Project Shakti aims to empower underprivileged rural women in villages with populations under 2,000 by providing income opportunities and health education. It organizes women into self-help groups to improve living standards. Over 5,000 villages have benefitted, with typical entrepreneurs earning around Rs. 15,000 per month. After disasters like earthquakes and floods, HUL provides relief through rebuilding villages, constructing disaster-proof housing and distributing relief kits. It also supports vulnerable groups through homes and centers for abandoned children, the handicapped and those with HIV/AIDS. Mobile medical services have benefited over 1.5 lakh patients. Scholarships and education programs further women's empowerment. Water conservation efforts in scarce areas have increased incomes

2. Project Shakti Targets small villages with population of less than 2000 people or less. It seeks to empower underprivileged rural women by providing income-generating opportunities, health and hygiene education through the shaktivani programme, and creating access to relevant information through the i-shakti community portal Shakti is a pioneering effort in creating livelihoods for rural women, organized in self-help groups , and improving living standards in rural India Shakti provides critically needed additional income to these women and their families, by equipping and training them to become an extended arm of the company's operation It has already been extended to over 5000 villages in 52 districts in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. A typical shakti entrepreneur conducts business of around rs.15,000 per month, which gives her an income in excess of rs.1000 per month on a sustainable basis.

3. Disaster relief and rehabilitation

5. Spread over 25 acres, comprises 289 homes

6. HUL has also provided

7. School building

8. An exclusive playground for children

9. a multi-purpose community centre

10. community room

11. Village administration office

12. Underground reservoir and an overhead tank for water

15. clothes

19. HUL supports ASHA DAAN run in MUMBAI by the missionaries of charity (founded by the late MOTHER TERESA)

20. The needs of the abandoned/challenged children are met through

21. Special classes of basic skills

22. Physiotherapy, etc

23. Wherever necessary, corrective surgery is also arranged for in the city hospitals by the home

25. A centre for special education of handicapped children aged between 5 and 15 yearsIt provides educational, vocational and recreational activities to its 60 inmates (38 boys and 22 girls) These children are taught skills, such as cookery, painting, embroidery, bamboo crafts, weaving, candle making, stitching, etc depending on their aptitudes

29. Child immunization camps

30. Iron supplement therapy

31. Free eye check ups

32. Family planning awareness camps

33. Anti-tobacco education

34. anti-alcoholism campsMedical assistance to more than 1, 54,500 patientssince its inception and in 2007 alone in 344 camps more than 22,395 patients were treated In 2008 through 438 camps, 32000 patients have been treated

35. Empowerment through

38. Silvassa Water scarcity has been one of the biggest crisis facing India Karchond near silvassa spans 1491 hectares and has a population of 3253 consisting of 478 families The chief occupation is farming for 4 months when water is available , after this the population migrates to daman silvassa for labour/contract jobs HUl built 14 bunds(structures made of sacks filled with sand)in 2003,33 bunds in 2004,31 bunds in 2005,18 bunds in 2006,19 bunds in 2007,6 bunds in 2008,19 bunds in 2009 Approximately 5% of total run off was harvested in 2007.This enabled the community to sow a second crop, thereby significantly increasing their incomes

39. Key results of water conservation 228 families benefitted under various programmes of the project Migration of approximately 60 families for 90 days stopped Rs 900 thousand worth crops produced 134.90 TCM(thousand cubic meter) of water harvested from 2003 to 2008 70 families use toilet blocks 93 acres of land was converted into fertile land as a result of water harvesting

41. The mainstay of Madhya Pradesh's economy is agriculture

42. Prosperity thus means increasing the income of farmers and small town and village entrepreneurs engaged in agro processing and cottage industries.

43. HUL has helped the government create 'Vindhya Valley', an umbrella brand for food products, and support software for its marketing, manufacturing and distribution.

44. The upgradation will generate higher sales and higher returns for rural artisan communities, many of whom are women.

46. Initiated in media dark villages (in up, mp, Bihar, west Bengal, Maharashtra, Orissa) with the objective of spreading awareness about the importance of washing hands with soap

47. The need for a program of this nature arose from the fact that diarrheal diseases are a major cause of death in the world today.

48. The simple practice of washing hands with soap and water can reduce diarrhea by as much as 47%

50. Train them well

51. Build careers

52. Encourage diversity

53. Reward top performance

55. Compiled by AsrarHamidani Jai Jhangiani Pankajkalra Rahat Adenwalla SaadSyed Vikramsingh