RPG Foundation: Transforming Lives through community engagement

The world is one family; every bit of it is connected with the other in different ways. Unfortunately, this world is unequal in various forms such as financially, socially, culturally, etc. The good news about this universe is, it is full of good people, who strive to make this earth a beautiful place to exist for everybody. A number of individuals and organizations are working towards the goal of a world of equality. Among such names, RPG Foundation stands as a prominent organization. Ever since its inception, the foundation is working towards its ultimate mission of ‘touching lives, spreading joy’.

Introduction

RPG Foundation is a humanitarian initiative by RPG Group — one of India’s biggest industrial and services conglomerates. Headquartered in the country’s financial capital Mumbai, the company was founded by Late Shri Rama Prasad Goenka in the year 1979. Apart from contributing to Indian economy through various subsidiaries such as CEAT Tyres, KEC International, etc., RPG Foundation has also been a pioneer contributor to social upliftment. Through some of its highly recognized projects including Netranjali, Pehlay Akshar, Swayam, etc., RPG Foundation has made its name in the world of community development.

Pehlay Akshar: Empowerment begins here

The Pehlay Akshar initiative is single-mindedly focussed on promoting employability in India, according to the NGO’s website. RPG believes that primary education is a critical social need in the country, following which it strives to contribute to India’s rise in school enrolment rates. Although the government provides substantial assistance to students and their families, RPG believes it is the responsibility of each one of us to make ourselves count.

In association with government schools, the foundation endeavours to not let children drop out of their schools. Additionally, what’s special about this project is that it aims to promote English language, both in spoken and reading, among children to help them in attaining employment in the future. Since English language comes with a lot of opportunities and career options, having its knowledge helps students participate in the global economy.

Swayam: A road to women empowerment

RPG Foundation’s another field of interest is women empowerment, which it believes is a very essential element in India’s economic, political and social growth. Swayam is aimed at empowering all those girls who are often stopped on the path to success by a number of obstacles. RPG believes that our girls have the ability to play significant roles in the development of the country and society. Less privileged background women are at the centre of the NGO’s plan to make India a gender-equal society. These women are trained in a way that will enable them to procure jobs in the transport/logistic and healthcare sector. In addition, these women are also provided an opportunity to work in various other fields as well.

Jeewan: Holistic development of communities

RPG Foundation’s project Jeevan is all about the holistic development of  the society to make it better for living and offering equal opportunities. Some of the major highlights of Jeewan’s offerings include promoting employability through skill training, health initiatives & potable water, etc. The overall growth of the society is central to RPG’s project. Through this, livelihood opportunities for all sections of the society will be improved.

Netranjali: Eye health care initiative

The flagship program of RPG, Netranjali is focused on providing eye care to people in need. The project aspires to help India come out of its shadow as the ‘blind capital of the world’, being home to about 12 million visually impaired people. By identifying a need for proper eye care, RPG Foundation came into being in 2014. It is a unique eye health project, which is designed to reduce preventable blindness across India.