Prabhat- HUL's strategic community intervention
Prabhat, the sustainable community development initiative of Hindustan Unilever Limited, started in 2013 to empower communities around Hindustan Unilever Limited's manufacturing and depot sites in India.
Prabhat, the sustainable community development initiative of Hindustan Unilever Limited, started in 2013 to empower communities around Hindustan Unilever Limited's manufacturing and depot sites in India. What started as a livelihood enhancement initiative in the early days is now a holistic community development programme focused on three thematic areas:
- Livelihoods
- Health & Nutrition
- Environmental sustainability
The programme is well aligned with Unilever's Growth Action Plan and the development priorities of the Government of India. The programme also aligns with community needs, ensuring high acceptance and strong community participation.
Over the past 10 years of its dedicated service in communities, Prabhat has positively impacted nearly 10 million lives in 12 states and 2 union territories.
Prabhat aims to create sustainable and inclusive communities, and by doing so, it is contributing towards a fairer and more socially and environmentally inclusive world while using HUL's scale for good.
Livelihoods
The Prabhat Livelihoods Programme aims to create income-surplus households to improve individuals' quality of life. The programme employs a dual approach to boost the income-generating capabilities of communities. Skill training programmes equip individuals with relevant skills, enhancing their employability. Our farm-based interventions and strengthening Farmer Producer Organisations (farmers collectives) help utilise existing resources like land and livestock to increase agrarian incomes.
- ~1,30,000 people benefited from skill development initiatives
- 70% of persons trained secured employment
- f24,500 farmers benefited through farm-based value chain initiatives
Health & nutrition
The Health and Nutrition pillar aims to make communities healthier, especially women and children. The programme represents a comprehensive approach to healthcare for rural communities. Targeted nutrition initiatives provide essential knowledge and guidance to adolescent girls and women of reproductive age, promoting better nutritional practices. Prabhat Mobile Medical Vans brings primary healthcare directly to rural communities, making healthcare accessible to all.
- >25,00,000 beneficiaries reached through the Nutrition programme
- ~13,500 Nutri Gardens (kitchen gardens) created
- ~1,44,000 patients reach through Mobile Medical Van
Environmental sustainability
Prabhat's Environmental Sustainability pillar aims to bring environmental consciousness to the communities. To create water-positive communities, Prabhat runs targeted interventions on water conservation, ensuring communities have adequate water for agriculture all year round. As part of water stewardship for communities, drinking water has also been addressed. Working closely with the factory at Chhindwara, Prabhat significantly contributed to garnering the globally reputed Alliance for Water Stewardship Certificate (platinum) for the site.
Prabhat rolled out a comprehensive waste management programme at select sites to address the escalating issue of waste and ensure that there is zero waste to landfill in our communities. Under this, regular collection and recycling of plastic into value-added products like handwashing stations is undertaken. Further, wet waste is turned into valuable compost and biogas for a green energy source.
- 203 BL water conserved
- >7 lakh kg of waste collected & managed