Financial Post

Category: National

  • ‘Arth Sangini’ NGO taught financial management tips to women constables

    Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], June 22: ‘Inflation eats up your hard-earned money. You should save your capital. It is always a profitable deal to invest in a place that gives higher returns than inflation. Shanu Mehta, the founder of ‘Arth Sangini’ NGO, told these tips to the newly appointed women constables in the webinar of Police Training College, Indore on Monday.

    She said that instead of keeping money in a savings account, making a fixed deposit or recurring deposit will give higher returns. If at present inflation rate is 6 percent, then you have to invest your capital in such a place where you will get more than 6 percent return only then you will save.

    On this occasion, Professor Himanshu Rai, Director, IIM, Indore said that one should always work in life with purpose and excellence. Shanu Mehta, Visiting Faculty at IIM, Indore said that the amount that can cover the expenses of 3 months should always be kept in the account as an emergency fund.

    Mehta said that the sooner you start investing, the more profit you will get. Never think that now I am very young why I should invest now. If someone saves 3 to 5 thousand rupees every month, then with the power of compounding, he can easily become a millionaire in 20 to 25 years.

    Mehta said that if you want to be financially independent then you have to take your own decisions. Along with investing, she also explained the entire process of budgeting. In this webinar  Aruna Mohan Rao,  Special DG Training, Anuradha Shankar,  ADG Training, and SP Agam Jain,  PTC also participated. More than 200 women constables got financial management training under this program.

    Arth Sangini is an NGO engaged in the work of spreading economic literacy among women. This NGO is helping needy women in product sales through a network of collaborators.

  • ‘Arth Sangini’ NGO taught financial management tips to women constables

    Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], June 22: ‘Inflation eats up your hard-earned money. You should save your capital. It is always a profitable deal to invest in a place that gives higher returns than inflation. Shanu Mehta, the founder of ‘Arth Sangini’ NGO, told these tips to the newly appointed women constables in the webinar of Police Training College, Indore on Monday.

    She said that instead of keeping money in a savings account, making a fixed deposit or recurring deposit will give higher returns. If at present inflation rate is 6 percent, then you have to invest your capital in such a place where you will get more than 6 percent return only then you will save.

    On this occasion, Professor Himanshu Rai, Director, IIM, Indore said that one should always work in life with purpose and excellence. Shanu Mehta, Visiting Faculty at IIM, Indore said that the amount that can cover the expenses of 3 months should always be kept in the account as an emergency fund.

    Mehta said that the sooner you start investing, the more profit you will get. Never think that now I am very young why I should invest now. If someone saves 3 to 5 thousand rupees every month, then with the power of compounding, he can easily become a millionaire in 20 to 25 years.

    Mehta said that if you want to be financially independent then you have to take your own decisions. Along with investing, she also explained the entire process of budgeting. In this webinar  Aruna Mohan Rao,  Special DG Training, Anuradha Shankar,  ADG Training, and SP Agam Jain,  PTC also participated. More than 200 women constables got financial management training under this program.

    Arth Sangini is an NGO engaged in the work of spreading economic literacy among women. This NGO is helping needy women in product sales through a network of collaborators.

  • ‘Reach Lives’ NGO Supports over 1000 Trans-Persons during LGBTQ+ Pride Month

    Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 21: In honor of the LGBTQ+ Pride Month, ‘Reach Lives’, a Bangalore-based NGO has launched an outreach program to support transgender communities residing in Bangalore. The initiative, which commenced in early June, aims to help community members explore and access alternatives to their current livelihoods, which have been identified to be both fragile and vulnerable to abuse by the UNDP.

    ‘Reach Lives’ is a subsidiary of the Anora Charitable Foundation and aims to serve the underprivileged by providing access to quality healthcare, nutrition, and vocational education. Through their transgender outreach program, they seek to understand and deliver on the perceived needs of these communities through a sustainable plan of action.

    Speaking on the outreach program, Dr. Victor Mohan, Co-Founder & CEO of Reach Lives, said – “With the second wave of the coronavirus bringing another round of stringent lockdowns, large communities of trans-persons, in the lower socio-economic strata, were left without a source of income. Combining this with the fact that June is recognized as the LGBTQ+ pride month, we were motivated to take action, and do our part by providing the basic essentials these communities would need to tide over the remainder of the pandemic.”

    Over the course of the month, the team at Reach Lives has been organizing outreach events, sourcing and distributing ration and health kits to members of the transgender communities, equipping them to get through the remainder of this pandemic. These kits are valued at Rs. 500 and Rs. 800 per kit and are expected to be of significant help to these individuals as much of their sources of income has been adversely impacted by COVID-I9. Additionally, Reach Lives has also procured and supplied pulse-oximeters, thermometers, and other medical equipment to the heads of the communities they reached.

    Mrs. Mini Mohan, Co-Founder & CFO at Reach Lives, stated, “Our initiative first kick-was started in early June, interacting with the communities in North Bengaluru. Since then, we have been expanding our coverage to the rest of Bangalore, as well as isolated pockets of trans-persons in areas like Chikmagalur, who have personally reached out to us for help. So far, we have supported over 500 individuals from these communities, and we hope to have reached over 1000+ trans-persons in need by the end of June.”

    In addition to catering to trans-person communities with affordable and accessible healthcare, the team at Reach Lives also aims to recognize and understand the fragility of their current professions, and source of income. Through this initiative, they intend on providing consistent support to help bring about sustainable growth within these communities, even post COVID.

    To help facilitate this project, Reach Lives has partnered with various Bangalore-based non-profits to help drive success to the initiative. This includes ‘Bangalore Food Bank’, their nutrition partner leveraging partnerships with corporates and food providers. With regards to the trans-community outreach, IFBN (India Food Banking Network) has served as a major donor, and through the Bangalore Food Bank, has helped reach an additional 100 trans-persons.

    Additionally, Reach Lives is also working closely with the Dream India Network, to identify trans-persons who are seeking help in finding alternate employment opportunities, upskill them and place them in suitable, sustainable employment.

    Sharing her thoughts on the inspiration behind this initiative, Dr. Senneil Gomes, Co-Founder & Director of Communications at Reach Lives said “Ever since our inception, our sole purpose and reason for being was always to help support marginalized groups in urban and rural South India. As a group of doctors, having witnessed the first-hand catastrophic effects of delays in seeking health care in terms of health outcomes and costs, we were inclined towards focusing our efforts on providing for communities that are often overlooked. Recognizing, and honoring the LGBTQ+ pride month, we aim to do the slightest bit we can to support these underprivileged communities, and hopefully move forward in our journey of improving the overall health status of our country.”

     Among their many initiatives, Reach Lives is also currently developing a plan to help support underprivileged communities who struggle with access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Foreseeing this to be a sizeable problem, they will be working with these communities, identifying and clarifying concerns that they have, while also organizing outreach events that will bring vaccines to their localities.

    Through their initiatives, the team at Reach Lives aims to further expand to additional communities in need across South India and beyond.

    For further information, visit: www.reachlives.com/

  • COVID-19 Care: MOURI Tech develops National Emergency Response Team (ERT) – Launches an App to monitor the mental well-being of its employees

    COVID-19 Vaccination Drive ongoing for 3500+ employees

    Hyderabad, Telangana [India]: MOURI Tech announced well-being services for its employees to deal with health challenges thrown by the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company has enhanced its health policy package to offer immediate financial help to employees contracted or recovering from COVID. Now COVID-related medical treatments are covered under group employee insurance and all the 3,500+ employees are covered under the same.

    To handle the global crisis, Company’s Crisis Management Team (CMT) monitors and responds to the situation. The CMT will also keep a track of the employees who are still recovering and need any kind of support. With its focus on India operations, MOURI Tech’s CMT has formed a National Emergency Response Team (ERT), a group of MOURI volunteers who assist its employees for various emergencies in medical, mental, and emotional situations. Regular sessions will be organized for mental well-being and emotional wellness. This group works 24×7 across the nation to support employees who are working remotely. ERT Mobile App is also launched to track employee’s health situation and to provide required assistance on a proactive basis. Currently, more than 200 employees are volunteering through ERT and have helped many employees and their families.

    On this development Mr. Srini Sandaka, CTO- MOURI Tech, said, “Following to our ‘Employee First. Customer Foremost’ philosophy, we stand with our employees and their families and do utmost care in these tough times that the world is witnessing. Financial and emotional support for our people is our top priority, and our ERT team reflects empathy; that’s one of our core values.”

    The company has already started a nationwide vaccination drive few days back for its 3500+ employees and their spouses across its offices in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Vizag and Kolhapur. The company is also assisting employees who are residing in other cities. Keeping the severity of the situation in mind, the company has extended the ‘Work from Anywhere’ option till the end of this year. By doing so company encourages social measures and safety to its employees and their families. IT operations & governance models have been installed to support operations and ensure quality and timely delivery to its global clients.

    Established in year 2005, MOURI Tech has evolved into a trusted global enterprise solution provider to its customers, helping them transform to an intelligent enterprise.  Its customer base includes several fortune 500 companies and from various industries across the globe.

    Headquartered in Dallas Texas USA, MOURI Tech has offices across five continents, with delivery COE and innovation centres in India. With a strong employee presence of 3500+ globally, and CMMI, ISO and PCI certified, MOURI Tech has wide range of IT services, solutions, and qualified/ patented products to cater to digital needs of the businesses of today and tomorrow.

    Visit Website for More Details : www.mouritech.com

  • Delhi Customs Brokers Association (DCBA) organizes Covid -19 vaccination camp for Customs Brokers

    New Delhi [India], June 17: DCBA has organized Covid -19 vaccination camp for Customs Brokers. The first camp is in progress at New Customs House, near IGI Airport, and will be held From June 15th to 18th June 2021.

    In a bid to protect hundreds of Customs Brokers, their staff, and family members this camp has been organized by DCBA

    The vaccination camp has been organized in association with Delhi Customs and Medanta hospital.

    The camp was inaugurated by Chief Commissioner Smt Ranjana Jha in the presence of Sh Manish Kumar Commissioner General, Smt Simmi Jain Principal Commissioner Imports, Smt Farah Iqbal Gupta Addl Commissioner, General along with Sh Raman Raj Sud, President DCBA with all office bearers and managing committee members.

    Customs Brokers are one of the vital components of the logistics & supply chain system and are recognized as frontline warriors in respect of the fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic through their immensely valuable services. The Customs Brokers are working 24×7 to clear all urgent Covid related cargo/material including oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders, ventilators, PPE kits, vaccines, etc from airports and seaports.

    Highlighting the urgent requirements of the vaccination camp, Mr. Santosh Kumar Choudhary, Hony Secretary DCBA informed that already a large number of Customs Brokers, their staff and family members got infected by the deadly coronavirus and many of our members their staff and young entrepreneurs have lost their lives from our sector.

    Mr. Choudhary further shared those responses from the CB community towards the vaccination drive have been tremendous and the same will be continued by organizing more vaccination camps at different Customs locations/ICDs in the Delhi NCR region in the days to come. Currently, more than 1000 people from the trade are being vaccinated in the first phase of this vaccination drive organized by the association.

    According to Mr. Choudhary, it could only happen because of the huge efforts of the entire Managing Committee of the association.

    The Managing Committee of DCBA Headed by Raman Raj Sud, President along with Mr. Gurvinder Singh, Vice-President; Mr. SantoshChoudhary, Hony Secretary; Mr. Rajbir Singh, Hony Joint Secretary; Mr. Bhim Singh Jain, Hony Treasurer; Mr. P.S. Atree, Advisor and Managing Committee Members – Mr. Anil Kumar Mishra, Mr. Davender Lal Pipil, Mr. Devendra Singh Bhadoria, Mr. Mahendra Singh Yadav; Mr. Rajiv Kumar Sharma, Mr. Rohit Kapoor, Mr. Vaneet Aggarwal, Mr. Vijay Raghavan, Mr. Vikrant Gogia, and Mr. Yogesh Kumar.

    Mr. Vijay Raghavan, Mr. Vikrant Gogia, and Mr. Devendra Singh Bhadoria spearheaded the coordination with Medanta Hospital, Local Administration, and Customs Authority to organize this successful vaccination camp, complying with all government rules & regulations and protocols pertaining to COVID-19 vaccination.

    We convey our gratitude to the team of Medanta, Customs officials, and local administration who extended full support to organize the vaccination camp for the greater interest of the import and logistics industry.

    Before organizing the event DCBA had launched a massive campaign among its members highlighting the importance of vaccination to fight the deadly coronavirus. The association’s sensitization programme propagated the following slogan.

     

    Baju Dikhao, COVID Hatao / Roll your sleeves

  • A young entrepreneur of the city is distributing footwear to the underprivileged on a large scale during the pandemic

    Surat (Gujarat) [India], June 16: There is a saying, ‘Work for a cause not for applause,’ and one such successful entrepreneur in our city is doing just that. We came across Vivek Dodia, Director at RV Estate Consultants Private Limited, Surat. Originally from Beawar, Rajasthan, Vivek has been staying in Surat for many years now and has a rich experience of more than 10 years in real estate consultancy.

    As an Entrepreneur, Vivek strongly believes in developing not just business goals but also making a social impact. Recently, during the pandemic, Vivek’s innovative mind got a random idea to keep footwear in his car for unprivileged people roaming bare feet on the roadsides in Surat. From this simple idea, developed a thought of helping such people on large scale and came up with the wonderful initiative of ‘Happy feet मुस्कुरातेकदम.’

    With the help of his working partner Rajendra Gandhi and some friends and his own funding, they systematically started footwear distribution. On 23rd May 2021, a fleet of 25 cars was sent for distribution in 15 different areas of Surat, which distributed around 2000 pairs in a day. This generated a lot of interest in the people of Surat and from other cities too. The goal of Happy Feet is to distribute around 5000 footwear in phase-1 and to spread this awareness in other cities also. MLA (Harsh Sanghvi) & ACP of Surat have also supported and appreciated this campaign.

    This enthusiastic entrepreneur has also formed MEYO – Maheshwari Entrepreneur Youth Organisation in 2017, to spread awareness about sports and cultural activities within the Maheshwari community while also promoting activities, especially for women.

    Meyo organised the biggest cricket event for ladies for the first time in Gujarat, based on the theme of—PALLU SE PAVILION TAK—(2017-2019).

    Another of his remarkable initiative was GREEYO– Distribution of 5000 indoor plants with exclusive pots to the Surat public for free of cost, which made a new World Record (2019).

    At the time of the crucial recession of the real estate industry in Surat, RV Estate consultants PVT LTD has developed and going to launch an awareness initiative ‘CHALO SAROLI’ to promote the Saroli area of Surat all over India and incorporated a website with the same name. All the properties developed by all the developers in Saroli are listed on the website for ease of users & investors.

    Vivek Dodia and his organisations have organised many such activities. Such kind of noble deeds for society is indeed praiseworthy and we should fully support them.

    Parents and wife Hema always supports Vivek in his social contributions.

  • Neeraj Clinic set to launch yoga with holistic treatment program on this international yoga day

    Rishikesh, Uttarakhand [India]: Yoga is the path to perfection and the attainment of a higher form of knowledge and mental peace.  Today, yoga is one of the popular healthy lifestyle habits all around the world.

    This ancient Indian science allows you to achieve relaxation, both at the physical and emotional levels. Yoga is one of the easiest to do physical activities, and everyone can do it, regardless of age and degree of physical fitness.

    Countless studies have shown that the use of a set of yoga exercises, asanas, and correct breathing techniques helps improve your emotional health and general well-being. In addition, it provides you the ability to adapt to new working conditions, which makes yoga a means of prevention and an alternative to the treatment of neurotic disorders.

    The vast arsenal of yoga practices in terms of maintaining health has become the basis for its popularization throughout the world.

    Every year, World Yoga Day is celebrated on June 21, and on this great occasion, Neeraj Clinic has announced that it will launch yoga with a holistic treatment program. Neeraj Clinic has been treating patients since 1985 and till now have treated more than 156000 patients worldwide.

    As the conversations around health needs, treatment modalities, clinical services, and care access for epileptic patients have become more urgent.

    “Epilepsy affects a person’s physical and mental state, as well as his or her social life,” says Dr. Gupta, Director of Neeraj Clinic.

    Neeraj Clinic is one of the three institutions approved by the Government of India for complete Ayurveda treatment of epilepsy.

    “Continuing our efforts to help epileptic patients maintain physical and mental health during these testing times, Neeraj Clinic has launched a week-long yoga and holistic treatment program,”says Dr. Gupta, Director of Neeraj Clinic.

    Dr. Gupta is an Ayurvedacharya and has 45 years of experience in Epilepsy treatment.

    Yoga offers an ancient yet surprisingly modern approach to seizure management. In Ayurveda, epilepsy is called apasmara, which means “loss of body consciousness.” Ancient Indian texts, the Vedas, describe four types of epilepsy and nine disorders that cause seizures in children. For the treatment of epilepsy, the physical practice of yoga aims to restore balance (union) between those aspects of a person’s health that cause seizures. Yoga is one of the oldest formal practices that seeks to restore this balance.

    Asanas help to restore the balance of the body and its metabolic systems. Practicing asana increases physical endurance and calms the nervous system. Asanas improve blood circulation, breathing, and concentration, reducing the chances of a seizure. These exercises also help improve your health-related quality of life.

    “Neeraj Clinic aims to help patients with epilepsy live a epilepsy-free life which is full of Hopes, Dreams, skills, and Motivation,”says Dr. Gupta, Director of Neeraj Clinic.

    Neeraj clinic also provides free checkups and medicine for less privileged patients who find it difficult to get treated for epilepsy due to high costs.

    Stress is a well-recognized trigger for seizures. Dhyana or meditation is one of the best ways to calm the mind and thus heal the body. Meditation also helps in improvingblood circulation, and it slows down the production of stress hormones. Meditation also increases levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which are knownto calm your nervous system. In addition, the practice of relaxation techniques such as yoga meditation is well known for helping to combat epilepsy episodes.

    Based in the sacred town of Rishikesh, Neeraj Clinic is a worldwide popular name for Epilepsy Treatment. Their book on epilepsy has been referred to 240+ Medical Universities in India as well as Abroad.  Neeraj Epilepsy Clinic has received various Recognition & Awards for its contribution to the Indian Ayurveda field and medical field. Ayurvedic Doctors with Years of experience in Epilepsy treatment have joined hands with Neeraj Clinic in fulfilling the dream of Epilepsy free India. Visit https://www.epilepsytreatment.org/ for more details.

  • IC3 Institute comes forward to support women affected by the COVID-19 surge in India

    New Jersey/Mumbai (Maharashtra) [USA/India], June 14: The IC3 Institute, a U.S. non-profit, is helping women from families that have lost their breadwinners to COVID-19 in the recent surge in India by empowering them with training and employment opportunities. These women will be trained as career counsellors and connected with full-time employment opportunities within IC3’s global network of high schools.

    “The COVID-19 surge in India has brought many challenges, one of which is the loss of the sole breadwinners in many families, pushing them to the brink of poverty. While there has been a lot of international and domestic support for immediate relief measures, as the pandemic wears on, these families need sustenance support beyond having their immediate relief needs met. We hope that providing sustainable livelihood opportunities to the affected families will help them overcome the many challenges of the post-pandemic world.”, says Ganesh Kohli, Founder, IC3 Movement and Chair, Board of Trustees, IC3 Institute.

    Through the initiative, women from distressed families will be provided financial aid and welfare, training and education to become career counsellors, upskilling to prepare them to join the modern workforce, and socio-emotional counselling and life skills training, and will be linked to schools in their region to ensure sustainable employment opportunities.

    The IC3 Institute is currently raising funds to mobilize this initiative. To read more about the initiative and to contribute, click here.

    About the IC3 Institute

    The IC3 Institute is a mission-driven non-profit that brings together high schools, colleges, and universities, and industry to ensure early access to career and college counselling, paving the path for students’ college readiness, workforce preparedness, and career success. The IC3 Institute also serves as a think tank and thought leader on global higher education and career readiness through convenings of experts and timely research.

  • ’Care for Healthcare Covid Warriors’ – a free helpline service to support the mental health of Healthcare Covid workers, launched by Aavishkar Centre

    Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 10: ‘Aavishkar Centre for Self Enrichment’ has launched a free helpline to support doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists, Paramedics, and other healthcare workers on Covid duties to support them with any emotional distress they might be experiencing. The last 16 months of the pandemic have been tough for the frontline healthcare workers; and the second wave pushed the limits of the healthcare infrastructure, creating additional emotional distress for these Covid Warriors.

    Speaking during the launch, Dr. Nirmala Rao, Director, Aavishkar Center said, “Watching the news helplessly over the past year, I was feeling bad about the conditions under which healthcare workers are functioning, there was a growing urgency to do something to help. Focusing on my skillsets and what I have to offer, I considered the idea of what could be done. Since counselling is my forte, and knowing many others would also wish to help out, I floated this idea of starting a helpline.”

    The helpline’s objective is to provide a platform for healthcare Covid Warriors to vent out, share their experiences, worries & frustration; and gain support through the patient and caring ears lent by the volunteers! Through this helpline, the callers will receive support, feeling understood, receiving an empathetic and non-judgmental space, helping them gain humane contact in these times of isolation.

    The initiative is supported by MediaMedic Communications – a healthcare communications agency. Mr. Dinesh Chindarkar, Co-founder at MediaMedic Communications said, “When Dr. Nirmala Rao sounded this idea, me and my team wanted to support this wholeheartedly. We gave the technical support for the call-center set-up and our Digital team is reaching a larger healthcare audience segment and effectively using Social media to propagate the message across the country.”

    The contact number for this free helpline is 9172284386 and it operates between 4 pm & 7 pm from Monday to Saturday. Considering the multiplicity of languages, the helpline is currently being offered in 10 languages (Hindi, Marathi, English, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi, & Bengali). Supported by a team of around 80 volunteers trained by Dr. Nirmala Rao herself, ‘Care for Covid Warriors’ seeks to offer selfless service to the frontline workers in these tough times.

    Dr. Nirmala Rao, the brain behind this initiative is looking to reach a larger audience. As more people become aware of this initiative and step up to volunteer, the idea is to scale up this service as per the needs of callers – by increasing the number of hours, the number of lines, etc.

    Note to the Media: Kindly help spread the word to reach maximum healthcare workers and benefit them.

  • Survivors Turning Saviours: An Inspiring Story from Uttarakhand

    Sachin Upadhyay, a Covid survivor and social entrepreneur in Dehradun is helping 200 villages fight the Covid-19 pandemic – he is saving lives and building a recovery plan.

     

    Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 9: Sachin describes the two weeks as a Covid patient the worst of his life – the isolation, loss of physical strength, constant inflow of distressing news of illness and deaths – he believes it is somewhat of a miracle that he came off the disease without any complication.

    While the first wave of Covid-19 last year had a very limited impact on the hilly state of Uttarakhand, this year has been quite deadly. Not only has the virus reached the cities of Uttarakhand, but it is also infecting people living in villages, including young children.

    As the pandemic tightened its grip on the state in late April, Sachin recalls receiving numerous calls from the people in his village, pleading for access to hospitals, beds, and doctors. Despite being affected himself, he reports transporting almost 60 people from the village to Dehradun and ensuring that they get the medical attention required. He is happy about the lives he could save but deeply saddened about the helplessness and lack of medical facilities in hilly villages.

    As Sachin recovered from the virus, he was clear about what his next mission was –to bring relief to the village folks in Tehri – from where he hails and continues to focus his social upliftment efforts through this organization, The World Integrity Foundation (TWIF). He consulted with various doctors and discovered that if villagers get timely access to a doctor and primary Covid-19 medication, it could prevent emergencies and the need for high-level care. It was then he says that he developed a roadmap with TWIF’s chief coordinator Mayank Dhyani – the mission was to distribute 50,000 medical kits in villages, and ultimately benefit 1,00,000 people with these and other relief efforts, including food supplies and other medical relief.

    To initiate these efforts, TWIF started identifying the source of medicines, and initiated crowdfunding efforts – the first batch of 1000 kits they distributed in the villages was gratefully received and appreciated. While on their distribution drive, they also got deeper insights into the community’s needs and their magnitude – there was a huge need for medicines, face masks, oximeters, thermometers, and flow meters. They stepped up their fundraising efforts and mobilized their networks for support. “We identified over 200 villages, two municipal corporations (Tehri & Chamba) to distribute medical kits and built a strong network of volunteers – employees of the Duck Store who are helping us pack the kits; and across villages who are helping us with the distribution,” mentions Upadhaya (President, TWIF). “We have distributed 40,000 medical kits and dry ration packets. We are trying to source as many relevant supplies as possible including vaporizers and oxygen concentrators and have expanded our distribution drive to include parts of Dehradun and Uttarakashi based on their needs.”

    The medical kits include primary medicines like paracetamol, azithromycin, ivermectin, and vitamin C and zinc supplements. They also include a handout with a description of the medicines and the recommended protocol, Sachin’s own number for further assistance, and phone numbers of four doctors who have volunteered to do free of cost telephonic consultation under this initiative.

    TWIF especially acknowledges the generous support of Dr. Syed Farooq (President, Himalaya Drug Company) and Mr. Deepak Yadav (MD, Duck Store); and contributions from Dr. S C Saxena, Dr. Mahender Rana, Dr. Chinmay Panday, Mr. Daksh Khulbe, Mr. Balkishan Rathi and a few others who prefer to remain anonymous.

    Sachin Upadhyay can easily be identified as a person who is not deterred, but rather strengthened by a crisis. He is now focused on building a recovery plan for the thousands of migrant workers who were forced to return home due to the pandemic – skill-building and identifying and creating employment opportunities for them are next on his agenda. However, his will to help the people of his state and especially those living in the hilly villages of Tehri is not new.

    He co-founded The World Integrity Foundation in 2013 – a Dehradun-based registered charitable trust & social welfare organisation. Since then, they have undertaken numerous relief efforts – last year during the first wave of the pandemic, TWIF provided dry ration packets to more than 4,000 people and served home-cooked food to over 2,000 frontline workers every day for two months.

    “I believe I am a son of the soil. I feel deeply rooted in my people and am deeply affected by the neglect that my state suffers. Covid-19 is an unprecedented crisis, but I believe we are now better prepared to support our people and children and that is a hugely satisfying feeling”, says Sachin as he urges Uttarakhandi-s from across the world to come forward and extend help to TWIF’s mission of saving precious lives and rebuilding livelihoods in the hilly villages of Uttarakhand.

    For any queries write to: twifdehradun@gmail.com