Kolkata: Ambuja Cement Foundation (ACF) was accoladed with two prestigious awards at the 3^rd ICC Social Impact Awards 2021 held in Kolkata. ACF Sankrail won an award in Gender Equality and Women Empowerment in the large industry category while ACF Farakka won an award in the healthcare sector in the small project category. The Awards were presented in Kolkata by the Deputy Consul General of Australia, the Consul General of Japan and the British Deputy High Commissioner.

The participation list included around 80 companies and NGOs. For the third time in a row, ACF Farakka and Sankrail won the ICC Social Impact Awards for their work in community development initiatives especially in health and empowerment of the rural community.

Sankrail is an industrial block with nearly 130 heavy industries. ACF works on gender sensitisation and specifically on women empowerment in 16 villages around the Ambuja Cement plant areas. Under the women empowerment program, they focus on forming Self-Help Groups, promote credit planning and integrate the program with other thrust areas of agriculture, water resource management, health and skill development. The organisation encourages local women to participate in local development issues and be a part of community/panchayat meetings. Hence, 40% of women are part of village level institutions and committees.

Farakka is an under-developed block of West Bengal. ACF assessed the healthcare system and began interventions in areas like maternal and child health. ACF explored the causes which highlighted anemia amongst expecting women. With a focus on family planning programs and strengthening the health of mothers, ACF contributed to reducing neonatal deaths. Today, ACF’s Maternal and Child Health initiative is one of the largest program in Farakka.

Commenting on the achievement, Pearl Tiwari, Director and CEO, Ambuja Cement Foundation said, “It is a hattrick that ACF’s Farakka and Sankrail team have won this award for their work. It shows the efforts the team has put in that have brought out great results in these areas. It has always been about the impacts we create and to receive the Social Impact Awards is always a delight”

The ICC Social Impact Awards is an initiative of the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in which the Chamber engages with Corporate entities, NGOs and Implementing Agencies to recognize them for exemplary work done in the field of social investment, CSR and sustainability on a pan India basis.