With the number of COVID-19 cases steadily on the rise in India and the world, an unprecedented health crisis like this rightly demands for everyone to come together and help the government in tackling such crisis. Seeing the need, many organisations are taking the social initiative helping people cope up with the situation. We dedicate this space to a few of them today.
Nayara Energy
Nayara Energy is operating a Refinery in Vadinar, Gujarat and in this crisis, it is Nayara Energy’s priority to ensure the safety of its staff and the local community who are directly or indirectly associated with the business operation of the company. Furthermore, the company is working closely with local administrations of Jamnagar and Devbhumi Dwarka in the fight against the deadly pandemic.
So, far as part of its CSR efforts, Nayara Energy has helped with the following to ensure that the national lockdown doesn’t severely affect the communities living in Devbhumi Dwarka:
- Through its Gramsamrudhi project, Nayara Energy is providing frontline workers with more than 1,00,000 face masks which are stitched by women entrepreneurs from 15 villages near Devbhumi Dwarka
- Providing fumigation support/ equipment in the District of Jamnagar and Dwarka
- Providing groceries to 12,000 families near their refinery at Vadinar
- Set up a community kitchen to provide cooked food to the Jhakhar community
- Providing ventilators to Khambaliya Hospital
Besides this, through their retail network of fuel pumps, Nayara Energy has also distributed 67,000 masks, 12,000 hand gloves, 3,000 sanitiser bottles, 1,00,000 cooked food packets and 38,000 grocery/provisions hampers.
Vedanta Sesa Goa Iron Ore
The entire world is facing the worst crisis situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During these challenging times, Vedanta Sesa Iron Ore is relentlessly working to extend support to battle against the pandemic through all possible means. In an endeavour to combat this pandemic, Vedanta Sesa Goa Iron Ore, in association with Hansa Pest Control Services, carried out sanitation and fumigation drives at public places such as bus stops, temples, mantaps and shops, etc., at Amona and Navelim villages. Besides this, the market areas of Dodamarg region also fumigated by the company. Fumigation helps in killing of pests, termites or any other harmful living organisms and help in significantly reducing the chances of infections for the people working in that particular area.
In line with Vedanta Sesa Goa Iron Ore philosophy of care and community welfare, Vedanta Sesa Goa has set up a team of people to provide relief to the vulnerable and most needy sections of society who have been harshly impacted by the pandemic and have faced significant disruption in their livelihoods.
The Green Acres Academy
In the calamitous situation caused by the global COVID pandemic, The Green Acres Academy, an ICSE school located in Chembur, along with its students and parents have launched a unique effort to help the daily wage workers, underprivileged and the homeless, impacted by the lockdown due to COVID 19 pandemic. As a joint initiative with the sister establishments, the Acres Club and the neighbouring Fern Hotel, the Green Acres Academy students their parents, the staff from The Firm and The Acres Club have created a platform where cooked meal packets can be safely be distributed. This noble gesture has been supported by the local Corporator, Asha Marathe. What started with 250 meal packets per day has now increased to 1000 packets per day, and looks to be further increased to 5000 over the next few weeks thanks to the overwhelming support and response from all the involved stakeholders. The initiative also acts as an announcement to others looking to contribute towards this noble cause and help the less fortunate at this difficult time.
Additionally, the platform built by the school also allows the neighbouring residents to donate, either with cooked food or monetary donations, towards the cause, making it a truly local community initiative.
Rohan Parikh, Director, The Green Acres Academy said: “We have always looked to imbibe the right attitude and learnings to our students, to ensure they grow up to be compassionate, intelligent and responsible citizens of tomorrow. During these trying times, it was natural for us to rise to the occasion as a community, and our students did just that! And the compassion and sensitivity caught on like wildfire, first involving our staff and the parents and then the entire local community pitching it! We are honoured to be able to do our bit for the needy in these times of uncertainty and are grateful to everyone who has joined in this initiative. A special thanks also to Smt. Asha Marathe, our local Corporator, who was instrumental in her support for this platform.”
Currently, the school’s student and parent body are cooking small batches of 10-15 meals in their own kitchens and these are then collected, keeping in mind all social distancing protocols, by a team of volunteers, who then distribute the same to the needy. A WhatsApp platform coordinated by team members, who are working from home, ensures the entire supply chain runs smoothly.
Details for monetary donations and collection of food:
• Link for monetary donations:https://bit.ly/TBTGAA
• Food collection: Vedant Charatkar +918169663852
Finolex Industries and Mukul Madhav Foundation
Spurred on by the unfolding events in China at the end of 2019, FIL and MMF took the initiative to formulate a pre-preparedness strategy much before WHO announced it as a global pandemic. The strategy was developed in close consultation with local hospitals, doctors that have been associated with the Foundation, para-medical partners and others with relevant experience.
Recognising the likelihood of an increase in the need for face masks, the Foundation approached various organisations who could contribute towards this requirement. The Family Planning Association of India who provides a livelihood to HIV+ women in Pune; local women’s self-help groups in Satara were approached to make masks. This effort was mirrored in Masar, Gujarat and Ratnagiri at the Skill Development Centre run by the Foundation. This has created an opportunity for these women and has enabled them to earn additional money to contribute towards their family income. Punyadham Ashram which houses senior citizens on the outskirts of Pune voluntarily began making masks and supporting the needs of the police force, Sassoon Hospital and Mukul Madhav Foundation.
Another prong in the strategy was to survey the known network of hospitals assigned to admit COVID patients to ascertain their immediate needs. An appeal was received and responded to from The Red Cross Society, KEM Hospital, Sassoon General Hospital, Naidu Hospital and a number of private hospitals. The Foundation has been proactive to provide ventilators, gloves, PPE suits, masks, sanitisers, disinfectants and face shields to these hospitals.
Through collaboration with a start-up based at the Science and Technology Park, 4 Scitech Airon Generators which purify the air were generously donated to Naidu Hospital and shortly 25 more will be donated to Sassoon Hospital, KEM hospital and police stations.
FIL/MMF in collaboration with KETTO – online crowdfunding portal supported 4000+ families who lost their jobs being daily wage earners. MMF partnered with around seven like-minded institutes/volunteers to carry out the assembling, distribution of goods and support the end beneficiaries.
Rural areas of the state have not been sidelined. The District Health Officer (DHO), CEO and the Civil Surgeon have all been very supportive. RBSK (Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram) has bridged the gap between authorities and NGOs to support the transportation of goods to rural areas as entry by private vehicles has been banned.
FIL/MMF continues to support its ‘Mission Cerebral Palsy’ which began in 2015 at Finolex Rehab Centers pan Maharashtra. Patients are being guided through the generous support of the therapists planned by the dynamic team of MMF through Skype and WhatsApp video calls. Each parent is getting individual time over the phone. We hope to continue this through the period of lockdown.
Speaking on the activity, Ritu Prakash Chhabria, Managing Trustee, Mukul Madhav Foundation said, “During this time of lockdown, whole-hearted support from the Foundation to its beneficiaries and vice versa is being provided. Be it old age people, women afflicted with HIV, mobile teachers, authorities, parents or systems; All of them have been an integral part in carrying out these activities and initiatives. Volunteers like Raj Deshmukh, Vinod Rohani, Chetan Lodha and many others have been silently supporting in this Mission.”
Samsung India
Over the last few weeks, Samsung India teams have engaged with various governments, local authorities, and healthcare professionals to prepare a broad and meaningful strategy in the fight against COVID-19. We have announced measures to support local administration and community in Noida, by equipping hospitals with medical equipment required in the preventive drive against the pandemic.
In our continuous endeavour to support the fight against the pandemic, Samsung has pledged a contribution of INR 20 Crore to the Union and State governments in India. Samsung will be donating INR 15 Crore to the PM Cares Fund, and INR 5 Crore to the states of Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, to support the country’s challenge against the pandemic.
In addition, Samsung employees across India are putting together their personal contribution. The Company will match the employee contribution and donate the total amount to the PM-CARES Fund in the coming weeks.
These new measures come on the back of Samsung’s support to local administration and community in Noida, where the Company has provided hospitals with medical equipment required in the preventive drive against the pandemic. So far Samsung has provided thousands of Preventive Masks and Personal Preventive Equipment (PPE) kits to hospitals. PPE kits are an essential preventive healthcare utility and each kit includes: Surgeon Gown, Face Mask, Gloves, Preventive Eyewear, Hood Cap and Shoe Cover.
We are also supporting the authorities at hospitals and at other facilities by providing a large number of Infra-red Thermometers and Public Address systems. Along with these, Air Purifiers that are vital to improve the ambient air quality in medical facilities, are also being provided.
Over the last few weeks, Samsung has hastened deliveries of Digital X-ray and Digital Ultrasound machines that it provides to government hospitals as part of its Samsung Smart Healthcare citizenship program. As part of the program, Samsung also provides training to technicians on how to use these machines. The most recent delivery of the equipment has been to a hospital in Noida that has also been designated as a COVID-19 facility for the region. The Samsung Digital X-ray and Digital Ultrasound machines will aid in quick diagnostics.
In Noida, Samsung is also supporting the local administration and local police in providing food packets to local communities on a daily basis.
At Samsung, our commitment is to stand strong with the nation during these testing times. In our endeavour to enable individuals to support the cause, we have updated our Samsung Pay platform to allow seamless donations for the PM Cares Fund. Consumers can contribute directly to the PM Cares Fund through Samsung Pay by clicking on the PM Cares Fund option.
Even as operations at our service centres and customer call centres have been suspended, our commitment to serving our consumers remains intact. We are full of hope that our Service Vans will soon be back in action, covering the diverse terrain of India and reaching your doorstep. Until then, we urge consumers to connect with us through our online Live Chat feature () for any product queries or email us (https://www.samsung.com/in/support/email/). Consumers can track their repairs at https://www.samsung.com/in/support/your-service/track-repair/
Housejoy
Housejoy, a leading tech-driven construction, renovation, interiors and home maintenance company has partnered with GiveIndia, an online donation platform that aims to channel and provide resources to credible, non-governmental organisations across India, for a campaign that aims to help provide a safety net to their network of daily wage workers facing the major brunt of COVID-19. The brand aims to bring them financial stability, with the support of donors till the virus abates and they are in employment again. The campaign will help make lives better for this vulnerable section of the population, without any job security or savings during the current crisis.
The Coronavirus pandemic has caused devastation across the globe. Besides the tragic toll on human life, with countries shutting their borders and quarantines, economies have taken a huge hit. The tragedy has just begun to unfold in India and the job losses are mounting, especially among the daily wage workers.
Speaking about this, Sanchit Gaurav, CEO & Founder, Housejoy, said, “We are happy to partner with GiveIndia. We must contribute and help society in multifarious ways, especially during times of crisis. We are hopeful of helping a large section of daily wage workers including plumbers, carpenters, beauticians, electricians, cleaners, technicians and more. We encourage everyone to contribute towards this cause given that we are all in this together and must help the less fortunate overcome the sudden loss of income due to the coronavirus pandemic.”
All the unemployed individuals for whom the contributions are being collected for have been duly verified by GiveIndia. Once an SOS call for contribution is received, the beneficiary’s profile and monetary needs are checked. The funds are then disbursed to them. There is a zero per cent charge on all COVID-19 fundraisers and 100 per cent of donations are given towards relief efforts.
Housejoy has also tied up with BJP MP Tejaswi Surya, Bangalore South Constituency to extend Virus Fumigation services in the State. The brand is currently helping sanitize public places such as police stations, fire stations, government hospitals and offices, old-age homes, etc, in Bangalore. Even as various authorities do their part in overcoming the coronavirus crisis, citizens must ensure that they keep their surroundings sanitised and follow the protocols. This includes cleaning homes regularly and taking basic precautions such as handwashing and staying indoors during the lockdown.
Castrol
The COVID-19 situation in India is constantly evolving with the current national lockdown. Castrol India stands united with the Government as #IndiaFightsCorona and is taking all necessary measures to support its employees, support staff, distributors and suppliers during these difficult times.
Customers
Since it is not possible to meet our customers face-to-face at the moment, we are in touch with them through virtual channels. As always, we are fully committed to our customers and have fulfilled requests in the last few days from those who are manufacturing and supplying essential commodities like medical equipment. We continue to work with our customers in this period, to help them sustain through this crisis.
CSR
We are committed to supporting the Government through this pandemic on both medical and social perspectives. As a responsible corporate citizen, Castrol India, too, has committed its support to actions initiated as part of the country-wide response.
We are working with various NGOs to initiate specific actions in these areas:
- Medical support in the form of emergency supplies and equipment to Government hospitals across various states including Maharashtra, Telangana, New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh and Haryana.
- Survival kits including groceries to the migrant daily wage earners and food for those stranded – especially the truck drivers at various transportation hubs.
- Protective gear to policemen and garbage collectors in key metros.
- We are also supporting truckers and mechanics through our pan-India outreach programmes; including partial cover for any COVID-19 medical expenses they may incur and initiate programmes to help them and their families tide over the periods of reduced activity.
Campaign
While the entire nation is thanking all those who are working towards keeping India healthy and safe, Castrol India has started an appreciation campaign for the trucker community through #SaluteTruckers campaign. This campaign not only highlights their efforts and contribution in keeping India moving by ensuring the supply of essential products throughout the country in these tough times but also allows people from across India to send across goodwill messages to truckers
Campaign
Helping one another is the essence of humanity. Castrol salutes the commitment of people in essential services and local heroes who are working tirelessly so we can stay safe. Castrol India launched the Castrol Activ #HangUpYourKeys – a consumer awareness campaign, which urges people to park their vehicles and extend their support in this fight against the global pandemic by staying at home, yet doing their bit for society and to protect what they really love. The campaign video showcases real-life stories of young Indians making a difference in these challenging times. This includes an innovator who has invented an infection-free tap for doctors and nurses, an IT professional buying groceries for the elderly in their area, a teacher collecting funds for the needy, and a mental health professional providing online lessons for dealing with anxiety. The initiative encourages everyone to lend a helping hand in such testing times. #StayHome #StaySafe #HangUpYourKeys and #ProtectWhatYouLove.
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaLPqM7lrL0&feature=youtu.be
CEAT Tyres
CEAT Tyres Ltd. under the leadership of RPG Foundation has initiated a sanitisation drive of trucks, delivering essential goods across Mumbai amidst the ongoing pandemic. CEAT has partnered with the All India Truck Worker’s Association (AITWA), Bombay Goods & Transport Association (BGTA) and Western Union LPG Association (WULA) to sanitise trucks across various vehicles loading point such as Nhavasheva, Mahul, Jasai and area around the airport, which are key points of entry/exit of vehicles that bring goods to the city. The sanitization drive includes sanitization of the truck cabin, distribution of face masks, sanitisers and food packets to the drivers and cleaners. Such a sanitisation drive will ensure safety and wellbeing of the drivers that could aid in containing potential cases of the novel coronavirus. So far, the drive has been carried out for over 811 trucks and the plan is to cover 1000 truck by the end of April 19, 2020.
To reach out to the needy people during this lockdown, CEAT has also initiated voluntary distribution of food packets across India. So far, more than 68,500 food packets have been distributed in Mumbai, Nashik, Chennai, Vadodara, Jaipur and Jabalpur with an average of 5,800 freshly cooked food packets distribution on a daily basis during this critical time.
RPG Foundation is also proud of their COVID-19 Warriors who are relentlessly working towards reaching the common goal of ensuring safety and wellbeing of people around them. The COVID-19 Warriors are employees from the RPG Group who have been distributing food and masks across the plant and corporate office regions either with the help of the company or at their own expense. Some of the employees have also conducted programs to increase awareness on the precautionary measures that can be taken to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
Commenting on the support, Arnab Banerjee, Chief Operating Officer – CEAT Tyres Ltd said, “CEAT Tyres, along with RPG Foundation and other relevant authorities, have undertaken various tasks with a commitment towards helping the society in every possible manner to fight this pandemic. The sanitisation drive, distribution of food packets and deployment of our ever ready COVID-19 Warriors are all initiatives that are aimed at providing essential care during these unprecedented times.”
