MUMBAI: Canon India Pvt. Ltd, India’s leading Digital Imaging Company, celebrated yet another milestone, with the completion of two successful years of Karanjoti Village’s adoption under its flagship CSR initiative- Adopt a Village. With a vision to contribute to the societal ecosystem, Canon India had adopted Karanjoti Village in Bhiwandi (Thane) near Mumbai in April 2015.
In sync with the corporate philosophy of Kyosei, signifying living and working together for the common good, Canon India had adopted Karanjoti village to redefine the lives of people in and around the village by providing them with facilities for a well-developed and sustainable living. Situated near Mumbai, Karanjoti Village has seen numerous noteworthy developments, since its adoption. To mention a few, improved basic facilities & infrastructure have been installed at village school for making it child-friendly and generating interest in children to reduce dropouts. Post the intervention, school children are provided with basic health amenities like clean and hygienic toilets and safe drinking water facility. E-learning has been introduced to get children interested in education. Teaching aids such as charts (for science), maps (social studies), formulas (mathematics), and books related to various other subjects have been provided.
Canon India CEO Kazutada Kobayashi said, “Adopt a Village initiative has supported our vision of providing healthy, informed and sustainable lives to the communities we operate in. With Karanjoti completing two years as part of the Canon family, it is a matter of pride for us to witness the outcomes of our various endeavours.”
“Every village we adopt is part of the extended Canon family. Our employees, being responsible citizens understand the impact their contribution can make to the lives of young children in the villages. Under ‘Canon Involve’, they continuously visit the villages to interact with the children and villagers to create awareness and educate them about the basics of living a holistic life. We aspire to continue dedicated efforts in various villages as to achieve an all-round development for the community,” added Kobayashi.
Canon marked the second anniversary of its association with Karanjoti, with its Mumbai office employees visiting the villagers to celebrate the special occasion. ‘Canon Involve’ endeavor witnessed comprehensive engagement between the children and the employees. Activities were conceptualized on the subject of ‘Summer Fun’, where the children made interesting and creative drawings, with their upcoming summer vacations as the backdrop. Learning material was provided to the participating children to encourage their interest in drawing. Employees joined the children while coloring their creatives and shared fond memories of their summer vacations. Employees also educated the children on the subject of ‘Team-Spirit’, encouraging the children to stay together with harmony, where they learn and grow together. This engaging session was wrapped with a cake cutting ceremony, rejoicing the milestone and envisioning a prosperous tomorrow for the young children and their families.
In the span of two years, Karanjoti has witnessed discernible impacts under four core pillars of Canon India’s CSR policy, including Education, Eye Care, Environment and Empowerment. Capacity building in the school has led to students returning to the village school, resource centre with a non-formal education teacher to impart computer literacy, art and craft skills and encouraging sports among the students of all grades. Various environmental campaigns like tree plantation and ground levelling have been organized in which employees; teachers and students were encouraged to pledge and share their commitment towards making earth a healthier planet to live in. To have sustainable eye care facility establishment in the village, a Vision Centre has been set-up in a space provided by the local community. This center has equipment and technician for screening of patients and providing spectacles. Under its fourth CSR pillar Canon is looking forward to start a vocational training centre in the school to support sustainable living for the students and the village youth.
Along with Karanjoti in Maharashtra, Canon India has three more adopted villages, including Ferozepur Namak in Haryana, Maharaja Katte in Bangalore and Sol Gohalia in Kolkata. In the coming year, Canon envisions to amplify its efforts aimed at a holistic development of its adopted villages.
