The Story of Meena Kumari - an SHG Beneficiary of Hindustan Zinc

It is said, if you want to see the sustainable development in rural India, it is important to uplift the lives of rural women, make them socio-economic empowered. To uplift the lives of rural women in Rajasthan and to make them empowered, it was important to first make them socially independent. Hindustan Zinc initiated the concept of `Self-Help Group’, to bring together 10-12 rural women, preferably from the same village and surroundings, and empower them first with skill based training.

The initiative was successful. Hindustan Zinc has formed 215 such self-help-groups and brought together about 3,700 rural women. These women have been given professional training in various vocational streams including handicrafts, embroidery, terracotta & tailoring, vegetable cultivation etc. To bring literacy amongst these women, the company organizes `Adult Literacy Camps’ focusing on basic education. These self-help-groups today run their own micro-enterprises. A small initiative that started with thrift savings is today linked with banks for loans, at much subsidized rates, which has substantially scaled up their livelihood.

Here presenting you one of the such success story - the story of Meena Kumari, one of the many women in rural Rajasthan, whose hand-stitched craft embodies the spirit of Rajputs in various artifacts and dresses. By joining the local Self Help Group supported by Hindustan Zinc, this woman of Debari village has acquired stitching and embroidery skills and has become an entrepreneur.

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A Story of Meena Kumari - an SHG Beneficiary

Hindustan Zinc Honour's Bhupendra Vyas, Commonwealth Power-lifting Gold Medalist

Vedanta group company Hindustan Zinc honoured the 7 gold medal winner of commonwealth games, Bhupendra Vyas, today with a cheque of Rs. 50,000/-. The company honoured him for his outstanding performance in the Commonwealth Games held in Bournemouth, Australia from December 15-18, 2011. Bhupendra Vyas won 5 gold medals, one silver medal and 2 gold medals for overall performance in power-lifting event in the games.

The cheque of Rs. 50,000/- to Bhupendra Vyas was handed over by Pavan Kaushik Head-Corporate Communication of HZL. He said, ` Hindustan Zinc has been supporting sports persons earlier as well like power lifter Mala Sukhwal, Swimming Champion Bhakti Sharma and volleyball player Jabbar Mohammed. At HZL, we believe that financial help does motivate the players and that reflects in their performance.’ While accepting the honour, Bhupendra Vyas thanked Hindustan Zinc for coming forward with their support.

National Geoscience Award 2010 to Hindustan Zinc's Mr. Narendra Kavdia

It was another day of Award for Hindustan Zinc. Mr. Narendra Kumar Kavdia, General Manager – Exploration has been conferred with the prestigious National Geoscience Award 2010 in recognition of his outstanding contribution in the field of mineral discovery. The innovative exploration strategy using intuitive field, drill core and in-mine observations over a GIS platform has led to significant lead-zinc resource additions rendering India in the first four countries on the lead-zinc map of the world. Mr. Kavadia received the award from Smt. Meira Kumar, Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha in an Award Presentation Ceremony held on 16th February 2012 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Shri Dinsha J. Patel, Hon'ble Minister of State, Mines (independent Charge) presided over the function.

Vedanta's Hindustan Zinc Receives "Assocham CSR Excellence Award"

Hindustan Zinc received the most coveted "ASSOCHAM CSR Excellence Award 11-12" for its contribution in bringing sustainable development in rural villages in Rajasthan.

ASSOCHAM, one of the most reputed industrial association awarded Vedanta group company Hindustan Zinc, with the highest CSR award, the ASSOCHAM CSR Excellence Award 2011-12, for the outstanding work done by the company in the community service in rural India. Mr. Akhilesh Joshi, Chief Executive Officer of Hindustan Zinc received the award from Dr. M. Veerappa Moiley in a glittering ceremony held in Hotel Le Meridian, New Delhi on Wednesday, 15th February 2012.

The ASSOCHAM CSR Excellence Award is a recognition to the efforts made by Hindustan Zinc in the areas of nutrition to rural children through adopting 1500 child care centres, bringing socio-economic empowerment in women through formation of over 200 self-help-groups, training and guaranteed employment to drop-out rural youths in Rajasthan, daily hot mid-day meal to about 180,000 rural and tribal school going children, organizing free remedial classes under Shiksha Sambal Program for students of 10th to 12th class and health & medical facilities in deep rural areas. The company is also implementing special projects in agriculture & livestock and water & sanitation areas.

"This award is a recognition of the significant sustainable development brought out by Hindustan Zinc in deep rural villages. The company will continue to bring socio-economic empowerment in villages in close association with Govt. of Rajasthan and Govt. of India", said Mr. Akhilesh Joshi, Chief Executive Officer of Hindustan Zinc.

Besides, a large number of participation from Industries, the ceremony was also graced by the Member Planning Commission Shri Arun Maira and Member of Parliament Shri R.N.Dhoot who is also ASSOCHAM President-elect. From Hindustan Zinc, Mr. H.K. Mehta, Senior Vice President (HR), Mr. Ahmar Sultan, Head - CSR, Mr. T.R. Gupta - Head - Corporate Affairs and CSR team members Mrs. Sushma Sharma and Miss Akanksha Sharma were present during the award ceremony.

This is not the first time the company has been awarded for its contribution to up-bring the lives of rural poor. Some of the excellence award won by company include - Asian CSR Award, FIMI CSR Award, CII-ITC Sustainability Award, Pegasus CSR Award and TERI CSR Award to name a few.

Through its sustainable community development initiatives, HZL is reaching out to about 200 villages and a community of over 500,000 people in Rajasthan.

VISIT : INDIA CSR – CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY