Empowering Odisha: Bill Gates and his visit to Bhubaneswar slums

Recently, Bill Gates, Founder of Microsoft visited the slums in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. There he interacted with the locals and discussed their concerns. Bill also met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. In 2017, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation partnered with the Odisha government’s Fisheries and Animal Resource Department and Department of Agriculture & Farmer Empowerment to provide advanced technology beneficial for the development of these sectors. 

Bill Gates is known for his philanthropic works around the world. He and his now ex-wife founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000. It is a private non-profit that works towards rural development, education, and health. In 2003, they first launched their Avahan campaign in India about HIV prevention and awareness. Since then Bill Gates and his foundation have launched numerous campaigns and programmes to improve the lives of millions of underprivileged individuals in India. 

Currently, Bill is in Bhubaneswar to discuss and attend several programmes from the implementation of AI in farming to developing slums. Let’s take a look at all the schemes Bill and his foundation are contributing to for the development of Odisha. 

It is a scheme for the transformation of slums into model colonies and providing all the necessities for the development and welfare of the population there. Gates posted on his LinkedIn and said, “Odisha’s Jaga Mission employs a distinctive model of urban service delivery. It’s focused on integrating slum settlements into cities by putting those communities at the center of urban planning and governance.” He also interacted with the women of the community and heard their inspiring stories. 

Mukhya Mantri Karma Tatpara Abhiyan or MUKTA was launched in 2021 by the Odisha government and focuses on the employment of the urban poor. It aims to build infrastructure and provide job opportunities to the community. The scheme has been beneficial for lots of people especially daily wage workers as a lot of them were forced to leave the city during the pandemic. 

Launched in 2001, the scheme fully focuses on the empowerment of women and providing them with employment opportunities with the help of Women Self Help Groups (WSHG). Mission Shakti aims for more and more women to join the SHGs, build their skills and find opportunities. 

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has invested generously in India’s development with a main focus on vulnerable communities. The foundation has collaborations with the central and state governments of India.