The Asian Forum on CSR, Singapore, awarded Hindustan Zinc, a company of Vedanta Group in zinc business, the most coveted Asian CSR Excellence Award - 2008 for the “Zinc Integrated Poverty Alleviation Programme (ZIPAP)” today in a glittering function at Waterfront Hotel, Singapore. The award has been conferred on Hindustan Zinc under the Poverty Alleviation Category.
About 170 entries from 120 companies from 15 countries entered the fray for the Award. Hindustan Zinc has been the only chosen Indian entry under Poverty Alleviation Category.
The Zinc Integrated Poverty Alleviation Programme (ZIPAP) of Hindustan Zinc has a clear vision to bring sustainable change in the quality of life of people living Below Poverty Line (BPL). The programme has been primarily aimed at four districts of Rajasthan viz Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Bhilwara, Rajsamand and based on identifying the need of BPL families. This programme is executed under two categories ’ Sustainable Livelihood Project (Farm and Non Farm)’ and ‘ Integrated Nutrition and Health based Project for women and children’.
Under Sustainable Livelihood Project – Farm based, self reliance has been brought by promoting optimum use of land, effective harnessing of available water, optimum ground water utilization and multi cropping and also promoting cultivation of cash crops.
Similarly, Sustainable Livelihood Project - Non Farm category, emphasis is given on entrepreneur development. Professional Vocational Courses like sales and marketing, hospitality, DTP and others like repair of mobile sets, motor winding, cycle repairing, operating flour mills have been introduced for rural youth. So far, about 3,200 rural youth have attended the programme and 90% of which have already been placed.
In promoting women empowerment 185 Self Help Groups have been developed with about 2,800 members. The group is doing a sizable work in handicrafts, embroidery, animal husbandry, tailoring etc. More and more groups are being formed on regular basis.
Bringing the focus on health of women and children, various awareness camps have been organized that covered about 175 villages benefiting about 50,000 women and children in four districts. About 36,000 females have already been covered under maternal health services.
Under providing nutrition to women and children, Hindustan Zinc has been running two projects- ‘Mid-Day Meal Scheme’ and ‘Integrated Child Development Centre - Anganwadi Project’. Under Mid-Day Meal Scheme about 200,000 primary school going children are being provided mid-day meal through 6 Hi-Tech Kitchens located at Chittorgarh, Bhilwara and Udaipur districts. The project has improved not only the nutrition value of these children but also the attendance of girl students in the school to 70%. The overall attendance has improved to 90%.
Through Integrated Child Development Scheme, Hindustan Zinc has adopted 400 Anganwadi Centres; 100 each in Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Bhilwara and Rajsamand. Under this scheme, 16,000 children in the age group of 0-6 years are being covered. Beside ensuring 100% immunization, regular health check-ups are also being conducted.
With a dedicated CSR team and a clear mission to make sustainable difference in the BPL families living in four districts, where Hindustan Zinc’s units operate, the company has a large presence in CSR activities in the state of Rajasthan.
The Award is recognition of excellent work done by Hindustan Zinc in the area of corporate social responsibility.
The Guest of Honor Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, Under-Secretary-
Source: Orissa Diary
