In 2022, as the world emerged from disruptions caused by COVID-19, changes in economic situations, and political and social upheavals, RYTHM Foundation continued to play a vital role in addressing a wide range of social and environmental issues in many communities around the world.
RYTHM strives to resolve the most challenging tasks impacting our core pillars of Education, Empowerment, and the Environment. As always, we are enthused about working with like-minded organisations to implement viable initiatives aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the framework for our targets and actions.
And with 2023 around the bend, we will persevere to work diligently to address pressing issues and make decisive differences in the lives of vulnerable communities.
We are gratified for the several positive impacts we made in 2022, as detailed below:
Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement
Women are a significantly undervalued resource worldwide, and we strive to change that – one region at a time. For example, RYTHM works with grassroots organisations like Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement (Sarvodaya) to upskill and improve the economic potential of women in rural communities across Sri Lanka.
We embarked on this collaboration in 2018 to help young women in Jaffna and Kilinochchi to learn skills and enhance their knowledge to overcome unemployment, poverty, and gender-based violence.
The collaboration reached out to women and youths in four Sri Lankan districts distinctly impacted by challenges like unemployment, poverty, and gender-based violence. The project offered numerous courses to the beneficiaries, from tailoring and baking to entrepreneurship training and financial assistance.
The project wrapped up last May, leaving a substantial impact on over 400 women who now have the agency to take charge of their lives. Read more about the project in the articles below:
RYTHM-Sarvodaya Collaboration Features in Sri Lankan Daily
RYTHM Foundation Supports Sri Lankan Entrepreneurs with Free Training
RYTHM Foundation Supports Kulatheswary’s Dreams of Becoming a Tailor
Water for Africa
Water is essential for all life forms on our planet, and CLEAN water is crucial for the health of humans. Yet, millions in some of the most remote parts of the world lack access to the clean water they need to survive.
In Tanzania, the lack of clean water impacts some 70% of households, jeopardising the population’s health and life span. In addition, thousands of children are deprived of an education as they walk miles to collect contaminated water from rivers and lakes that their families depend on for their daily needs.
RYTHM partnered with Water For Africa to change this reality for one community in rural Tanzania. The partnership oversees the installation of water wells in villages and provides employment opportunities to the locals through a farming initiative that funds the maintenance of the water sources. More about this project in the articles below:
For Tanzanian Farmer Magdalena Mwamtende, Wells Hold Much More Than Water
RYTHM Foundation Partners with Water for Africa to Provide Clean Water in Rural Tanzania
RYTHM Foundation Offers Farming Skills and Opportunities in Tanzania
ANOPA Project
What if you had to go through life deprived of your most basic senses – sight and sound?
Most of us couldn’t imagine it, but over a billion people worldwide, including 240 million children, live with this reality in a world ill-equipped for disability and neurodiversity.
Through our work with Ghana’s ANOPA Project, we are proving that with the proper access to tools and resources, children with disabilities can realise their potential and exceed society’s expectations.
RYTHM partnered with ANOPA in 2020 to train young beneficiaries in games like swimming, basketball, and volleyball to help them build confidence and promote societal inclusiveness. Read more about how this project is changing lives:
RYTHM Partner ANOPA Project Wins Charity of the Year Award in Ghana
Shoemaker with Hearing Loss is Grateful on the Heels of Receiving Cobbling Gear
Parinaama Development Foundation
In many parts of rural India, almost half of all girls marry before 18.
These early marriages are one of many factors that prevent them from obtaining an education and finding employment due to social stigma and disapproval from their families.
RYTHM and Parinaama Development Foundation (Parinaama) embarked on a journey to help break this cycle of inequality in Eastern India.
Over 10,000 women across three Indian states have benefitted from a micro-enterprises training programme by RYTHM and Parinaama. In addition, nearly 740 of a targeted 1,300 coaches have completed their training to assist the beneficiaries. In 2021, the life-changing economic empowerment programme bagged a silver accolade at the CSR Times Award in India.
Read more about this award-winning collaboration in the articles below:
Award-Winning Project Empowers Women Entrepreneurs in Eastern India
RYTHM Foundation Collaboration Helping 10,000 women In India Bags CSR Award
Mushroom Farming Provides Stable Income to Rural Jharkhand Women
Women’s Development Centre
Empowering differently-abled individuals with the proper support can lead to incredible achievements.
RYTHM’s project with Sri Lanka’s Women’s Development Centre (WDC) is a prime example. We have seen young people with special needs get the help they need at the community rehabilitation centres we helped set up and go on to thrive in their daily lives, learning to live independently.
WDC empowers women, the young, the differently-abled, and other marginalised groups. The NGO offers therapy, formal sign language classes, and other personalised treatment through its Community-based Rehabilitation programme (CBR).
RYTHM has played a significant role in the CBR’s primary objective of successfully rehabilitating Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) into society as active contributors versus burdens.
With the Foundation’s assistance, the programme holistically caters to the formative ages, from early childhood development to integrating school-aged children in pre-vocational and vocational training and skills development for future job prospects and overall social inclusion. The programme also educates parents about early intervention.
Learn more about the impact of this project on individuals and their families with the articles below:
Featured: RYTHM’s Sri Lankan Community Project for the Differently-abled
From Silence to Supported: The Journey of a Sri Lankan Entrepreneur with Hearing Loss
Global Himalayan Expedition
Access to electricity is a daily struggle for many remote villages in the Himalayan region. Without it, access to necessities like healthcare and education is often out of reach, and these communities remain isolated from the rest of the world.
Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE) and RYTHM embarked on a partnership that implements a two-pronged approach to bring solar electricity to these remote tribal communities and upgrade the healthcare infrastructure in these areas.
Dubbed ‘Empowering North East India’, the project kicked off with RYTHM pledging a one-year commitment to provide energy access to 470 villagers and solar power for a primary healthcare centre catering to 23,000 villagers.
The collaboration has brought light and hopes to several villages in the region. With a sustainable approach, these communities will have access to electricity for the years ahead. Find out more about how we helped bring light to these communities in the article below:
Electrifying Rural Communities in Meghalaya with Energy Access
ASA Foundation
Growing up in today’s digital age comes with various challenges for adolescents, mainly if they belong to low-income communities.
That is why our three-year partnership with Asian Soccer Academy and ASA Foundation (ASA) focused on equipping nearly 10,000 youth with the confidence and skills they need to thrive.
Through a sports-based education development programme delivered by trained teachers, we have made a difference in the lives of vulnerable youth in Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia.
Nearly 9,800 youth and young adults participated in a social intervention programme by RYTHM and ASA. Promoting healthy behaviour and gender equality through sports-based activities also won the foundation a gold medal in the 2021 Indonesian SDGs Award (ISDA).
Learn more about this award-winning project through the article and YouTube video below:
RYTHM Foundation & ASA Foundation Collaboration Takes the Gold at the 2021 ISDA Awards
Be the Impact with the next RYTHM Connect!
Do you want to make a difference in the world? Good news, there are many ways to do it!
Join RYTHM Foundation Chairperson Datin Sri Umayal Eswaran on the #RYTHMConnect conversation series on January 19 from 4 PM – 5 PM via Facebook LIVE to learn how you can Be the Impact in your own life.
You’ll hear from two people passionate about serving their communities: AVP Shipra Neeraj represents the RYTHM spirit of the QNET network, and Gavin Soon Koh Yu represents the employee volunteering spirit of the QI Group. It’s bound to be an engaging conversation! So, RSVP here to get your reminders when we go LIVE!
