The Body Shop India launches #LightALittleLife

by Suman Gupta

-Partners with Miracle Foundation India to support children

-Joined by Chief Brand Advocate, Sanya Malhotra

Delhi,October : The Body Shop India, an activist and global beauty brand, held a virtual event to introduce #LightALittleLife. This initiative is aimed to provide sustainable support for children who have lost their parents, caregivers and family livelihoods due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The launch event was joined by actor, Sanya Malhotra as the Chief Brand Advocate of The Body Shop, India.

Children are among the biggest victims of Covid-19. According to The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, over 1 lakh children lost one or both of their parents during the Covid-19 pandemic leaving children orphaned partially or entirely or abandoned by relatives. The crisis is having a profound effect on the wellbeing & healthcare of children. Additionally, children living in Child Care Institutions and centres are impacted due to lack of essential items such as dry rations, personal care products and medical facilities. The disruption of education caused by Covid-19 is adversely impacting education wherein children cannot cope up owing to lack of adequate online education tools and digital infrastructure.Light A Little Life aims to support such disadvantaged children impacted by Covid-

The Body Shop haspartnered with Miracle Foundation Indiato provide vital education and healthcare support for these children. This initiative will  provide school supplies, coaching, tutor support; internet connectivity for online learning; timely medical tests, prescriptions, supplements; access to quality healthcare inclusive of emergency healthcare.

At the event, Shriti Malhotra, CEO, The Body Shop India said, “We need to build programs to create impact at the grassroots where it is needed the most. When looking into a cause as sensitive and delicate as children who have lost their families due to covid – it becomes crucial that we are open to conversations that help us understand the problem & build a program that makes a difference to help

these precious little lives. Our conversations today will be the main source of our collective actions– varied thoughts, voices and contributions are what can really bring about collective change so all of us, in our capacities can contribute to create a more just & equitable future for these children.”

The Body Shop India has partnered with Miracle Foundation India for #LightALittleLife Campaign. The initiative will provide education & healthcare to children, particularly those affected by the pandemic in rural India. To kick start the program, an internal event was organised wherein all Head Office employees participated in creating Diwali greetings for the children. The Body Shop India is raising funds at all of its points of sale, including its 200+ retail stores and online store at http://www.thebodyshop.in,by accepting voluntary customer donations of at least INR 20. Over the next five months, the brand hopes to raise consciousness, match every customer donation, and raise a minimum of INR 2 million for the children of Miracle Foundation.

Sanya Malhotra, Chief Brand Advocate passionately shared her insights. “I believe that change starts from within ourselves and our own surroundings. Fortunately, I have had the opportunity of portraying strong female characters in my field of work, thus prompting the underlying conversations around role of women in families, about the freedom to make choices and gender empowerment in our society. I strongly advocate these conversations about the issues that affect vulnerable children & families. I urge everyone to collectively come forward to participate, create dialogues and contribute towards Light a Little Life program and bring as much positive change as possible.”In line with the guiding principles of The Body Shop, this initiative is a call to action to facilitate change for children. It will be a stage to listen to their stories, learn from conversations with change makers, form opinions, mobilize people and work together for the betterment of the community. Light a Little Life program’s purpose is to help these children sustain in society and to get equal opportunities for a better life.

India Country Head for Miracle Foundation India, Ms Nivedita Das Gupta said: “The impact of the pandemic on children is multifold. While we can quantify the number of children, the numerous issues they face, right from emotional turmoil, lack of food, loss of education etc certainly creates a sense of unease, uncertainty amongthem. The need of the hour is for each one of us to understand our responsibility and contribute towards filling this gap and ensuring that children are protected and supported. Children are at the heart of our foundation, each program is made for them in a way that helps ensure holistic development. Our aim is to rebuild the roofs over their heads with kindness, love and care thus giving way to a future where they can excel and thrive in their chosen paths.”

About The Body Shop:Founded in 1976 in Brighton, England, by Dame Anita Roddick, The Body Shop is a global beauty brand and a certified B Corp™. The Body Shop seeks to make positive change in the world by offering high-quality, naturally-inspired skincare, body care, hair care and make-up produced ethically and sustainably. Having pioneered the philosophy that business can be a force for good, this ethos is still the brand’s driving force. The Body Shop operates about 3,000 retail locations in more than 70 countries. Along with Aesop, Avon and Natura, The Body Shop is part of Natura &Co, a global, multi-channel and multi-brand cosmetics group that is committed to generating positive economic, social and environmental impact. The four companies that form the group are committed to generating positive economic, social and environmental impact.

About Miracle Foundation India:Miracle Foundation India is a section 8 registered not-for-profit company, headquartered in New Delhi. Miracle Foundation works with orphans and vulnerable children to ensure a better quality of life while bringing about sustainable changes that reduce the need for Child Care Institutions (CCIs). The Foundation strongly believes that a family is irreplaceable. For the past 10 years, Miracle Foundation India has improved the lives of more than 15,000 children and impacted nearly 300 Child Care Institutions. Today, the foundation is an industry leader in family-based care, helping to reunite children with families, and working at the local level to keep children from ever entering the system in the first place. Miracle Foundation utilizes the power of data to create real, sustainable change. Their proven Thrive Scale™ methodology is based on the UN Rights of the Child and allows to systematically measure and improve all aspects of a child’s well-being, both in an institutional setting and as they transition to a family.