AIM 3

Uplifting over 100 million women and children through Education, Nutrition, Healthcare and Welfare

Better education, health and nutrition are both indicators and instruments of development. Education, for example, enhances work skills, which equips an individual to earn a living and bring change to one’s life and that of the community. At Vedanta, we promote equitable distribution of resources, promote equal access to education, healthcare, nutrition, sanitation, and so on to create opportunities for people to improve their lives.

Key material issues

Community development

SDGs impacted

Sub-goals2.1: By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round

2.2: By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons

4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes

4.2: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education

NAND GHAR

Project Nand Ghar is our flagship CSR project under the Anil Agarwal Foundation Initiative in partnership with Ministry of Women and Child development. This programme aims at empowering women and children and creating significant impact in the communities around our direct impact zones. Under this project, we are providing infrastructure support and upgrading model anganwadis across India. These anganwadis focus on eradicating child malnutrition, providing education, healthcare and upskilling women.

Focus areas

PRIMARY HEALTHCARE AND NUTRITION

QUALITY EDUCATION AMONG CHILDREN

GENDER EQUALITY AND SENSITISATION

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

RURAL DEVELOPMENT

3,262

NAND GHARS BUILT

70,000+

WOMEN BENEFITED

12

STATES IMPACTED

1,00,000+

CHILDREN BENEFITED

2,833

OPERATIONAL NAND GHARS

6,375

HOURS OF EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEERING

Key interventions

Health

  • Integrated health services comprising of mobile health vans (MHV), telemedicine, among others
  • OPD services including doctor consultations, noninvasive diagnostic tests, referral for beneficiaries and their families
  • Awareness rallies to sensitise the community about preventive measures related to health and hygiene
  • Regular immunisation and health camps

Education

  • At home learning delivered through WhatsApp and IVRS
  • Encouraging parental involvement in the teaching and learning process
  • Training and capacity building of anganwadi workers (AWWs) and AWSs to deliver early childhood development milestones
  • Imparting e-learning, play-based learning through smart kits, AD boards and BaLA designs

Nutrition

  • Ensuring availability of supplementary nutrition for all our beneficiaries through Take Home Ration (THR)
  • More than 5,000 nutri-gardens established at Nand Ghars and homes of beneficiaries

Economic Empowerment

  • Trade based skill development through training
  • Collaboration with NGOs and skilling organisation to upskill women
  • Assistance in credit, schemes and market linkage

Digital Governance

  • Data collection for key output indicators
  • Tracking service through Nand Ghar app
  • Analytics dashboards for predictive analysis
  • Beneficiary wise nutrition status tracking for children

CASE STUDY

Education, healthcare, nutrition at one go

The Nand Ghar project aims to empower women and children through multiple initiatives. Women are upskilled through various skill training programmes while the quality of pre-school education, healthcare and nutrition for children are improved as well. The project also aims to strengthen community connections through health awareness campaigns, COVID-sensitisation drive, and establishment of nutrigardens among other initiatives.

Suruchi Padhee, an Angan-wadi worker (AWW) from Sunarimunda Nand Ghar, shared her difficulties while encouraging parents to send their children to anganwadi centres before the infrastructure work was undertaken by Vedanta. Through the establishment of Nand Ghars, a better learning environment, nutritious meals, and healthcare, among other facilities were made available to children. AWWs like Suruchi thus had an easier time convincing parents to send their children, which led to an increasing enrolment ratio.

Suruchi herself ensures regular attendance of children and parents in parent-teacher meetings. She also regularly organises various COVIDsensitisation and health awareness campaigns at her centre, including targeted initiatives to create awareness on diabetes, filaria and AIDS, among others. Insights are provided to communities on healthy lifestyle habits and yoga. There are around 50 operational Nand Ghars in Jharsuguda that cater to the immediate needs of 343 pregnant and lactating women.

SDG 2

Zero Hunger

SDG 4

Quality Education

Nand Ghar meets the leadership

Mrs. Ritu Jhingon, CEO of project Nand Ghar and Group Director – Communications recently met Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Nand Ghar’s vision of women and child development, along with the substantial progress made towards achieving the objective, was appreciated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister. 3,262 centres have been established across 12 states in India aiming towards transforming the lives of 7 crore children and 2 crore women.

Mrs. Jhingon also met Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, Dr Rajiv Kumar. Nand Ghar and NITI Aayog had =discussions about future joint collaborations for a ‘Nourished India’.

CHILDREN’S WELL-BEING AND EDUCATION2

Our focus is to build the capabilities and capacities of the next generation to create long‑term impact. Through multiple programmes, we have been supporting educational institutions in the communities around our operations for the holistic development of students. Our focus is to provide better education facilities to children so as to enhance their academic performance and overall learning.

44+

INITIATIVES ACROSS OUR GROUP COMPANIES

10,972,840

CHILDREN BENEFITED SINCE 2016 (FY2022: 9,712,088 CHILDREN BENEFITTED; 7,02,969 ACROSS BUs)

Type of interventions

  • Anganwadis and child-healthcare centres
  • Public school infrastructure
  • Digital classrooms and computer-aided learning centres
  • Vedanta-run schools and libraries
  • Scholarships and teacher training

2 A note on the data: Beneficiary count numbers are a sum total of the programmes managed by our “BU CSR teams + the programmes managed by the Vedanta Foundation + the programmes managed by the Anil Agarwal Foundation”. Only the beneficiary data of our BU CSR programmes has been assured by Ernst & Young LLC.

CASE STUDY

Enabling access to quality education in Northern Cape province

Education remains the thematic priority area of Vedanta Zinc International’s CSR investment. The ultimate focus is to make quality education easily accessible to children. VZI has been strengthening and supporting early childhood development through its interventions in primary and high schools through the Black Mountain Study Trust for non-mine related bursaries in the Khâi-Ma municipal area as well as the broader Namakwa area.

In the Northern Cape Province, where the lack of quality education along with unemployment remains the biggest challenge, the Trust’s HeyMaths! and HeyScience! project are creating a major impact. As the names indicate, the project is trying to enrich the experience of children in the study of maths and science in school through creative and imaginative approaches such as giving them low floor, high ceiling tasks that allow multiple approaches to a given problem. These methods are helping children develop innovative problem-solving skills.

Educators of 21 schools in the Namakwa district were trained for implementing the HeyMaths! And HeyScience! project in the classrooms. By making it possible for children to enjoy learning maths and science through an interactive approach, the project is seeking to break the stigma that these subjects are difficult to comprehend.

SDG 2

Zero Hunger

SDG 4

Quality Education

HEALTHCARE

38+

INITIATIVES ACROSS OUR GROUP COMPANIES

2.4 million

PEOPLE BENEFITED

Type of interventions

  • Supporting primary health centres
  • Health camps and mobile health vans
  • HIV/AIDS awareness programmes
  • Specialised doctor support
  • Nutrition programmes
  • Health awareness drives
  • Vedanta-run hospitals

CASE STUDY

Enhancing healthcare as a part of Zero Harm

The Black Mountain CSR team of Vedanta Zinc International aims to create a healthy and sustainable environment throughout the Khâi-Ma region, to which most of its labourers belong. Based on local community needs, Black Mountain Mines (BMM) has rolled out several projects focused on making healthcare accessible to the community. The local Khâi-Ma Community Hospital has also been upgraded in terms of infrastructure and facilities to deliver better services to the local population.

In line with its commitment to the Zero Harm, BMM has been supporting communities through its Eye Care Surgeries Tour in collaboration with the South-African National Council of the Blind (SANCB) and the Northern Cape Department of Health. The programme has made cataract surgeries easily accessible to older community members. Since inception, the project has assisted around 1,530 community members. On the recommendation of the SANCB, the tour will be continued in 2022.

Health Outreach Pink Drive Mobile Cancer Programme is another initiative rolled out by BMM. Under this programme, health examination is conducted annually for the early detection and treatment of prostate and breast cancer. Mobile trucks are deployed within the Namakwa district and BMM host communities within the Khâi-Ma municipal area. Residents are encouraged to undergo relevant tests. The close partnership between BMM and the Department of Social Development and Health has led to this programme being a huge success. The Pink-Drive programme is amongst the many programmes hosted by BMM showcasing its commitment to promote accessible healthcare services.

SDG 2

Zero Hunger

SDG 4

Quality Education

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

11

INITIATIVES ACROSS OUR GROUP COMPANIES

47,614

WOMEN BENEFITED

Type of interventions

  • Self-help groups
  • Women cooperatives
  • Micro-enterprises
  • Employment opportunities
  • Skill-based training
  • Increasing awareness around sanitary and menstrual hygiene

CASE STUDY

Sterlite Copper launches sanitary napkin production unit

Sterlite Copper has been actively creating and ensuring better opportunities for women in Thoothukudi through need-based community projects. Multiple skill-based training and income generation activities have been launched under its Sakshi project.

Ensuring menstrual hygiene is a key concern in rural India, where both awareness around the subject and accessibility to hygienic products is lacking. Given the prejudices and lack of suitable income generation opportunities, women find it challenging to make independent choices about their health. Aiming to bridge the gap between awareness and access to menstrual hygiene products, Sterlite Copper established a sanitary napkin production unit in Swaminatham village, Thoothukudi in collaboration with Ms. Annalakshmi, Member, Bell Sumangali SHG and Proprietor, Smiley Sumangalikal Groups. Around 20 women were identified and trained as a part of the project. The best performing trainees were inducted into the manufacturing unit as full-time employees. They can earn up-to `350-500 per day, depending on the quantity of production. Approximately 3,150 napkins are produced per day in the unit, which are made available for purchase through tenders at lower prices.

This project is not only helping spread awareness on the benefits of adopting hygienic practices, but it is also addressing the problem of availability and affordability of sanitary napkins for women in the nearby areas.

"This is a much-needed initiative that will help serve a key area of women’s health, and therefore be of immense benefit to the overall community. The project will also aid in further empowering the rural women in Thoothukudi to make informed choices regarding their own wellbeing.

Mrs. A Sumathi COO, Sterlite Copper
Resident of Sankaraperi village

SDG 2

Zero Hunger

SDG 4

Quality Education

DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION

20+

INITIATIVES ACROSS OUR GROUP COMPANIES

3,32,449

PEOPLE BENEFITED

Type of interventions

  • Provision of clean drinking water
  • Construction of toilets
  • Installation of RO plants
  • Digging of borewells
  • Installing and repairing handpumps
  • Sanitation drives

CASE STUDY

Changing lives through the RO project in Barmer, Rajasthan

In Rajasthan’s Barmer district, where water availability remains a pressing issue, we are ensuring water security through the Jeevan Amrit project. As part of this project, 124 RO units have been set up to provide safe drinking water to rural communities at their doorstep. This project has also been creating local entrepreneurs and providing employment opportunities to rural youth. The project benefits ~1,00,000 people annually.

To make the units self-sustainable, the project is always creating awareness among the people and establishing village water communities while encouraging business plans to run the operations. Water operators are identified from among the community and trained to make water accessible at all times, thus strengthening accountability and sense of ownership within the community. The village water committees charge a minimum cost for the water, to ensure the RO units are properly maintained post-handover by the Company.

Beneficiaries like Bhagat Singh have played a major role in making the project successful. Once unemployed, Bhagat was trained as a water operator and now manages the operation of RO unit at Padroo village. Through strategic marketing and planning, the plant has also increased its sale of water. Thanks to a stable income now, Bhagat owns a grocery store next to the plant and has doubled his income.

SDG 2

Zero Hunger

SDG 4

Quality Education

COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE

50+

INITIATIVES ACROSS OUR GROUP COMPANIES

9,63,040

PEOPLE BENEFITED FROM THESE PROGRAMMES

1,92,608

FAMILIES BENEFITED FROM THESE PROGRAMMES

#We have considered average household size as 5, based on NHFS data.

Type of interventions

  • Setting up tube-wells, open wells, borewells, check dams
  • Constructing roads; parks
  • Building public education
  • Infrastructure, community centres, health centres, village walls and gates
  • Renovation of sports complexes; temples, irrigation channels, drains; bus stands, streetlights;
  • Ponds
  • Installation of public CCTVs

CASE STUDY

Promoting water security in Jharsuguda

Post-monsoon water availability is a major concern in some of the districts of Jharsuguda, Odisha. The reason for this is frequent drought and over-extraction of groundwater in these areas. To help the local communities, we have revived community ponds and repaired borewells in around four Gram Panchayats of Jharsuguda.

With the combined efforts of local communities, we conducted deep cleaning of the ponds and repaired handpumps. These led to significant improvements in groundwater recharge and rainwater harvesting levels. The main focus of the project has been to help the restoration of the crucial ecosystem to prevent further deterioration of local water resources.

The infrastructure development undertaken by us has ensured water availability for around 3,000 people. Additionally, changing rooms for bathers were constructed near all the ponds. Informative materials regarding cleanliness and personal hygiene were distributed among the people to sensitise them on various health issues.

SDG 2

Zero Hunger

SDG 4

Quality Education

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