How Vizhinjam women are scripting their own empowerment story
The initiative of social concern and public interest presents a different picture in Vizhinjam, Kerala. Through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the Adani Foundation started a community volunteer platform in Vizhinjam during the Covid pandemic. Today, this platform is playing an important role between the government and the underprivileged through technology, so that people can directly take advantage of government schemes.
This year, the Foundation has taken up the task of training 46 women volunteers. It aims to connect 1,000 people with government schemes with the help of these volunteers so that people can benefit from the schemes. The work is difficult, but the Foundation team has accepted this challenge and has begun work. They are also getting the support of the people, who are being linked to schemes like Atal Pension Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana.
Upliftment of the underprivileged section is incomplete without the upliftment of their children. WhatsApp groups like Shalbhangal and Phoenix have been created for government schemes related to children. Anita and other community volunteers like her visits villages and informs poor people about government schemes and explains to them how to connect with a scheme and benefit from it. Women like her are spreading a new light of hope after getting trained by the Foundation.
With the help of these volunteers, 58 poor children of class 10 and 12 have got scholarship of Rs 3,000 to 7,500 by linking to a relevant scheme. So far, many people from the community have been connected with the government schemes of Kerala like Snehapoorvam, Widow Pension, Life House Scheme, e-labour card, Kitchen Garden, etc. Apart from this, the Adani Foundation officials also connect the beneficiaries with the government offices concerned.
People can also get important information about welfare schemes and officials, who can facilitate, through an online campaign. The women volunteers are also being trained for other schemes involving agriculture, banking, insurance, housing, education, health, and welfare pension.
The role of volunteers is critical. The Foundation is developing a leadership methodology to arm volunteers with accurate knowledge so that they train new members to spread awareness about the welfare schemes for women, workers, or children at the ward level in formal and informal groups like Kudumbashree neighborhood, Kitchen Garden, etc. This effort will set a new direction of change in the lives of the people.