- Annual Reports
Annual Report 2020-21
In a year of global upheaval and adversity, Azad Foundation has stood in solidarity with the communities it works with, ensuring food security, supporting women survivors of violence and transforming lives through dignified livelihoods.
Dear Friends, It is my pleasure and honor to share the Annual Report of Azad Foundation for the year 2020-21; a year that has put to test global humanity. The crisis created by the pandemic has been compounded around the world by climate disasters, with forces of terror and violence displacing and killing hundreds and thousands. Yet, there has been light – individuals and organisations who have withstood the onslaught and have continued to work with the poor, the displaced, oppressed women, men, transgender persons and people of all ages, and gender identities.
Azad Foundation has in its own way, stood in solidarity with the communities it works with and responded by adapting and being resilient; the theme of this Annual Report. You will read about it in the following pages. Despite all the odds, we have been able to ensure food security for the very vulnerable families and provide support to women survivors of violence. In a year marked with a historic downturn in economic growth, employment and labour force participation, we have been able to, not just sustain a majority of the women drivers in employment, but also ensure new employment opportunities for women drivers, thus enabling them to lead more empowered lives. We have also made use of this time to craft our new strategic vision, revisit our theory and understanding of change and develop action plans that will respond to how the world has changed drastically for us all. To enable these, and to allow Azad to continue to grow while deepening its roots, creative ways of working have been envisioned that will unleash the leadership potential at multiple levels. To begin with, I will be handing over the baton of leadership to a National Leadership Team in a phased manner. We will be spending much of 2021 as a transition year, to prepare ourselves, support the changing roles and programmes, build capacities, address anxieties and lay the ground for new initiatives. You will be hearing more from us on these changes over the year.
We have been blessed with support from friends and family, from all our partners – civil society organisations, individual and institutional donors and Corporate Partners. You have helped us through our ups and downs, as we piloted, experimented, learnt from our mistakes and persevered in our journey towards “a world where all women – in particular women from under privileged contexts – enjoy full citizenship, exercise control over their lives and bodies, earn a livelihood with dignity and generate wealth and value for all”. Personally, I have received immense love and support from you all, and I look forward to your continued love and support to the National Leadership Team and to Azad.
In Solidarity
Meenu Vadera
Founder & Executive Director
