SEDI Chirawa took an innovative route to encourage more women enrollment and job continuity post training - by honouring the female trainees' mothers. For each female trainee who spent more than 6 months at her workplace, her mother was felicitated with a cheque of Rs. 5,000/- at a public function.

Household Toilets provide not only hygiene but also offer security to women. Two of our crusaders for #sanitation, Chanda Tai from Chandrapur, Maharashtra & Hansaben from Kodinar, Gujarat share their incredible experience on changing behaviour & mindsets towards toilets in their communities with Big FM's RJ Rani.

75-year-old Vitthal Jayram Vinchu was distraught when he learnt he was ailing from High Blood pressure and Diabetes. Over the past few months, he had been perpetually thirsty and hungry. Subsequently, his weight had swelled to 110 kgs, making it arduous to do any physical activity. His gait had also assumed a limp and needed the support of a walking stick. That was when he decided to visit a government hospital and get a health checkup done.

Ambuja Foundation is harnessing the power of the multiplier effect by training PT teachers and empowering them to impart sports and physical education to hundreds of students across Himachal Pradesh. After a successful pilot, they now plan to replicate and roll out the 'train the trainer' model across an additional 50 schools from 5 locations in 2021.

Across India, rural women are stepping out of their households and participating in community life via Self Help Groups (SHGs). But SHGs are merely a launching pad and, once empowered, many women are going on to hold formal and informal leadership positions in their local communities.

Harishchandra comes from a farming family, but from the time he first set foot in a classroom, he has had a passion for Education.

All her life, Amreika Patel dreamed of being a nurse. But at just 13 years of age, her father passed away and she soon got married. For almost 13 years she was restricted to housework and her nursing dreams seemed but a pipe-dream.

Hansaben Jadhav is no stranger to financial difficulty. When her father-in-law passed away at the age of just 55, she stepped up in life and started handling the financial responsibilities of the family.

Livestock rearing plays a major role in the rural economy, with goats providing a valuable source of livelihood and pathway out of poverty - particularly for women. But many goat keepers experience high herd mortality and poor returns - due to traditional practices, lack of veterinary services, and poor feeding/sanitation practices.

By pooling the resources of different stakeholders, Ambuja Foundation has been able to swiftly scale its Skill & Entrepreneurship Development Institute programme across 11 states. Working in collaboration with Government and Corporate Partners, Ambuja Foundation has helped to grow the programme from 1 centre in 2006 to 33 centres in 2019.

"In my village, cotton farming is hard work and families often struggle to make a living, particularly now that the rains are increasingly unpredictable," says Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) farmer Balubhai Parmar.

When Leena first joined SEDI, she was the only person from her village, Hathbandh to do so. Ridiculing her, the neighbours made fun of her efforts - "Look at her attending an institute that promises a job after just 3 months of training!" they would laugh. But she was quietly confident that her time at Ambuja Foundation's Skill & Entrepreneurship Development Institute would soon deliver results.