Ambuja Manovikas Kendra (AMK), a dedicated education institution for the children with special needs in Ropar, Punjab, commemorated its 25th anniversary on Wednesday with a vibrant and heartfelt celebration. The youthful event was infused with an atmosphere of joy, laughter, and exuberance, as students, parents, and supporters gathered to honor the school's remarkable journey of 25 years and unwavering commitment to service.

When you think of ‘terrace farming’ in India, you tend to envision picturesque landscapes characterized by lush green steps carved into hilly terrains – the tea gardens of Assam, rice terraces of Sikkim or vegetable terraces in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu come to mind.

A frail young woman, barely 20, walks into a public health clinic and faints. She had gone there from her village in Farakka, West Bengal, for a prenatal check-up. In Chandrapur, Maharashtra, a teenager is weeping as she talks to the Ambuja Foundation Sakhi. She is distressed that her mother is accusing her of doing something wrong with a boy because her menstruation stopped a few months ago. In a tribal area nearby, 55 people test positive for sickle cell disease. Somewhere in rural India, the women of the house sit down to their meal after all the men have been served, there's no fish left for them. They'll make do with the bones.

Picture the sun rising over the fields, casting a golden hue as groups of villagers gather for their daily exercise routines. This scene, traditionally uncommon in rural India, is becoming a symbol of change to combat the rising incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Among these groups in Chandrapur, Maharashtra are Sunita Thamke and her husband Vinod Thamke.

Ambuja Foundation, an independent, pan-India social development organization dedicated to generating prosperity in rural communities, launched a Holistic Rural Development Programme in Kondagaon district of Chhattisgarh, in partnership with HDFC Bank Parivartan. Ambuja Foundation, with its proven expertise in implementing rural development initiatives, aims to resolve the pressing issues surrounding youth unemployment, water scarcity in communities, and limitations around education and livelihood.

Expanding its curriculum of future skills, Ambuja Foundation launched a new AI-Data Science course as part of the Skill & Entrepreneurship Development Program at its skill training center SEDI in Darlaghat and Nalagarh, Himachal Pradesh. The new course is designed to prepare individuals for in-demand careers in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science. On the other hand it also provides an opportunity for graduates in the region who are unable to secure jobs due to the challenging terrain. Graduates in Science, IT, Commerce or Arts (With Mathematics and basic IT knowledge) can enroll for this six-month training program.

HDFC Bank, through its flagship CSR initiative Parivartan, has partnered with Ambuja Foundation, a pan-India social development organisation, to launch a transformative agri-water initiative in Maharashtra. The project spans Warora and Bhadravati Talukas in Chandrapur district and Umred Taluka in Nagpur district, addressing critical challenges related to water management, soil fertility, and agriculture in 88 Gram Panchayats across these regions.

In a significant step towards fostering financial independence among rural and tribal women, Ambuja Foundation successfully trained 30 women from Chhindwara district, Madhya Pradesh, in electric vehicle (EV) training under its Skill & Entrepreneurship Development Institute (SEDI) program. Supported by the Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC) and Hero Motocorp Ltd, the trained candidates have secured employment with leading automotive companies such as Hero Motocorp, Tata Motors, and Chetak Electrical Vehicle Showrooms.

About a year ago, Ambuja Foundation decided to stop using the word “housewife” and adopted “homemaker” instead. Because language matters. And in the arena of women empowerment, it matters more than we perhaps realise. A simple change of word can take us across a threshold toward a new future. A woman is not limited to a house and its boundaries. She’s the maker of a home, a mainstay of her family, and a person in her own right.

The young yellow belts posed for photographs, eyes shining, certificates held up proudly. Fourteen of them – five girls and nine boys – had participated in the second international karate championships 2024, organised by the World Nakayama Shotokan Association, in Hyderabad. They were students of the ZP Upper Primary School of Upparwahi in Chandrapur, Maharashtra. They had just won one Gold, five Silvers, and seven Bronzes. After just 36 karate classes, which the children had attended most enthusiastically, their instructor had felt they were ready to show their prowess. No doubt, they were.

As the world heats up and climate change becomes an ever more stark reality, its impact on rural life is of urgent concern. Weather patterns have changed, rains come at odd times, soaring temperatures dry up water bodies, sudden torrents destroy the produce in fields, groundwater levels decline unabated. Naturally, this impacts everything, including the primary source of livelihood: agriculture.

Executing a number of community welfare activities and creating awareness around nutrition, Ambuja Foundation zealously celebrated Poshan Maah 2024 in the month of September. The Foundation, known for its pan-India social development work to transform rural communities, conducted a month-long nutrition campaign focusing on awareness, health camps, community engagement programs and rallies in collaboration with ICDS and Health Department of the districts. Many events such as ‘god bharai’, ‘Annprashan’, counselling on breastfeeding and family planning were organised, focusing on maternal nutrition and balanced diet in association with ICDS and Health Department at AWCs and Block level. Even at the skill training centres and amongst women and adolescent groups health camps and check-up sessions.