Prabhat - developing sustainable and inclusive communities
Prabhat is our sustainable community development initiative that aims to create sustainable and inclusive communities. It builds on local community needs at a grassroot level, in line with India’s development agenda and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Economic empowerment
By enhancing employability and income generation among rural communities, Prabhat’s Livelihood Centres are bringing about a positive change. We have collaborated with multiple social enterprises and NGOs such as LabourNet India Services Private Limited, American India Foundation Trust, Yusuf Meherally Centre, Institute of Livelihood Research and Training, Anudip Foundation, Head Held High Foundation and Mooo Farms Private Limited.
We conduct training in beauty and hair care, tailoring, retail sales, electrician, e-commerce, data entry operator/tally, web and graphic designing, laptop and mobile repair, welding and more. These skills empower our Prabhat beneficiaries to find suitable salaried jobs or start their ventures. So far, over 95,000 people have been certified in skill-based training. Financial and digital literacy are also significant components of the training sessions to help the beneficiaries embrace technology and make them future-fit.
In 2019, Prabhat also launched a livelihood centre in Kolkata wherein Persons with Disability (PwDs) are certified in web designing, tally, e-commerce and graphic designing and other digital skills.
Furthering entrepreneurship under farm-based livelihood interventions, we have also undertaken specific agri-value chain interventions for dairy, field crops and horticultural produce. The aim is to reduce the input costs and increase the quality and quantity of yield by promoting good agricultural practices and active engagement with technology-based producers.
To improve dairy farming, we have been running Project Mooo, an app-based intervention where technology is used to enhance the income of dairy farmers. The other value chain interventions where Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) are being strengthened to increase the yield are maize, pulses, mushroom, mahua, goat farming and poultry.
Environmental sustainability
Through Prabhat, HUL is also making a positive impact on the environment through various interventions on water, waste, and afforestation. Plastic is regularly collected and recycled into value-added products and wet waste is converted into biogas for street lighting. Water for agriculture is conserved by engaging with farmers, both on the supply and demand side, while improving its overall governance as a resource.
Water conservation
Working with the farmers around HUL factories, Prabhat helps manage the demand and supply of water that gets used in agricultural practices. Mapping community water resources to provide innovative water conservation techniques, this programme helps collectively build robust water structures. Along with the governance of water at the village level, farmers also receive improved access across cropping seasons to quality seeds and fertilisers. It also strengthens the water governance at the village level through Paani Panchayats through which communities can decide the right crops to grow based on the water availability in their villages.
Waste management
The Prabhat waste management programme helps promote the concept of zero waste to landfill in communities. Focusing on circularity, the project has been undertaking multiple activities - from awareness sessions on waste segregation at source, to the creation of a community biogas plant, behaviour change communications and promotion of kitchen gardens at a household level.
Launched first in Haridwar in partnership with Swayambhu Innovative Solutions Private Limited, the biogas plant uses waste to power streetlights thereby saving energy. The project has further upcycled plastic waste to create handwashing stations. The handwashing stations are made of compressed plastic and have no-touch foot paddles to ensure COVID-19 safe behaviour. Taking learnings from the pilot at Haridwar and aligning with the Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0, the programme has now expanded to Pondicherry. In the new model, door-to-door waste collection is carried out using eco-vehicles.
Additionally, cleaning drives across the ghats of the Ganga River have also been executed, spreading awareness of the importance of cleanliness and protecting nature.
Climate action
Prabhat in partnership with Parmarth Samaj Seva Sansthan organised afforestation drives in Sumerpur, UP, Chhindwara and MP. Another tree plantation drive was carried out in partnership with Industrial Associations and Municipal Corporation of Rajpura, Punjab.
Health & nutrition
Prabhat, aligning with the National Nutrition Mission through its ‘Poshan Saathi’ programme, focuses on the health of women, especially pregnant and lactating women (PLW). Using a life cycle approach, it focuses on building a cadre of women who are buddying rural women in their nutrition journey. A network of Poshan Saathis propagates behaviour change on nutrition to adolescent girls, women of reproductive age, mothers of children under five and PLW.
To provide access to affordable and quality health care, Prabhat Telemedicine Centres and Prabhat Swasthya Seva program have been started in 10 locations near our manufacturing sites. The services include doctor consultations on phone in addition to equipment for home healthcare, including pulse oximeters, medicines and oxygen concentrators as needed from the centre. Free bi-monthly health camps are also conducted in coordination with the Public Health Centres (PHCs), to help and support the holistic health and wellbeing of communities.
Impact
- Prabhat has reached over 7 million people across 21 states and two union territories since its inception in 2013.
- During COVID-19, more than 1.2 million people benefitted from the distribution of hygiene kits in 2021. Besides this, Prabhat created awareness of COVID-19, across villages and created employment opportunities for women by stitching face masks and cloth bags.
- Prabhat’s 17 Livelihood Centres have provided over 95,000 skill development certifications, generating employment for more than 50,000 people of which 70% are women.
- To provide access to affordable and quality health care, Prabhat Telemedicine Centres and Prabhat Swasthya Seva program have been started in 10 locations.
- Over four lakh women have benefitted through a network of Poshan Saathis.
- Through Prabhat’s waste management program, more than 55,000 kgs of waste have been prevented from reaching landfills.
