Chennai: Srinivasan Services Trust (SST), the social arm of TVS Motor Company Limited and Sundaram-Clayton Limited is honoured to win the CSR Times Award for Best NGO in ‘Rural Development & Infrastructure’.
The award was conferred at the National CSR Summit held in New Delhi on September 18, 2019 and received by the Chairman of SST, Swaran Singh, IAS (Retd). The CSR Times Award focuses on honouring and celebrating the innovation and significant contributions that corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices make to the economy and society.
The CSR Times Award encourages corporate foundations, NGOs, government and public sector undertakings, individuals or a group of individuals to deliver high-impact CSR projects and adopt a multi-stakeholder approach for achieving excellence in project outcomes.
SST is active in more than 2,500 villages in India and has a footprint in nearly 5,000 villages helps bring about social and economic change in communities by encouraging the underserved to become self-reliant.
It started its work in India’s villages 24 years ago, with a single village.
SST is a catalyst and change agent which acts as a link between communities and various government departments, banks, and other voluntary sector providers. Typically, these agencies do have existing programs to help the underserved but grapple with last-mile delivery. SST helps them overcome that, and teaches communities to access the programs meant for them.
SST’s model of identifying the problems that communities face and helping them arrive at local solutions using available resources has transformed attitudes. It is not a model based on charitable donations or grants. Instead, it focuses on individual and community development.
This transformation and greater self-belief have enabled communities to prosper and live better. SST works in key areas of rural development as economic development, women empowerment, quality development, and social development that creates community leaders and stronger communities.