Cadila Pharmaceuticals and SEWA Join Forces for Positive Change

Ahmedabad, 14^th December 2023: Cadila Pharmaceuticals, one of the country’s legacy and largest privately held drug manufacturers, and its CSR arm Indrashil Kaka Ba and Kala Budh Public Charitable Trust have joined hands with Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), a significant organization based out of Ahmedabad that works towards Women Empowerment and Rural Development.

This collaboration aims to bring about positive change in the lives of rural communities, particularly focusing on the empowerment of women. Cadila Pharmaceuticals, in association with Lok Swasthya Sewa Trust (LSST), has initiated SEWA Shakti Kendras in ten villages of Ahmedabad and Bharuch.

The SEWA Shakti Kendras are playing an important role in addressing issues such as health and hygiene, education, environment, and village infrastructure affecting the local communities. These centres are also raising awareness about government welfare schemes through group meetings, door-to-door surveys, rallies, and other effective Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) techniques.

Dr. Bharat Champaneria, Trustee of Indrashil Kaka Ba and Kala Budh Public Charitable Trust, the charitable arm of Cadila Pharmaceuticals, said, “This partnership aligns with our commitment to holistic community development. By collaborating with SEWA, we aim to make a lasting impact on the lives of women and communities in rural Gujarat, addressing their diverse needs, promoting sustainable development, and focusing on their health and general well-being.”

Commenting on the partnership, Susan Thomas, National Coordinator Health and Childcare, SEWA said, “SEWA is delighted to collaborate with Cadila Pharmaceuticals and Indrashil Kaka Ba and Kala Budh Public Charitable Trust for this empowering initiative. Together, we aim to create positive and sustainable changes in the lives of women in rural areas, addressing their health, education, and economic well-being.”

The SEWA centres actively assist community members in completing documentation processes needed for accessing government aid, including widow pension, old age pension, scholarships, and more. Through proper intervention, the centres have successfully initiated pensions that had been ceased for 10-20 years in certain cases. A survey has identified approximately 10,000 community members with discrepancies in their documents, hindering them from availing government benefits. The team aims to resolve 90% of these discrepancies by July.

Another notable aspect of this initiative is exposure visits for community members, particularly women and girls, to various government offices. These visits educate participants on the functioning of these offices and guide them on approaching the right authorities for specific documents. This exposure has empowered hundreds of women by making them aware of their rights.

About Cadila Pharmaceuticals Limited

Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is one of India’s leading integrated privately held pharmaceutical firms, located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The firm develops and produces pharmaceutical products in India and sells and distributes them in over 100 countries. The organization places a high emphasis and priority on research, whether it is in biotechnology, APIs, formulations, plant tissue culture or phytochemistry to innovate in various therapeutic areas including gastrointestinal, cardiology, pulmonary, oncology, gynaecology, cardiovascular, Diabetology, and osteology. Its undaunted commitment to create affordable miracles in therapeutic areas with significant unmet medical needs to serve the society & community at large, has led to several world-first breakthroughs.