ACC Trust provided ‘DISHA’ to 14,304 lives in 2020
Mumbai: ACC Limited, one of the leading players in the Indian building materials space, through ACC DISHA, is identifying and training young people with employment, under the CSR & social development wing of ACC Ayushman Trust. ACC’s DISHA aims to provide alternate livelihoods around plant locations to unemployed youth either through training & placement or through self-employment initiatives.
Out of the 17 sustainable development goals established by ACC trust, DISHA is ACC’s flag ship initiative to create sustainable livelihoods by eliminating unemployment among people in host communities. DISHA’s efforts in sustainable livelihood has so far touched 14,304 lives wherein it has benefited 1,737 young individuals through employability-linked skill training, empowered 7,695 women through Self Help Groups (SHGs), mobilised savings and bank loans worth 4.52 crores through SHGs and have also made two Farmer Producer Organisation (FPOs) operational.
Moreover, ACC trust provided necessary training and education in 186 schools, supported 13, 576 children in Anganwadis and equipped 65 government schools with e-learning in 2020, under there Vidya Utkarsh initiative.
We have worked diligently through ACC TRUST towards the social and economic welfare of our host communities. DISHA has been successful in impacting a large group of community youths through various skill development initiatives. The younger generation look up to DISHA and hopes to realise their employability potential,” said Mr. Sridhar Balakrishnan, CEO & MD, ACC Cements.
ACC DISHA is driving the development of communities around ACC’s business presence and has so far covered 14 districts where it has implemented the project to eliminate unemployment. All the 14 DISHA centres follow an innovative way of solving the problem of unemployment through Participatory Rural Appraisal study of communities and household data based micro planning, counselling facilities, soft skills and digital skills. In addition to this, core technical skills required for employability are also imparted. These centres also facilitate micro finance for micro enterprises, especially for those who cannot relocate themselves for work.
In FY 2020 – 21, ACC trust has allotted close to 4 crores to its DISHA initiative out of the total of 32 crores allotted to CSR budget, which is highest compared to any other initiative. DISHA centres are registered under Government of Chhattisgarh and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yogana, Government of India. ACC DISHA project also works in close collaboration with National Skill Development Corporation, NGOs, Corporates and ten other Sector Skill Councils.