Member Profile: SNS Foundation (SNSF)

A registered non-profit with presence in 7 states of India. Its mission is to mobilize participation of benefactors across society viz. individuals, corporates, etc. to work for development of marginalized groups in the fields of education, health, environment & sustainable livelihoods

Its focus area of enhancing access to water for tribals is in rural Nasik (blocks of Trimbakeshwar and Peth) .

We started work some 2 years back in March 2011 under the banner of Project Neeraja, and have covered 5 villages with a population close to 3000 (Reports available on http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/water-livelihood-micro-finance-tribal-families-india/). Brief Summary of Projects Done :

1) Village Jhambulpada - Construction of Check Dam
2) Village Kharset - Cleaning of Pond & Village Well, Pipeline Connection between Village Well & Tribal Residential School
3) Villages Vadipada & Sadadpana - Cleaning of Village Wells
4) Village Belpali - Construction of Drinking Water Facility of storage tank connected to well and distribution by way of stand posts

Our goal is to reach out to some 176 villages in these two blocks divided into 24 clusters for administrative purposes.

SNS Foundation’s initiative to venture into areas of work surrounding WASH is driven by our engagement with 5200 odd women over the past decade who have been formed into 431 Self Help Groups accessed micro credit worth INR 80 million and have set up micro enterprises. However, having to spend 2-5 hours daily for collecting water, the women find it difficult to devote quality and quantity time on their entrepreneurial activities. Hence Neeraja for the 176 villages / hamlets in which the 5200 women and more reside with their families and are advancing micro-entrepreneurship.

Founded in 1976 by Anand Automotive Limited as its corporate social responsibility arm and continues to be its principal supporters. Anand are the leading manufacturers of automotive parts in India. SNSF has its programmes running in towns & cities (across 7 states) where Anand has its manufacturing utilities.

The Foundation’s current primary focus is on mobilizing the underprivileged youth (both males and females), equipping them with necessary technical and soft skills and facilitating their placement in sectors such as IT/BPO, Retail, Beauty Care, Education, Apparel Construction & Designing, Administration, 2 Wheeler Repair (as Technicians), Household Wiring & Repair (as Electricians) to name a few. SNSF is partnering with American India Foundation in this endeavor. Annually SNS Foundation trains 6000 youth across its locations. The placement rate among trained candidates is presently around 50% with a target of reaching 75% in the coming year. Industry leaders viz. Honda Two Wheelers & Motorcycles India Limited and Schneider Electric Foundation have also come forward to certify vocational trades, they specialize in.

Central & State Government agencies, multilateral agencies viz. ADB, British High Commission, USAID, Indian corporates & MNCs viz. Agilent Technologies, Bechtel, Honda, Schneider, Philips, Punj Lloyd are among SNSF's past and current partners.