Corporate Social Responsibility

Most children studying in government schools in rural, tribal and urban communities lack access to libraries. Project Vivek Vidya, a unique mobile library programme run in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Telangana, aims at improving access to age-appropriate quality story books and reading materials to underprivileged children aged 6-16 years. This helps in improving reading, cognitive, behavioural and social competencies of the children which are mapped annually to assess the programme’s impact. Over 4,000 children are members of the library, paying a membership fee of ₹ 10 per annum.

We also support remedial classes to children at secondary level needing extra guidance in English and Mathematics in Nandesari Vidyalaya, Gujarat to prevent school drop-out.

We have set up a cold storage unit-cum-ripening chamber of 2.5 tonnes capacity in Naswadi, Chhota Udepur district. It has enabled storage of agri-products for longer duration, reducing losses of perishable products and thereby, improving profitability to the marginal farmers. To increase doorstep reach and boost sales, e-rickshaw and light utility vehicle was sanctioned for the logistic support.

We helped establish sales kiosk to promote sales of agri-produce and allied products of farmer producer groups of marginal women farmers. Farm produce of 834 women farmers were supported through marketing initiatives such as the sales kiosk and cold storage.

We have partnered with Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Gujarat for providing supportive supervision to 67 Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) to strengthen the ICDS programme in villages surrounding the Nandesari GIDC.

Around 5,600 beneficiaries including children (0-6 years), adolescent girls and pregnant women and nursing mothers have benefited from various value-added programmes. In FY 2020-21, special door-to-door supply of nutrition supplements was carried out to ensure health and nutrition of pre-school children are not affected due to closure of AWCs during pandemic. Eight Model AWCs were also developed in FY 2020-21.

We are supporting major skills building programmes affiliated to NSDC – Home Health Aide and combo course of Housekeeping & Cookery.

The Home Health Aide Programme aims to develop competent skilled workforce for providing healthcare services such as palliative care, childcare, geriatric services and bedside attendants. Despite the need for health care providers, due to the pandemic only 13 batches could be trained. During the year, around 362 beneficiaries enrolled of which 269 were trained and employed.

The Housekeeping & Cookery course was planned in view of the demand in the domestic sector and upcoming demand for home stays, holiday homes and home of senior citizens. During the year, around 70 trainees from BPL segment were trained, out of which 48 completed the course.

We support Samaj Suraksha Sankul, a boys child care institution, in providing skills training to visually impaired, physically challenged, and orphan residential children so that they can become independent and live a life of dignity. Vocational courses like diya making, canvas painting, rakhi making, paper bag making and skills enhancement such as computer training, home health aide, housekeeping, electrician, delivery boy are offered to around 60 residents’ (over 18 years) based on their interest and seasonal demand.

The R&D unit of Deepak Foundation, recognised as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (SIRO) under the Department of Science & Technology, undertakes DSS to evaluate impact of various programmes. This is done biannually to understand trend of key development indices and gain critical information for planning and implementing community interventions. Two rounds of DSS have been completed in Nandesari, Roha and Hyderabad sites covering 31,597, 33,597 and 37,901 households respectively.

We are supporting Project Sangaath, a unique community- based intervention aimed at increasing convergence of eligible households under the government schemes and social safety net programmes. We aim at facilitating pre-requisite documentation of 100% eligible beneficiaries in four intervention villages in Nandesari covering 3,262 households and have helped link over 650 beneficiaries.

We are also undertaking this project in 24 villages across Bharuch, Gujarat (17 villages), Morbi, Gujarat (4 villages), and Yamunanagar, Haryana (3 villages). It aims at facilitating pre-requisite documents of 100% eligible beneficiaries and linkage of at least 80% of the eligible households. Under the project, we have established Jan Seva Kendras in Gram Panchayat office across these villages with the support from district administration. Local volunteers conduct door-to-door socio-economic survey to identify eligible households and the project functionaries assists in ensuring
the availability of required documents. An in-house information technology innovation – Adhikaar Card is issued to each household seeded with essential pre-requisite documents for facilitating the application process.