Beneficiary is a resident of Punjpur village in the Dungarpur district of Rajasthan. He has been physically disabled since birth, which prevents him from taking up any regular employment Beneficiary's wife occasionally works as a laborer in the village to support the family, but the income is irregular and insufficient. This directly affects the children’s education and nutrition. They have 4 children to support.  The family does not have any stable source of income, nor were they able to benefit from any government schemes due to lack of awareness and limited understanding  Intervention -  REACHA Smartpur team got to know about his condition during their routine visit to village Team informed the family about Disability Pension Scheme Provided full support in arranging the required documents, completing the online application, and following up with the authorities Within three months, beneficiary started receiving a regular pension in his bank account. In addition, the team explored the possibility of enrolling three of his children under the Rajasthan Government’s Palanhar Scheme REACHA Smartpur team took complete responsibility for documentation, submission, and coordination with the local administration. As a result of these combined efforts, beneficiary's family now receives ₹5,600 per month in government assistance. This timely intervention has not only brought financial relief but has also improved the education and nutritional support for the children.

Beneficiary is a resident of Chapori village, lives with his family of five—his mother, wife, and two children. His elder son is currently studying in Class X and his daughter in Class VIII. Digen has been practicing Horticulture for some time but lacked proper knowledge about modern farming techniques. He did not have knowledge about the right seasons for planting crops like lemons, betel nut, and bananas. Due to this lack of awareness, his yield and income remained low despite his sustained efforts. Modern Farming Technique training organized by Assam Smartpur Team opened his eyes and mind to many scientific farming practices for the first time.  For example, he learned that pruning lemon stalks helps increase fruit production, and that applying fertilizer by pressing it around the roots of betel nut (tamol) trees is more effective. He also learned proper techniques for cultivating banana plants. As a result of this and application of what he learnt, his income doubled, and he now cultivates: 600 lemon bushes 800 betel nut trees 2 bighas of ginger 2 bighas of rabi crops 1/2 bigha of bananas Today, his lemon trees are flourishing, and his farm is more productive than ever. Last Year’s Income Breakdown: Lemons: Rs. 50,000 Betel Nut: Rs. 70,000 Rabi Crops: Rs. 50,000 Ginger: Rs. 30,000 Digen Pegu expresses his heartfelt thanks to Nokia Smartpur - Arne Digital Centre for changing his life through knowledge and support.

Year 1 completed! Appreciation certification given to the teachers who have made the year successful and impactful.  Year 2 - Main goal is to build upon what all has happened. Team is closely working with PMC office, Pune Government to take the program across government schools, and also focus on Teacher Training. (Coding) Classes in Army Public schools have begun. Below is a glimpse!

We have started the following -  1. Cohort on Basic IT Skilling - MS Excel etc. for ITI Students 2. Placement Prep Guidance for BCA/MCA/BTech and MTech Students  3. Coding Classes for School Students  4. Python Training for ITI Youth  Currently, cohort of 75 students Pan India is underway, and we are joining in students from all around in our in-house tech skilling batch.

REACHA  team through  Nokia 's Smartpur Initiative is going deep within the communities to measure change that 105 Smartpur Centers are creating across - Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh , Rajasthan.  Governance, Financial Inclusion, Education, Livelihood and Health services are provided through the centers.  Most of the centers are located at Panchayat Level and in very rural and remote parts. The team aims at informing district administration about how schemes are making a difference on ground and what are the challenges if any, and how collectively strengthening of communities can happen.  Through  Nokia 's support connecting the unconnected and reaching the last mile is in action.

Work and efforts under collaboration with Uttar Pradesh Government -  UPSDM IT  - Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Mission for IBM SkillsBuild (2+ years now).  Stories of Youth who were part of UPSDM Centers / were onboarded in REACHA team at UPSDM Job fair as part of  REACHA 's efforts under  IBM  SkillsBuild Program.  - Amit (Sansad Rozgar Mela 12 Dec 2023), -  Samiksha Srivastav  ( Sansad Rozgar Mela, Gorakhpur 4 Feb 2024) ,  -  Ayush Dwivedi  (21 Dec 2023, ITI Rozgar Mela Kanpur) -  Tushar Kumar Keshari  ((Sansad Rozgar Mela 12 Dec 2023))  All have been with REACHA team for 1+ year and are working in the community and taking the program ahead as role models.  REACHA strongly believes to empower the youth in local communities, so then they can become the change agents. Efforts towards placement guidance and counselling requires a lot of patience and hand holding support, as retention in an engagement is not easy. One should talk about it, if they are committed and have the strong will to create the change, and also want to follow up with the youth. The team is proud of all of them, as now they are leading different efforts.  Amit, Ayush and Tushar are dealing with senior government officials - ITI Principals, UPSDM Principals and MIS independently and with confidence for IBM SkillsBuild Program, while Samiksha is playing a key role in building tech processes at REACHA. She is also a coding instructor.  They also give up grounds up realistic views which we further reflect on. At the end of the day whatever effort we are trying to deliver should reach and benefit the communities and hence hearing from them is the most important thing!

All the stakeholders - Kesari, Indian Army - Col  Tanmoy Rath  sir and Major  Manish Kumar , Trainees, REACHA Kashmir and HQ Teams came together to celebrate the journeys of trainees of FY 2024-25.  Zelam Ma'am also shared some key insights about tourism industry standpoint - Importance of studying destination, Law of Land, Air routes, Visas, Tour Guide - Marketing and Operations.  Mehak Majnoon was one of the trainees who shared her experiences of Keasri supported training program - she shared she was earlier very hesitant and shy. After joining the training she has gained a lot of confidence. She learnt technical concepts about Tourism Industry and most importantly courage and will to talk and deal with customers. She has now opened and started her own enterprise in Kupwara and takes customers to places like Bangus Valley, Lolab Valley etc. Developments of Roshan Mustqbil were also shared. It has been transformed in the recent months, and is becoming the most aspirational youth training and skilling center in Kashmir.  REACHA  is grateful to be the trusted partner of Indian Army here.

Empowering Lives: Sharda Story of Hope and Resilience Our Smartpur team, Glard, recently conducted a door-to-door visit to raise awareness about social protection schemes. During this visit, we met Sharda Devi, a 38-year-old widow living in a small village. Sharda was facing significant challenges after the untimely death of her husband, struggling to make ends meet while raising her school-going child alone. A Helping Hand We recognized the potential impact of the widow pension on Sharda's life and guided her through the application process. Our team assisted her in gathering the necessary documents and submitted her application. Within a few weeks, Sharda's application was processed, and she received her sanction letter for the widow pension. The Impact The financial aid has brought significant relief and stability to Sharda's life, enabling her to: Cover her child's education expense Meet daily household needs A New Hope Sharda's story showcases how awareness and timely intervention can significantly change lives. Through our efforts, Sharda has found a new hope and is now able to focus on building a better future for herself and her child. The communities across 10 Districts in kashmir are deeply thankful to the REACHA for its generous support in providing digital education assets under Nokia Smartpur Project,With access to devices and internet facilities, learners of all ages now have the opportunity to explore online education and enhance their knowledge. This support has sparked new hope and enthusiasm for learning within the community.

IBM SkillsBuild FY 2024-25 Pan India Efforts by  REACHA  -  Looking back the team took the SkillsBuild Program to some of the remotest parts of Uttar Pradesh ( UPSDM IT ) , Madhya Pradesh ( Directorate of Skill Development MP , Uttarakhand ( UCOST Dehradun  and  Department of Skill Development and Employment Uttarakhand ) through Government Collaborations.  200+ Physical Sessions across 100+ ITIs and UPSDM Centers in Uttar Pradesh, 200+ physical sessions across 40+ ITIs in Madhya Pradesh. 20+ sessions in 10+ ITIs in Uttarakhand. The team extensively covered the interiors of these states, and facilitation support by the respective governments has been immensely helpful. The team also organized a Tech Summit successfully in partnership with the Uttarakhand Government. We thank  Seema Joshi  for making it more impactful.  Continuous  IBM  Volunteering sessions facilitated by  Praveen Prabhakar . We thank him and  Sri Ram Pisupati  and  Swatilekha Nayak , and others who actively participated.  A lot of focus was on Women in Tech (Efforts at Women ITI Betul emerging as a CSR Case study for the MP State), and also taking the program to specially abled students - Bhopal Gas Rahat ITI.  The team closely worked with 40+ partner colleges.  Coming together and celebrating youth's journey who got opportunity facilitated through the program and REACHA's in house efforts. We thank  Praveen Prabhakar  to coming in and motivating the youth and wishing them luck. Team also delivered 100+ job readiness online sessions by its faculty for the youth (as part of in-house efforts to strengthen them).  The team has developed deep connects at rural areas in the country, and has and continues to make a genuine attempt to benefit the youth there through SkillsBuild.  Sincere appreciation to -  Shipra Sharma  Ma'am for her guidance and support! Sneha Laxman   Krishnakanth Naik   Bhaskar

Beneficiary suffered a paralysis stroke, which severely affected his mobility and daily activities. His parents, who are elderly and illiterate, faced significant difficulties in applying for a disability certificate on his behalf. Unaware of the application process, they encountered numerous challenges in securing the certificate. Despite multiple attempts, application was repeatedly rejected due to incomplete or incorrect details submitted to the concerned department. As a result, he has been unable to access financial support and other government schemes designed for persons with disabilities.  On 13-11-2024, the Smartpur team met with the beneficiary and their family to offer support. They informed them about the benefits of obtaining a disability certificate, which would enable access to various government schemes, including pensions.  On 23-11-2024, the team offered handholding support to help the beneficiary apply for the certificate through the village secretariat. Following this, on 10-12-2024, the team facilitated a visit to the Government General Hospital, where the beneficiary underwent a medical examination by two doctors, whose approval was essential for the certification process. After a detailed assessment, the beneficiary officially received the disability certificate on 27-12-2024, confirming a 54% disability. With the support of the SMARTPUR team, beneficiary obtained a 50% subsidy bus pass from APSRTC (Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation) on 10/01/25 for himself. Additionally, he has applied for an Indian Railway Disability Train Pass, which is currently under process. He has also applied for both a Ration Card and a Disability Pension, which provides pension of Rs. 6000 per month.  Getting the benefit to the last mile is the aim of the project. Team is at it and trying its best to get the government schemes to people in remote communities, and are also guiding them with a lot of care to how to successfully get the benefit out of these.

REACHA  team with trainees who were trained at  Roshan Mustaqbil Kupwara , and are now working in industries across Kashmir. Team represents resilience and grit, and have been guiding and training the youth at every step, so they can get meaningful engagements, and are able to earn a living not only for themselves but also support their families! The effort is being done under guidance and mentorship of  Indian Army  with support of  The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL)  and  Kesari Tours Pvt Ltd . Trainees and team members got together at Roshan Mushtaqbil today!

Our Chairman and CEO  Nikhil Pant  presented the Kashmir CSR Dialogue 2025 Felicitation to Dr.  Alka Mittal , Member  Capacity Building Commission , former CMD and Director (HR) of  Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) . Dr. Mittal has the distinction of being the first woman to head ONGC.  Under her visionary leadership and through her support REACHA was able to start with a very small pilot project at Chinar 9 Jawan Club Baramulla which was initially a barren land, (now  Chinar Yuva ) in 2016. Over the years REACHA has developed the Chinar 9 Jawan Club Baramulla, and have impacted 8000+ youth. The efforts have been able to empower local communities of Kashmir, and have gotten them upskilled and taken them towards a direction so they can start sustaining not only themselves but also their families.  REACHA now is working in all 10 districts of Kashmir! It is a great feeling to go back to the person who first came forward to help us to initiate this journey! The team has worked with various  Indian Army  units in Kashmir since 2016 and continues to work with them and strengthen Operation Sadbhavana efforts to upskill and motivate the youth of Kashmir so they can have a bright future!