Social Projects
LT Foods
Independent Director
As an Independent Director on the Board of LT Foods, I am the Chairperson of the CSR committee and have the opportunity to contribute to decision making regarding the support we give to deserving causes.
Guided by the words of my mother, who believed that if everyone on this planet contributes to helping the world be a better place, we would be able to make the world a better place to live in for all of us.
With this spirit to guide me, I have endeavoured to the best of my ability to contribute to causes that I believe in around the world.
UNEP - UN Environment Programme
As part of the UNEP’s ongoing project to educate youth about the negative impact of the use of plastics on our environment, we at the Art of Living, are in discussions with UNEP on how to help them scale this message and program across Government and Private Schools across India. This would impact millions of students. We similarly have the capacity to impact students in 150+ countries across the world. Our engagement with UNEP is still at its inception stage but our first discussions have been very positive and fruitful and we are excited to take this matter further and make a Global impact in an area that is critical to the survival of our planet. Children are the future of this world and educating them is critical to saving our planet. Informed children can become catalysts for change in their communities and even be instrumental in teaching and changing the behaviors of their parents.
Ethiopia
In Ethiopia I was involved with conducting Youth Leadership Training Programmes aimed at inspiring young people from disadvantaged communities to discover their leadership skills and then become catalysts for change in their communities.
Also in Addis Ababa, I lead cleanliness drives, inspiring communities to take responsibility for their surroundings. We also set up a biogas plant to help families get cooking fuel at almost no cost
Kenya
Hence in Kenya I was involved with education and sanitation projects in Kibera and Kangemi, the largest slums in East Africa. We conducted programs called the “Breath Water Sound programs aimed at helping people from disadvantaged communities appreciate and discover their humanity and gain their self respect.
Indonesia
In Indonesia, I started with my dear friend, Sofia Blake, wife of the US Ambassador and the Art of Living chapter, the 6x6 Women in Action Project where we worked with 6 grassroots Indonesian women to help them acquire the skills necessary to take their work to the next level. The most successful of these women, pioneered a project to recycle plastic, mainly on the island of Lombok. She brought livelihood to over 10,000 residents of Lombok through a simple but effective business model. The residents would bring plastic from all over Lombok, including beaches and streets. Febriarti would then separate the plastic into 70+ categories and then weigh and record quantities by weight of plastic brought by each individual. When she had about 2-3 tons she would ship it to a recycling plant. The plant would pay her by the kilo and she would then distribute the money among the people who had collected the plastic. We supported her by getting recognition from the Government and hence access to some funding. We also supported her in applying for and participating in the “Sankalp Award” for the most promising social enterprise. It was because of our efforts in supporting her in crafting the submission that she was able to win the first prize. She won USD 10,000 and this transformed her life. Today she travels the whole world and lectures on environmental issues.
In a combined project of the Indian Embassy, the Barefoot College and the Wadah Foundation, Solar electrification projects were implemented in the remotest parts of Indonesia in Flores...bringing light and hope to many villages
Himalaya Unnati Mission (HUM)
Mentor
Under the leadership of Art of Living, I am involved in the Himalaya Unnati Mission (HUM) whereby over 30 small NGO’s have been brought together to help preserve the cultural, social and environmental biodiversity of the Himalayan region.
We are in discussion with the UNEP to partner with them as part of the International Decade for Ecosystem Restoration.
Barefoot College International
Independent Director
I am also on the Board of Barefoot College International, a reputed NGO working in the field of Solar Electrification Education, Rain Water Harvesting, Women’s education, Livelihood development etc.
Future Projects
Charitable Trust Fund
In the memory of the parents and my parents in law, I will be setting up a Charitable Trust with the intention of helping children who were orphaned and made destitute by the impact of Covid 19.
