Games24x7 and Hemkunt Foundation

Hemkunt Foundation was founded on the popular Sikh belief “Sarbhat da bhala” implying blessings for all. The organization works on the idea of ensuring welfare for all and has worked on various aspects of community development- with specific focus on rehabilitation work during situations of crises. During COVID-19, Hemkunt Foundation started and continues to maintain a covid fund through which they support and protect informal workers those from under-privileged backgrounds. Their interventions include extensive ration distribution, livelihood and economic support for marginalized communitites and provision of sanitation in the form of soap, handwash, sanitizer to those without access.

With the onset of COVID-19, the organization partnered with Games24x7 for the creation of employment opportunities for all due to the sudden decrease in income levels especially across vulnerable sections of society. The partnership provides individuals, especially women from vulnerable communities, infrastructure that could increase their financial independence and provide them a continuous source of income despite COVID related disruptions. The same was achieved through the commissioning of e-rickshaws, motorized sewing machines and food-carts.

Games24x7 also chose to work to help create an ecosystem where vocational training and skilling could provide a viable sources of income for youth from disadvantaged backgrounds. While the provision of education does create a channel for young adults to enter mainstream and formal job opportunities, it can also result in children (especially girls) not receiving the required input to meaningfully gain financial independence. The provision of a skilling center with vocational courses helps children learn meaningful work that enables them to create an additional source of income for them and their families.

Games24x7 has partnered with Hemkunt Foundation for the creation of a Skill Development Resource Center in Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh, with a capacity to train over 1000 students. These children between the age groups of 14-18 years of age (that are otherwise forced to seek opportunities of bonded labor and low-wage child labor to provide for their families) will remain protected and will be meaningfully engaged with education and skilling programs to help them positively contribute to their families upon completion of the course. This is an important intervention as Madhya Pradesh has one of the lowest literacy rates in India and therefore has created extreme inter-generational equity towards access to resources and a difficulty for children to gain meaningful and dignified employment.

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