Engaging with communities, driving sustainable growth
November 11, 2019
Tata Volunteering Week 12 (TVW) was conducted this September and as is Tata International’s annual tradition, colleagues from across the company’s geographies stepped forward to make a positive difference. However, efforts were not restricted to just the duration of TVW. Teams have been stepping forward throughout the year, to give of their time and resources.
In FY 2018-19, Tata International clocked over 5,200 hours of volunteering, with a whopping 82 per cent contributed by our Dewas team in Madhya Pradesh (the 23rd highest in the Tata group). More than 10,000 lives have been positively impacted by the activities undertaken by Tata International’s teams globally.
Key areas of focus were education, health, skill development and awareness activities. Some of the activities undertaken included:
Education: Distribution of study material, computers, Braille machines to schools and event celebrations in local schools
Health: Blood donation camps, health camps at government primary and middle schools
Environment: Clean-up and tree plantation drives at public spaces, schools and hospitals
Skill development: Training in footwear making for disadvantages communities
Others: Awareness drives on the health risks of tobacco and alcohol abuse
Our local initiatives to help and strengthen our society are ongoing. Here are some of the initiatives undertaken:
Leather and Leather Products
The Dewas team (Madhya Pradesh) remains focused on facilitating the education of economically and socially disadvantaged sections. Continuous interventions at schools, colleges and for adults are conducted, to motivate beneficiaries and make them more employable.
The Bachi Shoes Division (Chennai) partnered with Miraclefeet to provide treatment for children with clubfoot syndrome. So far 6,500 cases have been supported. It also continued support to Somangalam School including distribution of study material (computers, physics laboratory apparatus); career guidance programmes; yoga sessions; and events/lectures on health and hygiene.
Distribution
In Africa some of the activities included volunteering at Lofentse Girls High School; distribution of math dictionaries to the grade 12 learners; donating braille papers; supporting the Women in Science Awards and Tata Postgraduate scholarships to students from the Universities of Witwatersrand (Johannesburg), KwaZulu-Natal (KwaZulu-Natal), Nelson Mandela Metropolitan (Port Elizabeth), and Free State University (Free State); and volunteering at old age homes and orphanages.
In Vietnam teams volunteered at Thien, an Orphanage in Can Tho City Center for Social Protection, home to 40 orphans aged between 6 and 16 years and also cares for children with disabilities or mental illnesses; supported two local charitable institutions – one in Can Tho City and the other in Ho Chi Minh – in their daily routine of child development through reading, writing, drawing and playing.
Metals
The Americas team partnered with ‘One Tree Planted’ to plant trees to offset its carbon emission footprint. The non-profit organisation that supports various reforestation projects spread over four continents. Tata International Americas has committed themselves to plant as many trees as it takes to offset their flight emissions, thus considerably reducing the carbon footprint of the business activities. Over the course of one year, the team projects to fund the planting of approximately 7,000 trees.
In India the Products for Aluminium Industry team donated furniture to the Generation Yuvaa orphanage in Vizag.
Tata International firmly adheres to the Tata group philosophy of ‘giving back to society many times over’. As JRD Tata once said, “Good human relations not only bring great personal rewards but are essential to the success of any enterprise.”
Looking forward to the coming year, plans are underway to formalise employee volunteering initiatives along the lines of Tata Engage; strengthen the review mechanism for CSR within the company; and amplify activities within the focus areas identified.
