Fagunia Foundation

Fagunia Foundation is our social support initiative to make a positive impact on local communities and the environment. Ever since we started Fagunia, we have been keen to do our bit for improving the quality of life in our region. We initially focused on a few things that we could directly have an impact on. Like reducing our environmental footprint, ensuring our presence here and our hiring practices are helping to uplift the local economy (click here to read more about our sustainability initiatives), and enabling some rapid relief support during the COVID pandemic.

Over this period, we also informally engaged with communities around us to understand the local issues and challenges. Based on this understanding, we decided to conceptualize and implement social support initiatives in specific focus areas through Fagunia Foundation.

Fagunia Foundation

The foundation has identified the below focus areas to work on.

We have begun working on the following on ground initiatives currently and plan to implement more initiatives in the other focus areas soon.

Establishing a Digital Lab and Infrastructure Support

In June 2024, through the generous support of Linde, we donated two desktop computers and other supporting equipment to the Government Primary and Middle School of Faguniakhet School in Nainital District. The school lacked a functional computer and therefore the school children were lacking in digital literacy skills. The new computer equipment is expected to fill this gap and also support the school teachers in using multimedia tools to support their teaching.

With the support of the Taaran Trust, we also installed ceiling fans in all classrooms, including the Anganwadi Centre, at the school to help provide a comfortable learning environment during the summer months. We also purchased additional books for the school’s library for different class levels in multiple languages that will help to enhance learning and reading skills.

Going forward, we aim to introduce additional digital tools and modules that can enhance the digital skills of the school children. We also hope to expand this program to other schools in the region.

Co-curricular Education Modules

Co-curricular activities are structured programs outside the regular academic curriculum that complement and enhance students’ educational experience by developing additional skills and interests. Research shows that when children are exposed to co-curricular activities at school, their learning outcomes are significantly improved apart from improvement in social skills, mental health, peer engagement and communication skills.

With the support of experienced theater for learning practitioners Nidhi and Jayesh, we are currently implementing a pilot co-curricular activity program at the Primary and Middle School of Faguniakhet village. Based on the leanings and outcomes from this pilot program, we hope to scale this initiative to more schools in the district.

Improving Access to Public Health

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2021, with the support of actor friend Ashwath Bhatt, we collaborated on a support initiative to equip local health facilities at different locations in Uttarakhand with essential medical equipment to tackle the pandemic. We distributed the equipment amongst three well known local NGOs: Chirag, Aarohi and Agrani India Foundation’s Arogya Project to strengthen their COVID-19 healthcare initiatives at their community health clinics in the districts of Champawat, Almora and Nainital.

The support not only helped in pandemic mitigation measures but also strengthened their preparations for tackling the third wave of COVID-19. It also was able to bridge the health infrastructure and equipment gap that exists in the mountains. The supplies that were distributed included oxygen concentrators, oximeters, infrared and digital thermometers, face shields, N95 masks, surgical masks, PPE kits, oxygen masks, BP machines, vaporisers, reusable gloves, surgical gloves, surgical gowns, wheel chairs and more.

Fagunia Foundation is currently exploring the implementation of new public health initiatives that will improve access to well equipped primary health facilities and diagnostic services for remote rural mountain communities.

Donate/Support

If you are interested in supporting our social support initiatives and would like to donate, or if you would like to volunteer your time, do write to us on: hello at fagunia dot com.

Donors

We are grateful for the generous support of the following donors for the above initiatives.

Partners and Supporters

Our special thanks to the following partners and individuals for their ready support, partnership and collaboration on the above initiatives.