Everything needs a little nurturing to help it to grow. Our communities are no different. Cadbury India is committed to growing community value around the world. For our employees, this is about making a difference in the community.

Akshaya Patra

As one of the world’s largest food company, we believe that we are in a unique position to fight hunger and malnutrition. One in six people worldwide – more than 1 billion people don’t have enough food to eat. In India, our involvement with Akshaya Patra – a non-profit organization that provides nutritious mid-day meals to over 12 Lakh school children every day, is our flagship program, and our biggest effort in that direction.

Our Involvement:

Our relationship with Akshaya Patra began with the Delicious Difference Week (DDW) 2010. Over 500 colleagues, in close to 20 locations across India, joined hands with Akshaya Patra to cook and distribute hot, healthy and nutritious food to over 10,000 students over the course of the week.

For each colleague who volunteered during the week, we pledged to support mid-day meals for an underprivileged child for an entire academic year. Each colleague’s involvement was therefore a very meaningful and long-term difference to the life of a child.

Additionally, as part of our Mumbai Marathon participation in 2011, over 200 colleagues ran for Akshaya Patra. With the combined effort of the DDW and Mumbai Marathon, we have made a positive difference in the lives of over 2000 children.

SARVAM

In response to the 2004 Asian Tsunami crisis, Cadbury committed funds and resources to the Sri Aurobindo Rural Village Action Movement (SARVAM) community project to redevelop two villages in the coastal regions of Pondicherry, India: Poothurai and Perambai in the Villupurum District of Tamil Nadu.
We have been working in partnership with the local government and local charity, the Sri Aurobindo Society, and it is hoped that the two villages will ultimately become an inspirational example for all of India.

Impact: An Integrated Program - A Holistic Approach

SARVAM is founded on the belief that an improvement in quality of life is sustainable only when people are empowered to help themselves, and when they have experienced changes in their personal lifestyles, the development of their village, and feel a sense of unity with the nation they call home.
The SARVAM program is holistic and addresses every aspect of village life including education, health, economic development, vocational training, organic farming and water harvesting.
This has resulted in the major development of village infrastructure and in positive shift in the general mindset, attitudes and values of the villagers- what we know as integral development.

Make-A-Wish

During Diwali (the festival of lights) 2009, Cadbury tied-up with Make-A-Wish to support the wishes of children suffering from life-threatening diseases in the age group of 3-18 yrs. As part of the partnership, Cadbury has pledged to fulfill the heart-felt wishes of children. The partnership was an effort to spread Mithaas (sweetness) in the community.

Impact:

From October 2009  to December to 2010, close to 500 wishes have been fulfilled. To make the experience more involving and intimate for our colleagues, multiple opportunities for employee volunteering were created. During Diwali, colleagues visited 8 hospitals across Mumbai identifying the wishes of children. A national wish-fulfilment event inspired many to be part of the initiative.  During Christmas, colleagues played Santa Cause, fulfilling the wishes of 50 HIV positive children of St. Catherine’s Home; spreading cheer in the festival season. In 2010, we spent a day with the children of Mamta Foundation - an orphanage in Pune city that takes care of abandoned HIV+ children.

Sahyog- Non-formal school set up by Cadbury for children of migrant workers in Baddi

Project:

Sahyog - Improving community health through education and primary health care in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh

Cadbury partnered with CAF (Charities Aid Foundation) to identify a local NGO – Ruchi, to help improve health and education. Baddi is an industrial town in the southwestern Solan district of Himachal Pradesh. As a recently declared SEZ, Baddi is getting industrialized at a fast pace. Unable to keep up with the speed of development, some aspects of healthy living have taken a beating. Issues include environmental degradation, sanitation, lack of health and educational facilities. The problems have been further aggravated due to the increased pressure on land and water resources as a result of migrant labour recruited by the industries. Against this background, Cadbury India decided to invest in the health and education of the children and families in the area.

Partnering with Ruchi, Cadbury India started work in the village of Sandholi.

Impact:

Cadbury has set up a non-formal school near Baddi factory as part of our commitment to create prosperous, inclusive and healthy communities. 50 children of migrant workers living have daily access to non-formal education. The project aims at touching the lives of 400 families at Sandholi village by supporting three thematic areas of education, sanitation and health and hygiene.
With this holistic approach we are hoping to achieve better standards of health and living.

The project is helping support integrated child education and health care initiatives in Baddi. In the area of education, the project is focusing on delivery of services from the out-of-school children belonging to disadvantaged groups to ensure that they enroll and stay in school.