FedEx Fosters PRIDE and Purpose by Creating Equal Opportunities Across India – Yahoo Finance

Report on the Saksham Initiative: Advancing Sustainable Development Goals in India

Introduction: A Partnership for Sustainable Development

A collaborative initiative between Federal Express Corporation (FedEx) and United Way Mumbai, titled Saksham, is making significant strides in promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth in India. This report details the program’s objectives, outcomes, and direct contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The partnership exemplifies SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by leveraging corporate resources with non-profit expertise to address critical development challenges.

Originally focused on women entrepreneurs, the Saksham initiative has expanded its scope to empower individuals across all gender identities and from challenging economic backgrounds, directly aligning with the core principle of “leaving no one behind.”

Program Objectives and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

The Saksham initiative is structured to address several interconnected SDGs through targeted interventions. Its primary objectives contribute to:

• SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): The program’s central aim is to equip beneficiaries with vocational skills and entrepreneurial capabilities, enabling them to secure sustainable livelihoods and achieve economic self-reliance. This fosters decent work and stimulates local economic growth.
• SDG 4 (Quality Education): By providing scholarships for certified vocational training in various trades, the program ensures access to quality technical and vocational education for marginalized communities.
• SDG 5 (Gender Equality) & SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): The initiative actively promotes equality by specifically supporting women and individuals from diverse gender communities. This focus helps dismantle barriers to economic participation and reduces systemic inequalities.

Key Outcomes and Impact Assessment (2024-2025)

Now in its fourth year, the program has demonstrated measurable success in achieving its SDG-related targets. The 2024 impact assessment and 2025 enrollment data highlight significant progress:

1. Enhanced Economic Engagement (SDG 8): A United Way Mumbai impact assessment from 2024 revealed that 90% of program beneficiaries are now meaningfully engaged in economic activities (employment or entrepreneurship), a substantial increase from the 45% engagement rate prior to the intervention.
2. Promotion of Decent Work: Of those engaged, 68% have secured employment in the private sector, while 23% have successfully launched their own ventures in fields such as tailoring, baking, and makeup artistry.
3. Inclusive Skills Development (SDG 4 & SDG 10): In 2025 alone, 60 individuals from diverse gender communities were enrolled in vocational training, with over 40 achieving certification, preparing them for independent income generation. To date, the program has supported thousands of women and over 160 individuals from diverse communities.

Core Program Components for Sustainable Impact

To ensure long-term success and self-reliance among participants, the Saksham initiative provides a comprehensive support structure. These components are designed to build capacity and provide the necessary tools for economic independence, reinforcing progress toward the SDGs.

• Beneficiary Identification: Mobilization and screening to identify individuals from high-need communities.
• Vocational Training Scholarships: Financial support for training in trades like baking, tailoring, and beauty services.
• Professional Development: Personality and grooming sessions to enhance workplace readiness.
• Entrepreneurship Support: Capacity-building training to help launch or scale business ventures.
• Resource Provision: Distribution of “Saksham kits” containing essential occupational toolkits to kickstart economic activity.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 1: No Poverty

   • The article discusses the Saksham initiative, which supports individuals from “challenging backgrounds” and “high-need communities” to achieve economic self-reliance. By providing skills and opportunities to “pursue independent income opportunities” and “earn with dignity,” the program directly contributes to poverty alleviation.

2. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • The program’s core is providing “vocational training” and “skills and certification” in trades like baking, tailoring, and makeup artistry. It offers scholarships and training to equip beneficiaries with relevant skills for employment and entrepreneurship, aligning with the goal of quality and accessible education.

3. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • The initiative was “Originally launched to support women entrepreneurs” and has since expanded to enable “individuals across gender identities.” This focus on empowering women and marginalized gender groups economically and socially is a direct contribution to gender equality.

4. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • The article highlights the program’s success in helping beneficiaries become “meaningfully engaged: either employed or running their own ventures.” By fostering “inclusive entrepreneurship,” providing “Entrepreneurship training,” and helping people start their own businesses, the initiative directly promotes decent work and sustainable economic growth.

5. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • The program explicitly targets marginalized groups, including people from “challenging backgrounds,” “diverse communities,” and “across gender identities.” By providing “equal opportunity for all” and enabling economic inclusion, it works to reduce inequalities within society. A beneficiary’s quote, “I now see a future where my identity is my strength, not a barrier,” exemplifies this goal.

6. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • The entire initiative is presented as a “collaboration with United Way Mumbai’s flagship initiative, Saksham” by Federal Express Corporation (“FedEx”). This partnership between a private corporation and a non-profit organization to achieve social and economic goals is a clear example of SDG 17 in action.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 1: No Poverty

   • Target 1.2: By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty. The program targets individuals from “high-need communities” and helps them “unlock opportunity through skills and self-reliance,” directly addressing poverty at the individual and community level.

2. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship. The article states that the program provides “vocational training,” “skills and certification,” and “Entrepreneurship training” to help beneficiaries “pursue independent income opportunities.”

3. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life. The program supports “women small business owners” and helps them become entrepreneurs, fostering their participation and leadership in the economic sphere.

4. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation. The Saksham initiative is a direct example, fostering “inclusive entrepreneurship” and helping people launch ventures in “tailoring, baking, cultural performances, and makeup artistry.”
   • Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men. The program’s goal of providing “equal opportunity for all” and its success in getting beneficiaries “employed or running their own ventures” aligns with this target.

5. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic status or other status. The article emphasizes the program’s focus on “women entrepreneurs from challenging backgrounds” and its expansion to include “individuals across gender identities and economic circumstances.”

6. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. The article describes the program as a “collaboration” between FedEx (a private company) and United Way Mumbai (a civil society organization), which is a direct implementation of this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicator for Employment and Economic Growth (SDGs 1, 8, 10)

   • The article provides a clear, quantifiable indicator: “90% of these beneficiaries to date are meaningfully engaged*: either employed or running their own ventures, compared to just 45% prior to the program.” This directly measures the program’s impact on employment and economic inclusion. A further breakdown is provided: “68% are now working in the private sector, while 23% have become entrepreneurs.”

2. Indicator for Skills and Education (SDG 4)

   • A specific metric for educational attainment is mentioned: “In 2025 alone, 60 individuals from across gender identities enrolled in vocational training, with more than 40 successfully certified.” This serves as an indicator for the number of adults receiving and completing relevant vocational training.

3. Indicator for Gender Equality and Inclusion (SDGs 5, 10)

   • The article states the program has “supported thousands of women small business owners and over 160 individuals from diverse communities, including those across gender identities.” These numbers serve as an indicator of the program’s reach to its target groups of women and other marginalized gender identities.

4. Indicator for Partnerships (SDG 17)

   • The sustained nature of the partnership is an indicator of its effectiveness. The article mentions the program is “Now in its fourth year,” which implies a successful and ongoing collaboration between FedEx and United Way Mumbai.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: finance.yahoo.com