Championing Wholistic Wellbeing in Punjab through RoundGlass Foundation 

In a world where alignment between health, happiness, and communal advancement seems elusive, Sunny's concept of wellbeing crystallized into a suite of sustainable and scalable initiatives through RoundGlass Foundation, RoundGlass Sports and RoundGlass Sustain. These endeavors span crucial domains like education, sports, women's empowerment, and environmental stewardship. 

Sunny’s efforts at RoundGlass Foundation began with aspiring to preserve the lifelines of Punjab — air, water, and soil. Stricken by the adverse impact of deforestation, pollution, and unsustainable farming practices, Sunny envisioned a Punjab where nature thrived as harmoniously as its people, resulting in RoundGlass Foundation’s ‘Sustain Punjab' initiative. With strategic reforestation, innovative waste management approaches, and the practice of regenerative farming, this initiative aimed not only to restore the ecosystem's balance but also to engrain a sense of stewardship for the environment among Punjab's communities. 

Sunny also understood that true wellbeing went beyond physical health; it encompassed the nourishment of minds too. Therefore, 'Learn Punjab' was initiated in Punjab’s villages. The program seeks to create joyful learners by instilling confidence and cultivating critical thinking in the young minds of the children of Punjab by empowering them with the ability to make informed life choices, nurturing a generation capable of steering their lives towards positivity and progress. 

Another challenge that Sunny noted was that the playgrounds that once echoed with the cheers of children were silent. He addressed this challenge through RoundGlass Foundation’s ‘Sports Punjab’ program, especially when it came to equal opportunities for rural boys and girls. The program emerged as an equalizer, providing both girls and boys an opportunity to embrace sports as a physical activity and a pathway to nurture character, camaraderie, and confidence.   

There are many heart-warming stories that have emerged from the transformation RoundGlass Foundation is enabling and one such story is of Sandeep Ghawaddi. A farmer and part-time security guard in Ghawaddi village, in Doraha, Ludhiana, Sandeep harbored an unfulfilled passion for football due to limited resources. By partnering with RoundGlass Foundation to establish a Sports Center in Punjab, Sandeep found a way to support his dream and train local children, including girls, in football every morning. In his words, “Most people feel that girls can’t play football. I always wanted to bring more and more girls on the ground to set an example. After associating with RoundGlass Foundation, I have managed to encourage 35 girls in my village to play football.”   

Central to Punjab's households and communities, women play an essential role in the state's social fabric. RoundGlass Foundation’s ‘Her Punjab’ program seeks to celebrate this empowerment, aiming to foster self-reliance among women. The pillars of this program — health and financial independence — define pathways for women to take charge of their lives. 

Rajpal Kaur's story is a testament to the impact of Her Punjab's Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in Aloona Tola village, Ludhiana. A mother of three, Rajpal had always aspired to work and achieve financial independence. However, societal norms in her village presented barriers to her ambitions. RoundGlass Foundation helped her become financially independent by giving her a job as a cook at the local football academy. Subsequently, she spearheaded an SHG focused on establishing a sanitary pad production unit, with support from the RoundGlass Foundation. Societal taboos around menstruation meant that the women who worked at the unit initially felt embarrassed to tell their community about the same and pretended to work at a diaper manufacturing unit. However, eventually, they realized the importance of their work and became champions for the same. Reflecting on their path, Rajpal shares, “We now understand the significance of our product for women and girls, and we are now able to openly discuss it. We've realized that societal barriers have been holding us back from truly living well.”