• PepsiCo Foundation, Smile Foundation, and Sangrur District Administration partnership tackled nutrition challenges
• Three-year initiative surpasses goals, impacting 60,000 lives through innovative nutrition and community efforts
• Aligned with Poshan Abhiyaan, NEP bolsters nutrition security and infrastructure in 23 Sangrur villages

Sangrur, 23 August 2024: The PepsiCo Foundation, in collaboration with Smile Foundation and the Sangrur District Administration, announced the successful culmination of a three-year initiative: the Nutrition Enhancement Program (NEP). Aligned with PepsiCo Positive (pep+), PepsiCo’s end-to-end strategic transformation with sustainability at its center, this program has significantly exceeded its targets, making substantial strides in addressing the critical challenges of maternal and child nutrition in the Sangrur district of Punjab.

The NEP impacted over 16,000 beneficiaries directly and reached approximately 45,000 individuals overall – more than three times the original target. This remarkable achievement underscores the program’s effectiveness in transforming the nutritional landscape of the region. The program focused on improving the nutritional status of pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children aged 0-6 years across 23 villages, encompassing 27 Anganwadi Centres in the Bhawanigarh,  Dhuri, Sunam and Monak blocks of Sangrur.

Yashika Singh, Head of Corporate Affairs, Communication & Sustainability, PepsiCo said, “The Nutrition Enhancement Program is a testament to PepsiCo Foundation’s commitment to sustainable community development. By collaborating with Smile Foundation and the Sangrur District Administration, we’ve not only surpassed our targets but have also built a model for public-private partnership that addresses deep-rooted nutritional challenges. We are grateful to all our partners and the community members who have been pivotal in this transformative journey; enabling a healthier future for the most vulnerable populations—young mothers and children.”

“This program has exceeded our expectations in both reach and impact,” said Santanu Mishra, Co-founder & Executive Trustee of Smile Foundation. “The collaborative effort between PepsiCo Foundation, the ICDS department, and the Sangrur District Administration has led to visible and inspiring results, contributing to the government’s broader goals of nutritional security.”

Key highlights of the NEP’s multipronged approach include:

• Community Engagement: Engaged over 9,750 participants in community sessions, household visits, and special day observations, significantly exceeding the initial target of 5,000.
• Capacity Building: Conducted eight capacity-building sessions for Anganwadi workers and trained 38 teachers across 21 schools, surpassing initial training targets.
• Health and Screening Camps: Organized 260 health camps, far exceeding the planned 60 camps, benefiting thousands of women and children.
• Infrastructure Enhancement: Refurbished 27 Anganwadi Centres, transforming them into hubs of nutritional and health education.
• Innovative Nutrition Interventions: Introduced community kitchen gardens, developed recipe booklets, and implemented anaemia awareness sessions, reaching over 2,000 adolescents in 21 schools.

The broader significance of the NEP aligns with global efforts to combat malnutrition, as highlighted by the UN’s ‘State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024’ report. India holds a 14.37% share of the world’s undernourished population consisting of 194.6 million individuals, especially prevalent among women and children.

The northern region of Punjab, in particular, bears a burden higher than the national average, with 23% of children under five suffering from stunted growth and 14% of women displaying below-normal body mass index (BMI), as highlighted by the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) 2019-21. These figures underline the need for localized interventions like the NEP to address the nuanced challenges faced by communities in Sangrur.

Aligned with the goals of the Poshan Abhiyaan by the Government of India, the NEP improved the nutritional status of children, women, and adolescent girls. This initiative underscored PepsiCo India’s guiding principle of ‘Unnati ki Sajhedari- Partnership of Progress.’ Through this principle, PepsiCo emphasizes collaboration with all stakeholders—government, civil society, and the community—towards holistic progress for all.

ABOUT PEPSICO FOUNDATION

The PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, invests in the essential elements of a sustainable food system with a mission to support thriving communities. Working with non-profits and experts around the globe, we’re focused on helping communities obtain access to food security, safe water and economic opportunity. We strive for tangible impact in the places where we live and work—collaborating with industry peers, local and international organizations, and our employees to affect large-scale change on the issues that matter to us and are of global importance. Learn more at www.pepsico.com/pepsico-foundation

ABOUT SMILE FOUNDATION

Smile Foundation is an Indian development organization, working in the areas of education. skilling, nutrition, and healthcare across 27 states of India, benefitting 1.5 million children and their families directly every year. Visit www.smilefoundationindia.org