Page 28 - Reliance Foundation Annual Report 2020-21

22 Reliance Foundation Annual Report 2020-21 23

Livelihood enhancement Mobilising through skill training

Reliance Foundation works to de-risk rural communities from economic vulnerability by promoting Reliance Foundation strives to empower young people with new skills and opportunities to improve their employability
quotient. The goal is to de-risk livelihoods and develop India’s human capital for a globally competitive workforce with
sustainable agriculture and allied activities, enabling market linkages, stabilising income from fishing, access to information. Transformation Rural
encouraging entrepreneurship and diversifying livelihoods. Reliance Foundation also focuses on
upskilling the youth to increase their employability.

Market Linkages

This work is the culmination of economic and social
transformation made possible by Reliance Foundation
over the past decade in geographies characterised by low
productivity because of water scarcity and land degradation.
Reliance Foundation has mentored 30 Farmer Producer
Organisations (FPOs) and initiatives to support 43,000+
marginalised farmers with improved market access.
In FY 2020-21, the farmers supported through these FPOs Mithilesh Yadav from Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh,
recorded more than D 94 crore in transactions and undertook Pashu Sakhis from Deoghar district in Jharkhand in his motorbike repairing shop
pilot projects on mechanised paddy transplanting and drone
usage. The FPOs were linked to national markets through Reliance Foundation provides a platform for connecting Reliance Foundation focuses on upskilling underprepared
digital commodity trading platforms and digitised FPO ‘Point youths with organisations, offering skilling programmes and youth and those who have dropped out of school, connecting
of Sales’ transactions. The FPOs moved to higher value employment opportunities. All-round skill training, career them to employment opportunities in the retail sector. In
commodities, helping member farmers get better prices for guidance and entrepreneurship training for micro-enterprises FY 2020-21, the programme made a transition from physical
agri-produce, save input and cultivation costs. Now, these are conducted with the National Skill Development Mission. to virtual mode. Reliance Foundation worked with 39 skilling
Producer Organisations (POs) support other FPOs with a Coaching and resources to develop skills – including computer partners, who mobilised candidates and upskilled them,
district knowledge sharing consortium. literacy and soft skills – were provided through partnerships making them employable for the retail sector. The programme
During the lockdown, these FPOs helped farmers sell that enhance employability. In FY 2020-21, skill training was has its footprint in 20 states and 150+ cities.
commodities, negotiate the cost of agricultural inputs, and extended to Pashu Sakhis, rural women entrepreneurs
linked farmers with government-run procurement centres and providing Paraveterinary services, to generate health and 8,800+
makeshift markets apart from supplying food to villagers in the livestock health management awareness in post-flood Bihar.
absence of local markets. Unemployed received skill training online, during 2020-21;
79% of them were placed, for many of them it was their first
During the year, Reliance Foundation also provided links with job with an average earning of D 11,000 per month
government schemes, e-pass for transporters and supported
initiatives such as organising machinery for 5,952 farmers. These
farmers were supported digitally to address their knowledge
gap and were also linked to remunerative markets. As many as
29 FPOs and migrant workers were also linked under the Krishak Tapping opportunities and reaping benefits
Sasaktikaran Pariyojana, which is estimated to generate 3 lakh
MGNREGS workdays, providing a total wage of D 6.1 crore in one Members of Maa Sharda Mahila Kisan Producer Company supporting the
year. Reliance Foundation also facilitated digital platform linkages tribal farmers; helping them get fair market price for their produce
for other FPOs and those who reached out for assistance on
supply chain challenges.
48 FPOs

Bringing the market to the Completed E-NAM registration procedure with the
doorstep support of Mandi Parishad in Uttar Pradesh
Reliance Foundation mentored Maa Sharda Mahila E94 crore
Kisan Producer Company Limited, a women-led
FPO, which works for the cause of improving farmers’ Transactions undertaken by Reliance Foundation
incomes in the catchment area of 17 remote villages in mentored FPOs in FY 2020-21 Anita Devi from Barmasiya village, Deoghar in her Marigold field
Panna District of Madhya Pradesh.
During the lockdown, this FPO procured 2,000 kg of E26.2 crore Deoghar, Jharkhand is known for its flourishing flower Soon after the training, Anita started growing her own
Chironji (Calumpang Nuts) from farmers of eight tribal business. As the festive season begins, there is an increased marigold flowers and now makes significant profits.
villages. As per their wish/need, these farmers were Worth produce sold through Reliance Foundation’s demand for fresh flowers, a business opportunity that Anita This has enabled her to support her family through the
provided with rice equivalent to the value of the fruit. digital outreach programme Devi from Barmasiya village, Deoghar, has long sensed. uncertain times of the pandemic. Being the first in her
This initiative helped these tribal families meet their community to undertake such a venture, Anita has created
daily consumption needs as well as get a fair market Reliance Foundation through such initiatives under rural In collaboration with the local Krishi Vidyan Kendra, a ripple effect with several other SHG members now
price for their produce when accessibility to markets transformation is striving to bring about change beyond Reliance Foundation trained Anita and other SHG members following her lead. Her resilience and willingness to learn
and essential food items was limited. farms, across communities, strengthening governance, in the cultivation of marigold flowers, accessing quality has made her an exemplary figure in her village.
upgrading nutrition along with opening up opportunities and seeds, and imparting knowledge on transplanting, crop
empowering rural India to transform and prosper. management and so on.