New Delhi: Global advisory firm Ernst & Young‘s (EY) CSR arm EY Foundation (EYF) has has joined hands with the Jharkhand State Livelihoods Promotion Society (JSLPS) and Department of Rural Development of Jharkhand to help women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in the state, the company said in a press release.
The foundation today (25 Jun) announced about its association with the state departments. It has also partnered with Action for Social Advancement (ASA), a not-for-profit organization based in Bhopal to implement the programmes,
Jharkhand has been recognized as India’s second most poor state, according to the global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI).
“Our efforts have always been to maximise (the) reach by leveraging the existing government platforms and models of social change that have been successful”, Sridhar Iyer, national director for CSR at EY said.
“This collaborative project will prove to be a milestone as it builds on the strength of the government and civil society organizations”, ASA Director Ashish Mondal added.
Under the three-year programme, EYF and ASA will work together for to “empower” women from underprivileged and economically weaker blocks in Jamtara and Pakur districts the release said.
EYF expects to mobilise funds worth INR 1.50 billion for the beneficiaries through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), over the three-year period.
The initiative is expected to impact livelihoods of over 60,000 women in SHGs through a greater access to credit and creation of micro-entrepreneurship opportunities, the foundation claims. The SHGs will be provided the guidance on effectively mobilizing resources under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
“This partnership to encourage rural livelihood value chain activity is innovative and will bring significant positive changes in the lives of rural communities.” Bishnu C. Parida, chief operations officer at JSLPS said.
EYF is also working with ‘Child In Need Institution’ – a Tata Trust initiative, helping 12,000 tribal families. It is aiming to cover 30,000 families through the programme and make them part of the ‘Lakhpati Kisan’ programme.
The Lakhpati Kisan initiative is designed to enhance incomes of marginal tribal farmers and bring it over INR 100,000 per year.
The foundation is also supporting rural empowerment programs and creating a positive impact on the lives of over 200,000 women in more than 3,000 villages across 10 states including Tamil Nadu, Orissa, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, the release said.
