Hamirbhai is passionate about water, which is a perfect fit for his role as the community elected ‘Water Operator’ of his village. At just 37 years of age he has become an advocate in the district for promoting ‘water quality testing’ to prevent ill-health among villagers, and has been instrumental in turning the water situation around in over 13 communities.

The overall aim of Ambuja Foundation’s Water program is ‘to create 'drought-resilient' rural villages and ensure all-year-round water for farmers, families, and communities.’ It's a lofty claim. So how do we know that we are, in fact, achieving it?

Since antiquity, water has been harvested in diverse and distinctive water structures. These include Ponds, Tanks, Lakes, Vayalgams (traditional tanks), Tars (traditional check dams), Khadins (streams) Bawdis (springs) and Talabs (small ponds).

It has been 5 years since the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals. And whilst all of the Goals are important, SDG 6 (ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all) is of primary importance - because the health, food security, and the state of livelihoods in the country, hinge on our ability to provide water and sanitation for all.

Marginal farmers in India often struggle with know-how or financial wherewithal to develop and manage efficient irrigation for their crops without depleting groundwater.

On the occasion of World Water Day, celebrated worldwide on 22nd March 2021, Ambuja Foundation organized a webinar focused on ‘Valuing Water’ with speakers and community representatives sharing insights on the importance of water for us and future generations. Along with the community members, Ms. Pearl Tiwari, Director & CEO, Ambuja Foundation and Mr. Shyam Sundar Paliwali, Padma Shree Awardee, were also a part of the event.

On 29th April, 2017,Mangi Budruk village was declared a Smart Village and awarded a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh by the Govt of Maharashtra. Yet a little over a decade ago, barely 10 of its 234 households even had a toilet.

Throughout the world, people want the same things - access to clean air and water; economic opportunities; a safe and healthy place to raise their kids; shelter and a say in the decisions that affect their lives.

"Whenever we have enabled communities to chart their own progress, they have reached far greater heights," points out Pearl Tiwari - CEO of Ambuja Foundation in this riveting interview with Thrive.

Ambuja Foundation Ambujanagar was awarded the 2nd National Water Awards 2019 by the Jal Shakti Ministry in the category of Best Industries for CSR activities. The award was presented by the cabinet ministry through a virtual ceremony on 11th November 2020.

One of our earliest learnings at Ambuja Foundation, was that to tackle poverty in rural India, we needed to build the livelihood capabilities of rural people.

The 2019/20 Annual Report was launched in September, highlighting the achievements of the Foundation over the last 12months, and once again an e-version of the report was distributed online to all key stakeholders.