2015 - It was a time of pushing boundaries to get equality for women, and there was a focus to bring greater 'gender diversity' into male dominated courses like electronics and welding.

Fifteen differently-abled youth are today earning an average of Rs. 1500 per month, thanks to their new vocational skills and home based enterprises. The first batch of 17 students graduated from Ambuja Manovikas Kendra's Skill Development Centre in August 2018 -- showcasing the potential for differently-abled youth to learn and earn.

Skill Training is the need of the hour in rural India, but at every turn there are hurdles to overcome in tackling youth unemployment and meeting the recruitment needs of industry.

As India edges closer to several serious water deadlines, corporate community, NGOs and governments are working diligently to help curb the national problem by increasing their investment in community water projects.

Dinesh Patodiya was feeling homesick. He felt lost in the city of Jodhpur and whilst he loved his new job, he was struggling outside of work. Within 3 months, he quit and headed for home.

Entrepreneurship is giving young men, women and the disabled from rural communities, lucrative, flexible careers, and status in the community - thanks to the work of SEDI who actively promotes the establishment of new businesses among trainees.

Farmers are the backbone of this nation, yet earnings from farming have been dwindling with time. The recently released Financial Inclusion Survey by NABARD concludes that in rural India, less than a quarter of income today is derived from agriculture.

Economic empowerment leads to social empowerment; this has never been truer than in the case of women. Research shows that when a woman has the means to earn money, she can be an able partner in decision making for the family and is more prudent than men at taking decisions that can take the family out of poverty.

Sagunatai, Sunita & Joshila's faces are some of the many that acquaint you with the women of rural India. Their eyes, however, reveal a missionary zeal that sets them apart. They are, in fact, 3 of the 350 plus women who have taken the onus of securing the health of their villages.

Ambuja Foundation plays a key role in skilling the nation's youth, and in yet another collaborative partnership, has joined hands with the Ministry of Rural Development under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) scheme - committing to train 1125 youth in industry-specific courses in Sankrail, West Bengal, over the next three years.

25 years is a big milestone, and celebrations of Ambuja Foundation's silver anniversary continue in high spirits across the country. In July, Ambuja Foundation team members from Ropar, Bathinda, Roorkee, and Dadri came together to mark the occasion and reflect on the journey so far.

The recently released 'Global Philanthropy Report - Perspectives on the Global Foundation Sector' has found that an increasing number of Foundations (42%) recognise the importance of 'partnerships with other philanthropic institutions' as a key element to achieving their goals.