Bhubaneswar, 4th May 2024: SwitchON Foundation has been honored as one of the Top 10 Impactful NGOs of the year 2024. This prestigious recognition was felicitated at one of the Biggest Convention of the year “Indian Social Impact Awards 2024” at New Delhi.
The Social Impact Awards, organized by Brand Honchos and initiative of Indian CSR Awards to recognize NGOs that have demonstrated outstanding contributions to addressing pressing social, environmental, and economic challenges. SwitchON Foundation was selected from a pool of numerous deserving organizations for its innovative approaches, effective strategies, and tangible impact on the ground in terms of environment and climate change.
“We are deeply honored to receive this esteemed recognition,” said Mr. Vinay Jaju, Managing Director of SwitchON Foundation. “At SwitchON, we believe in the power of collaboration, innovation, and empathy to drive meaningful change. This award not only validates our efforts but also inspires us to continue striving for excellence in our mission to empower communities and transform lives fulfilling our purpose to ensure love and action for the Earth leading to better livelihoods and well-being for all .”
SwitchON Foundation has been at the forefront of various initiatives including Clean Air Sustainable Cities and Energy Water and Agriculture programs. The Foundation works in several cities both in rural and urban areas of Odisha. Under its Clean Air Sustainable Cities Program, SwitchON has engaged 35+ schools and colleges in Odisha for environmental education. These schools are engaged in projects and activities aimed at fostering a greener and more eco-conscious school community. SwitchON has also launched a Learning Management System (LMS) in Schools to equip the students with knowledge based information that encourages behavioral change on the environment and sustainable issues. Intensive waste management activities are conducted in schools like awareness campaigns, workshops, training, exhibitions, competitions and micro projects to educate students about the importance of reducing waste and the benefits of recycling and composting at school level. Around 1378 kg of dry waste has been collected so far from schools and colleges.
Through its Model Waste Ward project, SwitchON is working in 6 wards in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri covering 4200 households to address waste-related environmental concerns and for implementing effective waste management practices at the ward level. The project focuses on waste segregation into dry, wet, and e-waste categories, along with strategies for reduction, reuse, and recycling to minimize landfill waste. Innovative and impactful activities like the collection of waste plastic and the installation of plastic sculptures in prominent places to create a bigger impact are frequently undertaken by SwitchON Foundation. Around 8244 kg of dry waste, 3273 kg of wet waste and 337 kg of e waste has been collected so far from the community and recycled.
SwitchON has engaged farmers in Angul, Dhenkanal, Kalahandi and Balangir districts in sustainable and organic farming practices. Through engaging farmers with an innovative technique of Alternate Wetting and Drying, SwitchON aims to promote environmental sustainability and agricultural resilience by reducing methane emissions and water usage by providing training workshops, demonstration farms, technical support and awareness initiatives to educate farmers on the AWD techniques, benefits, and proper implementation. Farmers are provided workshops on organic farming, green technologies and distributed renewable energy. Several bankers workshops have been conducted for the Capacity Building of Bankers on PM KUSUM scheme for facilitating the installation of solar pumps. Women SHGs are engaged in water data collection in these districts to regulate the use of groundwater resources, adopting technology and practices for water conservation and water use efficiency, promotion of low-water requirement crops like millets and other indigenous rice varieties, and shifting from water intensive crops.
Move for Earth initiative of SwitchON Foundation aims to celebrate and inspire Climate Action engaging Farmers, Youth, Government, Financiers, Technologists and Civil Society Organizations through its journey, and offering solutions to community-specific issues related to water, soil, energy and clean air, that are directly impacting the livelihood and health of citizens. Vinay Jaju, Co-founder of SwitchON Foundation cycled over 3,000 km across different states in East India including around 500 kms in Odisha and connecting with over 10,000 farmers, women and youth, to address issues related to clean air and sustainable mobility, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy.
As SwitchON Foundation celebrates this remarkable achievement, it remains steadfast in its commitment to amplifying its impact, expanding its reach, and driving positive change for generations to come.
Media Dossier
Online Articles: The Times of India
For more information please contact Sweety Mukherjee (9230754832)
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