RYTHM ACROSS THE WORLD • MAKING A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE

RYTHM

ACROSS THE WORLD MAKING A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE

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“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” – Muhammad Ali

RYTHM ACROSS THE WORLD • MAKING A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE

Over recent years, RYTHM Foundation has continuously extended its mission to Raise Yourself to Help Mankind in underserved and impoverished communities around the world. With a goal to empower lives and transform communities, RYTHM has focused its efforts on bringing us closer towards achieving gender equality, providing access to education for all and uplifting communities globally through sustainable community development. While the projects and partners detailed in this book are still just a drop in the ocean of what is left to be done, we celebrate every bit of impact we are able to make in the lives of those who need support the most and remember our commitment to continue making the world a better place.

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Quote from DSVE or DSUE

RYTHM ACROSS THE WORLD • MAKING A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE

RYTHM & The Sustainable Development Goals RED: #SDG 11 SUSTAINABLE CITIES & COMMUNITIES Sustainability is important for environmental, social as well as economic reasons and it is at the heart of everything we do.

BLUE: #SDG 4 QUALITY EDUCATION

We believe that education for all is the catalyst for social transformation. Every child must be given equal access and opportunity to knowledge and learning to unlock their potential.

YELLOW: #SDG 5 GENDER EQUALITY

When women and men enjoy equal opportunity across all levels, it is the measure of a progressive society.

GREEN: MULTIFACETED

Any opportunity to impact communities around the world in a multifaceted manner that reaps the most benefit is an opportunity to grab. Sometimes, we go beyond the three pillars for the ultimate good of ending poverty.

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From electrifying rural communities still living day-to-day burning fossil fuels for light, to empowering communities to create and maintain their own sustainable sources of income, RYTHM has been busy in the region of India. Here’s a look at some of our work amongst communities in dire need of support across the nation:

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INDIA

PROJECTS

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RYTHM ACROSS THE WORLD • MAKING A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE

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LADAKH & MEGHALAYA

GLOBAL HIMALAYAN EXPEDITION (GHE)

RYTHM worked with GHE to light up remote villages in the Himalayan hills by investing in renewable energy infrastructure. Brought solar power to the village of Rongdo, Ladakh for the first time in centuries, that in turn also powered digital facilities set up in two government secondary schools which provides education to about 200 students annually. Electrified the rural, tribal communities of Meghalaya by providing energy access to 470 villagers as well as a powering primary healthcare centre that caters to 23,000 villagers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. 2 3 5 6 11

ASSAM, ANDHRA PRADESH, TELANGANA, UTTARAKHAND & TAMIL NADU

MANAVA SEVA DHARMA SAMYARDHANI TRUST

Through this initiative that benefits over 25,000 people, RYTHM sponsored several socially conscious entrepreneurs from marginalised regions to develop their social enterprises and turn them into sustainable sources of income for their local communities.

This project includes enabling access to education and improved job opportunities for rural communities through development of floriculture (kanakambaram & banthi flowers) and honey collection. 8

MAHARASHTRA

CANCER PATIENTS AID ASSOCIATION

Financial support was provided by RYTHM to enable cancer treatment for 20 children from low-income families facing the dreaded disease. This partnership also facilitated a cancer awareness program that enlightened 3,000 people about cancer and the importance of early detection.

MANN DESHI FOUNDATION RYTHM endorses a youth development program that is working towards training and empowering an estimated 800 girls from rural Maharashtra towards financial independence.

ODISHA, JHARKHAND & 10 BIHAR

These initiatives include a health education programme in Patna to educate 5,000 women in the hopes of reducing the rate of child mortality and disease, as well as a mushroom cultivation programme that tackles the issue of malnutrition and improves the livelihood of 200 families in Patna and Ranchi. The partnership also imparts tailoring skills to 150 women from underserved, rural communities in Balangir, Odisha and Sonpur, Bihar through training in order to employ them in garment manufacturing.

TAMIL NADU

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ISHA VIDYA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME RHYTHM sponsored the education of 42 children from poverty-stricken communities in Erode & Villupuram, to enable them to attain a quality education at the Isha Vidhya so that they may realise their full potential.

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PARINAAMA FOUNDATION

Encapsulating gender equality, education for all and sustainable community development, the collaboration with the Parinaama Foundation aims to impact 10,000 youth and women from disadvantaged communities by 2022 through various initiatives.

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KERALA

USHA SCHOOL OF ATHLETICS

Sponsoring five young, promising female athletes from low-income families to attain training and formal education from the legendary Queen of Track & Field, PT Usha. #SDG 11 SUSTAINABLE CITIES & COMMUNITIES #SDG 4 QUALITY EDUCATION #SDG 5 GENDER EQUALITY MULTIFACETED

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INDIA

PROJECTS

RYTHM ACROSS THE WORLD • MAKING A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE

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RYTHM ACROSS THE WORLD • MAKING A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Impact story Women living in remote villages on the Himalayan hills are still delivering their babies by candlelight in 2021 because most of the communities in these hills lack basic needs such as access to energy and are still dependent on burning fossil fuel and candles for their lighting needs. Heart-wrenchingly, these circumstances have led to the state recording the third highest infant mortality rates in the country. In order to address the lack of energy access and healthcare facilities in the Meghalaya region, the Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE) and RYTHM Foundation embarked on an encore partnership that implements a two-pronged approach to bring solar electricity to these remote tribal communities and to upgrade the healthcare infrastructure in these areas. The project dubbed ‘Empowering North East India’ kicked off in September, with RYTHM pledging a one-year commitment to the project that aims to provide energy access to 470 villagers as well as solar power for a primary healthcare centre that will cater to 23,000 villagers. “We have implemented this model with other healthcare centers in the past with tremendous outcomes including a drastic 80% decrease in the infant mortality rates as well as a decline in the number of deaths due to lack of access to critical care equipment. With RYTHM, we want to implement a similar healthcare set up to improve the overall healthcare infrastructure of the communities in the state to ultimately save precious human lives,” Jaideep Bansal, COO of GHE.

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RYTHM has planted roots in Africa as part of its mission to uplift rural and underserved communities through long-term sustainable community programmes that educate, upskill and empower locals while creating job opportunities to improve livelihoods.

AFRICA PROJECTS

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RYTHM ACROSS THE WORLD • MAKING A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE

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SENEGAL

GLOBAL RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY GROUP Endorsing an advocacy and education programme expected to raise awareness about the health risks of female genital mutilation amongst 132,000 teenage girls and their parents in the region of Kolda.

#SDG 11 SUSTAINABLE CITIES & COMMUNITIES #SDG 4 QUALITY EDUCATION #SDG 5 GENDER EQUALITY MULTIFACETED

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GHANA

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TANZANIA

ANOPA RYTHM backs an inclusive education project that aims to reduce truancy and delinquency while improving school retention amongst visual- and hearing-impaired children in Cape Coast.

WATER FOR AFRICA Funding a sustainable agriculture project that imparts farming practices including the growing, harvesting and selling of crops like avocado and macadamia nut trees.

The project is keeping 1,300 children with disabilities in school through innovative teaching methods involving sports as a means for personal and social development of the students.

Profits yielded are channeled back towards the building and maintenances of water wells and other water storage projects in Muwimbi Village and the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. The initiative provides employment opportunities and empowers locals with the knowledge and skills to sustain the project and improve livelihoods.

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” – Desmond Tutu

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AFRICA PROJECTS

RYTHM ACROSS THE WORLD • MAKING A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE

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RYTHM ACROSS THE WORLD • MAKING A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” – Charles Dickens

Impact story As a young girl, Magdalena Mwamtende would have to skip school to brave the elements and trek the distance to the nearest water source to collect water for her family’s daily usage. Maggie grew up steeped in rampant poverty in rural Tanzania, where rivers serve as the main water source for the villagers. This lack of access to clean water impacts 70 per cent of households in Tanzania, putting the health of the population in jeopardy and leading to over 4,000 child deaths yearly from diarrhoea caused by drinking contaminated water, while thousands of children miss out on an education. But now, thanks to the collaboration by RYTHM Foundation & Water for Africa, Maggie’s children won’t have to sacrifice their education. The partnership project not only installs water wells in the villages but also empowers the locals with employment opportunities through a farming initiative so that they can maintain the water sources and improve their livelihoods. “I lived a poor life where I lacked food and money for necessities, but I am thankful now for this job because it is changing my life and raising my standard of living.” Thanks to the employment from this project, Maggie who is now 27 has been able to save up and buy a plot of land for herself and her family. She aspires to house other women and children who need shelter. Click here to read more

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The decade-long civil war in Sri Lanka left many families displaced and struggling to find proper, sustainable means to support themselves. Community support has been more crucial than ever to rebuild and improve lives in the nation & RYTHM has been there to lend a hand.

SRI LANKA PROJECTS

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RYTHM ACROSS THE WORLD • MAKING A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE

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JAFFNA & KILINOCHCHI

SARVODAYA SHRAMADANA MOVEMENT Enabling over 400 youth from underprivileged communities to earn a livelihood by providing vocational training through an entrepreneurship development and career guidance programme. 3 4

MULLAITIVU & TRINCOMALEE

LEADS SRI LANKA Aiding 500 low-income families to get a fresh start and assimilate into society since returning to their homeland after the civil war. The programme helps them secure shelter and rebuild their lives, while minimizing the risk of abuse among orphaned children.

#SDG 11 SUSTAINABLE CITIES & COMMUNITIES #SDG 4 QUALITY EDUCATION #SDG 5 GENDER EQUALITY MULTIFACETED

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KANDY

WOMEN’S DEVELOPMENT CENTRE Advocating for the social inclusion of persons with special needs with the goal of reaching out to as many youths, families and community members by 2022. The programme has so far trained 25 volunteers and staff in capacity development and seen over 400 youth with special needs benefit from it.

POLONNARUWA, KEGALLE, 8 NUWARA ELIYA, 9 MONARAGALA & 10 RATHNAPURA 5 7

SARVODAYA SHRAMADANA MOVEMENT A community-based education and advocacy programme to lend support to children who have been orphaned or abandoned as a result of the civil war.

“In necessary things, unity; in doubtful things, liberty; in all things, charity.” – Richard Baxter

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SRI LANKA PROJECTS

RYTHM ACROSS THE WORLD • MAKING A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE

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RYTHM ACROSS THE WORLD • MAKING A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE

“We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give.”

– Winston Churchill

Impact story As much as the reality of the pandemic and death looms, people would rather die from COVID than continue to be unable to feed their families. Diordre Moraes of LEADS Sri Lanka shares, “The other day I was talking to a security guard at one of the supermarkets and she said to me, ‘Where do people like us turn to? How on earth do we manage?’ As much as people are aware that the country needs to be locked down because of COVID, the biggest concern is the economy and survival. People have too many problems to worry about beyond COVID.” With support from RYTHM Foundation, LEADS was able to provide dry ration packs to 200 struggling families in the Mullaithivu district. The population of the district, like the rest of the north and east of Sri Lanka, have been heavily affected by the civil war and is one of the poorest districts in the nation. It is familiar to RYTHM Foundation through a past venture and when resources were stretched thin, the foundation quickly responded to the appeal from LEADS for aid. Click here to read more

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As RYTHM spreads its impact all across the world, its neighbors closer to home are not forgotten. The foundation collaborates with reliable on-ground partners across the region to make the most impact at a grassroots level from funding medical treatment that saves lives, to building schools and ensuring education for all. Here’s a snapshot of some of the projects in the region

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SOUTHEAST ASIA PROJECTS

RYTHM ACROSS THE WORLD • MAKING A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE

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MYANMAR

CHILD DREAM FOUNDATION

Funding the medical treatment of six patients with congenital birth defects from rural areas in the Kayin State and Bago Region as they undergo lifesaving operations. 2

LAOS

CHILD DREAM FOUNDATION

Constructing and setting up a primary school building, which includes six fully-furnishes classrooms and four toilets, at the Phonsai Secondary School in the Luang Prabang Province which caters to 1,560 students. 3

CAMBODIA

CHILD DREAM FOUNDATION

As part of RYTHM’s mission to advocate for equal access to education, the foundation fully funded the higher education for five bright students from low-income families in Trapeang Prasat & Puok 4

VIETNAM

THE ASIA FOUNDATION RYTHM awards three-year scholarships to 40 young girls from disadvantaged communities in Dien Bien for the completion of their secondary education.

#SDG 11 SUSTAINABLE CITIES & COMMUNITIES #SDG 4 QUALITY EDUCATION #SDG 5 GENDER EQUALITY MULTIFACETED

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MALAYSIA

PERSATUAN JARINGAN PEMBANGUNAN MANUSIA LUAR BANDAR

Since 2018, RYTHM has worked with this partner to enroll 80 stateless children into schools through its three-year project. The project aims to help 600 more stateless children from around the states of Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Kedah by providing them with community support including 150 teachers, Parent Teacher ASsociatino (PTA) members and other relevant community organisations.

PERSATUAN KESIHATAN DAN KEBAJIKAN UMUM MALAYSIA

Supporting over 3,000 HIV patients from marginalised communities in Kuala Lumpur by providing meals and crafting capacity building programmes.

TREES

Engaged and empowered over 200 students and 50 teachers from 25 schools in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya to mobilise their communities in implementing environmental care campaigns.

ASSOCIATION OF TOY LIBRARIES MALAYSIA

An annual collaboration with 20 non-government organisations to reach out to 4,800 children inclusive of 960 children across Sabah to enable the right to play for all.

DIGNITY FOR CHILDREN

A feeding programme in Kuala Lumpur that aims to feed 79 children in the hopes of breaking them out of the cycle of poverty.

PERSATUAN PENDUDUK PETALING JAYA

Improving the livelihoods of 300 residents of an urban slum community in Selangor through a series of empowering initiatives.

DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES FOR RURAL AREAS

Providing financial support to stateless children and families to improve their livelihoods and enable them access to education and other resources. 6

INDONESIA

ASA FOUNDATION

Collaborating on a youth development project in Subang, West Jawa that empowers 1,700 young girls and children with disabilities through life skills training, sports activities, and education about gender equality. RYTHM also supported a grassroots community initiative to teach life skills, health education and social inclusion through sports to around 6,000 young children in Tangerang, Banten who stand to benefit from the initiative as well as empowering teachers to deliver the programme.

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SOUTHEAST ASIA PROJECTS

RYTHM ACROSS THE WORLD • MAKING A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE

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RYTHM ACROSS THE WORLD • MAKING A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE

“It is every man’s obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it.”

– Albert Einstein

Impact story “My kids aren’t Malaysian and they don’t get government aid for their education. They understand the situation and sometimes cry about it. They were born in this country but have no legal documentation and can’t go anywhere safely. If the police stop them, they assume my sons are not Malaysian. It’s very difficult,” says Rajeshwary, a mother of three of Indonesian heritage. Her two older sons, 16-year-old Vinodharan and 14-year-old Taran Kumar were born in Malaysia to a Malaysian father. However, Rajeshwary’s husband, a taxi driver, was unable to pass on the Malaysian citizenship as their marriage was not legally registered at the time. The family has struggled financially, especially as the lack of citizenship means that the two boys have not received government aid for their education. With guidance from DHRRA, the family has put forth its citizenship applications for the two boys while RYTHM funded the boys’ school levy fees and provided them with digital devices to attend online classes. Rajeshwary is hopeful that the citizenship application will be processed so that her sons can have a brighter future.

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Ukraine

Georgia Azerbaijan Turkey Tunisia Iraq

Morocco

Algeria Kuwait Eygpt UAE Oman

Senegal Burkina Faso Guinea Côte d’Ivoire

Ghana Cameroon Uganda

Tanzania

EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEERING / SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

RYTHM ACROSS THE WORLD • MAKING A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE

Russia

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan

Pakistan Nepal India Hong Kong Myanmar

Vietnam Laos Philippines

Thailand Cambodia

Sri Lanka Malaysia Singapore

Indonesia

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

– Margaret Mead

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CSR

PROJECTS

RYTHM ACROSS THE WORLD • MAKING A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE

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RYTHM ACROSS THE WORLD • MAKING A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE

“Giving is not just about making a donation. It is about making a difference.” – Kathy Kalvin.

Impact story As a business with a heart, QNET has long since inculcated an ethos of service and sustainability into its corporate philosophy, which is deeply ingrained in its employees. It is so deeply rooted in the staff in Kazakhstan that they were determined to carry on their yearly tradition of organizing an eco-clean up event in partnership with RYTHM Foundation and Recycle Birge. Despite the restrictions to the size of the group due to the pandemic, 26 participants comprising QNET employees, independent representatives, volunteers, and representatives from Recycle Birge collected 35kgs en masse during the event at the Turgen Waterfalls. Amir Asanov from the RCIS Communications department shares about how this corporate philosophy is also woven into his daily life, “My wife buys different coloured plastics made from recycled material for us to sort our garbage at home according to categories like wet waste, plastics, paper, etc. Even my kids know to sort their trash in the right containers because they know I’m particular about how they throw their waste. These habits made me aware, and I started promoting a plastic-free society and recycling to those around me too.” Click here to read more

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RYTHM Foundation, the QI Group’s Social Impact Initiative, invests in the communities in which we operate, through strategic partnerships, employee volunteering, and community service. For more details, visit www.rythmfoundation.org or visit our social media channels @RYTHMFound RYTHM Foundation @rythmfoundation

“I am because we are”