Strengthening its commitment towards building a healthier society and positively impacting the lives of people in marginalised communities, Nestlé India in collaboration with S M Sehgal Foundation, launched Project ‘Vriddhi’, an initiative towards village adoption ahead of World Health Day. The three-year project is aimed at improving the livelihoods of 1,400 people in the village of Rohira in Nuh district, Haryana, for bringing a positive change in the lives of the locals.
The project will adopt an integrated approach focusing on various aspects of rural well-being. This includes improving delivery of public services related to health, education and sanitation, water conservation, and improving farm livelihoods.
Commenting on the launch of the project, Mr. Suresh Narayanan, Chairman and Managing Director, Nestlé India said, “The health of our company is intrinsically linked to the health and resilience of the society we operate in. We focus on programmes which are relevant nationally and resonate with our global objective. Nestlé India is building a healthier society with initiatives which positively impact the lives of over 5 million beneficiaries across India. We are happy to partner with S M Sehgal Foundation who have been working in this sector for over two decades and hope that together we will bring about a difference in the lives of people in Rohira through this project.”
Mr Jay Sehgal, Trustee, S M Sehgal Foundation, added, “We are proud to partner with Nestlé India to strengthen and enhance ongoing initiatives that will lead to positive outcomes for rural people and help create shared value for Nestle’s communities and shareholders. For twenty years, Sehgal Foundation’s focus has been on strengthening community-led development initiatives to achieve positive social, economic, and environmental change in rural India. Our work began in Nuh (earlier Mewat) district of Haryana, which had long lagged behind in social or economic development. Sehgal Foundation implements integrated sustainable grassroots programs to increase agricultural productivity, manage water resources, and strengthen good rural governance, using extensive research to measure and ensure that the work delivers impact. We are now present in eight states working with over two million people, and we continue to expand.”
Project Vriddhi will focus on improving access to clean drinking water for communities, promoting water-saving irrigation practices, increasing awareness on nutrition, enhancing farm productivity and providing healthy learning environment in schools by improving hygiene and sanitation practices.