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| ACF CEO & Director, Pearl Tiwari |
Dear Friends & Colleagues,
As 2018 draws to a close and we prepare to celebrate the advent of a new year, it is apt to connect with you all, extend our warmest regards, and share glimpses of the year to come and the year that was, at Ambuja Cement Foundation.
A big thank you to those of you who have participated with us - your collaboration is an integral part of our journey. We look forward to strengthening ties and forging ahead together to continue generating prosperity for rural communities of India.
2018: A Time for Celebration
2018 has been a wonderful one in so many ways and there are many things to celebrate and feel grateful for. I hope that you also have much to reflect positively on, for the year that was.
- This year we celebrated our Silver Jubilee, completing 25 years of rural development, and marked the occasion with a number of events and initiatives over the course of the year. In particular, we were jubilant to see our stories of impact hit the road as a roving Photographic Exhibition - to spread the good news of Ambuja Cement Foundation and the change we have achieved at scale on the ground.
- A prestigious Sandvik Gender Award was bestowed on our very own Women's Federation in Kodinar, Shri Sorath Mahila Vikas Sahkari Samiti (SMVSM), taking home the Award for its work in 'bridging the digital gender gap' in Gujarat.
- We are proud of our strategic decision to invest in, and focus on, non-communicable diseases, which has led to 62% of deaths in India, and is now the front-running health problem affecting rural communities.
- This year we ramped up efforts to expand our Skill & Entrepreneurship Development Institutes, launching four more centres (with many more in the pipeline) taking our total centres to 28. Thanks to all who have helped make this possible, in particular, our staff and partners.
- Ambuja Manovikas Kendra saw the first batch of students graduate from the Vocational Training Centre. We wish these students every success as they go forward with new skills in life to generate a livelihood with dignity.
- We changed the fortunes of over 1.7 lakh farmers, 42,653 youth, and 21,986 women who benefited from our programs. They now move forward, more empowered and with more knowledge and skills, to prosper in life.
- Time and again, when we hear stories of our staff going the extra mile, we are proud of the ACF Family and all they manage to achieve on a shoestring budget in order to optimise investments on the ground. It is thanks to them that our relationships in communities are so strong and that we can achieve the impact we have over the years.
- Once again we have joined hands with many partners and this year forged New Partnerships with like-minded organisations who believe in our vision and philosophy. We extend our gratitude for your faith in us and look forward to long and lasting relationships with you all.
2019: The Year of Investment
At ACF, 2019 has been dubbed, The Year of Investment!
- Investment in the grassroots of this nation, which provides the backbone of both industry and economy.
- Investment in our people, through new skills, new perspectives, new exposure and new approaches.
- Investment in expanding beyond our existing territories, to take our services to where the need is the most.
- Investment in partnerships, to help us better address the vast need of rural communities.
New Year's Resolutions
New Year is typically a time for resolutions! What resolutions have you made as an individual? And what resolutions should we make as a country? At ACF we have made many resolutions and we look forward to bringing them to fruition in 2019:
- We aim to strengthen gender diversity across the organisation - at the level of our interventions, our ACF staff and participation at a community level.
- We commit to re-orienting our programs - bringing climate change more fully into focus, and aligning more diligently with the Sustainable Development Goals.
- We continue our commitment to share our knowledge and learning in rural development with others in the sector.
Here's to the year that was, and here's to the year ahead - may it be filled with much joy, laughter and prosperity for you all!
Warm Regards,
PEARL TIWARI
Director & CEO - Ambuja Cement Foundation
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