Drop-Out Youths Training in Rajasthan by HZL

Drop-Out Youths Training in Rajasthan by HZL
8000 rural youths to be covered in 5 years in Rajasthan

It is known fact, if one needs to bring prosperity and development in villages then there has to be a 360 degree approach. On one side infrastructure needs are to be addressed and on the other side the village society too needs up-liftment. This up-liftment referring to society has many definitions - women empowerment, training to rural youth for self employment, education to children, nutrition to children, adult education to name a few. It is important to make them self-reliant rather than dependent.

Hindustan Zinc, in association with Government of India and IL&FS has introduced a state level youth training program in Rajasthan which would cover about 8,000 rural youth in 5 years in the district Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Bhilwara and Rajsamand.

Most of these youth are drop-outs and skill based vocational training has transformed their lives.

Click the link to have a view of this transformation (3 minute film) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGZ5JfEmANs

This is considered a major step towards rural up-liftment as not just the training, the company is also providing them employment. The training is also free that includes boarding and lodging facilities as well.

From the House of Women Entrepreneurs

Hindustan Zinc, bringing difference in the lives of thousands of rural women in Rajasthan...


Women in rural Rajasthan are for a change. Their social and economic conditions are changing and they are emerging as self reliant, self independent, micro entrepreneur, and decision makers in their house. The women of rural Rajasthan are experiencing women empowerment. Their house hold income is increasing multi-fold and there is a significant change in their quality of life.The credit goes to forming of Self Help Groups that has participation of about 10-12 rural women, primarily of the same village and surrounding.

Rajasthan is emerging as one of the leading State in India in development of Self Help Groups (SHGs). Hindustan Zinc alone facilitates 215 Self Help Groups in the district of Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Bhilwara and Rajsamand. More than 3,500 women are associated with these 215 Self Help Groups in the State. The important part is that all the Self Help Groups are linked with the banks and operate their bank accounts. The cumulative savings of these groups is about Rs. 45 Lacs and about 80% of these Self Help Groups have received a loan of about Rs. 50 lacs from the banks.

Radha Somani of Agucha village, took a loan of Rs. 10,000 and starated a Manihari Shop. Today she earns about Rs. 4,000/- per month. She says, "I am paying pack my installment and also my sons college fees. In soon my son would complete MBA and our days of hardship would change". Another women Shanti Mali is about 56 years of age, widow with one son. She was working as daily wager and fell ill. She took a loan of Rs. 15,000/- and started cultivating vegetables in 2 bighas of land. Today her daily earnings are over Rs. 500/-. She has become a small entrepreneur now.

With emphasis on self independence and improving their quality of life, about 60% members have opted and established their own micro-enterprise , viz. vegetable cultivation, mini dairy, tailoring shop, grocery shops, spice grinding units, imitation jewellery shop to name a few. This has brought a significant change in their economic conditions. On an average there has been an increase in their monthly income to the tune of Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 5,000.

Hindustan Zinc has not only been facilitating these Self Help Groups but also linking them with banks, and guiding them for opening micro enterprises. The role of Hindustan Zinc is important in terms of making these women participate in the Panchayat affairs, decision making in issues within their houses, at village level, and also uplifting their quality of life. The Company has been educating them on savings, inter-loaning and capacity building, including, providing need based training to the members.

The exercise begins in convincing individual women for forming a group i.e SHG, their training, imparting knowledge in book keeping and continuously motivating them till they start achieving results. “There is also resistance from men in the family said ,” Bhanwar Singh Chundawal, sarpanch, Nagari village in Chittorgarh. “They fear their wives and daughters-in-law are going to become too independent for their liking.” In spite of all that, self-help groups are spurring hope and aspirations for women like Chunki Devi, 47. A widow and mother of four, she has struggled for 11 years to earn a living. Recently she joined a self , help group in Agucha and is taking a Rs 25,000-loan to buy seeds and fertilizers for her fields. “I hope my days of poverty would soon come to an end,” said Devi, a lohar (blacksmith) by caste.

Some self-help groups, such as the one in Ganeshpura village of Chittorgarh, work towards generating collective income for their members.

“Our group works together to make bags, bed sheets and rakhis,” said Chanchal Parikh, 37, its president. “We have tied up with a person for bulk orders.” The groups also give loans to its members. Their functioning is largely democratic - with regular elections to the posts of president, secretary and treasurer.

The biggest concern is that most of these women are not literate; so, they have to depend on others to operate their bank accounts and handle finances. Although the groups meet every month to discuss socially relevant issues such as childcare, family planning and sanitation, many members fail to benefit because they are not educated.

In a country where women empowerment in rural area plays an important role in the economic development of the nation, the participation of Corporates in forming of SHGs is important.

Vedanta - Empowering Communities in Rural India Through CSR

“CSR is close to my heart and we are working day and night for the benefit of the under-privileged children in the country. Through Computer education, mid-day meal and Vedanta Bal Chetna Anganwadi Project, we would be touching the lives of about 2.5 million under-privileged children in coming 3-4 years time.” Shri Anil Agarwal, Chairman, Vedanta Group.

The group is currently touching the lives of over 2.5 million people spread across more than 425 villages. With a mission to impact the lives of another 1.6 million under-privileged child; the Group has already strengthened its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes across all operating states in India and Zambia.

Our programmes on nutrition, mid-day meal, health & hygiene, women empowerment, livelihood, computer education, infrastructure development, mother and child care, agriculture development, water & electricity, to name a few, have become bench-mark in the States we operate, viz. Rajasthan, Orissa, Chattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and Goa.

We are proud to serve rural community at large:-

2,050 Vedanta Bal Chetna Anganwadi Centres across India.

84,500 rural under-privileged children being provided nutrition value.

180,000 rural children being provided mid-day meal through 6 hi-tech kitchens.

100 Child Care Centres - Project 'Parvarish' - for pre-school, nutrition & health care.

540 Care Centres - Project ' Mamta' - for child care, care for adolescent girls, and expecting mothers.

350 bedded Vedanta Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, upcoming in Raipur, Chattisgarh.

53 villages covered by Mobile Health Units - covering 32,000 under-privileged families.

Vedanta Hindustan Zinc Heart Hospital in, Udaipur Rajasthan.

18 Company run hospitals and health posts - 300,000 rural people provided quality health.

200,000 children of 600 Government Schools covered under Computer Education.

500,000 beneficiaries of Computer Literacy Program spread across 320 Centres in India.

1,500 youth trained in livelihood programs for self employment.

27 company run schools and Post Graduate college for girls at Ringus, Rajasthan.

200,000 women trained through 12 Vocational Training Centres across India.

12,000 Jail inmates trained across India - 14 Jails covered including Tihar Jail, New Delhi.

1,825 Self Help Groups bringing socio-economic empowerment in 24,300 rural women.

1,050 farmers covered under micro-irrigation, cultivation,land improvement and water-shed.

75 villages under Integrated Village Development Program.

82 NGOs partners - regional, national and international.

Investment of over USD 65 million (Rupees 300 crore) in CSR by 2010.

On mission to touch the lives of another 1.6 million under-privileged children through nutrition program and computer education.

Vedanta group has an unparalleled vision not only for businesses but also for social change in India.