Aditya Birla's CSR empowering women of Sambalpur

Helping rural women start ventures like phenyl production, poultry farming and tailoring through SHGs

Aditya Aluminium Company, a unit of Aditya Birla Group, has launched in Odisha's Sambalpur district a CSR initiative under which it is promoting self-help groups (SHGs) and helping rural women start ventures like phenyl production, poultry farming and tailoring.

Bibhu Mishra, COO of Aditya Aluminium, says, "We are concerned about the welfare of women from this region and by promoting the SHGs we want to imbibe a sense of entrepreneurship and independence so that they can live with pride and dignity. We have seen visible progress in this regard in Rengali block."

Sunaphula Chhuria from Dudhkabahal village of Rengali block in Odisha's Sambalpur district was a daily labourer barely scraping together enough for one square meal a day.

Sunaphula and her husband are from a poor OBC community. Though both worked as daily labourers at that time, it was tough to make ends meet as there was very little money to keep them afloat, she said adding work too came off and on, sometimes in trickles, sometimes not at all.

But life changed one day for the couple and families like theirs when Sunaphula was introduced into the SHG mode of operation done by the CSR initiative in periphery development of Aditya Aluminium Company.

As Sunaphula puts it, she learnt about methods and guidelines of SHG.

After a few months the group has agreed to prepare phenyl and supply to companies and market nearby.

The idea has created a new buzz among group members who are trained by professionals hired by company's CSR-wing.