By Dr. Pragnya Ram
Group Executive President
Corporate Communications

Our project strategy
How have we translated it into action through five parallel steps.

Step one: Fostering self reliance through sustainable livelihood

Agriculture and watershed development

During the course of the survey, we discovered that the villagers had to face innumerable problems. In the agricultural hinterland of these 71 villages, most of the fields were parched as the water table was abysmally low. There was hardly any water. The land was of an undulating nature as well. Besides this, there were problems of water runoff and top soil erosion. Irrigation proved to be both cumbersome and complex, causing untold misery to the farmers.

To resolve this issue in a holistic manner, we introduced a structured programme of agriculture and watershed development.

Our aim has been to ensure the optimum use of land and water resources, raise the ground water table through harnessing the available water resources, recharging the ground water and easy to operate appropriate water lifting technologies.

Promoting multi-cropping so that the return on the investment of the farmers, is enhanced, forms part of the process.

On-going processes such as the installation of hydro towers, pedal pumps, erection of bandhs and digging wells are the critical components of the watershed management process which we pursue. Bandhs are structures that collect water by blocking the area, rather than letting the water run off. This had led to a judicious blend of rain water harvesting, re-cycling and channelising it to the various fields.

The end result was the erection of 211 hydro towers, 237 irrigation channels, 288 irrigation wells, 246 check dams, 273 pedal pumps and 282 rain water harvest tanks. Professionals such as the International Development Enterprise (IDE) for the pedal pumps, aided us with a simple technology whereby a woman or even a child of 10 years could easily operate the pump.

Consequently, we were able to bring 23,148 acres of land under irrigation, reaching out to a 9,875 farm population.

Farmer focused initiatives
To boost the performance of farmers and their farmlands additionally, we conducted farmer training programmes. Here, farmers are exposed to best in class agricultural practices actually using demonstration plots. To enable them to shore up their earnings, they are taught inter-cropping as well.

To increase the productivity of the farm through the seed multiplication programme, we encourage them to harvest cash crops and vegetables that can fetch them a better price. Likewise helping procure milch cattle for the villages and backing them with marketing support by buying off most of the milk for our own factory completed the loop-from production to marketing.

Furthermore, eighty three vegetable growing self help groups and thirteen milch cow rearing groups were set up.

Step two: Self employment through providing vocational training and in doing so raising their living index

To empower men and women through helping them becoming economically independent, we have their inherent skills honed through training and education. Men are imparted several skills, such as repair and maintenance of diesel pump sets, hand pump repairing, cycle repairing and operating flour mills among others. We engaged 18 trainers to train the villagers in different skills. These training classes are organised in various blocks in a cluster of villages.

We also mentor the villagers, facilitating them in setting up of their shops in crafts such as shoe making, hair dressing, carpentry, carpet weaving, basket making and pottery, etc. Whenever necessary, we provide them with the seed capital to kick-start their mini enterprises. We trained 3,859 villagers through 15 training centres, manned by 18 trainers in 15 villages.

Self employment through women empowerment processes rendering them economically self reliant and raising their family income.

To empower women through attaining financial independence, we have encouraged the formation of women self help groups. As a first step in that direction, we have provided them with training in bamboo craft making, ropes, pottery, carpets, animal husbandry, tailoring and growing vegetables. Over 188 self help groups, encompassing 1,880 women have eked out a living for themselves and their families. In the villages, it is not uncommon to find many men getting into vices such as drinking and pushing the burden of running and feeding families, on to women, most of whom suffer in wounded silence. Our women empowerment processes have enabled women wear the pants. The Mahila Shilp Kala Kendra — a local body that provides training in several creative crafts, provides immense support.

Another positive outcome — the influence on men.

Interestingly, we have been able to goad men also to follow the example of women self help groups. Thus, 168 men self help groups comprising a 1,680 work force have been formed. They have been engaged in pottery making, rearing milch cows and pigs, along with growing vegetables. So for 3,560 men and women, earnings have touched US$ 67 (Rs. 3,000/- per month) and this has altered their status to an annual income of US$ 800 (Rs. 36,000/-).

Step three: Fostering self reliance through sparking the desire for education and raising the literacy rate, a process which will eventually help better living standards and reduce poverty.

Our involvement in educating the rural masses stems from the belief that through education, we would be able to raise their aspirational levels. We believe that it will stimulate a sense of self-pride and spark in them the urge to stand on their own feet. We look upon our investment in education as a compelling initiative that will yield results long-term.

Deep in the interiors, endeavouring to raise the literacy level is indeed a challenge. In these 71 villages where we worked, the literacy rate was below 28 per cent. In many of the villages, there were no schools in proximity to the homes of the villagers. If children had to go to school, they would have to trudge a 5-kilometre distance. Parents were hardly motivated then to send their children to school. We therefore began a two step communication process. Firstly, through an awareness campaign, on the merits of education, we stimulated an interest among the villagers. Secondly, having done so, we set up 18 primary schools in the vicinity of the villages.

Named "Aditya Bal Vidya Mandir" these are up and running in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Today, 4,059 children between the age of 6 and 14 have enlisted in these schools, accessing quality primary education.

On completion of the primary education, we get their admission to the nearest Government run Junior High School. We also began Balwadis. A Balwadi is a pre-primary education centre. We instituted 16 Balwadis where we were able to attract 964 children. Often, we provide monetary support along with text books and exercise books, as parents can ill afford them.

So the literacy rate moved up from 28 per cent to 54 per cent, which for our teams, was very rewarding.

Step four: Supporting the villages through providing health care inclusive of mother and child care.

As is well known, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh are amongst the backward states of the country. Primary health care centres, are few and far between. The government's primary health care centres operate at intervals of 50-60 kilometres. Given the hopeless transport situation, it should come as no surprise that villagers would die if struck by any disease. To elevate this situation, we have set up 18 primary health care centres. More importantly, we have begun plying mobile health care vans and conducting medical camps in these 71 villages.

Rural medical camps
Medical camps for primary health check-ups are conducted thrice a week at these locations. A team of doctors from the Hindalco hospital attend to patients. Various ailments ranging from polio to leprosy, to tuberculosis, to cardiovascular problems, to blood related issues, to visual and physical impairment are attended to by these doctors.

Patients who cannot be treated at these camps because of serious ailments are taken to the Company's hospitals and looked after until the case is closed. In this way, we have been able to render health care services to 32,498 patients.

Over 40,464 children, under the age of 5, were immunised in close collaboration with the block health department.

Our medical camps enabled us spot 192 tuberculosis patients who were then supplied with free medicines. Some of them were treated at the Hindalco Hospital.

To help the visually impaired, we organised 18 eye care camps where we were able to restore the complete sight of 1,685 patients, suffering from cataract.

In many of our camps, our team of doctors have provided restorative surgery to the physically handicapped. Where surgery has not been possible, patients have been given supportive aids such as calipers, tricycles, crutches and artificial limbs. This programme is carried out with a like minded socially oriented organisation such as the Viklang Kendra, Allahabad. We have been able to reach out to 72 persons, putting their lives back on track and restoring their self-confidence as well.

Additionally, we have evolved a mother and child care strategy. Our intent here is to provide services and help stem the population tide in our country.

Our mother and child care project is based on an integrated approach which encompasses educating women and their development, maternal and child health care areas apart from sensitising men to the need for small families. The scope of our work is varied. It includes providing easy access to the entire gamut of family planning services, distribution of contraceptives, pre-natal and post-natal counselling, medical care, medical check-ups, raising maternal survival levels and also sanitary hygiene for adolescent girls. Spanning 71 villages, we have set up 18 number of outreach clinics, catering to 17,652 families of which the number of eligible couples is 12,596.

We managed to bring in a tremendous improvement in the health of the communities, such as better birth control, considerable lowering of the infant mortality rate, lower birth rates due to proper spacing between subsequent births and lowering of sexually transmitted diseases and reproductive tract infections. Additionally, through a carefully crafted AIDS awareness campaign, we lowered sexually transmitted diseases and arrested the spread of AIDS.

Step five: Bettering living conditions through espousing social causes.

Way back in 1993, we found that many young girls, wedded very early, regrettably were widowed in the prime of their lives. Most of the widows were in the age group of 20-34 and were condemned to lead a life of poverty and hardship. They had to suffer humiliation even in the confines of their extended family. Often widows had to face social exploitation and many of them had no other choice but to become ladies of the night.

Disturbed by their conditions, our Chairperson, Mrs. Rajashree Birla, goaded Mr. Askaran Agarwala, the then whole-time Director of Hindalco to work out an acceptable solution and thus was born the widow re-marriage project.

As the subject itself seemed so sensitive and given the stigma attached, we felt it best to take the village elders, the Panchayats and other influentials into confidence. Our teams were able to persuade the Panchayat and the District Authorities to partner with us.

The project operates at two levels. Firstly, mapping of young widows through surveys and counselling and persuading them to get married again. Secondly, scouting for bridegrooms from the villages with the help of the village Panchayat, briefing them about the widows and eliciting their empathy with their plight.

Since the inception of the project four years ago, more than 400 widows have become wives again. In the last year alone, 65 widows became wives again. As part of the rehabilitation process, couples were encouraged to go in for self-employment schemes and are given tools and equipment to start a business.

Our project outcome
Through our close involvement, we have been able to transform the lives of 4,558 families in 15 months by:

• Providing sustainable livelihood skills/means to 4,558 people who are now self employed.
• Imparting vocational training to 3,859 persons.
• Enhancing the literacy rate from 28 per cent to 54 per cent.
• Tending to the health care needs of 87,435 villagers.
• Bettering lives through espousing social causes, making 65 widows — brides again.

In a 15-month time span, in all humility, we have been able to see a changed face of these 71 villages. From abject poverty to having two square meals a day. From helplessness to substantial self-reliance.

And it is for rendering this kind of measurable impactful community service, that the Asian Institute of Management Centre (AIM) have honoured us. They believe that we have shown the villagers "light at the end of the tunnel."

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