For enabling and empowering community members especially the women members, the farmers, artisans & other key contributors to rural & tribal economy, Jindal Foundation has been implementing multi-dimensional rural livelihood programme which has resulted in minimising the economic vulnerability of above targeted sections and augmented their access to cash income on a sustainable basis.
Jindal Foundation has been implementing several livelihood promotion projects for empowerment of communities like women and farmers. Through SHGs & farmers group with well strategized backward and forward linkages, the Jindal Foundation has been ensuring a sustainable improvement in their income.
The Jindal Foundation engages with women, farmers, artisans and other occupational groups, from the nearby periphery villages so as to supplement their incomes, by capacity building, upgrading skills, enhancing technical knowhow and access to resources. The Foundation's livelihood and women empowerment programmes adheres to the SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
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At Angul and Barbil in Odisha the Jan Jeevika Kendra (JJK) promotes and encourages women to run micro enterprises and has accomplished to sustain engagement of SHGs in income generating activities like organic herbal body care products manufacturing, jute products making, vegetable cultivation, food processing, tailoring & stitching, mushroom cultivation and dairy management. More than 300 SHG members are involved in the JJK units (Chaiti – papad, pickle making, Odifab – jute bags & Phenyl, Ecospa – herbal beauty products, Srujan - tailoring, Sugandhi – incense stick, and Shubhangi– Sanitary Napkin)
To promote vocational skills among women, Aakriti Production Centre was established at Tamnar. At present manufacturing of apron, cushions cover, bags, wall hangings, garments, zardosi crafts, embroidered fabrics and so on are largely stitched at the centres. The women are also imparted with certified training. The women entrepreneurs so created here have managed to earn a decent income from these activities.
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Under the noble initiative of Jindal Foundation, tailoring and embroidery training program named as Akriti has been implemented in Angul, Barbil, Kasia, Tensa, Patratu and Tamnar for 1000+ underprivileged women and girls which has been empowering them with valuable skills, leading to improved financial independence and self-confidence. This vocational course not only help them in earning a livelihood but also contribute to the overall socio-economic development of their communities. By providing access to resources and opportunities, such initiatives can uplift the lives of marginalized women and create a ripple effect of positive change. Such initiative has empowered women with the necessary resources, training, and support. They have now developed and managed successful enterprises of boutique and embroidery, which has been contributing to their financial independence and improving their overall quality of life. Their monthly income has been enhanced up to 2 Lakh per annum. These women-led rural enterprises are now creating job opportunities for other locals, boost the local economy, and help preserve traditional skills and practices.
Revival of the traditional artisans as the need to preserve the traditional vocations was felt essential.Therefore, backward & forward linkages along with capacity building is provided to the terracotta artisans in collaboration with the Handicrafts Institutions. More than 100 artisans engaged in terracotta pottery and household decorative items.
Dhokra Art – is a special initiative to promote dhokra craft which is one of the traditional art and handicraft of Chhattisgarh state. The project also includes creation of market linkage and promotion of Dhokra products. Regular training and exposure visits on latest technology for the product enhancement are provided to the artisans. Establishing market linkages through the SHG's and exhibitions is also being done.
Capacity building projects together encourage thrift and saving through micro-finance and income generating activities through micro-enterprise among the women belonging to the communities in the project area has been a focussed objective towards women empowerment. More than 5200 SHG members have been provided training and workshops organized for them to promote SHGs to take up microenterprises for their livelihood.
The Jindal Foundation has intensively taken up the Mushroom project in its operational areas which includes Mushroom cultivation and Mushroom spawn production through a Common Interest Groups.To provide technical support to farmers and entrepreneurs of the area, mushroom production resource centres are established and thereafter Mushroom processing unit has been also established in which mushroom is processedas papad, badi, pickles. A federation of mushroom cultivators has been also formed. More than1000 farmers are engaged in the mushroom Cultivation centres across locations. Jindal Foundation supports with mushroom spawns and associated resources for farmers to take up the venture.
The Sanitary Napkin project was initiated under brand name "Shubhangi" with an objecive to enhance the menstrual health status and promote use of low cost Sanitary napkins among adolescent girls and women through social marketing . The social business model of manufacturing and distribution of sanitary napkins at Odisha and Chhattisgarh helps generate livelihood for the women entrepreneurs associated with the project. The project is associated with the Kishori Express and Vatsalya projects for distribution of napkins free of cost.
The Jindal Foundation has initiated a livelihood programme specifically for rural Jharkhand as response to the Pandemic for tribal women. Some of the immediate interventions are:
A fully functional Jindal Gyan Kendra for catering to skill development amongst marginalized communities. The centre aims at augmenting livelihood opportunities creating an eco-system for knowledge acquisition, sharing community resources and provide access to best practices and models of entrepreneurship.
Didi Digital Dhaba NH-143 – The Gumla town has a very limited number of eateries and restaurants but travelers and local people, especially middle-income families, crave for hygienic and tasty food reminding them of their home kitchens. Tribal regions are known for their traditional cuisine based on seasonal vegetation, often with medicinal and nutritious properties. The Idea of this Didi café is that while empowering women-folk with Digital Literacy through its internet services, while open to customers, it will also enable Jiyo members to update local culinary recipes, expand markets, and get news about foraged foods and network with other skill sharing platforms. This initiative is aimed at training and capcity bulding of women on foraged food and traditional culinary skills for an authentic and modern Nation. In a bid to revive and celebrate indeginous cuisine this initiave will impress upon high quality and sustainable culinary solutions. The project is already in process of develping recipes out of traditional local ingredients fostering livelihood for several communities in Jharkhand.
Bamboo is a very versatile material and craftsmen across South Asia have been making utility and lifestyle products for a long time; and Gumla district is no exception. Bamboo craftsmen of Gumla have been traditionally making fish nets of bamboo but they struggle to increase their incomes due to limited scope in fish net market. The Jindal Foundation in collaboration with Asian Heritage Foundation up skilling these artisans and providing high level of design intervention for making lifestyle products such as furniture, lamps, decorative and functional products. Through this initiative Jindal Foundation aims to support Bamboo Artisans by organizing design workshops and facilitate marketing of the bamboo products.
