CSR: Combating Cancer With A Gifted Smile

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April 10, 2018

CSR Rules came into effect on 1 April 2014. It state that companies with a net worth of Rs500 crore or revenue of Rs1,000 crore or net profit of Rs5 crore should spend 2% of their average profit in the last three years on social development-related activities such as sports, education, healthcare and poverty alleviation, among others, which are listed in Schedule VII of the Rules.

Recently, the UN initiative of International day of Sport for development was celebrated. Cricketer Yuvraj Singh, via his NGO- YOUWECAN is working in three primary areas of health, education and sports. Gift a Smile, a recent initiative is aiming to bring smiles to the lives of people suffering from cancer and their caregivers.

“I feel blessed to raise cancer awareness. I stand as an example myself of how sports can change a person’s life and enable them to fight against all odds. With raising cancer awareness, I hope to be able to aid the development of a more cancer aware society.” said Yuvraj Singh.

Gift a smile claims to add joy to the people suffering from cancer, their caregivers as well as cancer survivors. To inculcate the values of empathy, team work and leadership amongst the youth. This can be done through awareness, knowledge sharing and resource mobilisation.

In India, cancer has become one of the four leading causes of death. According to estimates from the Cancer Registry Program of ICMR, Delhi has the highest prevalence rate in India – there are currently 200,000 people in the capital with cancer with about 21,000 being added annually. Of these, 10,000 die every year.

We individuals need to put in efforts of adolescent and youth, who have the passion to make a significant contribution to the society through their skills and competencies. To inculcate the values of helping others from an early age in children, adolescent and youth as they are the future of our country and have an important role to play in making a different and emerge as change makers.

Thank you for reading the story until the very end. We appreciate the time you have given us. In addition, your thoughts and inputs will genuinely make a difference to us. Please do drop in a line and help us do better.

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The CSR Journal Team

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CSR: India Flags Off Its First E-loco Manufacturing Facility

By

Hency Thacker

-

April 10, 2018

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the ‘Make in India’ Madhepura Electric Locomotive Facility to the nation and remotely flagged off the country’s first all-electric locomotive from Madhepura in Bihar.

Railway is responsible for generating 22 million tonnes of Carbon dioxide every year. The railways had been working towards electrifying its major routes in order to make an efficient use of energy while reducing the carbon footprint. The new electric locomotive will help reducing the emissions by 30 to 40 per cent every year.

Manufactured in India, under a landmark Joint Venture between Alstom (76%) and Indian Railways (24%), this electric locomotive project marks a transformational step change for rail freight movement in India as well as the region of Madhepura.

The ‘WAG12’ double section locomotives are capable of hauling 6,000 tonnes, at a maximum speed of 120 km/h. This is because of its 12,000 Horsepower which will allow faster and safer movement of heavier freight trains across the country. It will also contribute towards reduction of noise pollution.

The electric locomotives will eventually move to the testing and maintenance depot at Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh before being introduced to the mainline network as part of the freight fleet.

Mr. Alain Spohr, Managing Director, India & South Asia, Alstom said, “We are confident that this facility will pave the way for the industrial development in Bihar and will act as a gateway of opportunities for the region.”

In Madhepura, the company is working towards developing an ecosystem to enable local manufacturers to set up manufacturing units in and around the area. The active and targeted community action programme focusing on skill development and education will further prepare more than 5000 young minds for gainful employment. The company will adopt a local ITI to provide skill development to 840 students over the next 10 years. Of these, 300 students will be absorbed for apprenticeship programmes within the facility. This will work in tandem with focused scholarship programmes for meritorious students in schools in the area to develop children from an early age as well.

Other initiatives for supporting the local communities include healthcare interventions by the company like mobile medical units in the area with doctors on board, health and wellness awareness camps, free medication distribution and special services for women and children.

The electric locomotive is a win-win to the Indian economy. It is not only energy efficient and sustainable, but with the “Make in India” aspect involved, it is also socially beneficial in terms of generating employment and upgrading the skills along with infrastructure.

Thank you for reading the story until the very end. We appreciate the time you have given us. In addition, your thoughts and inputs will genuinely make a difference to us. Please do drop in a line and help us do better.

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The CSR Journal Team

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CSR: Educating All For A Transformative Change

By

Neha Bilandani

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April 9, 2018

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act or Right to Education Act (RTE), is an Act of the Parliament of India, which was enacted on 4 August 2009. According to the website, it describes the modalities of the importance of free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 in India under Article 21a of the Indian Constitution. India became one of 135 countries to make education a fundamental right of every child when the Act came into force on 1 April 2010.

For every child between the ages of 6 and 14, there are rules laid down inorder to provide them with a fundamental right of education. The public private partnership between the govt and private schools, encourages the reservation of 25% seats for children.

All unrecognised schools are not allowed to take donation or capitation fees and no interview of the child or parent for admission. A child isn’t allowed to be held back, expelled, or required to pass a board examination until the completion of elementary education.

The National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA) recently called for a demonstration in the capital to protest against the provisions of the Right To Education (RTE) Act 2009, which says that unrecognised schools should be shut. The low-budget private schools across the country have been maintained with a meager fee of Rs 200-1,000 and limited resources.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as one of its goals had participation in primary education. Post 2015 the agenda is a goal in itself in the SDGs. The new global agenda recognises the roleof education for sustainable development for better and transformative change.

In the 1990s, the World Bank funded a number of measures to set up schools within easy reach of rural communities. This effort was consolidated in the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan model in the 1990s. RTE takes the process further, and makes the enrolment of children in schools a state prerogative.

Thank you for reading the story until the very end. We appreciate the time you have given us. In addition, your thoughts and inputs will genuinely make a difference to us. Please do drop in a line and help us do better.

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Community Development In The North East For CSR

By

Hency Thacker

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April 9, 2018

India is the fastest growing economy in world. Statements like these are often made these days. And they are not false. India is really developing at a great speed. But with India growing up so fast as a country, we as its citizens have to grow too. It is not really progress if only part of the society is experiencing the benefits of development while others are still living without basic needs being fulfilled.

Community development is a concept that has been taken seriously and adopted by many corporates as well as the government, in order to mark an overall development. Education being a key to the development, much more emphases has been given to it.

Taking this into consideration and Moving forward on its commitment to improve the lives of local communities in Assam, Dabur India Ltd has announced the expansion of its CSR drive in the state with the adoption of two new government schools in Tezpur – Jyoti Soworani Lower Primary School and Binapani Lower Primary School.

The organization is also working towards raising awareness amongst the school-going kids about the importance of Environment Sustainability through a mass plantation drive.

Mr. Partho Ganguly, Dabur India Ltd Vice President-HR & IR said, “Promotion of education is a key pillar of the CSR strategy as we believe that education is both the means to a better life and a key to ensure overall development of the society.”

Dabur plans to undertake complete revamp of the school infrastructure, which includes revamping the classrooms and improving the sanitation facilities in these schools. Prior to this, the organization had undertaken a major revamp of Dhekidol LP School, which included upgrading the classrooms and building, revamping the sanitation infrastructure for students besides construction of a concrete boundary wall.

The School Support initiative is a result of detailed discussions with the school authorities and has been developed keeping their specific needs in mind.

Thank you for reading the story until the very end. We appreciate the time you have given us. In addition, your thoughts and inputs will genuinely make a difference to us. Please do drop in a line and help us do better.

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CSR: Improve Your Lifestyle This World Health Day

By

Neha Bilandani

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April 7, 2018

On World Health day, this year’s theme is #HealthForAll. It is a daunting goal for every country in the world, and one that no society can afford to shy away from. In a developing country like India, this is a giant task given the pressure of a population of 1.3 billion people. To make health for all happen, everyone including companies, individuals and communities must work together.

Srinivasan Services Trust (SST), the social arm of TVS Motor Company, and Sundaram Clayton, are working with more than 3 million villagers in India to ensure health for all by engaging with the community, and with government agencies. The infant mortality in SST villages is down to less than 1 per 1000 births, vs the national average of 34. Maternal mortality is down to 9.6 per 100,000 live births vs the national average of 167.

A service delivery unit established under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) by the Government of India, the Nandghar is an extension of the existing Anganwadi initiative. It provides benefits of round the clock electricity through Solar panels, e-learning in a stimulating environment, clean drinking water through RO purifiers and primary healthcare through mobile medical units.

The Nandghars will run as children’s education and health centre in the morning and train women in vocational skills in the second half. The aim is to eradicate malnutrition in children and create women entrepreneurs across India.

Nestlé India in collaboration with the FDA Assam and Magic Bus India Foundation, commemorated World Health Day through the Nestlé Healthy Kids programme in Guwahati. The program claims to reach out to 5000 adolescents and 1500 parents, educating them on nutrition, health, wellness and active living.

Awareness needs to be raised among adolescents to help them understand basic nutritional requirements, good cooking practices, healthy eating habits, hygiene, physical activity and lifestyle diseases.

Education is a powerful tool for ensuring that every citizen understands the value of nutrition and physical activity, and continue leading healthy lives. Each one of us should encourage and adopt a healthy lifestyle so as to enable healthy living and lesser health issues in the future.

Thank you for reading the story until the very end. We appreciate the time you have given us. In addition, your thoughts and inputs will genuinely make a difference to us. Please do drop in a line and help us do better.

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CSR: Organ Donation As A Gift Of Life

By

Neha Bilandani

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April 6, 2018

In India, most citizens are not aware either about organ donation or how to go about through the correct channels. Various NGOs and corporate are trying to raise awareness across the country and reach out to masses.

A critically ill one-year-old baby underwent a successfully performed a liver transplant. He is the the smallest baby at 6.5 kgs to have undergone this surgery in Maharashtra. The baby’s aunt Divya, donated a part of her liver and was performed by Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai.

The baby, Ram Mistry was diagnosed with end stage liver disease due to a rare congenital condition called Biliary Atresia, which progressed to advanced liver cirrhosis within months of his birth. The parents of the baby, Ishani Mistry, mother and Pritesh Mistry, father are based in Gujarat. Finding a team familiar with transplanting small babies and managing the cost of treatment were the biggest concerns for the Mistrys.

The human body is a complex machine with delicate organs performing critical life functions. When one of these organs, a kidney, or a liver, or a heart fails beyond repair, then organ transplantation is the closest option.

There are two major types of transplants, cadaver transplant and living transplant. 85% of transplants in western countries is cadaver transplants and 15% are live transplants. In India, this “%” is completely opposite.

A person can register for a cadaver donor if they don’t have a living donor in the family. However, cadaver donation is a lengthy and complex issue. Looking at the current rate of organ donation percentage in India, it takes minimum 5 to 7 years for a person to receive the organ from the date of registration.

Historically, India has a very low rate of organ donation. Although this number has improved over the past three-four years, the country still has a long way to go. Every year 3,00,000 Indians need an organ transplant, but only 2 to 3% of this demand for new organs is met. As per past reports, more than 30,000 individuals are in need of liver transplants in the country. However, less than 5% of these numbers receive a liver before it is too late. The need for kidneys in India stands at two lakh annually, of which only 8,000 manage a transplant. Patients requiring heart or lungs transplants are worst of with less than 1% of them receiving a transplant before time runs out.

Crowd funding has come a long way in collaborating with stakeholders to provide a solution. Yadnya, was dealing with a rare blood condition called Budd Chiari Syndrome which caused him constant vomiting of blood since he was 8 months old. He underwent a stent procedure to control this bleeding and was stable for a year when he redeveloped bleeding and advanced liver disease. He also had severe lung disease related to his liver disease. He was assessed and underwent a liver transplant in August 2017, when his mother Madhura donated part of her liver. After a stormy early post transplant period he made a good recovery. Both mother and son are now thriving.

Thank you for reading the story until the very end. We appreciate the time you have given us. In addition, your thoughts and inputs will genuinely make a difference to us. Please do drop in a line and help us do better.

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The CSR Journal Team

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Child Safety On The CSR Agenda

By

Hency Thacker

-

April 6, 2018

It hasn’t been long since the terror of Blue Whale game had taken the teenagers and children across the globe by a storm. In India too several teenagers were victimized by the game and committed suicide. The children are the future of our nation and their safety should be the biggest concern. It does not help in their healthy growth when they do not feel confident enough to confide in their guardians or teachers.

With children spending so much time in the digital space, they are exposed to cyber bullying, shaming and trolling. These, although might seem harmless to some, creates a huge impact on other children. Even the custom of ragging by the seniors or physical abuse can leave them scarred for life. But with the enforcement of strict discipline, the children often do not find it comfortable to confide with their troubles, leaving them even more vulnerable.

Nickelodeon’s, considering the child safety as their primary concern, have set out to curate a behavioral change initiative that inspires and empowers children to “Say no to fear and yes to safety”. The initiative first encourages kids to identify potential risks and reach out to an adult without fear.

“We believe that children are the change agents of society and every child has the right to grow up in a safe environment. We believe that this initiative will give the kids the confidence to speak out,” said Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Business Head, Kids Entertainment Cluster at Viacom18.

This movement is brought to life with child friendly yet impactful on-air video series, reaching out to over 40 million viewers. Addressing the 3 most rampant issues of physical abuse, cyber safety and bullying the videos create awareness and call for kids to seek parental/ adult intervention when faced with any threat. Reaching out and sensitizing parents and gatekeepers, the initiative will also be brought alive online and on social media through a high decibel digital plan that includes interactive posts, pledge posts and downloadables. There will also be short videos by experts and child psychologists on safety tips.

The experts from the NGO Arpan, who has also joined the movement, will engage with kids in schools across the country through an interactive school contact programme. The school outreach will also include sessions that guide teachers and adults on how to manage issues of child safety.

“We have observed that if children are empowered with age-appropriate knowledge and skills they can participate in their own safety. Parents and caregivers, when empowered with knowledge, contribute to making an environment which is vigilant and protective for children.” said Ms Sharalene Moonjely, Director – Public Engagement, Arpan

Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai-education department has also supported the movement to extend the school outreach programme across various Mumbai schools.

Thank you for reading the story until the very end. We appreciate the time you have given us. In addition, your thoughts and inputs will genuinely make a difference to us. Please do drop in a line and help us do better.

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CSR: Girl Power All The Way In Sports

By

Neha Bilandani

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April 5, 2018

The arena of sports is an ever growing and changing one in our country. It needs support for all age groups. More importantly, the juniors as well as established girl athletes. To encourage girl athletes from various parts of the country and in different individual sports disciplines, so as to enable them to compete on a global stage.

IndusInd Bank in association with the JSW Foundation has claimed to initiate the ‘IndusInd Bank Girl Power Programme.’ It will groom world-class athletes and provide a holistic development for them. Over 60 female athletes across 6 disciplines of boxing, judo, wrestling among others will receive support. Apart from skill set training, the girl will receive support in gender inclusiveness in sports. 60 female athletes have been inducted in the first year.

Sanjeev Anand, Country Head – Commercial Banking and in-charge of Sports Vertical, IndusInd Bank said, “Sports offer unique insights about dealing with challenges and learning from uncertainty. Sports make us get out of our comfort zones and provide us with rich lessons which we can adopt in our professional and personal lives. Sports and athletic training encourage and enhance the over-all edifice of one’s character. With this initiative, we want to support these young athletes and groom them so that they can grow and perform to the highest level of their potential and bring glory for themselves and for the country.”

Mustafa Ghouse, CEO JSW Sports said, “We are glad to be associated an organisation who shares a similar vision for the Indian athlete. The Programme entails developing women athletes in an integrated manner. It aims to empower them with a platform and the strength to achieve their goals. More importantly, we want to shape not just their career, but life beyond it too.”

Each of us needs to have vision to use sports as a unifying idea across various stakeholders and touch lives of everyone, including the differently-abled athletes.

Thank you for reading the story until the very end. We appreciate the time you have given us. In addition, your thoughts and inputs will genuinely make a difference to us. Please do drop in a line and help us do better.

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CSR – Adopt A Village For Overall Development

By

Hency Thacker

-

April 5, 2018

According to census 2013, about 70 per cent Indians live in villages and are poor. In order to increase the pace of development, it is important to enable access to resources to everyone which is not always there for these people living in the rural regions.

Development is effective when it is simultaneous on all fronts. Canon has a strong belief in its corporate philosophy of Kyosei –which means aspiring to develop a society in which all people, regardless of race, religion or culture, harmoniously live and work together for the common good into the future. To make a long term and sustainable impact in the areas of Eyecare, Education and Environment for less privileged communities, Canon India decided to adopt villages.

Over the past 5 years, the organisation has adopted 4 villages in India in 4 locations and is working intensely with them. These villages are: Ferozepur Namak village in Mewat, Karanjoti Village in Mumbai, Maharaja Katte village in Bengaluru and Sol Gohalia village in Kolkata.

These villages are set up with necessary infrastructure like eye care centers, solar panels, training centers for government school teachers, and anything that the village would require to lead a progressive yet a sustainable livelihood.

Canon is all set to make another milestone by adopting another village in Delhi NCR region. We encourage the other corporates to replicate this model to contribute towards the overall development of the country.

Thank you for reading the story until the very end. We appreciate the time you have given us. In addition, your thoughts and inputs will genuinely make a difference to us. Please do drop in a line and help us do better.

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The CSR Journal Team

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CSR: Diversifying The Approach

By

Neha Bilandani

-

April 4, 2018

Today, women are playing a significant role in sustainability initiatives for their organisations, which not only covers environmental and societal issues, but also focuses on issues of gender equality and inclusiveness in the workplace. There is an increase in the engagement with sustainability leaders from across industries, highlighting important milestones while taking on the challenges faced by women in sustainability.

In our own way, we should encourage engagement, inclusiveness and recognition of women at every step within the organisation. Address the issue of gender inequality and women empowerment. At the same time, acknowledging how important it is to bridging the gender gap, address issues of climate change and lead social mobilisation.

According to the Sixth Economic Census in India, only 14% of businesses in India are run by women, lower than in many other countries around the world. Yet, Indian women are fast taking to entrepreneurship, both to seize new opportunities, and out of necessity, to be financially secure while using their skills.

Considering societal and other barriers, women are making their way against the odds. Nirmala Menon, Founder and CEO of Interweave Consulting, with global experience of over 30 years says, “The Indian culture of how we raise girls comes in the way of success at work.” It is crucial to overcome these barriers with the support of other women.

Women’s Web is in its 6^th edition of Breaking Barriers, is working around the theme of Innovating as Women in Business. Experienced women in business will get the opportunity to listen to speakers, in an environment that encourages networking and future collaboration among participants. Participations from past editions have hired women as employees and vendors, collaborated in mutually beneficial ways and act as peer mentors to each other.

It is important to know that leadership and performance has more to do with competency rather than gender. For the same to progress, we need to make conversations much flexible and easier. To use examples, for solving sustainability problems and driving social impact.

Thank you for reading the story until the very end. We appreciate the time you have given us. In addition, your thoughts and inputs will genuinely make a difference to us. Please do drop in a line and help us do better.

Regards,
The CSR Journal Team

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