Villupuram, Tamil Nadu

The CSR activities in Villupuram of Tamilnadu started in October 2007 with the commencement of GMR Group’s Tindivanam - Ulundurpet National Highway Project. The project was completed in 2009 and the Highway has been opened for public. In Villupuram, the Foundation strategy has been to have a blend of intensive action programs in seven villages around the toll plaza, and general programs on Road Safety awareness and HIV/AIDS along the road stretch.

Education
Foundation is working with eleven government schools and three Anganwadis in the villages around the toll plaza for improving the quality of education. The inputs from Foundation include supplementary teachers, infrastructure support, tuition centers, exposure visits, road safety trainings for children, teachers’ trainings, organizing special day celebrations and awareness events benefitting more than 5000 children. Foundation has provided qualified additional teachers to five govt. schools where the teacher-student ratio is poor.

Health, Hygiene and Sanitation
Foundation works towards making health care accessible to the communities with a focus on preventive and promotive health care. Medical and health check-ups for the children/families are conducted regularly at Villupuram and follow up treatments are given. Foundation conducts health education and awareness campaign on environmental sanitation, personal hygiene and preventive measures for communicable diseases like TB and HIV/AIDS. Foundation is closely working with the District Health Department of Villupuram and it has reached an understanding with the Department to jointly conduct HIV/AIDS awareness programs in the project area. So far, Foundation has reached out to more than 10,000 people through these programs and camps.

Empowerment and Livelihoods
Foundation is organizing tailoring training for women from the target villages. So far 150 women have completed the six-month training. Apart from providing tailoring skills, the trainees are also provided with awareness on Reproductive Child Health, life skills and personality development etc. Approximately 30% of them have bought sewing machines and are making best use of the training inputs.

Community Development
Foundation conducts Road Safety Programs for various stakeholders like drivers, school children, college students, road users, factory workers and SHG members etc with the objective of educating and influencing them about basic Road Safety behavior, norms, rules and regulations. Various innovative methods are deployed to impart road safety awareness like street plays, mobile road safety vans, mobile exhibitions, banners, pamphlets etc.

Foundation operates three community libraries to encourage reading habits among the community members especially among children and youth.