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  • Deutsche Bank celebrates 40 years in India with 40,000 tree planting initiative in Raigad

    Deutsche Bank celebrates 40 years in India with 40,000 tree planting initiative in Raigad

    Celebrating 40 years of operation in India, German lender Deutsche Bank today announced a CSR initiative to plant 40,000 fruit-bearing trees in Raigad district of Maharashtra that will impact lives of 4,000 people living out there

    Celebrating 40 years of operation in India, German lender Deutsche Bank today announced a CSR initiative to plant 40,000 fruit-bearing trees in Raigad district of Maharashtra that will impact lives of 4,000 people living out there.

    The trees, which will begin bearing fruit in 3-4 years, are expected to generate an annual income of Rs 6 crore for the beneficiaries, the bank said in a statement.

    The tree planting initiative will be implemented through NGO partner Swades Foundation.

    “The initiative marks 40 years since Deutsche Bank opened its first branch in the country in Mumbai and also four years of a successful partnership with Swades Foundation in helping transform the lives of tribal and other indigent families in Raigad district,” the bank said.

    Deutsche Bank established its first branch in India in 1980 and currently operates branches in 16 cities.

    Deutsche Bank’s partnership with Swades Foundation, now in its fourth year, has impacted the lives of 43,500 people in the Raigad district so far and has involved the bank’s employees volunteering over 2,500 hours since April 2018.

    Commenting on the new initiative, Deutsche Bank India Chief Country Officer Kaushik Shaparia said, “Supporting small-scale agriculture has a significant impact on reducing rural poverty. ..We’re confident that our partnership with Swades Foundation will meaningfully transform the lives of people in Raigad district.”

    Swades Foundation Founder Ronnie Screwvala said, “Deutsche Bank’s relentless efforts towards rural upliftment in India are noteworthy and we are happy to be part of the shared vision to transform and empower India at a grassroots level.”

    Deutsche Bank has been one of our biggest supporters in rural transformation in the last four years and the Foundation looks forward to celebrating many more exciting milestones together, he said.

    Through its ‘In the Community’ programme, Deutsche Bank has worked with Swades Foundation to touch the lives of over 10,000 rural families, providing sustainable access to clean water in homes as well as in the fields to promote agri-based livelihoods.

    Greater access to potable water alone has improved the standard of living of over 1,000 families in the district and the more judicious use of the resource has brought over 1,200 acres of additional farmland under irrigation, allowing for greater crop rotation, it said.

    In this Covid-19 pandemic, Deutsche Bank and Swades Foundation have together distributed over 11,000 grocery and daily essentials kits in rural homes in Raigad since April.

    In Mumbai, the bank has also supported the NGO in providing nine ventilators and 14 oxygen concentrators to Dr R N Cooper Municipal General Hospital and HBT Trauma Care Hospital, the bank added.

  • Waste Warriors launches fundraiser to save Jim Corbett from plastic pollution

    Waste Warriors launches fundraiser to save Jim Corbett from plastic pollution

    Amid rising plastic pollution in forest area, Dehradun-based waste management NGO Waste Warriors today said it has tied up with Wishonary, a social networking platform for NGOs, for raising funds to keep clean the forests and borders

    Amid rising plastic pollution in forest area, Dehradun-based waste management NGO Waste Warriors today said it has tied up with Wishonary, a social networking platform for NGOs, for raising funds to keep clean the forests and borders of Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarkhand.

    There is an urgency to take steps to save Corbett, India’s first tiger reserve and Asia’s first national park, as the amount of solid waste has increased with rise in tourist flow. Imagine a national park that’s famous for years of plastic waste more than its tigers or elephants. This is where Corbett might be headed if nothing is done, it said.

    In a statement, Waste Warriors said that the fundraising campaign, called ‘Adopt A Village’ aims to support grassroots efforts to reduce the environmental impact on animals and forests caused by habitat degradation and plastic waste pollution by building systems for solid waste management in 20 villages around the Corbett, it said.

    Besides, the fundraiser will support the ongoing efforts of trained local underprivileged youth and women-led self-help groups, thereby keeping villages and forests cleaner, reducing the impact of wildlife and providing meaningful livelihoods at the same time, it added.

    Waste Warriors, in a statement said, it hopes that people, especially wildlife enthusiasts, environmentalists, and even those who have experienced the beauty of nature reserves, will respond to this call to adopt a village and support a cleaner Corbett.

    Commenting on the initiative, Waste Warriors Project Manager Puspendu Mandal said: “Most don’t realize plastic pollution itself is also an unacknowledged pandemic. It is present in the air, water, and soil, building up in our environment. There’s a strong need to work together to prevent and solve this problem.”

    The work being done by Waste Warrior in Corbett shows how this can be replicated in rural areas across India, he said.

    Mandal had earlier worked as Tourism Manager at Madhya Pradesh’ famous Satpura Tiger Reserve and knows of the challenges and benefits of good systems and working with communities and authorities.

    According to Wishonary Chief Operating Officer (COO) Vivek Saxena, this partnership is an extension to the company’s effort in creating community-level engagement for bringing social change.

    “We wanted to share the true picture of wildlife conservation in our country and support the waste warriors with the community that can enable Waste Warriors with financial support and visibility they need to save wildlife at Corbett,” he said.

    According to Waste Warriors, over 200,000 tourists came to Corbett in 2019 and left behind a mountain of waste for local villages to deal with. In January 2020, a tigress and her cubs were photographed chewing plastic drums in Corbett, but this is just one of the countless unnoticed incidents over the years.

    Since 2013, the team at Waste Warriors Corbett, initiated by local resident Minakshi Pandey and consisting of nine local youth and 15 self-help group women, have managed over 450 tonnes of solid waste in local villages like Dhikuli, Sunderkhal, and Kyari.

    Apart from over 450 clean-ups with 6500 volunteers, including with forest and CTR authorities, the teams regularly engage villages and schools to change behaviors and build SWM systems. But much more support is needed to continue their efforts, it added.

  • OPPO India to honour 120 innovators for creative solution to tackle COVID-19

    OPPO India to honour 120 innovators for creative solution to tackle COVID-19

    Chinese handset maker OPPO today announced a new initiative in India for honouring 120 innovators who have adopted some out-of-the-box ideas to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative called Salute to the Ultimate 120 with the Power of Change

    Chinese handset maker OPPO today announced a new initiative in India for honouring 120 innovators who have adopted some out-of-the-box ideas to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The initiative called “Salute to the Ultimate 120 with the Power of Change” is in collaboration with Forbes India.

    “This initiative is a testament to salute those leaders who are helping people help each other and offer creative solutions to tackle the pandemic,” the company said in a statement.

    Forbes India will come out with four special issues. Each issue will be centred on each of the four pillars – Innovation, endurance, performance, and style and highlight the creative minds of influencers.

    The same will be featured on other platforms in a video format to highlight the contribution. As part of this collaboration, OPPO has also felicitated the influencers with their recently launched Find X2 Pro smartphone, it added.

  • Fujifilm donates 200 PPE kits to Holy Spirit Hospital in Mumbai

    Fujifilm donates 200 PPE kits to Holy Spirit Hospital in Mumbai

    Japanese photography and imaging major Fujifilm today said it has donated around 200 Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) kits to healthcare professionals at the Holy Spirit hospital in Mumbai. To combat the spread of the disease

    Japanese photography and imaging major Fujifilm today said it has donated around 200 Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) kits to healthcare professionals at the Holy Spirit hospital in Mumbai.

    To combat the spread of the disease, Fujifilm is providing these essential PPE kits to doctors, which include surgeon gown, face mask, gloves, preventive eye wear, hood cap and shoe cover, an official statement said.

    Commenting on this, Fujifilm India Pvt Managing Director Mr. Haruto Iwata said: “We all are witnessing an unprecedented and difficult time of our lives due to COVID-19 global pandemic. As Mumbai battles the highest number of coronavirus cases in India, we wanted to show our support to the healthcare professionals and salute these health warriors for stepping up for the country selflessly.”

    In addition, the company is installing Computed Radiology, Digital Radiology systems and imagers across isolation wards at hospitals to ensure effective monitoring and controlling the disease outbreaks. These technologies will empower clinicians to improve efficiency and expedite the early diagnosis of the disease.

  • Aide et Action unveils iLead online courses for youth from marginalised section

    Aide et Action unveils iLead online courses for youth from marginalised section

    In an effort to upskill the youth and enable them to make productive use of lockdown, global NGO Aide et Action today launched the “iLEAD Goes Online” initiative through a Facebook Live session. The objective of the programme is to impart vocational

    In an effort to upskill the youth and enable them to make productive use of lockdown, global NGO Aide et Action today launched the “iLEAD Goes Online” initiative through a Facebook Live session.

    The objective of the programme is to impart vocational education to youth from marginalized sections of the society. The initiative encompasses 13 iLEAD courses through a digital medium, an official statement said.

    The development comes amidst the World Youth Skills Day. Amidst the lockdown induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, digital education is a viable option to continue academics.

    After having trained 2,50,000 youths in more than forty domains with the placement of 75 percent, the NGO is launching iLEAD online skill training courses.

    “The training can be undertaken remotely from the safety and comfort of home on a digital platform. The initiative aims to provide livelihood education among the youth from underprivileged families and help them to utilize the lockdown period effectively. And this will also help to develop a new strategy for the organization across the globe” Aide et Action South Asia Board President Rajiva Wijesinha said.

    The iLEAD alumni, along with the current trainees along with trainers and other stakeholders shared their views on this initiative.

    The 13 courses which are now available online are Tally, Computer Operator, Beauty Therapy, Fashion Designing, BSPA, CRR, Automobile, ITeS, Electrician, Hospitality, BSPC, Beautician and Electrical. The platform is available to the registrations through our skill training initiative iLEAD.

  • RBL Bank helps low-income women in making face masks; earning livelihood

    RBL Bank helps low-income women in making face masks; earning livelihood

    Private lender RBL Bank has repurposed one of its CSR programmes under which aspiring low-income women entrepreneurs from Maharashtra and West Bengal were trained to manufacture 70,000 face masks which gave them a meaningful work and much needed economic

    Private lender RBL Bank has repurposed one of its CSR programmes under which aspiring low-income women entrepreneurs from Maharashtra and West Bengal were trained to manufacture 70,000 face masks which gave them a meaningful work and much needed economic support to their families during the COVID-19 crisis.

    Among other initiatives been undertaken as part of corporate social responsibility (CSR), the bank provided food relief to 1500 underprivileged families in Mumbai, medical devices to an hospital, laptops and tablets to school children of low income families for e-learning besides supporting migrant labourers, it added.

    In a statement, RBL Bank Human Resources, CSR and Internal Branding Head Shanta Vallury Gandhi said the bank enabled re-purposing of a CSR program managed by the NGO Natarajan Education Society (NES) in Pune (Maharasthra), that gave astounding results.

    NES trains women on tailoring and fashion designing to help them set up small business and self-help groups. But the bank gave an opportunity to these women to manufacture three ply cloth mask for distribution to front-line workers, business correspondents and branch staff and customers.

    “In a short duration of over two months, these women beneficiaries manufactured 60,000 masks distributed across the four zones in India,”the bank said.

    The women beneficiaries and NES in a short duration transited from classroom training to completely virtual environment in order to learn making high quality masks.

    Similarly in West Bengal, women Self Help Group (SHG) called Anandadhara manufactured 10,000 masks which were distributed locally in the East and North Eastern states.

    The bank has partnered with the West Bengal State Rural Livelihood Mission (WBSRLM) managed women SHG Anandadhara.

    “These activities hugely helped the women beneficiaries gain meaningful work and provided the much needed economic support that helped hike their overall family’s income, especially during the lockdown phase of COVID-19,” it added.

  • Relaxo Foundation donates 25,000 pair of slippers to Delhi sanitation workers

    Relaxo Foundation donates 25,000 pair of slippers to Delhi sanitation workers

    Relaxo Foundation has donated 25,000 pair of slippers to sanitation workers of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) who have been battling the COVID-19 pandemic for over 100 days now and counting. In these times of Coronavirus pandemic, sanitation

    Relaxo Foundation has donated 25,000 pair of slippers to sanitation workers of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) who have been battling the COVID-19 pandemic for over 100 days now and counting.

    In these times of Coronavirus pandemic, sanitation workers with the municipal corporations have been at the forefront, putting their lives at risk in ensuring a clean and healthy environment, it said in a statement.

    Speaking about the initiative, Relaxo Foundation President Ramesh Kumar Dua said: “Sanitation workers across the country are warriors on the frontlines, whose courage and commitment helps us stay safer. This global pandemic has brought to fore the realization of their silent, selfless service to the society which we do appreciate and acknowledge.”

    Due to the nature of their work, it is critical for them to have easy-to-clean and comfortable slippers, he said.

    Relaxo Foundation has also supported AIIMS, Delhi, and other hospitals in Haryana and Uttrakhand, in purchasing medical equipment besides aiding government administration and various charitable organizations in distributing relief materials for migrants and marginalized families.

    Launched in 2015, Relaxo Foundation is the CSR arm of Relaxo Footwears Limited, and is guided by the philosophy of business that believes in collective development of all stakeholders, especially those at the bottom of the pyramid.

  • Essar Foundation unveils menstrual hygiene App

    Essar Foundation unveils menstrual hygiene App

    Essar Foundation, a CSR arm of Essar, has launched a mobile App called ‘Sahej’ to promote awareness about menstrual hygiene. The Sahej app has been developed in consultation with key NGOs working in the menstrual hygiene space, namely the Rotaract Club

    Essar Foundation, a CSR arm of Essar, has launched a mobile App called ‘Sahej’ to promote awareness about menstrual hygiene.

    The Sahej app has been developed in consultation with key NGOs working in the menstrual hygiene space, namely the Rotaract Club, Kavach A Movement and Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan.

    “Sahej is not just a menstrual hygiene management app. It is a movement to sensitively, yet assertively, address the subject of menstruation,” Essar Foundation CEO and Essar Group President Human Resources Kaustubh Sonalkar said in a statement.

    With the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, many women will have limited access to menstrual hygiene products and services, he said.

    “We hope Sahej will help break geographical and linguistic barriers to equip women with the right information and products,” he added.

    According to the Foundation, the Android-based app offers a one-stop solution for women to menstruate with dignity. It encourages adolescent girls to maintain menstrual health by availing of hygienic products at subsidised prices.

    The Sahej app features a one-of-a-kind e-store of menstrual products manufactured by women-led micro enterprises and SHGs (Self Help Groups).

    It also provides a platform to donate sanitary napkins to underprivileged women, as well as equip Aanganwadi workers with the right information for educating girls from rural India on correct menstrual hygiene.

    Additionally, the app provides for unique ways to promote menstrual hygiene awareness through interactive game-based learning, educational videos by renowned doctors, and a period tracker. Available in three languages—Hindi, Marathi and English—the app caters to the customised needs of every woman across every age group.

    The Sahej App offers a variety of products like sanitary napkins, tampons, menstrual cups, panty liners and pee kits for women’s personal hygiene and choice at affordable rates.

    Also, products like dispensers, incinerators, and even pad manufacturing technologies will be available at discounted prices. “We plan to launch the e-commerce facility of the App post the Covid-19 lockdown,” it said.

    Meanwhile, the Foundation has also distributed 4 lakh sanitary napkins to women in Mumbai slums and the Mumbai police duirng the ongoing lockdown period.

    Sanitary napkins were distributed in collaboration with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport (BEST),it said.

    BMC helped the Foundation identify the relevant municipal wards where these pads were in short supply and BEST helped us with the transport, it added.

  • HCL gives vital protective gears to frontline workers in Coimbatore

    HCL gives vital protective gears to frontline workers in Coimbatore

    To safeguard the lives of frontline health workers, the HCL Corporation on Friday said it has joined hands with Coimbatore district administration to provide vital protection equipment including masks, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), hand sanitizers

    To safeguard the lives of frontline health workers, the HCL Corporation on Friday said it has joined hands with Coimbatore district administration to provide vital protection equipment including masks, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), hand sanitizers and hands-free wash basins.

    HCL has provided 7,000 PPE kits complying with the SITRA and HLL specifications, 20,000 three-ply masks, 55 liters of sanitizer and two hands-free wash basins to the district administration, an official statement said.

    These are being routed to the frontline workers of Coimbatore district working in the ESI Hospital, Government Hospital, Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, District Health Centres and conservancy workers across the district, it said.

    Commenting on the support, District Collector K Rajamani said: “HCL’s support and the protection equipment being provided by them will ensure the safety of our bravehearts. We would like to thank HCL for this critical and timely support.”

    He said that the district administration has already taken several steps and is prepared to meet all requirements from a healthcare perspective.

  • RAHI to provide 1.5 mln meals more next 6-8 weeks to vulnerable groups

    RAHI to provide 1.5 mln meals more next 6-8 weeks to vulnerable groups

    Bengaluru-based NGO Rise Againt Hunger India (RAHI) on Friday said it will provide 1.5 million meals more in the next 6-8 weeks to vulnerable groups who would still need support despite staggered lifting of lockdown. So far during the lockdown period

    Bengaluru-based NGO Rise Againt Hunger India (RAHI) on Friday said it will provide 1.5 million meals more in the next 6-8 weeks to vulnerable groups who would still need support despite staggered lifting of lockdown.

    So far during the lockdown period, RAHI has supplied over 1 million meals — both cooked meal and dry supplies — to migrant labour, daily wage labour, construction workers, contract labour, street vendors and rickshaw pullers, it said in a statement.

    “Till date we have supplied over 1 million meals to these people who have been hit the hardest due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are continuing with our efforts and aim to reach more people across more cities pan India,” RAHI Executive Director Dola Mohapatra said.

    According to RAHI, the economic revival will take time despite the staggered lifting of the lockdown across some parts of the country.

    During this time, the major challenge would be workforce stabilization and livelihood regeneration. There would still be a sizable chunk of these vulnerable groups, who will need extended support, it said.

    “Keeping this in mind, RAHI plans to continue its efforts with a target of providing to 1.5 million additional meals to these vulnerable groups over the next 6-8 weeks.

    The nationwide lockdown was first imposed on March 24 and thereafter been extended twice till May 17 in order to prevent the spread of deadly viral disease COVID-19.