On the last and final day of National Nutrition Month 2020, we are turning the

spotlight on top CSR-funded nutrition programmes. Corporate social responsibility

initiatives in the area of nutrition not only support the Indian government’s Poshan
Abhiyaan but also align with the United Nations SDG 2: Zero Hunger.

Here are the largest and most effective CSR interventions by companies in India
towards ending hunger and malnutrition.

Shubh Aarambh – Mondelez India

Mondelez India Foods Pvt. Ltd launched ‘Shubh Aarambh’ six years ago to address
the development needs of young children and teens. The project enhanced the
overall nutrition intake of families by developing over 110 community kitchen gardens
and 800 individual kitchen gardens.

The CSR programme has a footprint in eight states, touching lives of about 100,000
beneficiaries including children, youth, mothers and teachers in and around the
company’s manufacturing and cocoa operations in the states of Himachal Pradesh,
Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and
Kerala.

As part of creating a sustainable future, Shubh Aarambh was designed in

partnership between the company and the partner NGOs Save the Children, Magic
Bus and AFPRO. Keeping the needs of the children at the centre of the programme,
Mondelez India works with parents and teachers to provide health and nutrition
support at an early age, apart from physical and social development through sports-
for-development, and livelihood skills to make teenagers more employable for the
future.

Mission Against Malnutrition – JSW Group

There are several NGOs and Government initiated projects fighting malnutrition, but
JSW’s Mission Against Malnutrition (MAM) CSR project blends action-research,
evidence-based advocacy and administrative capabilities of bringing together
multiple partners for a common cause: fighting child malnutrition among
disadvantaged families. No wonder it’s among the top CSR-funded nutrition
programmes in India.

After a series of consultations with Central Food Technological Research Institute

(CFTRI) at Mysuru, other experts in the field, and importantly studying the ground
situation thoroughly between September 2013 and June 2014, JSW Foundation (the
CSR wing of the company) identified micronutrient deficiency in the diet of the
enrolled undernourished children. Therefore, it was planned that an additional dose
of micronutrients in small doses can be added in the children’s diet. The CSR team
finally zeroed in on Spirulina fortified sugar (SFS) as a solution and developed a
simple, cost-effective, easy to replicate and scale up the plan.

Spirulina is a natural food well known for its nutritional qualities worldwide. It was
basically chosen because while it can provide several important micronutrients
required by children’s healthy growth and development, it can also be easily
cultivated and processed locally by the local communities.

Mission Against Malnutrition brought together the Department of Women & Child
Development, Government of Karnataka, CSRs like JSW Foundation and Supraja
Foundation, NGOs like Spirulina Foundation, Bhoruka Charitable Trust, Pranati,
Charitable Trust For Integrated Development, reputed research institutes like CFTRI,
Mysuru, IHMR-Bengaluru, Vijayanagara Institute of Medical Sciences (VIIMS)-
Ballari, Department of Social Studies, VSK University and management agency like
IID, Bengaluru on board.

With 30,716 malnourished children (between the age group of 6 months to 6 years)
and another 15,000 anemic pregnant women, lactating mothers and adolescent girls
being supplemented with Spirulina during a pilot Mission phase of three years, this
was the single largest ‘mission’ against malnutrition conducted globally. A dramatic
reduction in the levels of malnutrition was observed; up to 42% reduction in the
number of malnourished children during 2014-16 and 45.3% reduction in 2016-17
trials.

ZEAL Global COVID-19 initiative

The CSR arm of Zeal Global, the Delhi-based air cargo, GSA airlines service
provider worked with the AAP Government to distribute over 2000 educational and
nutritional kits to kids in Delhi’s slums. Zeal Foundation identified vulnerable kids
belonging to more than 50 Angagwadis in Rajinder Nagar area who have been
harshly impacted during the lockdown and did not get nutritious food.

The foundation’s efforts are premised on the vision that every child, irrespective of
his/her socio-economic conditions has full and equal rights to access proper
educational and nutritional support. Under the coronavirus guidelines, the kids were
given masks and sanitizers beforehand, following social distancing.

Project Streedhan – DSM India

CSR-funded nutrition programmes designed uniquely for women are fewer. Project
Streedhan by DSM India is one of them. It is aimed at increasing awareness among
urban Indian women to prioritise their health. The first phase of the campaign was
launched in 2019 on the occasion of Dhanteras, creating awareness about iron-
deficiency anaemia, and encouraged women to “invest in iron and not only gold” by
consuming foods rich in iron.

The second phase, Sehat Ki Tijori, is creating awareness of the link between
nutrition and immunity. It exhorts women to ensure that they are consuming
immunity-building foods, investing in their health – the real wealth – thus helping
ensure that they are protected against disease and infection. Through a digital film
‘Sehat Ki Tijori’, the campaign urges women to stock their vault of health with
nutritious food, and to view it as a lifetime investment.

Healthy Kids Programme – Nestlé

Nestlé India is working towards improving the nutrition scenario in India with its
Healthy Kids Programme. The CSR initiative focuses on raising nutrition, health and
wellness awareness among school-going children. Launched in 2009 in village
schools around Nestlé’s manufacturing facilities, it is aimed at raising awareness
about good nutrition, healthy habits, cooking practices, good hygiene and promoting
physical fitness.

The CSR programme completed a decade exactly a year ago. is conducted in

partnership with 6 leading regional universities and content is developed jointly by
nutrition experts from the Universities with Nestlé India nutritionists. Each student
receives over 12 hours of nutrition training, and pre- and post-programme
behavioural and knowledge tests are conducted to measure the effectiveness of
learning and implementation.

Power of 5 – Amway India

Amway India launched the ‘POWER OF 5’ campaign to address the rising problem
of malnutrition among Indian children. This is a community-based campaign targeted
at mothers and caregivers of children under the age of 5 years. It aims to improve
the nutritional knowledge and practices inclusive of complementary feeding, hygiene
practices, growth monitoring, and dietary diversity.

The campaign further aims to identify and manage the malnourished children, and
those with infections, by developing synergies among the service providers of
associated departments (Integrated Child Development Scheme, Health and
Sanitation) for improved services and timely referrals. The company also works
towards sensitizing ASHA workers, ANM & Anganwadi workers to drive the
behaviour change among the parents and communities.

Vrddhi CSR Connect

A&A Foundation in association with Halasuru Residents Welfare Association
(HRWA) launched a Nutrition Programme for 35 ‘Pourakarmikas’ from Ward 90 in
Bengaluru. With an aim to ensure their complete wellbeing, the Foundation under its
CSR initiative “Vrddhi” is providing Enlightlife 365 Halerich 1 Enlightlife Superfood
Metabolism and Immunity Booster Kit, free medical consultation and necessary
blood tests thrice a year as part of the Nutrition Programme. A&A Foundation plans
to carry out similar activities to all the wards in Bengaluru through its Vrddhi CSR
connect programme.

Project Poshan – Hershey India

Hershey India started ‘Project Poshan’ so that more children could lead healthy,
happy lives. The CSR division has partnered with United Way Mumbai to provide
specially- designed nutritional food to school children in rural Maharashtra. Since
2016, they have also participated in an annual ‘Rise Against Hunger’ event during
Good to Give Back Week, Hershey’s global week of service, which involves packing
meals for orphan children and families facing hunger. Hershey employees
volunteered in packing 10,000 meals each year with Rise Against Hunger, which
included rice, lentils, dehydrated vegetables and a vitamin pack in one sachet.

These CSR-funded nutrition programmes are ending hunger and malnutrition,

boosting all-important immunity in the pandemic and raising the nation’s health
quotient.

This article is part of a series on National Nutrition Month 2020