Ford India Launches its first community program in Sanand to provide drinking safe water to 1500 children. It will be provided to 30 anganwadis covering 18 villages around its upcoming manufacturing facility in Gujarat. Aligned with Ford India’s vision to improve health, safety and education in communities surrounding its operations, the first phase of the initiative will ensure safe drinking water for close to 1500 children between the age of 3-6 years.
Ford India has partnered with Ahmedabad-based NGO, Saath Charitable Trust, to implement the project, which aims to progressively expand and cover children across 70 villages.Speaking at the launch of the project, Kel Kearns, Director – Manufacturing, Sanand Vehicle Assembly & Engine Plant, Ford India Pvt. Ltd, said “Henry Ford envisioned creating a Better World, together with building a strong business and designing products that people want and desire. At Ford India, our people are equally passionate to work towards the betterment of the communities and engage with them. Our first community outreach in Sanand is no different and aims to enable a positive change and sustainable development towards children in the neighboring villages around the upcoming manufacturing facility.”
Saath Charitable Trust’s integrated services reach over 400,000 individuals from marginalised communities in Gujarat and Rajasthan. As early as in 1992, Saath put forward the concept of balghars to provide basic education, health and nutrition support to uneducated, underprivileged and poor children between the age group of 3-6 years. Today, it operates in 7 pre-schools that reach out to more than 245 children every year. Saath has also designed Child-Friendly Spaces - a unique, 4-hour non-formal education course with an aim to later enroll them in formal education. Currently, there are 8 Child Friendly Space centers - 3 in the slums of Ahmedabad and 5 on construction sites.
“As part of the field research with Saath Charitable Trust, we realized that access to safe drinking water was a significant gap, resulting in various water-borne diseases, especially amongst children. This project will thus help us address a basic need,” Kearns added.
“We are extremely happy to partner with Ford for this project, to enable access to pure drinking water for children. Saath envisions inclusive communities with empowered individuals. We will ensure that the project is sustainable and work towards enhancing it over a period of time, to impact more people”, said Shyam Prakash Singh, Program Coordinator, Saath Charitable Trust.
The annual Ford Global Week of Caring (GWC), held in September, saw enthusiastic participation from employee-volunteers, including volunteers in Sanand as they came together and engaged in meaningful relationships with communities. During GWC 2013 alone, volunteers across Ford in India have spent more than 10,000 man hours, in various community outreach initiatives. Ford India’s Operation Better World has undertaken several projects in the spheres of education, health and sustainability, benefiting various communities in and around its areas of operations. Some of the projects that have been implemented in India include developing skills among rural women, improving educational infrastructure and basic sanitation and hygiene, as well as enabling higher learning outcomes in schools. The positive impact created among beneficiaries in the first year has encouraged Ford to increase support for current and new projects.
