Mumbai, February 4, 2019: Swades Foundation signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with the Government of Maharashtra on January 26, 2019, to scale up operations for 1000 Swades Dream Villages in Raigad and other districts in Maharashtra, over the next five years. Together, the Swades Foundation and the Government of Maharashtra will work towards empowering rural communities at the village level with the unique holistic developmental model developed and tested by the Swades Foundation, which includes Health & Nutrition, Education, Water & Sanitation and a comprehensive Economic Development Programme.
Under the Swades Dream Village – The Swades Vision for Rural Empowerment, the community will be empowered with the capability to transform their own lives. A Swades Dream Village will be opened to the world using appropriate technologies and will be environmentally and socially conscious and driven towards equitable and sustainable growth. A unique programme for reverse migration of families from urban areas to their villages is also a part of the project. The aim is to create a model of sustainable development for others to follow.
Expressing his thoughts on the Letter of Intent (LoI), Ronnie Screwvala, Founder, Swades Foundation, said, “The Swades Dream Village programme is our vision towards empowered rural communities. Our main aim is to create an ecosystem of 360 degree change across the lives of people, enabling our communities to be self-sufficient via knowledge and access to Health, Education, Water, Sanitation, and importantly, ample means for livelihoods thereby enhancing their overall quality of life. We want to bring whole village transformation together with the Government and other partners.”
“We have been working closely with the Government of Maharashtra for the past five years, and we are grateful to them for extending their support to the Swades Dream Village programme. The association is testament to the belief and efforts of each of the 300 plus team of the Swades Foundation who work tirelessly towards its vision,” added Screwvala.
Speaking on the occasion, Devendra Fadnavis, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra, said, “It is good to see Swades Foundation, our partner in Maharashtra Village Social Transformation Foundation, going a step forward to empower 1000 villages in Maharashtra. It always helps when such Foundations collaborate with the government to create a bigger impact. We welcome such participation and initiatives from other Foundations and Corporates towards uplifting the human development indicators. My best wishes and support with the Swades Foundation.”
