ICICI Bank 2011 Annual Report Download - page 48

c) Access to finance: ICICI Foundation facilitates financial inclusion by supporting the development of new
models for delivering financial services viz. credit, savings, remittance and insurance to low-income
households. In addition to the ICICI Group’s direct work in the area of financial inclusion, ICICI Foundation
partners with ICICI Group companies to provide greater access to, and create awareness of finance in
communities where it has established health and education programmes.
d) Sustainable livelihoods: ICICI Foundation has broadened the scope of its work to include sustainable
livelihoods in order to address the urgent need for adequate training for rural youth. Skill development
training for the youth, particularly those below the poverty line, is required in order to make them employable
or equip them to become entrepreneurs. The Foundation has taken up the mandate to strengthen two Rural
Self-Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) in Udaipur and Jodhpur engaged in providing training for
skill development. The Foundation will focus on providing training that is culturally relevant and locally in
demand, and where the input costs are low whereas the returns are relatively high and self-sustaining. It
will also facilitate supply chain, credit and marketing linkages, impart basic financial training and provide
placement support.
3. Serving communities in partnership with civil society
Besides grassroot level interventions undertaken by ICICI Foundation as mentioned above, the ICICI Group
companies also undertake certain other projects for the benefit of society, alongwith ICICI Foundation. These
include:
a) Read to Lead – Phase II: In Phase II of the Read to Lead programme, ICICI Bank has supported the
establishment of 63 libraries that will reach out to approximately 7,200 children in the rural areas of the
Jagdalpur block of Bastar district in Chhattisgarh. The programme includes building libraries, sourcing
books and conducting various interactive activities to make the library a dynamic centre for learning.
b) ICICI Fellows: The ICICI Fellows programme, launched in November 2009, aims to create a cadre of socially
responsible leaders for India. The two-year programme includes experiential learning in rural or semi-
urban India, as well as management training and leadership development through personalised coaching
and mentorship. The first batch joined in August 2010 and are currently gaining first hand experience
through working with the partner NGOs.
c) Healthy Lokshakti: Through this initiative, ICICI Lombard works towards improving the health of mothers
and children (0-1 year) in Trimbak and Peint tribal blocks of Maharashtra, in partnership with government
healthcare systems. In order to reduce neo-natal and child mortality, it works to ensure that women receive
good healthcare during and after their pregnancy and medical assistance during delivery.
d) Muktangan Education Initiative: ICICI Securities supports the Mumbai-based NGO Doorstep School which
enriches the schooling experience of 1,265 socio-economically disadvantaged children and supports
enrollment and sustenance through activities such as reading promotion, study class, mental health
support and extracurricular activities. ICICI Securities also continues to support the Muktangan Education
Initiative, a partnership between the Paragon Charitable Trust and the Municipal Corporation of Greater
Mumbai. Muktangan seeks to provide affordable, community-based inclusive education to underprivileged
children.
e) Payroll giving: Since 2003, ICICI Bank has facilitated employee donations to social causes through GiveIndia.
Close to 6,000 employees participate in the payroll-giving programme.
f) Employee volunteering: The “Changemakers” programme enables employees to contribute their time
and talent for social change. “ChangeMakers” at one of the teams of ICICI Bank delivered employability
and life-skills sessions to underprivileged youth enrolled in vocational training at Kherwadi Social Welfare
Association, an NGO.
Promoting Inclusive Growth
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