Village Bhudhar, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. September 6, 2012. A child reacts in the village hall as members of IKEA Foundation and UNICEF delegation visit Budhar village which has achieved the Open Defecation Free (ODF) status under the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) initiative. Village women interacted with the delegate members bringing to light the changes ODF status has bought to women's dignity, and the challenges of sustaining provision of toilets and their optimum untilisation in contribution to reduction of diarrheal diseases. 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