UJJWALA (उज्ज्वला): Excellent Living, Developmental Practice, and Targeted Learning

What is UJJWALA?

UJJWALA’s Mission

Program Structure

SEMOG: UJJWALA Initiative

Bridging Education & Employment

What is UJJWALA?

UJJWALA (उज्ज्वला) is an inspirational initiative supporting education, employment, empowerment of children and adults living in under-resourced and geographically inaccessible settings towards creating a healthy and a resilient ecosystem for sustained development.

UJJWALA aims to address disparities related to access to education, lifelong learning and employment opportunities to advance social, economic and health equity.

UJJWALA’s Mission

Launched on September 9, 2024, UJJWALA supports efforts towards social and economic mobility of individuals who have barriers related to the resources accessible and available to them.

The initiative offers structured learning and mentorship support, access to the resources, training, networking and connectedness towards creating an environment to cope, adapt, be resilient and empathetic in a complex, rapidly changing environment.

Program Structure

  • Identification of the geographic setting
  • Stakeholder engagement

  • Identify community agents of change

  • Understand needs, and opportunities

  • Training and mentoring

  • Providing resources towards making them self-reliant

  • Ongoing evaluation and feedback

SEMOG: UJJWALA Initiative

Semog is a village in the Kalsi block of Dehradun district, situated on the lower hills of Uttarakhand. The geographical area of Semog is 177.79 hectares. Nearest statutory town from Semog is Vikas Nagar. With a very sparse population of only 391, comprising only 50 families among which, 291 are males and remaining 172 females. The sex ratio of Semog is 785 which is much lower than Uttarakhand’s average of 963. Children between the age of 0-6 years is 61 and their ratio is 488 which is again lower than the average of 890 in the whole of Uttarakhand. The literacy rate of Semog village is 61.52%. The working population is 349, leaving 42 non- working among which 25 are males and 17 are females. The main occupation in Semog is cultivator. There is only one primary school in Semog and the rest of the schools are at a distance of more than 5 kms. All the health facilities in Semog are also more than 10kms afar making access to healthcare a real challenge.

Under the RISE initiative, two women named Sangeeta and Meera, both 30 years old and previously engaged in farming and livestock management, shared how FHTS generated local employment in their own village. The initiative aims at socio-economic mobility, empowering them to be independent and self-sufficient. Both Meera and Sangeeta, have shared how their hobbies have now evolved into a sustainable yet economical livelihood.

Meera also shared how the parents of the children under UJJWALA initiative expressed the significant impact it has over their children who previously struggled to focus on their studies, now follow a structured schedule and extended appreciation for bringing education, employment and empowerment to geographically inaccessible and under-resourced areas, effectively reducing educational and economic disparities.

Bridging Education & Employment

UJJWALA not only fosters education but also drives economic empowerment. The RISE (Research Innovation Skills and Entrepreneurship) initiative of The Foundation of Healthcare Technologies Society (FHTS) employs local women as educators, creating employment opportunities within the community. By addressing both education and employment, UJJWALA contributes to breaking cycles of disparity and uplifting underprivileged communities.