TRANSFORMING TRANSFORMING TRANSFORMING SUSTAINABILITY REPORT FY 2023 COMMUNITIES THE PLANET THE WORKPLACE Creating Leaders Korba have been transformed into Community Infrastructure To initiate and sustain the social and MHM-friendly environment through such behavioural change across communities, it training. The first ever MHM session for was important to engage powerful local specially-abled students has also been Reviving Indigenous Handicrafts - Dhokra Craft and Saura Art influencers so that a chain of learning and organized at Korba’s only government school for the differently abled. sensitization could be built. More than 600 of employment, enabling them to earn a livelihood in their villages. In FY23, Dhokra SHG women and frontline health workers (including anganwadi and ASHA workers), Creating MHM infrastructure and Saura artists achieved INR 0.7 million adolescent girls and boys were trained as BALCO has established four Swastha in sales, resulting in an average 15% growth in household income. Vedanta also ‘Master Trainers’ on Menstrual Health Suvidha Kendra’s (SSK centres) as a Vedanta Lanjigarh initiated a mission to revive launched an online art gallery to increase Management (MHM). Involving “Men in one-stop solution point for MHM. It is two traditional art forms, Dhokra metalwork and market reach and visibility. Menstruation” by training adolescent boys driven by adolescent leaders and Saura tribal paintings, which carry immense and youth from the community was a functions as a platform for counselling cultural significance in India's history. In calculated step to create inclusive buy-in and and capacity building where girls and Vedanta's efforts in reviving indigenous Lanjigarh's Kankeri village, artisans struggled to handicrafts, Dhokra craft, and Saura art, to present MHM as a ‘community’ health and women come to learn and further sustain their craft, pushing many to abandon not only preserved these traditions but well-being issue, thereby creating empathy propagate the knowledge that they gain their ancestral skills for migrant labor. Similarly, also economically empowered the artists. with the woman’s situation. The community on menstruation. the future of Saura art in Odisha was uncertain. Through training, marketing support, and now takes the lead by organizing Vedanta recognized the need to preserve these financial assistance, the project MHM-friendly gram sabhas, that carry forward The impact created by the project has art forms and took proactive steps. the work of spreading awareness and building been life-changing, and the community transformed the lives of artists in Kankeri support, and is a testimony to the positive village and beyond, attracting attention has driven through Nayi Kiran with great To support the artisans, Vedanta provided from local authorities, leading to essential change that has been achieved. momentum as it answers a heartfelt training in contemporary designs using modern infrastructure development and inclusion need. So far, more than 48,000 techniques, enhancing their ability to create of social schemes. Transitioning to Hygienic Menstrual Health community members have been marketable products. The company facilitated Practices their participation in events, exhibitions, and art sensitized on MHM; more than 600+ The project has successfully created community leaders shows, promoting and selling their work at awareness about menstrual hygiene across a better prices. Financial assistance and financial wide cross section of young girls and women, literacy training empowered the artists to introducing them to menstrual health manage their earnings effectively. products and aids. As a cost-effective and The impact of the Dhokra Art Revival project easy option, we have initiated the ‘Stitch My has been substantial. A community of poor Own Pad Campaign’ under this project migrant laborers in a remote Kalahandi jungle wherein 30 SHG women and adolescent girls village transformed into thriving, prosperous have been taught methods of making artists. Household incomes increased by over reusable cloth pads. This has also opened up 50% since the project's inception. Recognizing business opportunities for the SHG women. its success, local authorities extended government social schemes to the village, As a part of the school awareness sessions, including access to electricity and LPG adolescent girls have been sensitized about connections, and improved essential menarche and ways to manage it better. More infrastructure. than 50% of the block-level government secondary and higher secondary schools of Expanding the project to other villages, Vedanta aims to prevent artists from migrating in search Dhokra art - Tribal couple A bronze sculpture depicting a tribal couple 50