SELCO Foundation’s Post

The Ashoka Centre for People-Centric Energy Transition (ACPET) is thrilled to announce the successful completion of Phase 1 of our project, empirically studying the life and livelihood transition of the impacted population at Rajhara Coalfield in Jharkhand. ACPET conducted this study to analyze the "extent of impact" of mine closure on the local communities. Surveys revealed a 53% income drop for 74.2% of local businesses, a critical scarcity of drinking and irrigating water, reliance on costly private healthcare, inadequate quality education, and limited livelihood opportunities. To address these challenges, the study suggested a series of recommendations - as highlighted in the report attached. The key one revolves around sustainable water management and revival approaches, skilling, and awareness campaigns by strengthening Self-Help Groups (SHGs). Additionally, the work underscores the importance of collaborating with the government machinery and creation of national knowledge networks (NKN's). In Phase 2, ACPET is undertaking field demonstrations of the identified interventions to drive and test the transformative agenda. Stay tuned for more updates! #Sustainability #JustEnergyTransition #Peoplecentric #CommunityDevelopment #EconomicImpact #Sustainability #SkillDevelopment #WomenEmpowerment #Education #Healthcare #Livelihoods #MiningImpact #IGI #LSE #WorldBank Ashoka University Vaibhav Chowdhary Anandajit Goswami Animesh Ghosh Ilika Mohan Aparna Taparia Kasvi Sansanwal Soumit Pandey C Surendran

Transforming #Livelihoods in #Bankura, #WestBengal Our interventions in the Integrated Farming Clusters (IFCs) of Bankura are shaping a future of sustainable livelihoods. Through targeted workshops, we are training #women with skills for spice preparation, connecting them to a broader value chain. This connection, in turn, shall create a domino effect of economic growth, increased market access, and a more robust agricultural ecosystem. At its core, this initiative is about supporting rural women, offering them specialised training that serves as the launchpad for their entrepreneurial journey. By focusing on the IFCs, we are: ✅ Creating a ripple effect in the community ✅ Strengthening existing sources of income ✅ Diversifying household livelihoods #SustainableFarming #WomenEntrepreneurs #RuralDevelopment #EconomicGrowth

There is more power being a #cockroach #startup especially a difficult sector like #agritech #climatechange space where the Brands are built using #VC funding. There is no better feeling when you grow organically without spending a penny on your social media campaigns across channels. Proud of you #team AgriVijay appreciate the hard work and capturing our efforts on and off ground to drive the largest #climateaction movement being an #agrarian economy with Renewable & Green Energy as India's #first & only #Marketplace in Renewable Energy for #agriculture . And sincere Thanks to all who believed in us and spread our #impactful work across the LinkedIn community. Keep supporting as we need this while we grow big and massive as a community. We know that growing & scaling #fast especially when you are just 3.5 years old and in the absence of #milliondollar funding gives heat to the #decade old for-profit #socialimpact despite their enormous efforts of stopping us across #competitions being part of the jury they think that will impact us or work anyway. It wont as we firmly believe that our real #investors are our customers aka #farmers & #rural households and you cannot take their increased #savings , #income and #satisfaction we brought while making them Energy Independent with Renewable & Green Energy. And believe us this is just the beginning, We are here to #stay and #grow and become a Global Agtech Climate Action #socialenterprise while we build #aatmanirbharbharat for tomorrow impacting #lives and #environment at the same time. Shobha Chanchlani

🌟 Empowering Women in #Renewable #Energy 🌟 In many rural and agricultural communities, women are leading the charge towards sustainable living by adopting renewable energy technologies such as #solar power, #biogas, & #green electric energy. Their contributions are pivotal in transforming our approach to energy use and ensuring a greener #future for all. This inspiring image showcases a woman actively engaging with a solar energy system, highlighting the critical role women play in adopting and maintaining green technologies. Their involvement not only fosters sustainable development but also empowers them economically and socially. By supporting and encouraging women’s participation in the renewable energy sector, we can accelerate the transition to cleaner energy sources and promote environmental stewardship across #communities. Let’s continue to advocate for and invest in initiatives that uplift women and pave the way for a sustainable and equitable future. We are driving the largest #climateaction movement with the vision to onboard 10 Lakh #Farmers & #Rural households as Renewable & Green Energy Producers & Consumers abating 10 Lakh tons of #GHG/CO2 emissions by 2030. We also have ambitious goal to open 1 Lakh Renewable Energy Stores/Knowledge #Kiosks by 2030. #RenewableEnergy #GreenEnergy #empoweringfarmers #agrivijay #socialimpactinvesting #innovation #sustainability #environment #sustainableliving #climatechange #savetheplanet #solar #energy #startup #CommunityEmpowerment #socialimpactinvesting #agribusiness Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India Government of Maharashtra (GoM) Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade Startup India Invest India Atal Innovation Mission Official NITI Aayog IGKV R-ABI IRMA ISEED FOUNDATION a-IDEA, NAARM-TBI AIC-JKLU Indigram Labs Foundation - TBI, Supported by DST, GoI NABVENTURES Fund Mumbai Angels Tiger Capital Management Sequoia Capital Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) Atal Incubation Centre-Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini Climate Collective Omnivore FICCI Confederation of Indian Industry Agribusiness & Innovation Platform of ICRISAT Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship Women Entrepreneurship Platform United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) NABARD - National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development SIDBI(Small Industries Development Bank of India)

Sri Balaji University Pune (SBUP), in collaboration with, Confederation of NGOs of Rural India (CNRI), Lehigh University, USA, World Cooperation Economic Forum (WCooPEF), National Institute of Public Administration, Delhi Region and Alumni Association PGDCBM VAMNICOM is announcing the Global Conclave titled "Cooperative ESG Strategies: Navigating Towards Sustainable Development Goals, Empowering Change, Inspiring Impact." The Conclave aims to bring together a distinguished group of industry leaders, policymakers, cooperative representatives, and experts to discuss and explore the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into business strategies and cooperative frameworks. The objective is to provide a platform for sharing insights and best practices on how cooperatives and businesses can align and enhance their ESG considerations with broader societal and environmental goals. This will ultimately contribute to India's progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and creating a more sustainable and equitable future. By highlighting the unique role of cooperatives in this context, the conclave will emphasize the potential of cooperative models to inspire impact, empower change, and drive collective progress towards sustainable development. Dr. Manisha Paliwal Rajkiran Pund Sri Balaji University,Pune #sbuppune #sbupevent #sbupphotography #sbup

Had a chance to be at the #Ruralindiaconference2024 jointly organised by World Bank and TNRTP, as part of LEAD at Krea University team. Important takeaways from the conference 1. Construction provides maximum employment in the non-agri sector, but female pay parity is also highest in this sector. What can we do to increase employment in other business types sans tailoring and beauty parlour? 2. Agri businesses generate more output to economy. How do we pump in more primary capital to elevate this momentum? While a lot of praise poured in for private investment in non-agri sectors, why does this not translate to employment generation in the rural areas? What got me interested is the announcement of policies related to circular economy investments and Toy manufacturing with particular focus on Rural based industries. Interesting developments indeed and a great time catching up with rural sustainability colleagues. #ruralindiaconference2024 #entrepreneurship #msme #tnrtp

WILL YOU SUPPORT PRADEEP THIS CHRISTMAS to enable the next steps in his SRIC demo centre and bring food security and future prospects to youth and small farmers in Nepal? Pradeep studied IT and Management at University in Bharatpur, Nepal. After this, he decided not to go abroad for a well-paying job like most youngsters do, but to stay in his community to train youth, women and small farmers in basic ICT skills and technology. To make agriculture, which is still often done manually in Nepal, less hard and more attractive for young people and farmers. To do so, he started his own SUNWay Research & Innovation Center at home, where he provides technology education and, in collaboration with young people and farmers, creates smart technological solutions that make agriculture easier and more efficient and increase farmers' harvests and incomes. THE NEXT STEP is to make 10 AFFORDABLE WEATHER STATIONS and place them on 10 farms in Nepal to collect data and do research about climate challenges that influences food security and create solutions for this together with experts and farmers from different countries. 🥕 🍅 🌍 Find all you need to know about Pradeep’s amazing work at his GoFundMe page: https://gofund.me/ebe154c2   Thanks in advance for your support, we really appreciate it and will show you the results! 🙏 #WeGowTogether #NoOneLeftBehind #PowerOfYoungsters #PowerOfCommunities #LivingLegends #ClimateEducation #ClimateEntrepreneurship #SRIC #Tech4AgriculturaInnovation #SDG2 #SDG4 #SDG6 #SDG7 #SDG8 #SDG15 #SDG16 #SDG17

With 15,00,000 + farmers outreach having 1000+ #farmers/ #rural households onboarded with presence in 350+ villages across India with our 80+ #Renewable #Energy Stores with 45+ esteemed partner companies with their 200+ #innovations/products in - solar, biogas, green energy - electric, agritech & organic abating 10,000 tons of GHG/CO2 emissions annually contributing to the global #climate #action movement while we are building #atmanirbharbharat for tomorrow we are racing ahead organically on all our social media channels where our farmers & rural households boast about our work and service of 3.5 years of our existence instead of paid & funded campaigns by many companies in the #agritech space. Despite being born during #COVID-19 and facing huge challenges and hardships, AgriVijay has successfully achieved a milestone of becoming India's first Marketplace for Renewable and Green Energy Products for farmers & rural households backed by Atal Innovation Mission Official & NITI Aayog providing over 200+ clean & renewable energy products coupled with our End to End service for last mile.Our mission aligns with driving the largest climate action movement, offering accessible and affordable energy solutions aligned with UN SDG's impacted 5000+ lives across the country. We now have 13,000 supporting members on LinkedIn with our mission helping us scale our impact and our work organically everyday. It's indeed an honor and respect for us being a small home grown #startup company yet to raise a #VC funding. There are #socialimpact enterprises with more than a decade of presence with the same level of impact are now changing gear to match our speed and scale of impact. Thank you each and everyone out their backing us with their appreciation and talking about us to push us to become a Global #Agtech Climate Action #Social #Enterprise #buildingbharat. Droupadi Murmu - 15th President of Republic of India Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship Agribusiness & Innovation Platform of ICRISAT Women Entrepreneurship Platform Samunnati UN Women United Nations WWF Acumen Climate Policy Initiative - India United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) Ashden UNDP Shobha Chanchlani

IMPAct4Nutrition (I4N) Platform is delighted to onboard GUJARAT LIVELIHOOD PROMOTION COMPANY LTD (GLPC) as its pledged partner. Through #I4N technical expertise, #GLPC shall work closely with I4N secretariat for its Project ‘Jeevika Saathi’ which will be implemented in 2 aspirational Blocks of #Gujarat - #Nandod (#Narmada), #Garbhada (#Dahod). Dahod and Narmada are two of those districts where I4N secretariat did intense deep dive last year and as an outcome of the same came out with some of evidence based gaps & needs from those districts. Some of those gaps and needs are expected to be fulfilled by this technical collaboration of I4N and its pledged partner GLPC through this project. This initiative is supported by a consortium of Gujarat Gas Limited , and the @Socio Economical Transformation and Upliftment Society (SETU). Leveraging technical expertise of I4N secretariat, the project team will focus on women's empowerment through entrepreneurship development, along with nutrition training for a healthier future.   Together, we aim to transform lives by promoting better nutritional choices for women entrepreneurs. Nishita Mehta Aditi Mishra CSRBOX IndiGive Foundation BharatCares

Rural women have a key role to play in achieving economic, environmental and social changes required for sustainable development in village ecosystems. Empowering them enables women’s active participation in shaping a new future for themselves, their families and the rural communities that they belong to. Here’s the story of the women of the Adivasi belt of Dewas district in the heart of India, Madhya Pradesh who experienced low financial independence for a long time. In 2011, we partnered with Samaj Pragati Sahayog (SPS) to work in this region as part of our Sustainable Livelihood Programme. Our joint efforts since then have aimed to enhance the income of rural households by bolstering their knowledge, confidence, agency through the various interventions including: ✅Developing Watershed, Groundwater, and Irrigation Management ✅Promoting Sustainable Agriculture ✅Facilitating Self-help Groups and other collectives ✅Enhancing Livestock Management ✅Increasing know-how on Community Forest Rights ✅Empowering women through skill training and economic resilience building ✅Promoting digital and financial literacy Our uniquely designed patient funding model facilitates grassroots implementation by engaging all relevant stakeholders to devise effective solutions. The income enhancement story of communities under this project has created transformational impact on the lives and livelihoods of 1,00,000 + rural families over the years with winning stories shared by the women: ✅Nearly 38,000 women are part of 2,700 SHGs. Prior to the intervention, they were hardly able to save and now on an average they save INR 400 a month. The total savings is 50+ crore. They also have access to credit through the SHGs pool of funds. ✅95% of women have Bank Accounts ✅4,000 women are part of a Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO), Ram Rahim Pragati Producer Company Limited, benefiting from getting higher price for their produce sold ✅Promoting the concept of building kitchen gardens among women has helped improve nutrition intake for the families and have a surplus for sale in the market. A recent visit by the board and team members of the Axis Finance Limited team to the programme site of Axis Bank Foundation in Madhya Pradesh shed light on our decade-long and ongoing collaboration in the region with Samaj Pragati Sahayog Let’s continue building sustainable rural communities where every member of the family is heard, supported and celebrated. Today wishing all the women in our communities #HappyWomensDay #womensday2024 #sustainabledevelopment #investinwomen