Week-long collection drive rolled out on International Children’s Book Day
Team News Riveting
Jharsuguda, Odisha; April 10
On the occasion of International Children’s Book Day, Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, conducted a book collection drive for employees to donate books for local children in Jharsuguda, Odisha.
The initiative saw employees come together to donate more than 600 books to the District Library in Jharsuguda and also to mini libraries set up in Nand Ghars, which are modernized anganwadis run by Vedanta, supported by the company in Badmal, Bhurkhamunda, Harijanpada, and Bhagipali villages. Alongside the book donation program, employees also volunteered to conduct book reading and storytelling sessions with the children studying at the Nand Ghars, piquing their interest in reading and learning.
The book donation drive is just one of many initiatives undertaken by Vedanta Jharsuguda as part of its community development endeavours in the realm of quality education. The company has undertaken several initiatives to improve access to quality education, augment the education infrastructure in schools and enhance the learning experience of students in the region. The Nand Ghars are modernized anganwadis that serve as centers of women and child development, with focus on pre-school education, nutrition and healthcare and women’s skill development, which are improving access to and quality of early childhood education for more than 5,000 children in the region.
These initiatives have played a significant role in decreasing illiteracy by 60 per cent in the region in 2022 from the 2019 baseline. 36 per cent more students have completed class 5th (primary education), 10 per cent more have completed class 8th (high school education) and 96 per cent more in class 12th (senior secondary education).
Speaking about the company’s education initiatives for the local communities, Sunil Gupta, CEO – Vedanta Ltd., Jharsuguda, said, “We, at Vedanta Aluminium, firmly believe that education is a powerful tool for social and economic transformation. Our employees were delighted to be part of the children’s book donation drive and help the young ones discover a large treasure trove of stories and new things to learn. Through our robust education programs, we remain committed to supporting the students and local academia community in strengthening this foundation of growth and progress.”
Thanking the Vedanta employees and volunteers, Deshbandhu Bharat Singh, one of the teaching staff at Nand Ghar, said, “These books, lovingly donated by the Vedanta employees, will definitely inculcate a culture of reading amongst the children and enhance their knowledge. Even more interesting were the storytelling sessions by the employees, which the children loved! We are grateful to Vedanta Jharsuguda for their continuous efforts towards the betterment of education in our district”.
Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.29 million tonnes in FY23. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 2nd in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) 2022 world rankings for aluminium industry, a reflection of its sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.
