Jharsuguda: Vedanta Aluminium dedicates 130 ‘Nand Ghars’ for women and children’s wellbeing
Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, dedicated 130 ‘Nand Ghars’ in a ceremony at Jharsuguda.
Jharsuguda: Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, dedicated 130 ‘Nand Ghars’ in a ceremony at Jharsuguda. The ‘Nand Ghars’ are a network of ‘modernised anganwadis’ supported by Vedanta and function as hubs of women and child development in a bid to accelerate development of local communities.
The newly-inaugurated ‘Nand Ghars’ are now set to transform the lives of over 7,000 children in 127 villages within Jharsuguda district.
The inaugural event was graced by Jharsuguda MLA Dipali Das, Project Director of District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) in Jharsuguda Prabir Kumar Nayak, Jharsuguda District Social Welfare Officer Punyabati Helen Khes and Vedanta Aluminium COO Sunil Gupta.
Appreciating Vedanta’s developmental efforts in the district, Dipali Das said, “I would like to thank Vedanta and Anil Agarwal Foundation for modernising our anganwadis with all essential amenities for the holistic development of children and their mothers. I must commend Vedanta for their unabated efforts to drive deep developmental initiatives such as its state-of-the-art diagnostic centres in Jharsuguda and Laikera. Businesses like Vedanta that are driven with community welfare at their core truly bring about a positive change in the community.”
Prabir Kumar Nayak, said, “Vedanta’s Nand Ghars play a crucial role in the overall development of children, laying a robust foundation of quality education in their pre-schooling years using advanced learning tools that are distinctive from the traditional classroom set up.”
Adding to Nayak, the Jharsuguda District Social Welfare Officer remarked, “I express my gratitude to Vedanta for infusing a sense of enjoyment into children’s learning, and earnestly urge Vedanta to extend its transformative efforts to all anganwadis, ensuring comprehensive growth for every child.”
Likewise, highlighting the company’s commitment to grassroots development, the Vedanta Aluminium COO, said, “Vedanta’s Nand Ghars represent our Chairman Anil Agarwal’s vision of accelerating women and child development across India at the very grassroots through focused development programs.”
“Through substantial investments in modern infrastructure and holistic trainings, we are opening new avenues for rural women and ensuring that India’s children have a strong start in life. This is helping transform entire communities in rural areas and bringing them into the socio-economic mainstream,” he added.
Launched in 2015, Nand Ghar is Vedanta’s flagship community initiative, developed under the aegis of the Anil Agarwal Foundation in collaboration with the Government of India’s Ministry of Women & Child Development. They are equipped with smart television sets for immersive and standardized education, water purifiers for reliable drinking water, clean toilets to promote community hygiene, and, solar panels to ensure 24X7 electricity.
The Nand Ghars are designed in accordance with the Building As Learning Aid (BALA) approach, the walls of the school building feature engaging and interactive learning resources. Together, they embody an integrated approach to child welfare and women’s empowerment.
Ms Kalinga