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May 25, 2025
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CSR News: Accor Introduced Special Discount for Healthcare Professionals

By
The CSR Journal
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Accor, a global leader in augmented hospitality shows gratitude towards healthcare professionals by providing them with the friends and family rate in all their hotels across India and Sri Lanka. Accor is the first hospitality brand to offer discounts to appreciate the continuous hard work of healthcare professionals. In these challenging times, the healthcare community has been nothing less than superheroes, saving lives day and night, selflessly and diligently. It is just a small gesture from Accor to acknowledge their sedulous and assiduous effort to keep everyone safe.
The friends and family discount offer is valid for stays through 12th June 2020 to 31st December 2020 in all Accor’s hotels in India and Sri Lanka. Health care professionals can easily avail the offer on the brand website. It is a 30% discount on the best available rate of the hotel room.
Kerrie Hannaford, Vice President Commercial for Accor India & South Asia said, “We at Accor would like to express our gratitude towards healthcare professionals by extending friends and family discount rate to them. We salute the meticulous hard work of the healthcare professionals and applaud their efforts for the wellbeing of the community. It’s commendable how their determination and commitment towards the patients and their families, the community, and each other has never wavered during this extremely stressful time.”
At Accor, welcoming, protecting and taking care of others is at the very heart of what we do and who we are. We support the healthcare community which has been serving us wholeheartedly now and ever. We are extremely thankful for the selfless dedication and bravery exemplified by each and every healthcare professional.
Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content.

CSR News: JP Morgan donates Rs. 17 crores to SAGE Foundation for upskilling in BFSI sector

By
The CSR Journal
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The BFSI sector is investing heavily in technology and the digitalization of its products and services, creating a demand for individuals with specific skills and talents along with practical knowledge of the industry. JP Morgan will donate Rs. 17 crores to Shahani Academic & Global Empowerment (SAGE) Foundation as a CSR killing initiative to help train and upskill 4,800 graduates from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
The grant will be utilized to teach new skills in the Banking and Financial Services Industry (BFSI) using advanced technology and innovative concepts with the aim of meeting the evolving needs of employers. The Foundation will adopt innovative teaching methods to enable underprivileged youth to get entry-level jobs.
This will be achieved through a blended learning model, a combination of on-line and classroom courses that develop students’ communication, sales and problem-solving skills while providing them with necessary domain knowledge. The Foundation will collaborate with its training arm Smart Institute for skills training.
Akhil Shahani, Managing Director, Shahani Group, said: “With the demand for work-ready professionals with deep industry knowledge on the rise, it is imperative that educational institutions alter their approach and provide students with real and tangible skills that are relevant to the workforce of today. Against the current economic environment, this is even more critical. JP Morgan is a leading global financial services firm and receiving a grant for the second time has uplifted our resolve to ensure a change in the education sector. The CSR funding will facilitate our goal of helping students reach their full potential and finding jobs in the banking sector.”
Maneesha Chadha, Head of Philanthropy for India, J.P. Morgan, said: “Businesses across sectors are facing challenges in finding and employing skilled talent. This CSR programme will help bridge the gap between employee skills and employer needs by giving underprivileged students an opportunity to acquire the appropriate training for the right skills that are needed to build careers.”
Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content.

Quaker Oats installs vending machines in Delhi govt. hospitals

By
The CSR Journal
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Quaker Oats will provide over 1 lakh meals to doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals working in COVID-19 specialty hospitals across New Delhi. The meals will be provided by installing Quaker Oats vending machines in leading government hospitals.
The special initiative is supported by Smile Foundation, and was flagged off by Dr Randeep Gulleria, Director, AIIMS along with Abhishek Singh, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, New Delhi. The Quaker machines are being installed at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, as well as at Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
As a result of increased work-pressure due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers have often found themselves working long hours. Through these vending machines, the brand aims to equip the frontline warriors with easy access to oats on-the-go.
Abhishek Singh, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, New Delhi, said, “The effort put in by doctors and paramedic staff in these times of pandemic is unparalleled. Contribution to salute the spirit of these brave corona warriors is deeply appreciated.”
Santanu Mishra, Co-founder and Trustee, Smile Foundation, said, “It is our absolute privilege to support PepsiCo India in this unique initiative for the doctors and other healthcare staff who are working tirelessly to save lives across the globe. Smile Foundation through various campaigns is supporting not just the underserved communities but also render all support to all corona warriors.”
Dilen Gandhi, Sr. Director and Category Head – Foods, PepsiCo India (the maker of Quaker Oats) said, “We believe that brands and organizations can also play a pivotal role in supporting the nation by going the extra mile in these unprecedented times. We, at PepsiCo India, express our deepest gratitude to these ‘Real Fit Heroes’ and salute them for their selfless spirit and unwavering dedication”.
Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content.

Edtech: Sterlite Power’s EdIndia and MCGM Launch Virtual Training of 21,000 Teachers

By
The CSR Journal
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As schools are shut across the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, children in schools have lost their routines, spaces, social networks, and resources critical for learning. School shutdowns did not only cause disproportionate learning losses for these students—compounding existing gaps—but also led to dropouts. A three-day webinar was set-up to strengthen the capabilities of the teachers to identify appropriate digital tools and resources to deliver online lessons effectively.
Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) in collaboration with EdIndia Foundation, an edtech non-profit supported by Sterlite Power, ran the online training for 21,000 teachers. The training also focussed on sensitising teachers to the “New Normal” post-COVID and the need for the emotional and mental well-being of children when they return to studies after a long break. It also focused on helping children to mitigate emotional or mental vulnerabilities due to the lockdown.
Honourable Kishori Pednekar, Mayor of Mumbai talked about the hard work of teachers and welcomed everyone to the webinar. Anjali Naik, Chairperson, Education Committee and Ashutosh Salil, Joint Municipal Commissioner, MCGM also addressed the inaugural session.
Elaborating on the partnership with the municipality, Sonakshi Agarwal, Director, EdIndia, said: “We need to democratize access to quality education for all strata of the society. Today, technology plays a significant role in teachers’ professional development. I am very proud of our collaboration with MCGM for this training programme. It will help the teachers to embrace technology and make their teaching methods more effective for school children.”
EdIndia Foundation also provided access to its virtual learning Android App “Pragyan” for all MCGM teachers. The App has digital resources as per state syllabus and is a virtual classroom for teacher training.
Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content.

World Blood Donor Day 2020: Dr Vanshree Singh from Indian Red Cross Society on Blood Donation Scenario Post COVID-19 in India

By
Hency Thacker
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COVID-19 has had a major impact on blood services across the country. The blood banks are struggling to maintain the bloodstock, putting the lives of patients that require regular transfusions – such as thalassemia patients, dialysis patients – at risk. Dr Vanshree Singh, Director, Indian Red Cross Society, Blood Bank highlights the blood scenario in the country in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdown.

Blood donation is not a common practice among Indians. Why do you think that is?

I think the main reason is the lack of awareness. People often have a misconception that if they give blood, they will suffer from weakness or become anaemic. Many people also have this fear of catching unknown infections from the needle. And finally, people do not feel the need for donating blood without reason i.e. they have no concept of voluntary blood donation. They feel that they will donate when the need arises.

How is the rural-urban divide in terms of voluntary blood donation in India?

In urban areas, the population density is higher. This makes it easier to grab the attention of people and gather them for blood donation. Such gatherings ignite chain reactions where more and more people join into volunteer for the camp or to donate blood voluntarily.
In rural areas, the population is scattered. So such chain reactions do not occur. The people in rural areas also lack awareness regarding the importance of blood donation – and it is even difficult to gather them to educate them on it. However, they do not hold preconceived notions regarding safety or side-effects of blood donation. They donate blood with much more ease than the people in urban areas.

The blood deficit is very high in developing countries as compared to the developed countries. What are the reasons behind this?

Many of the developed countries have a National Blood Service system. This means, their system of blood collection, storage and delivery are all integrated at a national level. In our country, the blood service is scattered. There are multiple players – government hospitals, private hospitals, autonomous bodies, channel of blood banks, corporate hospital blood banks – all involved in blood services. Therefore, uniformity across the country is not maintained.
Another thing to note is, in India, the donors have to go to the blood bank to make a voluntary blood donation. It is the blood banks that need the blood despite this, they do not approach the donors. The system is quite the opposite in many developed countries. There, a social worker is appointed who approaches the people, works towards raising awareness on the importance of donating blood and arranges for the collection of blood at the convenience of the donor. The blood service in these countries is proactive. In India, it is passive.

How much is the blood deficit in India?

According to WHO norms, if 1% of the total population of a country donates blood regularly, the blood requirement of the country would be met. The tricky part is, there is a disparity in the blood requirements area-wise. For example, the population of Delhi is around 2 crores. 1% of that would be 2 lakhs. But we collect about 7 lakh units of blood with the help of 70 blood banks. Despite that, there is a deficit. This is because, apart from residents of Delhi, there are many people travelling from different states or even countries to get treatment. Many major surgeries are referred to Delhi from all over the world. The patients travel with one or two family members at maximum – therefore even their own blood requirements are not met by their families. Therefore, the blood requirement does not get fulfilled, since the demand is much higher. For metros, 1% requirement does not suffice.
For rural areas, however, the story is entirely different. Since the infrastructure is not up to the mark, the collection of blood gets affected. In such areas, state of the art blood storage facilities should be installed. In this manner, the collection does not get affected and availability is not compromised.

How is the Red Cross Society India working towards reducing the blood deficit?

The Red Cross Society is involved in every process of blood service. We have 89 blood banks in 15 states across India, that are involved in all the processes such as collection, testing, processing, storage and distribution. We have achieved 100% voluntary donations status in 62 of our blood banks. Rest of our blood banks are also trying to achieve that feat. In addition to this, we are also engaged in maintaining the uniform quality of blood. For this, our blood bank at the headquarters has acquired accreditation from National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) and we are encouraging the other blood banks to get the same. In addition to this, we are trying to strengthen our blood banks so that they can function round-the-clock and thus, collect more blood. Currently, the blood banks operate only till evening because of lack of manpower and resources. We are working towards changing that so that we can improve the Blood Services in India.

What role can CSR play in reducing the blood deficit in India?

The role of CSR is crucial in conducting Blood Donation camps. It will be even more now, because of the overall reduction in Blood Donation. The corporates with their CSR funds can organise donation drives and ensure that all standard safety measures are fulfilled. Through their expertise in communication, they can also pilot awareness campaigns and build trust among the donors regarding the safety of the procedure. In this manner, they can create advocacy and campaign for safe Blood Collection.
The corporates can also help organise blood donation drives in areas that do not have a fully functioning blood donation facility. For example, some states of North-Eastern India do not have our blood bank centres. Same goes with some areas in Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and even Kerala. Through corporate CSR programs, our blood banks can reach these areas and acquire the blood which in turn can save many lives.

How has COVID-19 impacted the blood donation drive?

Blood donations have been heavily impacted because of the lockdown. Red Cross Society India heavily relied on blood donation drives. With lockdown imposed, we were not able to organize those camps. We collected hardly 30-40% of blood of what we usually do in the first few days of the lockdown imposed in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak.
We realised in the initial days itself that the problem will arise and the blood availability will reduce. To contain that, we started calling our regular donors in-house to collect the blood. We have about 40,000 regular donors in Delhi. We sent our mobile vans to places where there was a group of people that were willing to donate. We gave our donors pick-up and drop-off facility in an ambulance, and for the other donors who were able to travel on their own, we arranged for e-passes with 24 hours validity from their homes to the blood bank from the first day of the lockdown, so that they were able to travel.
Now, we have even started sending vans to localities where either we have some regular donors or to places from where we received requests from organisations or individuals. This is the manner in which we have been coping after the outbreak of the pandemic.

COVID-19 outbreak has inculcated the fear of direct contact among people. How will this reflect in blood collection in the future? And how can this be curbed?

There will certainly be a trust deficit. Because the staff that is responsible for the collection of blood will go outside. That increases their vulnerability towards the virus. And therefore, people might be reluctant to come in direct contact with them. The only thing that can be done in such a scenario is, that the collection centres and the healthcare workers maintain utmost cleanliness and hygiene. They need to assure the donors that all the safety measures have been followed and it is safe for them to donate. Even then, many people might feel reluctant. And you cannot force anyone to donate blood. However, with time this fear will go. We can only do the best from our end.

World Day Against Child Labour 2020 – Keeping Children Safe

By
Hency Thacker
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Mahatma Gandhi has said, “If we wish to create a lasting peace we must begin with the children.” Children are the future of the world. They are the ones that would fulfil our dreams and build a world of our aspirations. Despite this, they are often treated in the worst possible manner in the present.
According to 2018 report by International Labour Organization (ILO), about 152 million children – 64 million girls and 88 million boys — are in child labour globally, accounting for almost one in 10 of all children worldwide. 72 million of these children are engaged in hazardous work. The current situation of COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic and labour market shock is having a huge impact on many vulnerable children who are pushed into child labour because of the crisis.
In order to bring attention to the problem of child labour and to find ways to eradicate it or fight against it, June 12 is marked as World Day Against Child Labour. The day was launched by ILO in 2002 to bring together people from all walks of life to raise awareness about the problem of child labour and to define guidelines to help them.

What is Child Labour?

Children around the world are routinely engaged in paid and unpaid forms of work that are not harmful to them. For example, children working as artists in the entertainment industry, or children working in family establishments under supervision of guardians do not qualify under child labourers. They are classified as child labourers when they are either too young to work, or are involved in hazardous activities that may compromise their physical, mental, social or educational development.

World Day Against Child Labour 2020 – Theme

The theme of World Day Against Child Labour 2020 is ‘COVID-19: Protect children from Child Labour, now more than ever’. It aims to focus on the impact of COVID-19 crisis on children.
COVID-19 outbreak has put the world into a lockdown. The educational institutions are shut down leaving a lot of free time at the hands of children. This puts them at great risk of falling into unwanted and undesirable employment. The pandemic has also cost many people their jobs – especially to those from poor families working in unorganised sectors or as daily wage labourers. This has pushed many families further into poverty and starvation, pushing the children of such families at risk of exploitation.
According to UNESCO, the COVID-19 outbreak has already had drastic consequences for children. Their access to education, food, and health services has been dramatically affected across the globe.
According to Child Helpline International, a third of the global population is on COVID-19 lockdown, and school closures have impacted more than 1.5 billion children. Movement restrictions, loss of income, isolation, overcrowding, and high levels of stress and anxiety are increasing the likelihood that children experience and observe physical, psychological, and sexual abuse at home – particularly those children already living in violent or dysfunctional family situations.

Child Labour in India

In 2019, India ranked 113 out of 176 countries on an index that evaluates countries on the well being of children. According to the National Census 2011, the total child population in India in the age group of 5-14 years is about 260 million. Of these, about 10 million (about 4%) of the total child population are child labourers working either as the main or marginal workers.
The 2011 census showed a decline in the incidence of child labour in India by 2.6 million or around 20% between 2001 and 2011. The decline was more visible in rural areas. However, the number of child workers increased in urban areas during this period. In the year 2001, there were around 11 million child workers in rural areas which came down to about 8 million in the year 2011. In urban areas, the number of child workers went up from 1.3 million in 2001 to 2 million in 2011. The change suggests that child labour is now invisible as the location of work has changed from the factories to the homes of urban dwellers.
In India, children are working at starvation wages in textile factories helping with the processing of carpets and doing backbreaking work in brick-making factories. They are also employed in making and selling tobacco products and are also used for cheap labour in industries such as steel extraction.

International Laws on Child Labour

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989, children are not just objects who belong to their parents and for whom decisions are made, or adults in training. Rather, they are human beings and individuals with their own rights. The Convention considers that childhood is separate from adulthood, and lasts until 18; it is a special, protected time, in which children must be allowed to grow, learn, play, develop and flourish with dignity. The Convention became the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history and has helped transform children’s lives.

Child Labour Laws in India

Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016

According to the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016, employment of children below the age of 14 years in any commercial enterprise is illegal. This does not include children working in the unorganized sectors including agriculture as well as the household work. The act also bars the employment of adolescents in occupations that deal with hazardous working conditions such as chemical plants and mines.
According to the act, children can only work after school hours or during holidays and that children are allowed to work in family-owned secure sectors. However, no child is permitted to work between 7 pm and 8 am. Children are also not allowed to work overtime. Additionally, an establishment must provide a holiday of one whole day each week to every child employed.

National Policy on Child Labour, 1987

National Policy on Child labour mainly focuses on the rehabilitation of children working in hazardous occupations and processes, rather than on prevention. For effective implementation of the policy, an electronic platform was launched by the Ministry of Labour & Employment. Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour (PENCIL) Portal aims at involving Centre, State, District, Governments, civil society and the general public in achieving the target of child labour free society.
Under National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme, children in the age group of 9-14 years, rescued/withdrawn from work are enrolled in the NCLP Special Training Centres, where they are provided with bridge education, vocational training, mid-day meal, stipend, health care, etc. before being mainstreamed into the formal education system.

The Right to Education Act, 2009

The Right to Education Act, 2009 has made it mandatory for the state to ensure that all children aged 6 to 14 years are in school and receive free education. Additionally, the Constitution of India has been amended and Article 21A is added that recognizes education as a fundamental right. The act constitutes a timely opportunity to use education to combat child labour in India.
Child labour has become a social norm in the country that is largely accepted and tolerated by society. This exploitative and abusive practice will continue unless society adopts a zero-tolerance attitude towards it. The practice is evil and has to be eradicated. This can only be achieved with a combined effort in the form of activism, policy-making, and responsible behaviour on the part of citizens.

PCSR in Support of Black Lives Matter, Woke or Hype?

By
Kasmin Fernandes
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The police killing of George Floyd on suspicion of counterfeiting a $20 note has led to civil unrest across America, and parts of Europe and Australia. The incident was an unfortunate one but it breathed new life into the Black Lives Matter movement against systemic racism towards black people. A host of top brands including Nike, Netflix, Adidas, Sony Music and Apple Music have pledged support to the protest via PCSR or Political Social Responsibility campaigns.
Major companies in the music industry held a “Blackout Tuesday” last week to discuss collective action against racism and police brutality. While some brands held panel discussions and town halls, others set up committees to address reform in their attitude towards race.
Warner Music Group head honcho Len Blavatnik set up a $100 million fund for music charities focused on social justice. Sony Music Group pledged $100 million to the cause; Universal Music Group announced a $25 million fund. Spotify was publicly pulled up by employees not participating in Blackout Tuesday. The streaming service obliged, saying it would match $10 million in employee contributions.
Jordan Brand and sports star Michael Jordan have pledged $100 million dollars in the coming decade towards various organisations working towards social equality and education of black youth. “Black lives matter. This isn’t a controversial statement. Until the ingrained racism that allows our country’s institutions to fail is completely eradicated, we will remain committed to protecting and improving the lives of Black people,” declared a statement from the brand.
Adidas has apologised for its shortcomings and announced several initiatives to fight racism. At least 30% of all new vacancies at the American offices of Adidas and Reebok will be filled by black and Latino people. Adidas will invest $120 million towards the betterment of black communities and will fund scholarships for 50 black students every year.
Inclusion and diversity are also on the list of the company’s priorities. Half of its jobs will be reserved for the disabled, veterans and people from the LGBT+ community. Meanwhile, Nike has released a new ad which changes its famous slogan “Just Do It” to “For once, Don’t Do It”.

PCSR goes beyond tokenism

Glossy ads and slogans abound in PCSR. Critics and activists dismiss them with a wave of the hand. Some say marketing and brand reputation are driving the PCSR message, with an eye fixed on profits. However, we’ve been witnessing a gradual shift in corporate mindsets that says the contrary.
Beyond fulfilling the legal requirements of social impact and responsible business, brands are going one step further and participating in larger social and political movements. The Jaago Re campaign from Tata Tea is one example of this in the Indian context. Its TV commercials and offline campaigns stirred a proactive spirit among voters.
Nike used to be a brand accused of exploiting labourers in Asia for commercial profit. It has reinvented itself over the years by acting responsibly and championing equal rights. The brand has been consistently vocal on equal pay for women and minorities. On the 30th anniversary of its iconic “Just Do It” campaign in 2018, Nike didn’t go down the conventional route.
colin kaepernick - PCSR
American footballer Colin Kaepernick (centre) started the trend of kneeling at the games in solidarity for Black Lives Matter
Instead, the brand made controversial footballer Colin Kaepernick the face of its PCSR campaign. He began kneeling when the American national anthem was played on the field in support of Black Lives Matter. Soon, it became a ritual for other sportspersons. Although Nike faced its share of criticism, it didn’t back down.
Only time will tell if PCSR is a real model for social change or hype marketing for brands to stay relevant. However, if brands are looking at Political CSR as a means of meaningful action, looking at their own structures and attitudes is the best place to start.

CSR News: Pidilite to support contractors for pre-monsoon waterproofing of buildings

By
The CSR Journal
-
As the lockdown enforced to combat the COVID-19 pandemic eases, monsoon is set to enter the country. While it will bring general relief, the ensuing rains could well worsen the leakage issues faced by consumers in their houses and cause damage to structures. This will impact the large numbers of people living in buildings and homes that need serious preventive waterproofing before the rains arrive this year. It is expected that 6-8 % of buildings and structures may need critical pre-monsoon repairs. The waterproofing contractors play a crucial role in ensuring the structural integrity of buildings and depend upon the pre-monsoon work for a big part of their earnings.
However, consumers have heightened health & safety concerns this year and may be wary of workers entering their homes. It is necessary to address these consumer’s concerns as it may lead to reduced repair & waterproofing work impacting incomes for waterproofing community.
Keeping this in mind, Dr. Fixit, the construction and waterproofing expert from the house of Pidilite Industries Ltd, has rolled out multiple initiatives which will benefit thousands of hardworking waterproofing contractors. This will not only help them to safeguard their livelihoods but will also benefit those consumers who urgently need waterproofing.
The program has been rolled out across 10 cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Indore, Ahmedabad, Surat, Kolkata and Nagpur, and addresses two objectives.
Contractor/User safety training: The first is to train and certify contractors on all safety aspects they and their workers need to adopt to prevent contracting and spreading of COVID-19 while conducting site operations. Dr Fixit has launched a full-fledged training & certification program for contractors on how they can ensure their own safety and that of their workers, and consumers at the site of their work. The program imparts training and information about all precautions as per the guidelines of MHA and WHO. At the end the course, participants take a detailed exam, with successful participants being duly certified.
The certification training, conducted over video conferencing, has been helping contractors allay fears of potential customers and prospect for fresh work with them to undertake waterproofing jobs.  Moreover, Dr Fixit has complemented the entire extensive training with an audio visual guiding users on how to handle site work during the Corona pandemic.
For effective job completion: The second objective is provide technical training to contractors /users on advanced waterproofing techniques so that they can be equipped to complete all jobs faster, with fewer workers, and as per stringent quality standards.
To this end, the Dr Fixit teams have been providing technical training on advanced waterproofing techniques, including the use of mechanized tools and devices that would help them speedily complete and deliver their jobs to the best quality. Dr Fixit has partnered with multiple companies that manufactures these mechanization equipments and has been training its users on these machines.
For the mental peace of their hardworking and safety-trained contractors and their teams, Dr Fixit has stepped up to also provide them with free COVID insurance cover.
Mr. Nilesh Mazumdar, Chief Executive Officer, Construction Chemicals (Retail), Pidilite Industries, said, “Waterproofing contractors are extremely important spoke of our ecosystem as they help protect the integrity of buildings and homes. We are hopeful that this initiative will equip them to assure customers of complete safety and to do their critical waterproofing jobs efficiently without losing out on the key business period.”
Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content.

CSR News: HCL Foundation to launch ‘Revive Chennai’s Coasts’ initiative

By
The CSR Journal
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Celebrating this year’s World Oceans Day theme – “Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean”, HCL Foundation (HCLF), the CSR arm of HCL Technologies, collaborated with the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and Environmentalist Foundation of India (EFI) to launch ‘Revive Chennai’s Coasts’ initiative. The campaign aims to sensitize the resident population along the coast about the hazardous impact of ocean pollution and initiate localized community-based solution through a participatory model for behavioural change.
The year long campaign consists of coastal clean-up and to bring about awareness in Chennai which is home to the world’s second longest beach. In the first phase of the campaign, HCLF, GCC and EFI will kick start clean-up and sensitization activities in and around the 5-km beach stretch between Ashtalakshmi Temple in Besant Nagar and Kottivakkam in Chennai, India.
Further, as part of its commitment to help improve the coastal ecosystem in 25% of the Chennai’s coastline by 2025, HCL Foundation will create ‘Young Community Leaders’ in the form of ‘Ocean Fellows’ as an innovative and sustainable solution to ensure the prevention of waste accumulation. The role of Ocean Fellows’ is to become role model among the local communities to ensure the prevention of waste accumulation and to improve the coastal & marine ecosystem. The ‘Ocean Fellows’ will undergo rigorous training by EFI in the areas of Leadership, Management and Social Innovation. Post-training, the fellows will join into various activities like community volunteering efforts such as adoption and maintenance of a beach stretch, sensitizing visitors on the use of plastic, to introduce ocean-friendly fishing practices, enhanced management of harbours and fish landing sites, eco-sensitization amongst fishing villages etc.
Being a responsible organization, HCL is committed to conserving the coastal ecosystem by protecting the marine biodiversity and strengthening the resilience of the ocean community while taking all possible necessary measures for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14. This initiative aims at highlighting the fact that it is every individual’s responsibility to use the available resources sustainably and create awareness about the harmful impacts of ocean pollution as nearly 3 billion people currently depend on coastal and marine assets for their livelihood.
HCL Foundation has been working towards sustainable development and advancing the UN Global Compact SDGs. With this intervention, it is extending its commitment towards SDG 14: Life Below Water and advancing SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals by partnering with Government Agency and NGO.  With this, HCLF aims to contribute to India’s National Goals on SDG14 – ‘To prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution’ and ‘Sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems’.
Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content.

CSR: American Express pledges INR 9 crores in India for COVID-19 relief

By
The CSR Journal
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As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, American Express India has pledged INR 9 Crores towards funds and organizations that are helping combat the COVID-19 outbreak. This includes the PM CARES fund and partnership with nonprofit organisations in areas of mobilizing essential supplies to the families, providing medical kits, feeding healthcare professionals as well as developing and providing protective gear.
Manoj Adlakha, SVP & CEO, American Express Banking Corp, India said, “While we are doing everything possible to keep our colleagues and their families safe, we are also constantly striving to make a positive contribution and meaningful connection with the communities in which we live and work. These grants will help provide protective equipment and feed people impacted, among other critical needs through various community welfare initiatives. In times like these, all we need is to come together to support the efforts of healthcare workers, NGOs and government organizations in this fight against COVID-19.”

CSR of American Express in India

American Express India has also partnered for an initiative called, ‘Hunger Heroes’ that will help distribute dry ration and essential supplies to the families of 10,000 food delivery riders, severely impacted by the pandemic. It will focus on mobilizing essential supplies to ride out the loss of income, while staying available to resume jobs when the situation gets better.
The proposed project would be implemented across India, with a specific focus in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities where e-commerce logistics and online food delivery services have been affected the most due to COVID:19 lockdown. All efforts have been complemented by partnering with NASSCOM Foundation for donation of 11,150 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits including N-95 Masks to the Hospitals in the National Capital Region.
Another partnership with Samhita is enabling us to procure PPE kits and other essentials for frontline healthcare & Sanitation workers and Isolation Kits/ beds for hospitals to support Health Infrastructure in National Capital Region, Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune.
Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content.
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