: not only will it create a sense of ownership and qualitative change in their hygiene habits, but also increase the attendance of girls at the schools thereby enabling them to complete their education. In addition to this, special workshops on hygiene and sanitation were also conducted for the girls. Going forward, the goal for SBI General and Learning Space Foundation is to ensure that every school in rural Maharashtra has a safe space restroom. SBI General Insurance has partnered with Palghar based NGO, Learning Space Foundation (LSF) for this project.

    Shefali Khalsa, Head – Brand & Corporate Communication, SBI General Insurance said, “At SBIG, we follow a defined CSR strategy which focuses on various areas and segments. One of the key focus areas is education for the underprivileged. Contributing to this area aiming at girl students’ education, hygiene and wellbeing, we had initiated this project. In this region, what really stood out to us was the very high school drop-out rates of adolescent girls from agricultural and tribal communities. One of the main reasons for drop-out was the lack of sanitation facilities at Zilla Parishad Schools”.

    She added, “We are hopeful that our contribution and this CSR initiative will support some bit of drop-outs and will enable girl students to continue their education.”

    Besides giving access to sanitation facilities, through partnership, the girl students were also trained and encouraged to embrace menstrual hygiene practices.

  • Honda Road Safety E-Gurukul launched

    Honda Road Safety E-Gurukul launched

    Supporting NSS volunteers who continue to serve the nation even during COVID-19 uncertainties, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI) today announced that its road safety training ‘Honda Road Safety E-Gurukul’ has successfully

    Supporting NSS volunteers who continue to serve the nation even during COVID-19 uncertainties, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI) today announced that its road safety training ‘Honda Road Safety E-Gurukul’ has successfully empowered over 23,000 National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers across India on staying safe on roads, that too digitally, from the safety of their homes.

    Across India, Honda’s specialized road safety instructors digitally trained the National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers aged 16 years + on the important aspects of road safety. Noteworthy, that in just 8 months beginning June 2020, Honda reached out to the NSS volunteers of over 200 colleges of 13 universities across 30+ towns & cities of India – From East (Dhanbad, Sambalpur, Medinapore, Gaya, Durg) to West (Ahmednagar, Nashik & Pune); North (Bilaspur, Gurugram, Udaipur, Delhi) to South (Kannur, Trivandrum, Calicut, Ernakulam, Thrissur).

    Speaking on this milestone achievement, Mr. Prabhu Nagaraj, Senior Vice President – Brand & Communications, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “For 20 years, Honda has been aggressively working in India towards its vision of ‘Safety for Everyone’ on roads. We respect the grit of NSS volunteers across the nation who continued serving the society even in the challenging times of COVID-19. To enhance their safety & inculcate safer riding habits, Honda has digitally trained more than 23,000 NSS volunteers of over 200 colleges in just 8 months. With this initiative, Honda aims to sensitize all type of road users, be it existing or new riders, pedestrians or pillions of their responsibility on roads.”

    Keeping it informative yet engaging, Honda’s road safety instructors conducted a 2-hour long Road Safety Webinar based on a mix of theory, videos & case studies.

    NSS volunteers were given an understanding of road safety rules, signs & markings (the difference between mandatory, cautionary & informative signs; yellow, white or double lines) and traffic lights & signals (stop, move, left turn, right turn, go straight or slow down).

    The volunteers were also briefed on how they can pro-actively avoid road accident injuries by scientific techniques like the correct driving/riding posture, the importance of wearing a seatbelt or helmet and riding gears.

    Further, Honda’s safety instructors also educated the NSS volunteers on road sharing manners (sticking to your lane, use of bicycle tracks & footpaths by bicycle riders & pedestrians).

  • BHEL, 4 PSUs doing CSR work in 41 aspirational districts

    BHEL, 4 PSUs doing CSR work in 41 aspirational districts

    The government on Tuesday informed Parliament that five central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) including BHEL have undertaken up CSR works in 41 aspirational districts in 15-odd states in last two years

    The government on Tuesday informed Parliament that five central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) including BHEL have undertaken up CSR works in 41 aspirational districts in 15-odd states in last two years.

    Besides Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), Andrew Yule and Co Ltd (AYCL), Bridge and Roof Co (India) Ltd (B&R), The Braithwaite Burn and Jessop Construction Co Ltd (BBJ) and Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments (REIL) have taken up CSR activities in 41 aspirational districts during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 fiscal years.

    In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Prakash Javadekar said BHEL is working in 34 aspirational districts in 12 states including Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in last two years.

    Whereas B&R is doing CSR works in three districts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, while REIL in three districts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

    Andrew Yule and Co Ltd has taken up two districts in West Bengal and BBJ one district in Assam in last two years, the minister added.

    The minister also informed that the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) in its December 2018 guidelines had told CPSEs to give preference to aspirational districts under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

  • SOS Village come to aid of women in need

    SOS Village come to aid of women in need

    A five-year-long women empowerment and livelihood intervention from SOS Children’s Villages of India tripled the monthly income and the social status of several Extremely Backward Caste and Scheduled Caste women of Kamruddinpur, a village in Begusarai District of Bihar

    A five-year-long women empowerment and livelihood intervention from SOS Children’s Villages of India tripled the monthly income and the social status of several Extremely Backward Caste and Scheduled Caste women of Kamruddinpur, a village in Begusarai District of Bihar. The case story titled, ‘Empowering women leading to economic development – Alleviating poverty through collective effort capturing this outcome has been adjudged among the top 10 livelihood development case stories in India by the prestigious ‘Sitaram Rao Livelihoods India Case Study Competition 2021’, a national-level initiative to collate the best models of livelihoods’ promotion in the country.

    Conceived under the SOS Children’s Villages’ flagship Family Strengthening Programme, a community outreach model to build the capacity of vulnerable families in order to uphold quality childcare for their children, the Kamruddinpur project consisted of providing livelihood training, forming self-help group (christened as Dhanwanti), and facilitating the reach of welfare schemes of the government to the villagers.

    The highlights of the programme were: an increase in the monthly income of women from Rs 2,500-Rs 3,000 in 2013, prior to the launch of the programme, to Rs. 9,700 at present; access to microcredit at low interest; improved social participation and recognition; access to various welfare schemes from the Central and State governments, and better nutrition and education of children, who belong to these families, among others.

    Commenting about the recognition of the Kamruddinpur case story, Sumanta Kar, Senior National Deputy Director, SOS Children’s Villages of India, said, “It gives us immense satisfaction to know that impact of our intervention in Begusarai, as part of the Family Strengthening Programme is getting recognized as one of the top 10 case stories in developing livelihood opportunities for the vulnerable communities. Since our programme is something that can – and should – be replicated in many disadvantaged communities in the country. I hope the case story inspires civil society, government and the private sector for coming together to transform lives of weaker sections of the society by strengthening the smallest unit- family through empowering women as primary caregivers and preventing their children from losing parental care.”

    He said that the beneficiaries were illiterate women from the Below Poverty Line families living in a village known for its feudalist ideology and patriarchal dominance, and more importantly, their children, who were deprived of quality care and upbringing. We believe that empowering women in households heralds quality childcare and upbringing for their children and hence we work towards their upliftment.

    These women were working in agriculture farms for meagre daily wages. Our intervention involved training them to gain basic literacy and awareness. We organised activities for them to open up and discuss their issues and challenges. These interactions enabled them to learn the importance of savings, education, health, hygiene, and nutrition of their children. It also led to the formation of the Dhanwanti Self Help Group in 2013 with 13 women who chipped in Rs 50 each. SOS Children’s Villages made a small contribution by creating a fund that can be used for extending microcredit to the members of the SHG at a low rate of interest. Within about a year and a half, the corpus of the revolving fund increased enough to fund income-generating activities such as cow rearing.

    “We trained them in bookkeeping, maintaining ledger and other ways of managing finance on one hand, and in communication and conflict management on the other hand. On the livelihood front, the women enhanced their understanding of raising livestock, an area they already had some amount of exposure. But more importantly, they were taught how to assess the fat content of the milk, and how to fix price based on fat content. We also facilitated market linkages for selling their milk. All these sustained efforts on women empowerment and livelihood training helped them more than triple their monthly income – from Rs 2,500- Rs 3,000 in 2013 to Rs.8,000 – Rs 10,000 today. Thanks to the regular inter-loaning and prompt repayment, the corpus of their SHG has increased to Rs 2.66 lakhs now – from about Rs. 650 in 2013.”

    The SHG is currently linked with National Urban Livelihood Mission, and the members now make use of various social security schemes such as Rajiv Gandhi Urban Electrification Scheme, Swachh Bharat Mission and UjjawalaYojna that improve the overall living conditions of their families.

    He further added, “SOS CV India we will be supporting 8000 more children under this programme in 2021 and the caregivers will be getting support for various Income Generating activities. This will help many families, who have lost livelihood due to COVID-19 to build sustainable livelihoods and prevent the abandonment of children.”