Author: Group Communications

SNS Foundation, Parwanoo, has been awarded membership to the Himachal Pradesh State AIDS Control Society’s (HPSACS) Executive Committe and Governing Council. This honour comes after almost 15 years of work as an implementation NGO partner of HPSACS. SNSF’s project team has touched the lives of more than 1 lakh individuals belonging to various vulnerable groups, including transport sector workers, commercial sex workers, migrant labours, by creating awareness about HIV/AIDS and other medical facilities. This recognition will help the Foundation to strongly put forth concerns related to the challenges faced in project implementation by all NGO partners, thereby improving the quality of service delivery for the target population.

Smt. T.S. Raji Gain, Chief General Manager, NABARD, Madhya Pradesh, visited Tejaswini Mahila Bahu Prayojan Sahkari Samiti, a women’s cooperative society facilitated by SNS Foundation, Dewas, which sells handicrafts, soft furnishings among other items. The members received training in these skills from SNSF’s Dewas team, under NABARD’s Livelihood and Enterprise Development Programme (LEDP). It was a proud moment for the cooperative society members and the SNS Foundation to welcome the highest ranking donor official in their midst. Smt. Raji Gain appreciated the quality of the products, and also encouraged the women to continue taking such bold steps towards self-empowerment.

Some 40 self-help group members from Chalkewadi village participated in this training workshop, which covered the 3 thematic areas of dairy farming, backyard poultry and goat rearing. Field experts from the Department of Animal Husbandry, Satara Block, as well as officials from UMED – Maharashtra State Rural Livelihood Mission of Satara Block – participated in the event. Following the training, 25 individual businesses are expected to be launched in the coming months.

To promote the economic development of women, 7 SHGs with a total membership of 70 women were formed between September and December 2019. Guided by the SNSF team, the groups successfully put into practice the training they received from UMED-MSRLM (Maharashtra State Rural Livelihoods Mission). In October 2020, each group was awarded a loan of 1 lakh to start micro-enterprises in several areas including poultry and dairy, by the end of the financial year 2020-21.

Taking advantage of the recent monsoon season, residents of Rohile village, Nashik, embarked on a drive to increase the green coverage in the village by planting seeds and saplings across 2.5 acres of land donated by the Department of Forests. Additionally, mango, golden duranta, black ficus, golden ficus saplings were planted to beautify the village. This endeavour received support from SNSF team members along with the local government.

To promote the economic development of women, 7 Self- Help Groups (SHGs) with a total membership of 70 women were formed at the Upcoming Model Village Chalkewadi, near Satara in 2019. Guided by the SNSF team, these groups successfully put into practice the training they received from UMED-MSRLM (Maharashtra State Rural Livelihoods Mission). Now in 2020, each group has been awarded a loan of 1 lakh to start micro-enterprises in several areas including poultry and dairy.

SNSF celebrated the 3rd Rashtriya POSHAN Maah (National Nutrition Month) during September 2020 across all its locations by organising exhibitions and talks on the importance of eating nutritious meals, particularly immunity booster foods to fight the COVID-19 infection. This annual national event, sponsored by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, addresses malnutrition amongst young children and women, thus ensuring health and nutrition for everyone.

With the lengthy closure of schools and the digital divide making online education inaccessible to many students, SNSF has resorted to COMMUNITY TEACHING to minimise the loss of learning. With due permission from panchayats and local administration, SNSF teachers and volunteers hold classes in open or largish closed spaces so that children continue their education. This approach is supported by parents and associated communities.

SNSF teams from Parwanoo, Gurugram, Rewari, Dewas, Nashik, Chakan and Jodhalli launched a campaign to take orders for cloth face masks to support families whose sources of livelihood were affected by the COVID-19 lockdown in April 2020. Since then more than 1 lakh face masks have been stitched, thereby helping 50+families to survive. Main clients include ANAND Group companies as well as other private vendors.

7 MEDHAVI awardees from the SNSF staff were recently employed by Napino Auto & Electronics Limited, Manesar, Gurugram. A total of 11 MEDHAVI awardees are now working at Napino Auto.