MENDHA: Panasonic Life Solutions India (PLSIND) – one of the largest manufacturers of electrical construction materials (ECM) in the country, conducted a study and interacted with its beneficiaries and stakeholders to understand the impact of the interventions carried under its flagship project- holistic development of villages.
One of the major impacts of this project were the highly satisfied stakeholders who benefitted from the village development project. With the improved quality of water, increased income, capacity-building programs, and overall development of the village. The time reduced to fetch water has been utilized participation in SHGs (Self Help Groups) which has helped them increase their income.
PLSIND, under its CSR initiative, has committed to the holistic development of villages. With an aim to enhance living standards by combining livelihood and quality of life initiatives. The initiative’s primary areas of focus were to include water resource management, improved agriculture, access to renewable energy, income generation, community health, and nutrition.
The region’s topography has difficult terrain naturally, and it faces challenges with irrigation and water shortage which has raised issues for the people. Through this project, PLSIND and BISLD – BAIF Institute for Sustainable Livelihoods and Development successfully contributed to the holistic development of Mendha village, with a special focus on water resource development, soil and water conservation, tree plantation, improving quality of life, skill enhancement, capacity building, and women empowerment.
In the study, 98.7% responded that SHGs taught them different modes of saving money, 79.3% of them said that it helped to increase their knowledge levels, and 74% of the respondents said that SHGs helped them in building confidence. However, 77.3% of them said that SHGs helped in increasing income levels.
Speaking on the initiative, Toshinobu Kawasaki – Joint Managing Director, PEWIN, Panasonic Life Solutions India said, “Overall, it has been determined that the comprehensive village development project carried out in the Mendha village, Gujrat district, has had a significant and positive influence on satisfying the requirements of the community and has contributed to the general development of the villages. The project resulted in tangible improvements to the status of women, agriculture, water quality, income, and other livelihood-related areas. Panasonic will continue to adopt this approach to improve the conditions of such tribal areas.”
