Village Dholki Pati, Girwa, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. September 7, 2012. School girls learn to use the computer during an activity class, as members of IKEA Foundation (IF) and UNICEF delegation, visit to meet with girls of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV). Through IF support, Government of Rajasthan has received solar lamps in 50 residential schools for tribal girls, who hail from small populated villages (without access to schools/classes). In addition to solar lamps, which have proven handy due to frequent power cuts, the project has created waves of change through improvement of quality teaching and learning and age appropriate life skills. The IKEA Foundation team along with UNICEF visited the field to see some of its projects related to SUNNAN lamps, cotton projects and child survival in rural Rajasthan. The IKEA Foundation has supported UNICEF programs for more than a decade and has a corporate partnership with IKEA, working at an international and local level. By working together for the past 10 years, and contributing more than Rs. 100 million ($125 million) to UNICEF projects in India so far, we have created opportunities for more than 74 million children, explained Per Heggenes, CEO at IKEA Foundation. By thinking long-term and teaming up with UNICEF, we're giving hope to many millions of families.

UNICEF India/2012/ Prashanth Vishwanathan