CONTENTS He Concept of Corporate Social Responsibility in India Is Not a New One

SATTVA People, Planet and Profit

CONTENTS he concept of Corporate Social Responsibility in India is not a new one. Corporations like the Tatas have been demonstrating social responsibility way before the term CSR was coined. At their steel city in Jamshedpur, the Forefront Pg 2 TTatas made free medical facilities, subsidized schools and housing, access to parks, stadiums, and clubs part Overview - The Business of Business is.. and parcel of an employee’s package. Apart from taking care of their employees, they started several programs to CSR Activities in Education help the surrounding tribal areas. But, as the unrest in Singur shows, that is not perceived as enough. One too many wasted wastes Since corporations have a mega-impact on people and the planet, each new enterprise calls on them to walk a tight- The Heart at the Core rope, balancing doing business with being responsible to the community around them. Sattvic celebrity - Translating equality into The idea of CSR has caught fire in recent years, and even small-sized enterprises have jumped on the ‘do good while reality. doing good’ bandwagon. So, in this issue we cover – Editorial Pg 8 - An overview of CSR, according to how the initiatives get started. Expert speak - The How, Why, What of CSR - CSR initiatives in the fields of education and environment Guest column - The Mask & The Face - Companies that are leasing out their core competencies to NGOs Postscript - Starting from scratch

- Our Sattvic celebrity covers a CSR manager, who is quietly and competently helping a company embrace diversity Diversecity Pg11 - In our guest column, we look at what happens when a company integrates CSR into the core of its activities Converging to Contribute - In postscript, a CSR volunteer narrates his experience.

- In Expert Speak, Suja of Infosys talks about the why, what, and how of CSR Refractive index Pg 12 - In refractive index, we cover lesser known, but no less laudable initiatives, and how you can start a CSR initiative in Little drops of water, little grains of sand your own company Get Going !

The skeptics may dismiss CSR as a “branding exercise” or “publicity gimmick”, but we say, let us root for the CSR Interface Pg 14 movement, because every little bit helps. Companies, Initiatives, Contact numbers

- 1 - AUGUST 2008 Forefront Email: [email protected] Phone: 9880918605

The Business of Business is… Srikrishna Sridhar Murthy A look at the impetus for CSR initiatives

ver the last few years I’ve had nologies that positively impact the envi- tion and let the employee motivation ployees. These companies have found the chance to closely follow ronment, everything comes under the die slowly. In any case, this enthusiastic creative ways that can positively impact OCSR programs across com- umbrella of ‘CSR’. From my experience, bunch of employees is a very important the society, engage their employees panies, first as an employee volunteer I’d like to categorize all these initiatives first step for companies to experience and at the same time increase their bot- social responsibility which can then lead myself, then as a Board member of an into three buckets, depending on how tom lines. Adidas’s Grun project, Toyo- NGO working closely with many com- they get started. to more strategic things. ta’s eco-friendly car or HP’s attempt at panies and most recently as a manage- Firstly, there are initiatives that are em- Secondly, there is a ‘responsive’ CSR creating a digital village are great ex- ment student at an international pro- ployee or a CSR ‘core team’ driven. approach which is, fortunately, not as amples of this concept. gram trying to study the trends in CSR These are usually started off by some prevalent but is worth noting neverthe- As per Milton Freidman’s quote, it is across the world. Through all these highly enthusiastic employees with sup- less. These are programs that compa- important for every company to decide experiences I’ve been amazed by what port from the management and many nies undertake in reaction to an ‘attack’ some companies have achieved as grass-root initiatives stem from them. on their brand or sometimes in anticipa- what the business of their business is part of their CSR programs, but at the Adopting schools, doing collection tion of an ‘attack’. The infamous sweat and hence what kind of ‘CSR’ makes same time I’ve seen and read about drives, blood donation camps etc. have shop incident in the late 90’s and what sense for it. Should a sports company many CSR programs struggling to take been very successfully conducted by followed is an example of such a reac- go around donating books or rather off or dying a slow death. Hence the many companies and are very effective tion. However, companies today real- work towards promoting sports in a question, what makes a CSR program at the grass root level. However, the ize that this reactive approach can be region that could also increase its po- sustainable and impactful in the long detrimental on their brand and hence challenge here is that the frequency, in- tential market size? I say, that’s worth run? prefer to work on protecting and grow- tensity and impact of the programs, the a debate! To answer that question, we need to causes supported and partners chosen ing their brand in a more positive and first understand what CSR means and etc., are highly dependent on the indi- proactive way. how it evolves in an organization. CSR viduals in the ‘core team’ and are sel- Finally, there are the more ‘strategic’ today is a broadly used word and en- dom institutionalized or sustained over CSR companies which strongly believe compasses a variety of things that com- a period of a few years. Further, many that the community and the environ- panies do, from donating books and companies don’t recognize the positive ment are their stakeholders, just like shoes for Christmas to developing tech- impact this can have on their organiza- their shareholders or customers or em-

- 2 - AUGUST 2008 Forefront Infosys Suja Warriar-Education & Research Dept. Infosys, Bangalore E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 9986508970

AOL Suma Seshagiri-E-commerce Team Phone: 9980544070 E-mail: [email protected]

CSR Activities in Education Sumithra Sivaramakrishnan Although the CSR activities of Infosys and AOL might vary in terms of the magnitude of initiatives and the amount of funds raised, there are few common threads that connect all the perspectives of CSR with each other; the dedication to serve society being the most important of them. Left he aim of the CSR Team at Infosys Bangalore is to build awareness about the Students from E-city schools displaying socially relevant initiatives of the organization, enroll people and execute the ini- notebooks distributed by Infosys Volunteers tiatives. One of the noteworthy initiatives (among the many programs initiated T Below over the last 2 years) of this well established CSR team at Infosys is the Notebook Drive. The Infosys Team This was made possible through the contribution made by 25,000 employees of Infosys. which executed the Notebook drive It helped the CSR team to distribute notebooks to 19238 children from 235 schools Project across Karnataka. This initiative for the underprivileged government school children raised Rs. 7 Lakhs in three days. The partnering NGO, The Dream school foundation helped 100’s of volunteers to reach out to places like HDkote and remote villages of Magadi to distribute these notebooks.

There are various teams in Infosys actively involved in providing additional support to the government schools during the weekends, setting up computer labs in schools, tapping the potential of retired teachers in Bangalore to take tuitions for children in anganwadis and orphanages. Suja Warriar, member of the core team of CSR initiatives in Infosys says, “some of the programs which we are working on are infrastructure im- provements in rurual schools, rural school children hygiene/health awareness programs, conducting medical camps and developing learning capabilities in children. All these are voluntary initiatives by a group of employees.”

- 3 - AUGUST 2008 Forefront

Education has been a major area of activity at AOL mentored the 10th class children of in CSR for AOL India. The CSR activities were Ambedkar School. After school, students would Left Making colourful started in AOL India in 2006 by Kumar Talluri, come to the AOL campus and a few volunteers bands for kids as a part of summer camp Vice President heading Platforms in AOL India, would take tuitions for these children. “Students activities who motivated and guided the employees of who passed their exams have joined government Below AOL to start a CSR team. The first program that colleges and they still keep in touch with us. They SAOL’s banerghatta trip as a part of Kids was launched as a part of this initiative was an still remember us for helping them and aspire for summer camp adult education program for the support staff in a better life,” says Suma. the field of English and Basic computers. What started as a small initiative 2 years back has The CSR team at AOL India raised funds to expanded beyond AOL to the other organizations sponsor many activities, including providing mid in the campus. Together, the organizations are day meals to a school with a strength of 270 planning to come up with a centralized educa- children, sponsoring a classroom for Parikrama, tion system for the support staff. and setting up chemistry and computer labs for Rakum Blind School. The team also conducted One of the core members of the CSR team at summer camps for kids during their summer holi- AOL India, Suma Seshagiri says, “Ambedkar days. AOL India team was awarded the Andrew Education Society was a school in a very bad Heiskell Award (named after Andrew Heiskell, condition. It lacked basic amenities. The English former chairman of Time Inc.) for community teacher, instead of teaching the children, was service. The Award funds were donated to Ra- engaged in cooking mid day meals for the school kum Blind School for buying braille printers. The children. AOL, with the support of Akshaya vision of Kumar Talluri and the CSR Team at AOL Patra, arranged mid day meals for the children of is Digital Divide which includes improving tech- Ambedkar Education Society. nology related skills and training in addition to providing basic access to computers and internet.

To improve the quality of teaching in the school, AOL hired new teachers and sponsored their salaries as well. Meanwhile, the CSR Volunteers

- 4 - AUGUST 2008 Forefront Email: [email protected]

One too many wasted wastes Aarti Mohan A profile of a manufacturing company that works hard to minimize its impact on the environment, and a look at e- waste disposal.

rive through Peenya, Bangalore’s marginal impact to the surroundings due to Rodrigues of Saahas, enthusiastic about the biggest industrial township, and its existence and won many recognitions for imminent success of this project, says, “We Dyou will notice the black smoggy these contributions. have got space inside Lalbagh to store the haze that hangs in the air. It makes you won- At Bangalore, the silicon valley of India, one waste, and volunteers from companies to der if it is possible to manufacture quality would expect the management of e-waste to help sort the waste.” products without piercing a hole in the eco- be as sophisticated as the cutting edge tech- The “waste success” stories of these organi- system of the neighbourhood. nology the design powerhouses here make, zations are like stray clouds in the horizon. To and as widespread as the use of these high- Titan Industries, one of India’s largest watch- make any kind of serious impact, charity has tech goods. Yet, Bangalore is just waking makers, has quite clearly established a high to begin at home. It requires time, space, in- up to the hazards of poor e-waste disposal, quotient of eco-friendliness in their core vestment and a social bent from companies. competency, manufacture. The ISO14000 thanks to eco-conscious companies like “You need a dedicated place for sorting the certified company has focused on initiatives Wipro and HCL that are lobbying for com- wastes, trained housekeeping staff to do it, like eliminating the use of ozone depleting prehensive laws on e-waste. The fight is on and tie-ups with recyclers to see it through,” substances, minimizing the use of plastic in to make extended producer responsibility a explains Wilma. packaging, vermi-composting and piloting reality where the producer is wholly respon- the conversion of industrial waste to useful sible for the entire lifecycle of the products “You don’t have to lose heart though,” she civil materials. As a result of their sustained – production, usage and disposal. There are says. “There are a lot of simple yet effective Courtesy E-parisara efforts towards environment friendly produc- state of the art disposal houses like Ash Recy- changes you can make in the office. Think tion, the company’s energy consumption per clers and E-Parisara which accomplish this in before you take a printout. Don’t use tissues, watch has reduced by 41% with cumulative Bangalore, yet, the real struggle is collection, a handkerchief is equally effective. Use recy- energy savings of 26 Lac kwh!! Water con- storage and transport. cled water for flushes and watering plants.” sumption per watch is down by 47% and Saahas, a leading NGO that works to stream- So, if any of you working folks are drinking brass scrap recycling back to process has led line waste management in Bangalore, is now coffee while reading this, know that it takes to a saving of Rs.62 Lacs in 2002-03. Titan partnering with WeP Peripherals to estab- 4.5 litres of water to make 1 paper cup. And has demonstrated leadership in ensuring lish large volume collection systems. Wilma that can be your first CSR project!

- 5 - AUGUST 2008 Forefront Lifelines India Na i m u r Ra h m a n -Director, OneWorld South Asia Office OneWorld International Foundation C 5 Qutab Institutional Area New Delhi 110016 INDIA Email: [email protected] A Heart At Their Core Phone: 011 41689000 SAGAR GUBBI Website: www.oneworldsouthasia.net

Sh a k e e l Ah m a d -Project Manager (LifeLines) Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives in India have largely focused on philan- [email protected] thropic and employee volunteering activities. However, a few companies have gone ahead of the rest by applying their core competencies to impact the triple bottom line.

orporate Social Responsibility and British Telecom. ‘Lifelines India’ is a such as Narayana Hrudayalaya, have strong port-related social (and sustainable) initia- (CSR) in India has typically been technology-based helpline for farmers and community outreach programs together tives. The foundation supports sustainable Cequated with philanthropic and teachers, which provides vital information with several NGOs and they offer free and energy and lighting solutions under its ‘Ex- charitable activities. Most companies have on agriculture, animal husbandry and edu- subsidized healthcare to poorer sections of celerate’ program. In partnership with Small traditionally viewed ‘Social Responsibil- cation in rural areas through a telephone the society. Piramal Foundation, which is the Scale Sustainable Infrastructure Develop- ity’ as an activity separate from their core helpline and an internet-based backend. The social responsibility arm of Nicholas Piramal, ment Fund (S3IDF), a non-profit social mer- business areas. This approach to CSR might project was conceptualized and executed by a pharma company, supports grassroots- chant bank, Shell Foundation has brought have brought some small-scale social and an NGO called OneWorld International. The level innovations healthcare, education and affordable and clean lighting solutions to environmental benefits, but it hasn’t been system runs on Cisco’s ‘Unified Messaging livelihoods. numerous street vendors in Bangalore. The very successful in creating sustainable, Platform’ and British Telecom provides the An inspiring organization which is eco- Foundation’s ‘Embarq’ program supports large-scale impact on the triple bottom funding, leadership, commercial and techni- socially responsible is Bangalore-based Bio- sustainable transport initiatives. line (social, economic and environmental). cal expertise to the project through its In- diversity Conservation India Limited (BCIL) Hopefully, the next few years will see ini- Thankfully, the last few years have seen a dian Joint Venture partner, Tech Mahindra. which creates eco-friendly solutions for ur- tiatives such as the ones mentioned in this marked shift in this mindset worldwide and The project now supports nearly 100,000 ban living. BCIL works towards offering eco- article inspiring more companies to adopt companies have started realizing that CSR people in more than 4600 villages all over logically sustainable real estate options to mature CSR practices. has to go beyond donations and employee India. There are several other similar initia- mainstream urban home-buyers — with fo- volunteering. There are several organiza- tives undertaken by Bangalore’s technology cus on localized energy and water solutions tions in India that have included Social Re- companies, such as the special software by and community-based waste management sponsibility in their mainstream operations IBM which allows blind people to access the systems. BCIL also creates green tourism and have offered their core competencies internet. There are a few other companies destinations that are grid-free on energy, to create a lasting impact on the triple bot- which offer their expertise in computer and water-positive in the long term and built tom line. software installation to NGOs. with energy-efficient building methods. ITC’s e-Choupal is, perhaps, the best known Hospitals and Pharmaceutical companies, Shell Foundation, the social responsibility among such activities. However, ‘Lifelines perhaps, have the kind of competencies that arm of the Anglo-Dutch energy giant, Shell, India’ is an equally good initiative, which can be leveraged most directly for social up- has a well managed set of programs which involves the core competencies of Cisco liftment. Prominent hospitals in Bangalore, support various energy, lighting and trans-

- 6 - AUGUST 2008 Forefront E-mail: [email protected]

SATTVIC CELEBRITY Translating equality into reality Kalpana Aravamuthu Meenu Bhambhani, CSR manager at Mphasis talks to us about Mphasis’s CSR initiatives, with emphasis on their disability program.

nil suffers from hemophilia, a rare someone may get hurt.” What such an initiative (walk-in interviews or exclusive drives to recruit blood disorder where the blood does actually needs is some creative and cost-effec- disabled people) - is used to encourage people Anot clot normally. His employer, tive solutions, tailor made for the individual by with disability to join the organization. Mphasis, provided him with an optical key- a sensitized HR policy. Mphasis has an allocated Mphasis is tied up with NGOs like Enable India, board to reduce his chances of hurting himself budget for workplace solutions and is bringing Diversity and Equal Opportunity Centre, Asso- typing on a regular keyboard. out a written policy that looks at the minutiae ciation of People with Disability and Vocational of providing reasonable accommodation for Ruchi suffers from multiple disabilities. She ne- Rehabilitation Centre. People with disabilities, people with disability. gotiated to take her work-breaks in a single, especially in rural al areas, have less access to one-hour chunk so she did not have to struggle Meenu Bhambhani of Mphasis Meenu has an M.S. in disability and human good quality education and training. So, to with her catheter at her office in Indore and development and loads of experience working address the problem of employability, Project could go home to take her insulin shots. with disability initiatives at NGOs and with the Communicate was launched - 85 people with Partha got a magnifier to enable him to see the government of Rajasthan. She was recruited to disabilities were trained and are now employed computer screen and work around his low-vi- drive, lead and run the equal opportunity initia- in Mphasis and other places like Sparsh. sion disability. tive at Mphasis. Her contribution to the initiative There is one more reason why Meenu is unique- has helped to increase the number of people All these people working at Mphasis have been ly qualified and motivated to run this program recruited as part of the CSR program to assimi- with disabilities working at Mphasis (from 40 in – she is disabled herself. She suffers from a mo- late people with disability into the workplace. the first three years, to 200 in the fourth year). bility impairment. But it is clear that she does Meenu, manager, Community Initiatives, at It has also helped to de-mystify disability – to not let it come in the way of her aspirations, Mphasis, says that there has been a tremendous sensitize and train the recruitment and training as she dashes around the city and the various change since The Persons with Disabilities Act personnel that people with disabilities are indi- Mphasis centers in the country in her bid to do came into force in 1996, and as a recent NASS- viduals who bring a unique perspective to the her job as best as she can. COM report showed, 64% of IT companies are workplace and add to the bottom line of the now employing people with disabilities. But, company. A twin track approach – inclusive (all She is a prime example of the fact that when she says, ”some companies continue to avoid internal and external job postings mandatorily you provide the social and physical environment recruiting people with disabilities, because they mention the line - “We encourage applications to work around a disability, you create a win- think there may be huge costs involved, or that from people with disabilities”) and targeted win situation.

- 7 - AUGUST 2008 Suja with daughter Ameya EDITORIAL E-mail: [email protected]

EXPERT SPEAK The How, Why, What of CSR Suja Warriar Corporate Social Responsibility is the latest buzzword in the corridors of corporate India. But what does it really mean? And why should companies concerns themselves with it? Suja Warrior, part of the core team of CSR initiatives at Infosys, Bangalore, answers these questions and more.

SR builds an image of “a caring company” even holders; it is also for the community and its development. reaching out to the needy, in more than one way. though there is no universally accepted defini- Employing people building their skills and knowledge and Like many other organizations , the organisation I work tion for CSR programmes. Loosely put, it is ac- C creating opportunities for the people around makes all the with has a CSR team in place which is instrumental in tion aimed at the welfare of communities, employees and difference. providing opportunities for employees to express their their families. The aim of CSR is active social development, higher eco- desire to contribute towards social causes. CSR has be- True, commercial initiatives like cause-related marketing nomic growth and social engineering to reduce social come a part of the corporate strategy and the policy is and event sponsorship make the company more visible in inequalities. made in consultation with the employees, so there is no the eyes of underprivileged. True, all enterprises aim at need for “selling” the idea again. There’s another reason why a company should invest in CSR. high profits. The existence of the corporate sector is the It creates a sense of pride in employees and share holders, and CSR programmes have been around for longer than they are consequence of a bargain between business and society. makes consumers and customers want to associate with them. credited for. Remember an ad that used to come on TV a The same society has granted entrepreneurs all the privi- Motivation should also come from the fact that companies decade ago, which showed a happy community and ended leges of success with limited liability. In return, entrepreneurs put their capital at risk so that society gets jobs and with CSR schemes in place are highly regarded in their local with the punch line: “We also make steel”? government, taxes. communities, by the government, the media and public. It took 16 long years to finish the construction of the Um-

Leadership is all about capturing the minds of the peo- CSR programmes are many and varied. Purchasing products aid Bhavan Palace in Rajasthan. This palace, made of chhit- ple. The CSR bug is the right way to capture the minds of and services from disabled and allowing them to showcase tar sand stone is a tourist attraction. But the Maharaja of unknown millions who are far away from God’s selected their skills at the company’s campus is one example. By provid- Jodhpur ordered the construction of this palace to provide crowd. The CSR movement does not forget the fundamen- ing scholarships, grants, capital or equipment for starting small employment to famine-struck population of 20th century tal reason a business exists. The first priority is to generate scale industries, arranging training or sponsoring teachers for Jodhpur. So there is nothing innovative about CSR as we profit but this is not only for the entrepreneur and share- adult education, companies are marking their presence and keep boasting. History is proof.

- 8 - AUGUST 2008 EDITORIAL Bala Email: [email protected]

GUEST COLUMN CSR – The Mask and The Face Bala Bala is based in Bangalore. He runs a brand consulting and communication firm called Centre of Gravity and is a poet, with a book to his credit. Bala talks about what makes responsible corporations and why there aren’t enough of them.

t was the year 1995 and Ray Anderson, the chairman of Hidden within such an inspirational story is a deeper malaise. Why greater responsibility from corporations. don’t other corporations behave as responsibly as Interface? Why Interface, was faced with an interesting dilemma. Interface However, a corporation being what it is, an entity that primarily is it an exception rather than the rule? Iis the world’s largest carpet manufacturing company. Its exists to make profits – can’t change itself fundamentally. There- To put it quite bluntly, corporations are not meant to be respon- external stakeholders such as interior decorators were concerned fore, it adapts itself by posturing – as if it is an organisation that sible. Their central responsibility is to make more profits for its about the impact of Interface carpets on the environment. cares for society and environment. Therefore, Corporate Social shareholders. Every other objective of the organization is at best The problem was that Ray Anderson had nothing to tell them Responsibility remains a peripheral activity in the majority of cor- subservient to it. Therefore, to expect that Mattel should worry because he had never given it a thought. Fortunately, a book porations and not a central one. called ‘The Ecology of Commerce’ landed in his hand, by mere about the impact of Barbie doll on the psyche of children or Uni- coincidence. lever should worry about how ‘Fair and Lovely’ affects the self- esteem of women or Coca-cola and McDonalds should worry Who is to be blamed? The truth is that the capital- It spoke about how the linear system of industrial civilisation, about the effect of junk food on health is being a bit naive. How- ist market is so designed, it is in conflict with the larger social which takes-makes-wastes, harms the earth in myriad ways. It ever, over the last decade, we are witnessing a lot of corporations and environmental interests. And every one of us are partici- talked about the rivers that are being polluted by effluents, the who are beginning to openly talk about and sometimes demon- pants in this game whether we like it or not. As a customer, we forests that are being destroyed, and the air that is being polluted. strate their social responsibility. Why is this happening? demand great value without any concern for the producers. As It spoke about the high extinction rates. Ray Anderson was very a shareholder, we demand grand returns without any concern moved by the book and he set his mind towards making his com- The Evolution of Relationship. In the na- for how the corporation might be harvesting the environment in pany sustainable. Since then Interface has made this its central scent stages of a capitalist economy, people’s expectation from the short-term. mission and is well on its way to be a ‘zero ecological footprint’ an organisation is quite simple. As a customer, one seeks the Therefore, the real solution to the problem of corporate irrespon- company by 2020. best quality at the lowest price. As an employee, one seeks the sibility is a systemic change in the way the capitalist economy is It has greatly reduced its carbon emissions and imagines a day best remuneration. structured. Two catalysts that will shape this change are ‘deplet- when its factory will be without smokestacks. It has designed a However, as the capitalist economy matures, people begin to no- ing resources’ that will demand greater resource efficiency from carpet that can be completely recycled and imagines a day when tice the many ill-effects of this profit-driven society, reflected in corporation and ‘enlightened citizens’ who will begin to demand it will dig landfills to recycle its own carpets and those of its com- the impact on the environment, effect of chemicals on health, greater responsibility from corporations as consumers, sharehold- petitors. When one listens to the story of Interface, one feels in- stress of the work environment, adverse effect of advertising mes- ers and employees. However, at this stage, it is anybody’s guess spired and positive about such an exceptional corporation. sages on children and so on.. And slowly, they begin to demand the kind of system that will emerge out of this.

- 9 - AUGUST 2008 EDITORIAL E-mail: [email protected]

POSTSCRIPT “What do we stand to gain from all this?” asked corporator, the space in the Market yard was taken away 50-year-old Mohammad Hanif from a slum in Yashwanth- from the NGO. The NGO already had a computer centre Starting from scratch pura. A volunteer replied, explaining the benefits of com- but the cost of running the place was too high for them Saurabh Bhatia puter knowledge and the jobs it could get the youth. Ques- to bear alone. The problem was solved after the company How does a CSR project come into tions were raised on the credibility of the company helping agreed to pay part of the expenses, including salaries of being? Is it conceived in the mind to put up the school, on the ability of the people who were the faculties, while the NGO agreed to pay rent for the of a single person, or in a confer- to teach and about what was to happen after the course. space. Some questions were dodged and some answered, as mem- ence room amidst managers? Or The initial field days were extremely hard, but the NGO how- bers of a partner NGO tried to assure people about the proj- ever handled things tactfully. And with two volunteers who is it given to partner NGOs to run? ect. Or can some companies, as it was could speak Kannada and Tamil (a lucky find), the team was Saurabh’s experience, walk the Prior to this, the idea was conceived and put forth by the finally able to communicate the advantages of the whole activity and seek the support of the residents. Dates, selec- harder path of sharing responsibil- company in front of a team of volunteers bubbling with en- thusiasm. The team had a list of objectives in front of them. tion criteria and examination procedures were worked out. ity, by involving employees, NGOs Importantly, they wanted to identify an area where a major The response on the day one of form distribution was over- and the beneficiaries? chunk of youth is unemployed and the population below whelming and encouraged everyone. Volunteers poured over poverty line is large. The idea was to train them in English forms to see who fitted the filtering criteria. It was a Hercu- and computers and get them jobs. The volunteers were clear lean task. The worst part was explaining to someone why his that they wanted to discuss their concept with residents of or her application got rejected.

the area before setting up any infrastructure. On the day of examination, volunteers realised the number After many detailed discussions, the team froze upon Yash- of examination papers were much lesser than the total num- wanthpura. Their company was already associated with an ber of candidates expected. There were only two photocopy NGO working in that area. The project coordinator and vol- shops available. One shopowner said it would take at least unteers started meeting up with the NGO to discuss their 4 hours for him to carry out the task. While he got started, vision and ways it could be carried out. half the papers were taken to the next shop. It took 3 hours for the whole task to be completed. Around 50 people were The NGO told them that the government had provided them tested and only the meritorious were granted admissions. with a huge space in the Yashwanthpura Market yard which could be used for the purpose. I was a part of the process till here and always look back with amazement at how, despite challenges, the team of Now came ‘laying of the brass tracks’ part. The team met volunteers and the coordinator sweated it out together, to a professor from Bangalore University to get material on form the IT School. English and communication courses, while a couple of guys from IT companies worked on the computer module. Today this school has trained 3 batches and successfully placed more than 2 batches of people. Unexpectedly, the project received a huge blow early on. Due to problems between the government and the local

- 10 - AUGUST 2008 diversecity E-mail: [email protected]

Converging to Contribute Vishal Talreja & Claire Wadhwani lazy Sunday afternoon came alive at the KSHA stadium the other better and build a bond between the adults and A Friendly Hockey match between on 24th August 2008. Convergys and Dream A Dream children. By the end of the match the two teams had bonded the children in the Dream Hockey Acame together to show that with willingness and the together and even hugged each other as they parted ways. right approach, community initiative programs can go a long way Program and employees at Conver- It was a fabulous afternoon for the Dream A Dream children in engaging employees and empowering the vulnerable. gys brought alive the spirit of com- who enjoyed the unique chance to play with adults and munity social responsibility in its Dream A Dream, a Bangalore based NGO, provides life skills succeed as a team. It was an equally enjoyable day for the truest sense. programs to vulnerable children be they orphans, street kids, Convergys team and for the various families who experienced runaways and other children in Bangalore slum communities. the joy of seeing the children do so well! Left The children in Dream A Dream’s hockey program have been Ashish Ballal Convergys added the icing on the cake by donating 20 com- congratulating the training about one to three years and needed match practice plete hockey kits – including sticks, balls, jerseys, warm-up players to test and hone their skills. The team at Convergys had quite suits, shin guards and hockey shoes – which will allow Dream Below a few Hockey players and some enthusiastic learners. In all, it Hockey game A Dream to enrol 20 more vulnerable children in this amaz- provided a perfect platform for fun, togetherness and some ing program. good competitive spirit. Ashish Ballal echoed the gratitude of Dream A Dream in the The match began with much fanfare as Ashish Ballal, the support Convergys has shown for providing the chance to former Olympian and Arjuna Awardee made an appearance. play hockey with children who rarely have the opportunity to Ashish encouraged both teams to play their best and cheered participate in recreational programs. Ashish has been an ac- them on. Hearts fluttered as the whistle blew and the tiny tots took on the giants. The match was evenly poised with each tive supporter of the Dream Hockey program as the children team scoring 2 goals each. A little over half way through the get coached under professional coaching provided by his match it was clear that the Dream A Dream team was on its academy, the Dhanraj Ballal Hockey Academy. way to victory. The children were playing as a team, encour- This partnership is part of Dream A Dream’s Dreaming To- aging each other and celebrating together over each of the gether initiative which aims at pairing employee volunteers six goals that they eventually scored – against the two scored with funding support for its programs. By combining these by the Convergys team. The joy and pride that they felt was two common CSR initiatives, corporates benefit from having written all over their faces as they dominated play. Their con- their own employees become engaged with the projects they fidence increased and they relaxed in their interactions with support financially, seeing for themselves the impact of the their opponents, laughing together. company’s CSR activities. Interested companies can contact, After a quick break, the teams were mixed up and a new Claire Wadhwani at [email protected] match was started. This allowed each group to get to know to participate in the Dreaming Together initiative.

- 11 - AUGUST 2008 Refractive Little drops of water, little grains of sand Index GOLI AND MALAVIKA A look at some of the lesser known, but noteworthy corporate initiatives

Cavin Kare ITC Awards to celebrate exemplary spirit of “differently abled” Striving to become a water positive company CavinKare has teamed up with Ability foundation and instituted ability awards. The ITC strives to become a water positive company, by returning to the environment CavinKare Ability Awards - a total of three awards – are given annually to salute more water than they consume. ITC units have efficient wastewater treatment personal triumphs, the extraordinary spirit of achievement and the willingness to look plants that treat wastewater to standards of purity that are significantly higher beyond one’s own self and physical limitations. The awards per se have attained a than prescribed. Also, wherever possible, ITC business units evaluate the potential large scale in terms of event management. CavinKare believes that the awards would for rainwater harvesting and implement them. kindle many hearts to reach set milestones, despite their physical limitations. Wipro Technologies Mantri Developers Green Buildings Better environment for law enforcers A recent trend in building construction is the concept of ‘Green Buildings’. The Malleshwaram police station in North Bangalore got an image makeover (refur- concept aims at making an eco-friendly, high performance, low wastage and intel- bished interiors and exteriors) through this 4-million social initiative from Mantri. ligent building, which is sustainable along with having a minimal negative impact on the environment. It also aims at the conservation of energy and resources at ABB every level. Wipro Technologies Development Centre in Gurgaon, spread over 1.2 Fostering economic partnerships with NGOs. acres is a certified green building. It is reported to be 6% more expensive to build, ABB has a lot of CSR initiatives going on in education, health, and environment. but will recover the extra cost within 18 months in terms of energy savings. One of their most impressive initiatives has been an economic partnership with Prabodhini - a workshop for mentally disabled individuals. What started modestly Hindustan Zinc Limited with a purchase of 1000 greeting cards has today grown into a big partnership. Model village development Now, Prabodhini meets ABB’s requirements for packing stickers, caution cards, Hindustan Zinc’s corporate responsibility activities include social investment and box files, flat files and earth contact assemblies. ABB received the Hellen Keller environment conservation. A holistic development plan has been put in place for award in 2006 for this mutually beneficial partnership. 59 villages in phases, In phase I, of the 12 villages 9 have been phased out, bringing more than 24,000 families above poverty line and raising their income levels Cadbury from INR 1,700/- per month to 3,000/- per month. Conserving Ecology and maintaining a lake. Water is a precious resource and as a part of Cadbury India’s efforts to continu- Shell ously increase water conservation, their Bangalore factory has constructed a check Petrol Bunk operated by women dam to store the rainwater. This dam not only acts as a major ground water re- If you are in Bangalore and driving from Marathalli towards Varthur, stop at the plenishing source for the bore wells in the factories and surrounding community, Shell petrol bunk for a refill and you’ll notice that the petrol bunk is run completely but is also a stopover location for some migratory birds! by female employees.

- 12 - AUGUST 2008 Refractive Index Visual Search Samarthanam Flat No:103, # 11, Villa Suchita, 1st cross, May Flower Laxmi Apts, 17th ‘A’ main, Behind Giri Apts. Get Going! 63, Sultan Palya Main Rd, JP Nagar 2nd phase, Bangalor R.T. Nagar, Bangalore - 560 032 Phone: 080 26592999 / 26591488 E-mail: [email protected] No CSR initiatives in your company? Toybank Films for Freedom Sh w e t a Here’s how you can get something started! [email protected] Phone: 9892077071 www.toybank.co.in

Form a group There is only so much you can do to fix the problems your busi- If you don’t have time for volunteering, then there are more sub- This is the first thing to do. CSR initiatives are always rooted in ness causes. When you reach that point, start finding out other tle ways to make the difference. small beginnings. So, look around and gather a group of people initiatives your group can participate in. There are a great many Help employ the differently abled in your work- who are interested in such initiatives. Approach your HR depart- organizations that are looking for volunteers. place. Take the initiative to create awareness in your HRD towards offering equal opportunities and help employ differently ment and higher management with your findings and sugges- Most people get stuck here because they don’t know what to abled people in your work place. Create a disabled-friendly envi- tions. do. But there are people you can take help from. For example, ronment - ramps, wheelchairs, accessible counters etc. How do you find people? Well, one easy way is to orga- iVolunteer is an organization which can help you locate the near- nize a screening of movies related to social initiatives. There are est NGO to your office/home, and give you various volunteering Empower the under privileged by using their ser- . Whenever your company buys bulk gifts for all employ- institutions like VisualSearch, FilmsForFreedom and Vikalp, who opportunities that are available. You can get Toybank to organize vices ees you could ensure that you buy them from various NGOs like have social consciousness related films and they would be de- a toy collection drive in your office or you can organize a clothes Samarthanam, Ananya, and so on. When you print t-shirts, you lighted to give you the copy for screenings. collection drive or a news paper collection drive. You can help could buy them from the NGOs. some rural NGO set up an organic foods stall in your company, First, do no harm Whenever you have excess food be- which would enable farmers to sell directly. Don’t waste; Donate. Study your business and its impact on people, environment, re- cause of some function you could call 1098 - child line number sources etc. Attempt to reduce the negative impact caused by Use your competency and share and they will ensure that the food which would otherwise be your business. your skills wasted, reaches some needy children’s home. • Use eco-friendly packaging How can your firm’s competency be used to help • Avoid or at least reduce the use of plastics people? Are you in technology? In marketing? Finance? Law? Respond to catastrophes • Dispose waste safely Floods, droughts, earth quakes, fires, crashes happen out of the Medicine? Share your job skills. Help an organization to reach • Reduce wastage of resources like raw materials, blue. Help at such important junctures by volunteering your time water, energy etc more people by creating an informative website. Help someone to help in rehabilitation. • Reduce pollution by improving the technology used fight a legal battle. Teach people basic finances and banking. • Increase safety at the work place for employees Volunteer to do the PR for some NGO. For example, there is a and contractors Get others involved theatre group called WeMove which does theatre for benefit of • Have some greenery around the workplace Spread the word and get more people to join. Everyone does not old age homes. Be it music, theatre, science, writing, teaching or have the time on a regular basis. With more people involved, ev- Some things like using individual cabs are clearly a luxury and can whatever you enjoy and are good at doing, there will be volun- eryone has lesser pressure and more options. Make the people in be easily reduced. teering opportunity for it. your organization aware of the world around them. Encourage one time activities and awareness campaigns. Subtle ways to make a difference Create a positive impact

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Dream A Dream APD (Association of People with Disability) Dream A Dream, a professionally run, non-profit organization working towards APD has been focused through its various programmes towards comprehensive empowering children from vulnerable backgrounds. Dream A Dream is looking rehabilitation of disabled people especially from the impoverished segment of our for dynamic, passionate, committed and hard-working Changemakers to join its society. APD is dedicated to meet individual needs, create awareness, promote ac- Dream Team. Over the next 3 years, Dream A Dream aims to impact the lives of ceptance & integration, instill self-confidence and encourage self-reliance. over 3000 children from vulnerable backgrounds and you can be part of creating APD immediately requires volunteers to teach English written and verbal commu- that impact. This is your chance to leave your footprints on the sands of time. nication skills to their IT and Office Management trainees in the age group of 17 Dream A Dream is looking for people who need a job, but people who want to to 22 years. The trainees are either from Rural Background or passed out their PUC impact positive change in the world! in Kannada Medium. Hence the volunteers require patience and ability to start If you are looking for a most dynamic, creative and fun work environment that will teaching from basic grammar and gradually lead them into the feel & expression challenge you and also help you grow tremendously as an individual then here a of the language. Isn’t it a challenging and wonderful opportunity? chance. Fit the bill?? Ready to assist? Quickly contact Yuneshwari at [email protected] or Send in your resume to Namrata Agarwal, [email protected] [email protected] or call on 9886861559. To know more about Dream A Dream, log onto www.dreamadream.org

SATHI (Society for Assistance to Children in Difficult Situation) Janaagraha SATHI is a non – profit organization, established in 1997. SATHI works with chil- Janaagraha, a not for profit organization, helping citizens and their Governments dren on the railway platforms. It rescues them from the vagaries of platform life to improve quality of life in the Urban areas. and provides shelter and care until the child is returned home safely. The core For various programmes of theirs, following volunteering positions are open. activity of SATHI is ‘home placement’. Its operations are spread across the major 1. Onebillionvotes Regional Coordinator junctions of India with partner NGOs. SATHI ensures the reintegration of these children in the society and their families through rehabilitation camps. 2. Onebillionvotes Outreach Talk Facilitators

HELP REQUIRED FROM VOLUNTEERS: 3. Area Sabha Associates

The work that is expected from the volunteers would be basically outreach at the 4. Advocacy Associate platform. The role that is expected from the volunteers is that they have to stay at 5. WISA Planning Associate the platform for some time and get children who move alone or are seen at the 6. Communications Associate platform without parents and escorts. They have to get them to the shelter. The requirement is in 2nd week of September for a period of 15 days. If you are interested please get in touch with Janaagraha at 41277102/103 or write to at Confirm your participation toPrarthana at [email protected] to take up Kavitha [email protected] this voluntary assignment.

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Makkala Jagriti Announcement for Writers Makkala Jagriti is a ‘Learning Centre’ focused on providing enriching, exciting, safe Sattva is a monthly e-magazine bringing together an assortment and secure learning environment for children from economically disadvantaged of articles, stories, insights, interviews, expert-opinions and useful sections of the society, at present in Bangalore - Audgodi, HSR Layout, Mysore information pertaining to the social change process. Sattva high- Road and at Dairy Circle. lights a single social theme every month and over the last 2 years In the centers, they provide books, computers, creativity workshops, games and has covered a wide range of social and community themes in- toys, outdoor programs, civic awareness programmes and experiential work- cluding education, children, health,technology for social change, shops. traffic etc. Sattva is looking out for writers to join its content team. So if you - 1. A volunteer/ group of volunteers can engage with Makkalla Jagriti in any of the following ways: a) Special teaching support b) English/Maths Coaching c) Computer Training d) Story Telling e) Documentation f) Administra- - Have a penchant for writing tive Support g) Theme Based Projects (Art/Science) h) Group Activity - Are passionate about being involved with the social and com- with Children i) Any other interests munity engagement process 2. Apart from volunteering regularly for a few hours every week/month, with the - Like being involved with a team in creating something creative help of the Makkala Jagriti Staff, volunteers can also plan, design, organise and and fulfilling execute a one day experience at Makkala Jagriti. 3. Current most important requirement at Adugodi Centre is teaching Maths to , mail in to sattva.ezine@ gmail.com and one of the Editors Kannada medium students of class 10th. from Sattva would get in touch with you. Writing/volunteerin g Timing: Flexible. Could be weekdays after 5 PM or weekends. experience is definitely a plus and so please send in any reference How often: once or twice a week articles/blog- posts/volunteering experience-stories. Pre-requisites: Knowledge of Kannada. If you are interested please contact Prarthana at [email protected]

- 15 - AUGUST 2008 INTERFACE

Editor-in-Chief Dear Readers, Whilst “Sattva- Realising Equilibrium Kalpana Aravamuthu in Social Change” (“Sattva”), has used If would you like to Contribute articles, share your views and experi- reasonable endeavours to ensure that the ences, write to us at [email protected] Layout and Design information provided in the e-magazine Komal Jyoti We would love to hear from you! Send in your Suggestions / Comments is accurate and up to date as at the time / Feed back to [email protected] of issue, it reserves the right to make SATTVA Logo Design corrections and does not warrant that it Pratiba Raman Our forthcoming issue in Sept ‘08 is on Success stories / Case stud- is accurate or complete. Information will ies. If you are interested in contributing articles and artwork please do change with time. Sattva hereby disclaims Core Team Writers write to us. all liability to the maximum extent permit- Srikrishna S. ted by law in relation to the e-magazine To Subscribe to the SATTVA email us: [email protected] Goli and does not give any warranties (includ- Malavika Thiagaraja To join Team Sattva, email us at [email protected] ing any statutory ones) in relation to the Sagar Gubbi information contained herein. This is a free Aarti Mohan To contact our Editor-in-Chief, you can email Kalpana Aravamuthu at service and therefore you agree by receiv- Sumithra Sivaramakrishnan [email protected] ing any e-magazine(s) that this disclaimer Kalpana Aravamuthu is reasonable. Any copying, redistribution Looking for a platform to feature job opportunities, volunteer opportunities, or republication of Sattva e-magazine(s), or Resource Coordinator events or any other information related to the social sector in Bangalore? the content thereof, for commercial gain is Deepak CN strictly prohibited. Furthermore, hyperlinks We welcome you to use our Interface section. provided in the e-magazine(s) to Internet

Copydesk Editors Please contact Deepak at [email protected] resources are at your own risk; the con- Kalpana Aravamuthu tent, accuracy, opinions expressed and Priya Venkataraman other links provided by these resources are not investigated, verified, monitored, or Special thanks to endorsed by us. Suja Warriar Balaji Vishal Talreja Claire Wadhwani Saurabh Bhatia

- 16 - AUGUST 2008