Microsoft Word - Royal Rajasthan Foundation Note

Royal Rajasthan Foundation

1

Aurat Hai toh Bharat Hai|| With Her, We Rise

KEY EVENTS IN JULY- OCTOBER 2020



GOVERNANCE

RRF Advisory Council

Royal Rajasthan Foundation has instituted an Advisory Council to oversee, guide and mentor its work and
progress. The first Advisory council is comprised of three eminent women from Rajasthan, accomplished
in domains aligned to the Foundation’s vision and areas of intervention. The honourable members of the
Advisory Council for the next 2 years are:
1. Mrs. Jyoti Kanwar: has worked extensively in gender neutrality and enabling empowered women
in North East India and Rajasthan.
2. Mrs. Ira Sisodia: has deep experience in the preservation, promotion and communication of folk
and ethnic art.
3. Ms. Urvashi Kumari Singh: is an Independent publisher, hotelier and new age entrepreneur.

The first Advisory Council Meeting was held on 28 August, 2020 at 10 am IST via an online video-
th
conference.
RRF Board Meeting

Committed to transparency and robust governance practices, the Foundation held a Board meeting with
Mr. Ranjit Barthakur and Mr. Girish Manik, on 10 July, 2020 at 5:15 pm via an online video-conference.
th
COMMUNICATIONS















RRF is excited to share that an interview of the Chairman of the Foundation, Mr. Ranjit Barthakur, was
published on one of India’s leading corporate social responsibility news portals, India CSR, on 14 July,
th
2020. Mr. Barthakur discussed the objectives, interventions and impact of the Foundation’s work in an
extensive interview that showcased the Foundation to a wider audience in the social sector ecosystem.





2

PROJECTS


















Women’s Access to Water

RRF aims to alleviate the drudgery faced by women in Rajasthan by planting trees native to the state,
increasing the water table and aiding in water conservation. With this aim in end, RR Foundation has
partnered with Gram Chetna Kendra for an initiative spanning two years from March 2020 to February
2022. Gram Chetna Kendra (GCK) is a voluntary organization established in 1989, operational in 791
villages in 11 districts of Rajasthan. They pursue a participatory based approach to activities and a focus
on children and women projects.
Gram Chetna Kendra (GCK), our partner for the women’s Access to Water initiative, re-started operations
st
on June 1 , 2020 after the lockdown was lifted. We are pleased to report that as part of the project, we
have been able to:
● Plant 7350 (a mix of four selected species) trees with provision for replantation to account for
mortality
● Construct 7 farm ponds to collect rain water
● Form 12 Self Help Groups (SHGs) with 140 women representatives
● Construct 2 new vermicompost pits with an interest to construct another 7 more

GCK has also submitted a detailed baseline study that will enable the measurement of the impact of the
project.






















3

WOMEN’S ACCESS TO LIVELIHOODS
Royal Rajasthan Foundation and Jaipur Rugs Foundation (JRF) have partnered in two initiatives, namely,
Social Innovation and Design Lab (SIDL) and Women’s Empowerment through Livelihoods and Leadership
Development (WELL). Post lockdown, JRF restarted on-ground operations on July 15 , 2020. They have
th
shared a comprehensive inception note on the WELL project with the Foundation, detailing the objectives,
processes and status update of the project.

The SIDL project was recognised as an innovative model in the fashion industry and was showcased on the
international platform, at the Worldwide Talks 2020 – a side event held during the New York Fashion Week
on 10 September, 2020. The Foundation takes pride in sharing to share that a woman artisan, Smt. Prem
th
Devi, was showcased live, from her village in Rajasthan as a grassroots leader, at this event where she
spoke about her inspiring journey as a rug weaver to a leader before a global audience that also was taken
through a virtual tour of the first of its kind, grassroots design and innovation lab in the world.
The Foundation’s work with the British Asian Indian Foundation is now in its final stage of
implementation. RRF is a part-funder of the multi-stakeholder partnership, Child Labour Free Jaipur
Initiative, being coordinated by Freedom Fund.































4

WOMEN’S ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE















The Foundation supports the Shri Ram Vriddh Ashram Samiti (SRVAS), an old age home situated in the
Sikar district of Rajasthan by facilitating access to healthcare facilities for the elderly by providing for a
grant for the purchase of the ambulance. As part of our continued engagement with SRVAS, we have
donated 34 pieces of unused merchandise to the old age home on 24 August, 2020.
th
SPECIAL PROJECT- SAHAPEDIA















Rajasthan Royals and Sahapedia are collaborating to create a 1 of its kind comprehensive, interactive and
st
user-friendly online repository of credible information on Rajasthan’s wide-ranging cultural assets. The
foundation is the project manager for this initiative, where Sahapedia will create 24 articles, 12 photo
essays and 48 heritage experiences. Keeping in mind the Foundation’s focus on enabling empowered
women, Sahapedia has curated a training program to carry out heritage walks for the women living in
homeless shelters in the city of Jaipur which will enable them to secure livelihood opportunities.

The video launched on 7 July 2020, to announce the partnership, garnered approximately 60,000 views
th
and generated a significant amount of visibility for both partner organizations. The press release had a
reach of 1.1 million with a media value of Rs 475k.

Due to the lockdown, Sahapedia innovated to create specific programs around Rajasthan’s culture and
heritage that could be delivered online such as Guess the Palace, Crosswords and Bingos.


5

IPL ACTIVATIONS & UPCOMING EVENTS



IPL ACTIVATIONS




















Upcycling

Upcycling is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless or unwanted products into
new materials or products perceived to be of greater quality, such as artistic value or environmental value.
This process has multiple benefits such conserves energy, reduces air & water pollution & also the material
that goes into landfills and oceans.

RR shared with RRF excess inventory of 690+ of left-over merchandise that it wished to be given to various
charities. RRF, started an upcycling initiative with our partner JRF, to amplify the social impact messaging
around the social and environmental value of upcycling. In line with our mandate of Aurat Hai toh Bharat
Hai and With Her, We Rise, these upcycled items are made by women from marginalised backgrounds,
increasing the social impact quotient of this initiative.

Statement pieces, such as traditional ‘Pagris’ of Rajasthan, were made for the IPL and are now part of the
RR Values Presentation ceremonies in the player dressing room, exemplifying the RR value system. First
worn by Sanju Samson and Rahul Tewatia after RR’s first win on 22 September, 2020, we hope that the
turbans become a symbol of the confluence of fashion, sports and social impact.























6

Sahapedia Online Treasure Hunt

























RRF, in partnership with Sahapedia, designed a 5-day online Treasure Hunt, as a special initiative during
the IPL, to match and mirror the excitement, exuberance and energy of one of the world’s most watched
sporting events, and bring it to the exploration of culture, heritage and history of Rajasthan.

Launched on October 16 , 2020; the treasure hunt had three distinct themes:
th
● History and Heritage (with an alignment with RRF interventions)
● Howzzat (clues aligned to RR matches with opposing teams)
● Halla Bol (clues that are inspired by the Niine campaign of breaking stigma and taboos and the
women profiled have in some way, broken stigmas and challenged beliefs in their journey)

We believe that this has been a wonderful opportunity to showcase Rajasthan’s opulent culture and
heritage on a global stage, leveraging the momentum of cricket and fans in a unique and entertaining
manner in line with the ethos of the tournament and RR.

This innovative, gamified approach is a first of a kind initiative, demonstrating that the Foundation is
continuously exploring methods to reimagine CSR, pioneering new approaches for social impact.

We are excited to inform you that Foundation partnered with the Government of Rajasthan for
amplification of the treasure hunt, whose support has been invaluable throughout the campaign.

As of 20th October 2020, 2218 people played the Treasure Hunt- illustrating the success of this concept.




7

Mind, Body and Soul with a Women’s Focus and Launch of Report on Mind, Body and Soul


















Progressing from the successful Mind, Body and Soul (MBS) pilot program held between May 27 , 2020-
th
June 10 , 2020; the Foundation then conceptualized the Version 2.0 of the MBS program to be focused on
th
the mental health and well-being of women, in line with the mandate of the Foundation. The format of the
series is designed to be a mix of docu-fiction and chat show with an estimate of six episodes, as part of an
overall, holistic model that covers both online and offline engagement in mental health for women.
Currently, RRF is exploring partnerships with potential OTT platform providers and potential sponsors.

On the occasion of World Mental Health Day, October 10 , we launched our report on Mental Health “Mind,
th
Body and Soul- Shining a Spotlight on Mental Health”, based on the pilot run held in May-June 2020.
The report is available online on the Mind, Body and Soul page of the foundation’s microsite.

UPCOMING PROJECTS

Niine CSR Partnership- Women’s Access to Health
RR has embarked upon a path breaking partnership with Niine, a female sanitary hygiene brand, to dispel
myths and taboos surrounding menstruation. In line with the spirit of this partnership, RRF aims to support
Niine’s CSR initiatives in menstrual health and hygiene by developing an innovative school outreach
program that focuses on:

1. Educating and awareness of biological realities for the both young boys and girls (gender
sensitive approach)
2. Dispelling myths and taboos around menstruation
3. Information and Training on Hygiene management
4. Sustainability awareness and education regarding the production, use and disposal of sanitary
products
5. Program to be made inclusive of trans people with a core audience between the ages of 10-12
(both young men and women)- inclusion of trans people is a core aspect that is the need of the



8

hour and can serve as the trigger for other stakeholders to pursue equality and inclusion in
social program design and interventions.

CmF Partnership- Women’s Access to Education

RR Academy launched its Pavillion App with the proceeds for the first month to be donated to the
Foundation for a cause that is around early childhood education and in line with our core focus of women.

To this end, RRF has embarked upon a pilot project with CmF, in its last stages of finalization, that will focus
on advancing gender equality through gender sensitive education in one anganwadi centre in Sirohi district
in Rajasthan using an innovative pictorial, storytelling approach. In addition, the program will also focus
on the capacity building of anganwadi teachers in gender inclusive education.
UPCOMING PARTNERSHIPS

As RRF moves to expand its footprint and increase its impact, it is exploring partnerships with like-minded
organizations. Partnerships are being currently explored actively with Dubai Cares and Jagtiani Foundation
whereas proposals have been shared with State Bank of India.

The Foundation has also prepared a pipeline of proposals for Dell, Google, JCB India and IBM.

COMMUNICATIONS

We are elated to report that the RRF microsite will be launched in early November 2020 along with the RRF
app! We look forward to engaging with our audience in new and innovative ways and spread the message
of Aurat Hai Toh Bharat Hai/With Her, We Rise, far and wide.












































9