Kamdhenu Jeevandhara Foundation, the CSR arm of Kamdhenu Group, stands at the forefront of transformative social change. With a vision to create an empowered society through education, community development, and environmental sustainability, the foundation has been actively shaping lives and fostering progress.
In an exclusive interview with TheCSRUniverse, Ms. Radha Agarwal, Chairperson of Kamdhenu Jeevandhara Foundation, shares valuable insights into the foundation's mission and impact. Highlights of the interview include discussions on the diverse range of initiatives within education, livelihood, skill development, healthcare, and environmental sustainability. Additionally, Ms. Agarwal sheds light on the "Green India" initiative and how the foundation creatively engages its extensive network of 8,500 dealers to promote environmental conservation.
To explore the meaningful socio-economic impact the foundation has achieved and its promising future endeavours, scroll down to read the full interview:
Q&A
Q.What is the core objective and mission of Kamdhenu Jeevandhara Foundation, and how does that align with the overall social goals of the Kamdhenu Group?
A: Kamdhenu Jeevandhara Foundation, the CSR arm of Kamdhenu Group was founded with a vision to build an empowered society through education, community development and environment sustainability. Aligned with Kamdhenu Group’s commitment towards the industry as well as the community, we have been providing tailoring training programme for the needy women in order to help them gain economic independence. We take pride in organising such free skill development programmes while making a difference in the lives of those in need to survive with honour and dignity.
Q. What motivated the foundation to focus on a broad spectrum of social development areas rather than selecting specific causes? What is the geographical reach of your social projects?
A: As a part of our initiative, we are conducting Tailoring Training Programme for women at our Tailoring Training Centre in Gurugram. The aim of the programme is to eliminate child labour while allowing the underprivileged women to earn a living of their own. Participants who succeed the programme are provided with sewing machines in order to help them start their careers.
Q. Could you please elaborate on the initiatives of Kamdhenu Jeevandhara Foundation within its core themes of Education, Livelihood, Skill Development, Healthcare including Food & Nutrition, and Environmental Sustainability? Additionally, could you share the impact of each of these initiatives?
A: Kamdhenu Jeevandhara Foundation, driven by its unwavering commitment to comprehensive social development, has undertaken a multifaceted approach to address these core themes. The foundation's initiatives encompass a diverse range of activities aimed at uplifting vulnerable and underprivileged sections of society.
• Education: We believe in providing inclusive education, including special education which results in improved literacy rates and exposure to learning for marginalized groups.
• Livelihood and Skill Development: With our initiatives, we aim to empower vulnerable communities with skills in traditional arts, handicrafts, and vocational training. This leads to increased income and reduced unemployment.
• Healthcare and Nutrition: Tackling hunger, poverty, and malnutrition through healthcare services and awareness programs, results in healthier communities.
• Special Education and Employment: By offering specialized education and vocational training to underserved groups we wish to improve employment opportunities and overall well-being of the society.
• Environmental Sustainability: We extensively promote resource conservation, renewable energy, and eco-friendly practices. This contributes to ecological balance and reduced environmental degradation.
These initiatives have positively transformed lives, fostering socio-economic progress among the underprivileged and marginalized.
Q. Could you elaborate on the "Green India" initiative and its impact? Additionally, please provide insights into how the foundation creatively engages its extensive network of 8,500 dealers and distributors in fostering environmental conservation?
A: ‘Green India’ initiative is one of our environment friendly eco projects that is being undertaken on a periodic basis. Under this initiative, our dealers and distributors are motivated to plant at least 05 saplings each year and nurture them to complete growth. We organize camps across the country on regular basis in association with other social organizations, motivational programs, special skills for the physically challenged are held. This initiative is also undertaken with the involvement of Kamdhenu Group’s staff and business partners spread across the country.
Q. How does the foundation define and measure the "meaningful socio-economic impact" it aims to create within vulnerable and underprivileged communities?
A: ‘Kamdhenu Jeevandhara’ is instrumental in supporting the physically challenged individuals of the society. We organize various welfare camps for handicaps wherein, they are provided with free artificial limb, wheel chairs, walkers, polio calipers and other body-aid instruments. Medicines & Counseling to the patient and their families are also delivered absolutely free of charge. Kamdhenu Jeevandhara associates with numerous NGOs and other autonomous bodies to help the physically challenged through different means of relief. We have also donated an ambulance to Rotary Club Bhiwadi to help augment healthcare services in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan.
Q. What major challenges or obstacles has the foundation encountered while implementing the various projects, and what measures were taken to address those issues?
A: There has been no major challenges or obstacles as such while implementing our programmes. We develop need based or custom programmes in the areas of education and skill development, environmental sustainability, women empowerment, etc. First of all, we do a need-based assessment and accordingly design preset measurement parameters to gauge meaningful impact that are either quantitative or qualitative in nature. Our environment sustainability programmes are designed and conducted with our business partners, mostly our dealer network of steel and paints spread across the country.
Q. How has the foundation transformed the lives of underprivileged communities through its tailor training, computer training, and education programs?
A: The Kamdhenu Jeevandhara Foundation is dedicated to elevating and strengthening marginalized sectors of our society through a variety of life-changing initiatives. We are resolute in improving the abilities of those who have been marginalized, thus promoting their progress. Through our endeavours, we strive to equip vulnerable communities with expertise in traditional arts, handicrafts, and vocational training, resulting in higher earnings and diminished unemployment rates.
Q. Do you offer support in facilitating market linkages and financial literacy training for individuals involved in traditional arts, handicrafts, micro-enterprises, and vocational training? Could you also provide some instances of successful outcomes resulting from these efforts?
A: Yes, we do provide market linkages and financial literacy trainings. The other important programmes apart from women empowerment and environment sustainability are a full-time school for underprivileged children that provides basic computer education and free meal for the children above the 5th standard.
Last but not the least, a voluntary blood donation camp is also being organised on periodic basis in association with specialized team of doctors from Lion’s Club, New Delhi. Blood donation is what we feel is among the highest service one can render to the humanity and it is completely safe. It does not have any adverse health impact and can be repeated once in every 3 months. Though a small charity initiative, but people value it as it saves lives.
Q. How does the foundation actively involve the communities in decision-making processes and project implementation? Please share some interesting examples of community engagement efforts.
A: For more than a decade now, Kamdhenu Jeevandhara, has been directing its CSR activities to empower children from the poorer sections through education and computer training programs. More than 1,000 children have benefitted from the free of cost education program with a nominal registration fee.
The program is being be run out of the foundation’s computer center in Chakarpur, Gurugram and supplements other CSR initiatives including the school for underprivileged children, basic computer training and free meal.
The computer training course has been instrumental in ensuring better job prospects and hence better quality of life for many. Taking a step further, Kamdhenu Jeevandhara Foundation has taken the initiative to distribute desktop computers to bright yet needy children so that they can make the most of the computer training course.
One of the best example of women’s economic empowerment is a pre-requisite for inclusive and equitable economic growth. At Kamdhenu Jeevandhara, we take pride in organizing free skill development programs to make a difference in the lives of those in need. It is a humbling experience for us to see the smiles on the faces of these women and girls who have successfully completed their training program and are all set to begin the new innings in their life. We hope that Kamdhenu Jeevandhara with support of Kamdhenu Limited would continue to serve underprivileged sections of society in the years to come.
Q. Could you provide insights into the foundation's long-term roadmap and strategic plans for the coming years?
A: Kamdhenu Jeevandhara foundation is in the process of setting up a large skill development centre at Bhiwandi. We are working extensively on it, and hope to operationalize it in the next financial year. We are confident that the skill development centre will be beneficial for the underserved population of the industrial hub of Rajasthan.
