Anil Agarwal Foundation launches a Multimedia Campaign to address Hunger & Malnourishment amongst Children

New Delhi : Anil Agarwal Foundation (AAF), the philanthropic arm of Vedanta Limited has launched a campaign, to address the pressing issues of hunger and malnutrition. Beginning with a personal note from the Chairman, Mr. Anil Agarwal that was released today in print media, the multi-media campaign will include video and digital assets as well. Commencing in the month of September, also observed as the National Nutrition Month or ‘Poshan Maah’, the campaign with the tagline ‘Agar Bachpan Se Puchha Khaana Khaya Toh Desh Ka Kal Banaya’ propagates the need to end child hunger and malnutrition, to nurture the untapped potential amongst the less privileged. The campaign represents the Foundation’s dedication to build a better future for children and youth in India by ensuring proper nourishment required for growth and development.

Commenting on the campaign launch, Ms. Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Director, Vedanta Limited and Chairperson, Hindustan Zinc Ltd., said, “Stemming from my father’s personal journey and experiences of hunger in his childhood, and his vision of ensuring food security for each child, the launch of this campaign marks the beginning of a movement that will involve and engage every citizen of India so that together we can give our future generations a fair chance to realize their dreams and take India to even greater heights. It’s our inherent belief that there is potential in every child that needs to be nurtured, not just for their sake but for our country’s future. Through Project Nand Ghar, we are positively impacting children enrolled in our centers yet there’s a lot that needs to be done to help them realize their true potential and for that we must begin with the elimination of hunger and lack of nutrition.”

The campaign, designed and executed by McCANN Erickson (India), in its initial phase, strives to spread awareness among citizens to end hunger and malnutrition and provide equal opportunities to our future generation for a better tomorrow. With this launch, Anil Agarwal Foundation has also revealed its new logo, inspired by a growing sapling symbolizing AAF’s philosophy that there is potential in everyone that should be recognized and nurtured to flower to its maturity.

Sharing his thoughts on the campaign, Prasoon Joshi, CEO & CCO at McCann Worldgroup India and Chairman, Asia Pacific said, “When campaigns are born out of true-life experiences, they are authentic and strike a genuine chord with people. This is one such campaign which genuinely reflects a felt truth and a true connect. It also tries to shake one out of inertia and move society towards positive action.”

AAF through its flagship social impact project Nand Ghar, a collaborative project between Vedanta and the Government of India is contributing to eliminating hunger and malnutrition across the country. It aims to develop and modernise over 29,000 Anganwadis across the country. It has already developed 5,500 Anganwadis into Nand Ghars so far and is impacting the community, especially children and women at the grassroots through holistic development opportunities. Aligned with the Government of India’s POSHAN Abhiyaan and this year’s Poshan Maah theme of ‘Suposhit Bharat, Sakshar Bharat, Sashakt Bharat’, Nand Ghar has become a true personification of its vision to support health, education, and empowerment along with addressing nutritional needs of all beneficiaries.

Nutrition forms one of the core focus areas of the Nand Ghar initiative. Considering that poor nutrition hampers growth among children, having long-lasting consequences on learning and productivity, the project supports this crucial need. Nutrition is also central to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 2 of Zero Hunger. Nand Ghars have been successful in reducing malnourishment among preschool children and include almost 20% lesser children in Severely Acute Malnourished (SAM) & Moderately Acute Malnourished (MAM) categories as compared to the national average.

Nand Ghars have consistently demonstrated the ability to transform the lives of communities at the grassroots. Earlier this year, AAF launched a nutrition initiative for pre-school children to provide multi-millet nutri bars across Anganwadis including Nand Ghars. These bars, rich in protein, fiber, and antioxidants have not only improved the daily nutrient intake of children, but also boosted cognitive development, and reduced absenteeism in Anganwadis.