Safeguarding Happines

As the name suggests, this flagship programme has a larger objective of bringing about cumulative environmental changes and make planet Earth a happier place to inhabit— for the present as well as future generations. Under Project Hero Green Drive, the company focusses on tree plantation and afforestation. The project has brought about a significant increase in green cover with the plantation of over two million trees and the regular monitoring ensures survival of trees.

The company has also constructed water reservoirs in village Bastpur and adjacent villages. Sumitra Devi says, “The villages used to depend on boring wells earlier. But that is not allowed now as ground water level has gone down a lot. To recharge ground water, the company has created a system where all the water (other than the sewer) goes to the reservoir. We have added fishes and turtles in this, as they keep the reservoir clean. We use this for household washing and cattle.”

Besides building the infrastructure, the company also helps students in senior classes with counselling for careers and further education. For talented ones needing support, there is a programme called Hero Talent Search. The programme involves identification of students from government schools who don’t have access to coaching opportunities for higher education. These remedial classes help in development of non-cognitive skills and create a secure learning environment for board examination. The plan is to motivate them to undertake professional courses in leading universities in the future. There is a screening test, interview, and certain qualifying marks as a selection criterion—the selected ones are then provided necessary coaching support in class IX & X. Khushi stays close to the centre and as a recipient of this support, appreciates the programme. She says, “I’ve been coming to the centre for three years. My elder sister also used to come for the evening classes. We get a school bag, uniform and books. My favourite subject is maths and didi teaches it so well. She scolds me if I make silly mistakes. I want to score well in mathematics in my board exams. I am still in class VII but I have seen my sister preparing for her boards.”

This one-if-its-kind project aims to increase the mobility and confidence of girls, empower them to be mobile for work and personal requirements, thereby enhancing their employability. In addition, the company is also providing two wheelers and equipment such as helmets, safety gear, and gloves to girls who perform well. The government is supporting this initiative by providing logistics and infrastructure support and facilitates linkages with RTOs for learners’ licenses to the successful trainees. Geeta R Singh, Principal, Women ITI, Gurugram, says, “This training has helped my students a lot, as they can now commute easily in and around the city for their work. Most of them didn’t know how to ride a bicycle and now they can ride a bike. The mindset in the society is also changing as this is helping them professionally. They are learning skills at ITIs and if they want to pursue further, this driving skill will facilitate in terms of independence and being responsible. They are more confident and efficient now.”
More than 5,000 girls have been trained under the Ek Pahal initiative for two-wheeler riding training.

Creating livelihood opportunities empowers everyone. It gives them the financial independence and support to rise above restricting circumstances. With this aim, Project Jeevika focusses on skill development. In villages such as Madhwas and Maswad near Halol, Gujarat, the company has collaborated with Setco Foundation to create Self-Help Groups (SHG), comprising 10 or more women in each group. These SHGs are equipped with different skills such as making healthy snacks, tailoring, tie-and-dye techniques, detergent making, sanitary napkin making and more. These skills equip them for regular income and the women learn to support each other. The SHGs are also linked to government initiatives such as Mission Mangalam for advanced skill development.

Catering to different skilling needs, in Delhi’s Arab Ki Sarai at Nizamuddin, Hero MotoCorp has set up a Centre of Excellence at the Government ITI. It has provided the necessary infrastructure for those who are keen to become two-wheeler technicians. This is equipped with a fully automated workshop with pneumatic tools, precision equipment, live cut sections of Hero engines and other parts. The first batch of 30 students joined in October 2019 and is learning the two-wheeler technician course.

Nidhi Mishra was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a genetic and progressive disorder, early. She studied in a regular school initially, but as her vision deteriorated, she shifted to a special school. “I wanted to become a pilot and used to play badminton. But due to loss of vision, everything became challenging. But I stuck on and turned to para sports. I have been into athletics for more than a decade now. My main sport is discus throw. Complementary events are shot put and 100-metre running in track and field category, which is for totally visually impaired athletes. I won a bronze for discus throw at Asian Para Games 2018 and another medal at a world championship in 2019. I’m preparing for the Tokyo Olympics and have qualified for discus throw. But I need to improve my ranking to get into the quota and am working on that.”